Missionary Experience of Elders with Inspectors Moore and Howes
Published October 5, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Two unnamed missionaries, while in Newport Pagnell, were stopped by Inspectors John Moore and Joseph Howes, taken to the station-house under suspicion because they matched a published description of wanted men, and interrogated. After verifying their identity and character, the inspectors, particularly Inspector Moore, engaged the elders in a two-and-a-half-hour discussion about the Gospel, during which the elders taught the first principles of the Gospel, discussed the principle of marriage, and provided a description of Salt Lake City. The experience resulted in a positive change in the inspector's opinion regarding the missionaries' principles.
In Their Own Words
“Yesterday we visited Newport Pagnell, anxious for a chance to engage anyone's attention with our message, which desire was soon granted in the following manner: A thunder-shower coming on, we took shelter underneath an awning, and a conversation was opened by a young man. Several policemen were in the vicinity, and Inspectors John Moore and Joseph Howes came up and informed us we were wanted, but would not state for what. We were marched to the station-house, and on the way were followed by a large crowd, who seemed to think we were some great criminals. On arriving at the station, we were ushered into the presence of the inspectors, who, after a few questions, produced a paper, which they read, and which contained a description of two men who were wanted for some crime, and which description, in some respects, answered to our own. After the reading of this excellent description of ourselves and from such a source, we were then interrogated as to our business, where we came from, and what our principles were. We told them we were Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and were traveling without purse or scrip, preaching the Gospel. We then gave them a brief history of our travels, and the nature of our mission. Inspector Moore brought out his Bible, fearing ours was incorrect, and we had an exceedingly interesting time for over an hour, when he furnished us an excellent 'tea.' We explained to them the first principles of the Gospel, the principle of marriage, and gave them a description of Salt Lake City, and the condition of the people there. Inspector Moore's conduct was quite courteous, and on parting he offered us our railway fares to Stantonbury, which we declined. He also expressed himself as entertaining a very different idea of our principles from our conversation, to what he had previously conceived.”
— Charles Smith, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 42, No. 28
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 12 July 1880 (Vol. 42, No. 28). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1880-07-12_42_28 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Full first-person account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, 12 July 1880, Vol. 42, No. 28, p. 445 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1880-07-12_42_28
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