GEORGE FOX

THE GREATEST PROPHET YOU NEVER HEARD OF

George Fox’s birthplace

George Fox was born in 1624 in Leicestershire England. He travelled extensively throughout the British Isles in the 1650’s testifying of Christ. He caused quite a stir because he denounced the Church of England ministers as having no authority and condemned them for taking payment for preaching the gospel (ie the practice of “simony”). To use his own words “One man may shake the country for 10 miles”. He was imprisoned several times for extended periods in appalling conditions and suffered many serious physical attacks for the gospel’s sake. He suffered abuse with calmness and patience and without any murmuring. He seems to have been absolutely fearless and resolute.

He was totally uncompromising where gospel truths were concerned. In pacifying and overcoming both the unruly individuals and the mobs that opposed to him, George Fox relied entirely on the Spirit and also the power of God to be exercised on his behalf. He noted that some of his leading persecutors came to unenviable and untimely ends, as did some of the persecutors of Joseph Smith.

Apart from the fact that many people commented on his “piercing eyes” we know little about his physical stature or appearance. Given the considerable physical demands of the life he led, it seems probable that he was robust in physical constitution as well as in character. Like Joseph Smith, he was called by revelation at an age when he was considered too young to marry. Like Nephi, there was a time of crisis when he had deep struggles to overcome negative feelings.

He met and counselled with Oliver Cromwell and King Charles and warned them against their follies and abuses of power. His ministry founded the Quakers or Society of Friends, and he stirred up a huge fundamentalist movement throughout the British Isles. He also travelled to North America and to the Netherlands. He received several visions and revelations that correspond very closely with the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants. George Fox left a journal that describes his life and ministry in considerable detail. His journal runs to nearly 300 pages of A4 text and is available on the internet. It is a fascinating insight into George’s mind and into and the social conditions prevailing in the 1650’s.

For Latter-day Saints, it is easy to see that George was a forerunner who very effectively prepared the way for the restoration. The vision he had on Pendle Hill is particularly significant and relevant to the later work of the LDS missionaries in the same area. His journal states that . .

“As we travelled (in about 1650) we came near a very great hill, called Pendle Hill, and I was moved of the Lord to go up to the top of it; which I did with difficulty, it was so very steep and high. When I was come to the top, I saw the sea bordering upon Lancashire. From the top of this hill the Lord let me see in what places he had a great people to be gathered. Here the Lord opened unto me, and let me see a great people in white raiment by a river side, coming to the Lord”

This vision of the future was literally fulfilled some 140 years later by Latter-day Saint missionaries in 1837. George Fox died and was buried in London in 1648.

It should be noted that the villages of Chatburn & Downham are located close to the foot of Pendle Hill and would have been clearly visible to George Fox as he stood on the top of the great hill. At its nearest point to Chatburn, the depth and nature of the river Ribble are ideal for baptisms. Heber Kimball speaks of preaching in a tithe barn at Chatburn and the remains of such a tithe barn of the period still stand within 100 yds of the river. A very large proportion of the inhabitants of Chatburn and Downham joined the LDS church and subsequently emigrated to Utah.

The following quotes are from the journal of the Latter-day Saint missionary Heber C Kimball in about 1837

"Having mentioned my intention of going to Downham and Chatburn, to several of the brethren (in Liverpool), they endeavored to dissuade me from going, informing me there could be no prospect of success whatever, as several ministers of different denominations had endeavored in vain to raise churches in these places, and had frequently preached to them, but to no effect, as they had resisted all the efforts and withstood the attempts of all sects and parties for the last thirty years, who, seeing all their attempts fail, had given them up to hardness of heart. I [p.170] was also informed they were very wicked places. However, this did not discourage me, believing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ could reach the heart, when the gospels of men proved abortive; I consequently told those brethren that these were the places I wanted to go to, for that it was my business not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

"The next day we received a very pressing invitation to preach in Chatburn, but having given out an appointment to preach in Clithero that evening, I informed them that I would not be able to comply with their request that night; this did not satisfy them, they continued to solicit me with the greatest importunity, until I was obliged to consent to remain with them, and requested Elder Fielding to attend to the appointment at Clithero; there was a feeling of reluctance on his part to go, as he feared the rabble might break up his meeting; but seeing the importunity of the people that I should stay with them in Chatburn, he consented to go to Clithero alone. As he feared it might be, so it was; his meeting was broken up.

"In Chatburn I was cordially received by the inhabitants, who turned out in great numbers to hear me preach. They produced a large tithing barn, placing a barrel in the center, upon which I stood. I preached to them the first principles of the Gospel, spoke in simplicity upon the principles revealed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the conditions of pardon for a fallen world and the blessings and privileges of those who embraced the truth; I likewise said a little on the subject of the resurrection. My testimony was accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord, and was received with joy, and these people who had been represented as being hard and obdurate, were melted into tenderness and love. I told them that, [p.171] being a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, I stood ready at all times to administer the ordinances of the Gospel, and explained what was necessary to prepare them for baptism; that when they felt to repent of and forsake their sins, they were ready to be baptized for the remission of sins, like the jailor and his household, and Cornelius and his house. When I concluded I felt someone pulling at my coat, exclaiming, 'Maister, Maister.' I turned round and asked what was wanted. Mrs. Elizabeth Partington said, 'Please sir, will you baptize me?' 'And me ?' 'And me?' exclaimed more than a dozen voices. Accordingly I went down into the water and baptized twenty-five. I was engaged in this duty, and confirming them and conversing with the people until after midnight.

"The next morning I returned to Downham, and baptized between twenty-five and thirty in the course of the day.

"The next evening I returned to Chatburn. The congregation was so numerous that I had to preach in the open air, and took my stand on a stone wall, and afterwards baptized several. These villages seemed to be affected from one end to the other; parents called their children together, spoke to them on the subjects which I had preached about, and warned them against swearing and all other evil practices, and instructed them in their duty.

"We were absent from Preston five days, during which time Brother Fielding and I baptized and confirmed about 110 persons; organized branches in Downham, Chatburn, Waddington and Clithero; and ordained several to the lesser Priesthood, to preside. This was the first time the people in those villages ever heard our voices, or saw an American.

"I cannot refrain from relating an occurrence which took place while Brother Fielding and myself were passing through the village of Chatburn on our way to Downham. Having been observed approaching the village, the news ran from house to house, and immediately the noise of their looms was hushed, and the people flocked to their doors to welcome us and see us pass. More than forty young people of the place ran to meet us; some took hold of our mantles and then of each others' hands; several having hold of hands went before us singing the songs of Zion, while their parents gazed upon the scene with delight, and poured their blessings upon our heads, and praised the God of heaven for sending us to unfold the principles of truth and the plan of salvation to them. The children continued with us to Downham, a mile distant. Such a scene, and such gratitude, I never witnessed before. 'Surely,' my heart exclaimed, 'out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.' What could have been more pleasing and delightful than such a manifestation of gratitude to Almighty God; and from those whose hearts were deemed too hard to be penetrated by the Gospel, and who had been considered the most wicked and hardened people in that region of country."

"On Wednesday we went to Chatburn and held meeting in the evening. There was great joy in the place. The next day we went to Downham and held meeting that evening and many came to hear. We bore testimony to the Gospel, and of the work of the Lord in these last days. The people were very attentive. When we had closed, a certain man wished to ask a few questions; he appeared much agitated; in fact we were reminded of the prediction in the Book of Mormon, that 'men would anger and tremble because of the truth.' He demanded some evidence of the truth of the Gospel, or message, of which we testified; but would not tell us what evidence would satisfy him, so we could only repeat our testimony to him, and let him go, with no other evidence than what ourselves and tens of thousands of others had believed and were satisfied with. The Saints had a time of rejoicing. On Saturday we returned to Chatburn and held meeting, after which three persons were baptized and added to the Church. On the Sabbath the meeting was held in a large barn, no house being sufficiently large to convene the people. There were many to hear, who were very attentive. We ordained two Priests. In the evening four others were baptized. Some who had left the society, wished they had been faithful, and some of them returned by humble repentance and being re-baptized.

There appears to be something peculiar in the people in this place; others had tried in vain to enlist them into their folds; but on hearing the first preaching of the fullness of the Gospel they were overwhelmed in tears of repentance, and more than twenty were immediately baptized. It is a small village, but the number of members soon increased to about ninety. They have mostly stood fast. We have never received anything like an insult all the time we visited the place, and we feel bound to bless them.

"In the interval," writes Heber, "I went and visited the branches in the regions of Clithero and Chatburn, and on the morning when I left Chatburn many were in tears, thinking they should see my face no more. When I left them, my feelings were such as I cannot describe. As I walked down the street I was followed by numbers; the doors were crowded by the inmates of the houses to bid me farewell, who could only give vent to their grief in sobs and broken accents. While contemplating this scene I was constrained to take off my hat, for I felt as if the place was holy ground. The Spirit of the Lord rested down upon me and I was constrained to bless that whole region of country. I was followed by a great number to Clithero, a considerable distance from the villages, who could then hardly separate from me. My heart was like unto theirs, and I thought my head was a fountain of tears, for I wept for several miles after I bid them adieu. I had to leave the road three times to go to streams of water to bathe my eyes."

The Prophet Joseph told me in after years that the reason he felt as he did in the streets of Chatburn was because the place was indeed "holy ground," that some of the ancient prophets had traveled in that region and dedicated the land, and that he, Heber, had reaped the benefit of their blessing. It is believed that virtually the entire communities of Chatburn & Downham were baptized by Elder Kinball and his companions.

It being known that the Elders were about to leave England, great numbers flocked to hear them, and many more were baptized. Their labors were consequently very arduous. Says Elder Kimball:

"Some days we went from house to house, conversing with the people on the things of the kingdom, and would sometimes be instrumental in convincing many of the truth: and I have known as many as twenty persons baptized in one day, who have been convinced on such occasions. I have had to go into the water to administer the ordinance of baptism six or seven times a day, and frequently after having come out of the water and changed my clothes, I have had to turn back to the water before [p.189] I reached my lodgings; this, too, when the weather was extremely cold, the ice being from twelve to fourteen inches thick. The weather continued so about twelve weeks, during which time I think there were but ten days in which we were not in the water baptizing. The harvest was indeed plenteous, but the laborers were few."

"This was very extraordinary weather for that country, as I was informed that some winters they had scarcely any frost or snow, and the oldest inhabitants told me that they never experienced such a winter before. In consequence of the inclemency of the weather, several manufacturing establishments were shut up, and several thousands of men, women and children were thrown out of employment, whose sufferings during that time were severe; and I was credibly informed, and verily believe, that many perished from starvation. Such sufferings I never witnessed before. The scenes which I daily beheld were enough to chill the blood in my veins. The streets were crowded with men, women and children who begged from the passengers as they walked along. Numbers of those poor, wretched beings were without shoes or stockings, and scarcely any covering to screen them from the inclemency of the weather; and daily I could discover delicate females walking the streets gathering up the animal refuse, and carrying it to places where they could sell it for a penny or half-penny. And thus they lived through the winter. At the same time there were hundreds and thousands living in wealth and splendor. I felt to exclaim, 0 Lord, how long shall these things exist! How long shall the rich oppress the poor, and have no more care or [p.190] interest for them than the brutes of the field, nor half so much! When will distress and poverty cease, and peace and plenty abound! When the Lord Jesus shall descend in the clouds of heaven, then the rod of the oppressor shall be broken. Hasten the time, O Lord, was frequently the language of my heart when I contemplated the scenes of wretchedness and woe which I daily witnessed.

"Great numbers were initiated into the Kingdom of Heaven; those who were sick were healed; those who were diseased flocked to us daily; and truly their faith was great, such as I hardly ever witnessed before, consequently many were healed of their infirmities. We were continually employed day and night, some nights hardly closing our eye-lids. The task was almost more than we could endure; but realizing the circumstances of this people, their love of the truth, their humility and unfeigned charity, caused us to use all diligence and make good use of every moment, for truly our bowels yearned over them."

The final journal entry chapter is the letter Heber Kimball wrote to the people of Chatburn & Downham while he waited at Liverpool for a ship to return him to America.

"LIVERPOOL, April 15, 1838.

"Beloved Brethren: Having given all diligence to make known unto you the common salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which ye have so joyfully received from my lips, I feel now to write to you a few words for your consolation, and the confirming of that hope which is possessed by you, that ye may be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, that it may be made manifest unto all men that our labors have not been in vain.

"Be kind and affectionate one towards another, manifesting your faith by your works—doing as well as saying. If there is any one among you destitute of daily food, feed him; if any one be naked, clothe him; if any one be cast down, raise him up; if any among you are sick, send for the Elders, or Priests, that they may come and pray for you, and lay their hands upon you, and the prayer of faith shall heal the sick; therefore, brethren, let your faith be centered in God, for He is able to do all things, to forgive sins and heal the sick, for you know this, that God has said these signs shall follow them that believe.

"Now, brethren, I exhort you in the name of my Master, to contend for that faith which was once delivered to the Saints; for the same faith will produce the same effects; for God has not changed, neither has His word changed; heaven and earth shall pass away, but there shall not one jot or tittle of His word fail; all shall be fulfilled, whether it be by His own voice or the voice of His servants, it is all the same; therefore, brethren, do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

"Dear brethren and sisters, be patient, be humble, be prayerful, visit your secret places. Pray in your families morning and evening, ye who are heads of families, and neglect not the assembling of yourselves together; but speak often one to another concerning the things of the kingdom, and diligently follow after every good thing, remembering that the diligent hand maketh rich. Let these things be and abound with you, and ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of God. Let your eyes be single, and your bodies shall be filled with light.

"Now, to you, brethren, who have been ordained to watch over the flock, I would say, stand in your places and magnify the offices which ye have received of the Lord Jesus, to feed His sheep. Feed the lambs; watch over the flock in in all things; be not partial to any one; remember these things, and the blessing of God shall attend in all things.

"Dear Brethren and Sisters, I give you the gratitude of my heart for the kindness which you have bestowed upon me and my brethren; for when I was hungry, ye fed me; when I was naked, ye clothed me; when I was destitute, ye gave me money; when I was a stranger, ye took me in and lodged me; and, as ye have done these things to me and my brethren in our necessities, my heavenly Father shall minister unto you in your necessities; for I am not forgetful of those things and I do ever remember you in my prayers, praying my heavenly Father to sustain you, enable you to walk worthy of the holy vocation unto which ye have been called, unto the end. Amen.

"Finally, brethren and sisters, farewell. Pray for me and my brethren; and may the God of all grace sanctify you wholly, and bring you into my Father's kingdom.

"Adieu. This from your beloved brother in Christ, Heber C. Kimball."