What stories do these walls hold? This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It stands on the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is a small island. It is beautiful too. It is about 33 miles long. The island is 13 miles wide. It sits in the Irish Sea. The island is almost equidistant from England and Ireland. However, it is closer to Scotland than to Wales.
The Isle of Man is not part of England. It is not part of Great Britain. Also, it is not part of the United Kingdom. It is a Crown Dependency. It has a large degree of independence. The Isle of Man has its own money. It also has its own postal system. The island has its own language. It is called Manx Gaelic. Manx Gaelic is taught in schools. It has died out as a working language though. The main language is English.
Let’s talk about the church’s early days here. The first Manx converts were Leonora Cannon and her cousin Elizabeth Kaighen. They joined the church in Canada. They had moved there for economic reasons. Leonora married John Taylor in Toronto. This happened in 1833. John Taylor became the first LDS missionary. He went to the Isle of Man in 1840. He later became the third Prophet/President of the church. From those first efforts, hundreds of Manx people converted. They moved to America. They helped the church grow there and further afield.
Over the years, five became Apostles. They include George Q. Cannon and Matthew Cowley. Many became notable in secular matters in America. Some were Mayors. Others were Congressmen. Some were State Senators. Others were JPs and writers. John Thomas Caine helped Utah gain statehood. Some Manx converts joined the Mormon Battalion. Another became a Major in the Nauvoo Legion. He commanded 100 cavalry and 500 infantry. Thomas McKay attended The School of the Prophets. He was taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. George Cannon made death masks. He also made coffins for the martyred Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum. William Cowley helped the survivors of the Edward Martin Handcart Company. He brought them to safety in the Salt Lake Valley. Leonora Taylor attended the inaugural meeting of The Relief Society. Several General Authorities trace their ancestry back to the Isle of Man.
The 19th-century policy gathered church members to America. This reduced the church’s presence on the island. For the first half of the 20th century, no LDS church existed here. In 1958, the London Temple was dedicated. A new era opened for the church in the British Isles. Missionary numbers began to increase. In 1960, the work in the British Isles split. It became two separate missions. Further splits followed. In 1962, the Irish Mission was created. The Isle of Man was included in it. During this time, two female members moved to the island. They found no church here. They asked for missionaries to be sent again. In August 1962, the Isle of Man Branch was reorganized. One of the missionaries was sent to the island. He was an Elder Cannon of Manx descent. He became Branch President.
Growth was slow but steady. In 1973, members started building their own chapel. Dave Lambert supervised the building. Until then, the branch was part of the Belfast District. Stronger regions were known as Stakes. In 1976, the twentieth stake in Britain was created in Liverpool. The Douglas, Isle of Man, Branch became part of the Liverpool Stake. It became a Ward. With growing numbers, the chapel was extended in 1994. It approximately doubled its original size. Today the ward flourishes. Missionaries from the Manchester Mission dream of being sent to the little island. It is known as the little island with a big heart. Visitors go home uplifted. They feel the warm Manx welcome. It greets everyone who enters the chapel here at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.