Ledbury Enjoys Rekindling of Gospel Light

Since the dedication of the Gadfield Elm Chapel by Elder Jeffery R. Holland on Sunday, 23 April 2000, there has been an upsurge in the awareness of the Church in the Ledbury area. For the first time in more than one hundred years, missionaries have been assigned to Ledbury, an area known for thousands of conversions in the 1840s by Wilford Woodruff and his companions. Still living in the area are hundreds of relatives of those early Saints, and already the missionaries are having success teaching the gospel to local families.

This year, the Hereford Branch entered the Ledbury carnival for the first time ever. They walked away with first prize for their float "Dumbo's Flying Circus." On 11 August 2000, the Malvern Gazette and Ledbury Reporter circulated a suggested walk around Eldersfield and Pendock. The walk covers eight miles and passes Gadfield Elm Chapel soon after the start of the walk. This walk gives opportunity to tread paths that Wilford Woodruff walked.

In the Gloucester Citizen of 3 August 2000, Mr George Henderson cites the BBC's History Magazine which is compiling its own Domesday Book of overlooked historical sites in Britain. Listing some of the county's less obvious treasures, Mr Henderson included Gadfield Elm Chapel, which he described as the oldest surviving Mormon chapel in the world.

Within four months of the dedication one can see the marked increase in the awareness of the Church in these historical parts.

Three Brothers Serve Young Men

Brothers Arlo, Ryan and Matthew Bassett are all serving as Young Mens presidents. Arlo and his wife, Anna, attend the Swindon Ward, and Matthew attends the Cheltenham Ward, both in the Cheltenham Stake. Ryan and his wife, Emma, attend the Reading Ward in the Reading Stake. The brothers have all served missions, Arlo in the Leeds Mission, Ryan in the Greece Athens Mission, and Matthew in the Canada Toronto East Mission. - Maureen Caswell, Cheltenham Ward, Cheltenham Stake