Elder Jesse Haven, William Walker, and Leonard I. Smith's Arrival in Cape Town

On August 28-29, 1852, during a semi-annual conference presided over by President Brigham Young, 106 elders were called to serve missions worldwide. Among them, Jesse Haven, William Holmes Walker, and Leonard I. Smith were assigned to the Cape of Good Hope. Departing Salt Lake on September 15, 1852, the trio traveled through England—where they received significant fatherly assistance from Samuel W. Richards, president of the British Mission—and arrived in Cape Town on April 18, 1853. Upon arrival, the missionaries were effectively penniless and friendless in a foreign land. According to mission history, they were provided with five shillings by an unknown benefactor, which allowed them to secure lodging for their first night. Standing on the deck as they prepared to disembark, Elder Haven reflected on their isolation and the hostility often faced by those carrying their message, yet noted their absolute resolve to fulfill their divine assignment. On May 23, 1853, the elders climbed a mountain they identified as 'Lion's Head,' where they officially organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Cape of Good Hope and dedicated the site as 'Mount Brigham, Heber and Willard.'