Dr. Talmage Goes to Liverpool

In 1887 Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet. Conan Doyle drew on lurid rumors of harems, female slavery, and murderous plots in Utah as the backstory for the villain. These ideas were drawn from a strong tradition of anti-Mormon publishing in Europe and America. In England in particular, there was a broad market for anti-Mormon pamphlets, books, and touring lectures. These sensationalized portrayals of the Church often led to harassment of members and missionaries.

In the late 1800s, Latter-day Saints worked to counter these misrepresentations. In 1891 the English-born future Apostle James E. Talmage, who had joined the Church and immigrated to Utah at age 14, returned to present his research on the geological history of Utah to the Royal Microscopical Society in London. After a successful presentation, he wrote in his journal of his hope for the good it might do for the Saints that “one of the despised Mormons—has been so received.”

Seven years later, Talmage returned to Britain, hoping to break down misconceptions more directly with a series of lectures about the Church. Local missionaries contributed funds to purchase stereopticon equipment, and Talmage’s lectures were illustrated with beautiful images of “Utah and her institutions.” Missionaries and members did their best to advertise the event—and got some unexpected help. Near Liverpool, an anti-Mormon group mistook Dr. Talmage for American clergyman Thomas DeWitt Talmage, whose writings had attacked the Church. The group printed and distributed their own fliers promoting the event as an opportunity to hear “the truth regarding Mormonism.” The unwitting promoters may have been disappointed when the large crowd at the evening’s lecture ended up cheering a pro-Mormon presentation.

Early in the 20th century, anti-Mormon groups also lobbied for government action against the Church, but a government enquiry led by Home Secretary Winston Churchill found no evidence for common allegations against the Church. Saints continued working to wear down prejudice. When James E. Talmage returned to England in 1924 as an Apostle and the president of the British Mission, he made himself available for interviews with any interested journalists. During each meeting, he contested false reports and shared the real message of the restored gospel. Step by step, journalists throughout the country began to take a more measured approach in their reporting about the Church.