Elder B. W. and the Saints' Baptism at Night in England

Elder B. W. was attending to the ordinance of baptism under the cover of night to avoid mob violence. While he and the candidates were at the beach, two prostitutes approached a brother who was left as a lookout. They addressed him with familiar terms, informed him they knew the group were 'Mormons' who were going to 'dip some one', and proposed to join him to pelt the group with rocks. When the brother declined, they expressed 'holy indignation' and spoke curses against the Saints.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

I was much amused not long since, by a circumstance which occurred one evening, while I was attending to the ordinance of baptism, (For be it known, that in this Christian country we have to attend to the ordinances instituted by Christ, under the shadows of night, to escape being mobbed.) I had descended with the candidates and some few others, by a stairway from the elevation of the town to the sea, one brother remaining at the top to note whether we were observed, or were likely to be disturbed in the performance of this sacred rite. Scarcely had we reached the beach, when two of those degraded prostitutes with which every town and city swarms, came down the stairway; and not suspecting this brother to be one of our number, addressed him with their usual “my dear,” informing him that those who had just descended were Mormons, going to “dip some one,” and proposed to go down with him and pelt us with rocks; but as he did not feel inclined to join them, they consoled themselves by giving vent to their holy indignation, that the town should allow such “ridiculous works.” “Ugh!” said one of these embodiments of modern holiness—“I wonder the sea does not swallow them up, all at once; or that Heaven does not send fire to the destruction of Salt Lake City with all its filthy wretches!” After this they moved on about their business.