London Virtual Tour

The first official missionaries, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, and Wilford Woodruff, arrived in London on the afternoon of August 18th, 1840. On August 25th, they presented their first public gospel lecture at a Temperance Society meeting held in a hall near Elephant and Castle (a section of London). They booked the hall for further preaching, beginning September 7th.

Not willing to wait until then to preach publically, they asked several Baptist and Methodist ministers if they could preach to their congregations, but were refused. So, they decided to preach outdoors at the Smithfield market. However, they soon learned that there was a law against preaching inside the city limits. Mr. Henry Connor, who had overheard the discussion in the market, suggested they go to Tabernacle Square, north of Finsbury Square. There they saw another preacher talking to a group of around 400. Later that day, the missionaries also preached there, and after hearing their message himself, Connor requested baptism. On August 31st, 1840, Heber C. Kimball baptized Henry Connor, the first baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in London.