In Luke 8, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. In verse eight, He said, “Other seeds fell on good ground and sprang up and bear fruits an hundredfold.”

The seed of the gospel found fertile soil in the Richins family. The gospel was introduced in the British Isles in 1837. The Twelve Apostles, according to revelation, were to lay the cornerstones of the Far West temple and leave for their missions to England. The anti-Mormon mobs bragged it was one of "Joe Smith’s" revelations that would not be fulfilled.

The Apostles laid the cornerstones without incident, but Satan was determined to stop them from going on their missions to England. They were attacked by illness and so were there families. Some of the men had no money to pay for their passage to England. The Lord allowed them to be tested. They placed the sick families in the hands of the Lord and though too sick to walk, set forth to fulfill their calls from the Lord.

They left without purse or script, but were given money and clothing along the way. As we see the results, we can understand why Satan tried to stop them. Branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were organized in Liverpool and spread outward across England. Wilford Woodruff was teaching the gospel in Stanley, Stratfordshire, when the spirit told him to go south—that there were people who were praying for guidance. Although he was having success in Stratfordshire, he bid them farewell and traveled south to Herdfordhshire.

Upon his arrival there, he found a whole congregation of United brethren who had become dissatisfied with the Wesleyan Methodist Church and had formed a church of their own and were praying for guidance. Wilford Woodruff and his fellow missionaries were able to baptize all of them but one. Miracles followed their conversion. He then opened the counties of Worcester and Gloucestershire for teaching the gospel. The Cheltham Conference was organized in 1840, whereupon Charles Shill and Elder Blackwell were sent to the area of Painswick, Syde and Sheepscombe.

They found fertile ground in the Richins family as well as the families they had married into. These were choice spirits that our Heavenly Father sent at that time to strengthen the Church. There had been a spirit of apostasy in Kirtland, Ohio—even some of the Twelve Apostles had apostatized and joined the enemy. These faithful converts strengthened the Church by traveling to Zion and faithfully serving wherever they were called.

The first of the Richins to be baptized was Charles, son of Richard and Priscilla. He was baptized by Charles Shill, December 26, 1849. He was ordained a priest on June 1, 1850 and was able to baptize his cousin Leonard Richins, son of William, on July 7, 1850.

Charles Shill baptized William and Charlotte Guy Richins on January 1, 1850. Their children, besides Leonard and Peter, were baptized as follows: Meriam, November 3, 1856 by Robert Jones; Joseph, January 1, 1850 and confirmed January 3, by Charles Blackwell; Enoch, April 21, 1850 by Charles Blackwell. William was ordained an Elder on August 27, 1854 by J. W. Edwards. William emigrated to the United States in 1866.

In addition to Charles, Richard’s other surviving sons were also converted. Thomas was baptized January 1, 1850 by Charles Shill and confirmed January 5, 1850 by William Davis. Edward was baptized February 28, 1853 by George Humphries and confirmed March 2, 1853. John was baptized February 5, 1854 by George Taylor and confirmed February 12, 1854 by William Edgeworth.

The Savior gave the interpretation of the sower in Luke chapter 8, verse 15: “But on the good ground are they which in honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.” How proudly we should carry the name of Richins.