Testimonies (Why I Believe)

Restoration of the York Branch

Published November 7, 2026 at 10:30 PM

1950s · 1951

York

Contributed by

Millennial Star Research

The Church in York faced severe persecution, including being forced to disband 25 years prior due to opposition from local ministers and the public. Despite continued opposition, including from the Archbishop of York, a new branch was successfully opened and grown. On January 7, 1951, the first baptism by proper authority was performed in the city since the branch had been forced to disband.

Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 113, No. 07 (1951)):

On January 7, 1951, the first baptism by proper authority was performed in the city of York since the branch had been forced to disband twenty-five years ago.

In Their Own Words

“On January 7th, 1951, the first baptism by those holding the authority was performed since the branch was forced to disband 25 years ago because of the persecution and intolerance displayed by the ministers and people of York at that time. The Lord has abundantly blessed the new members so that the short history of York is one of the Lord providing for his own and guiding the steady footsteps of the pure in heart. — Millennial Star 113:7”

Sources & References

The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), Vol. 113, No. 07 (1951). https://archive.org/details/millennialstar11307eng (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 113, No. 07 (1951) https://archive.org/details/millennialstar11307eng

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Filed under

Testimonies (Why I Believe)1950s United Kingdom Millennial Star Miracles

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Questions about this account

Who was involved in this account?

The account involves Millennial Star Research. Each person named here also has a witness page collecting the other accounts involving them.

When did this account take place?

The account is set in 1951, in the 1950s.

Where did this account take place?

It took place in York.

What kind of miracle is this?

It is filed as a Testimonies (Why I Believe) account reported in United Kingdom.

Where does this account come from?

The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), Vol. The full source citation appears in the Sources section below, with links to the original where available.

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