Charles Henry John West conversion

Nothing very remarkable took place in my youthfull days, suffice it to say I continued at home with my parents following the occupation of Stationer with my father until I was sixteen years of age. About this time I began to think of an existance in another state. I began to have a religeous frame of mind, being brought up in a church Sunday School I thought most of that faith. My parents belonging to the sect called "Independance". My eldest brother John being a Latter-day Saint and my sister Lydia a Baptist. I knew not which was right. By the help of God I was determined to find out. I several times with my companion went to hear the Latter-day Saints at Theobalds Road Branch. More for curuosity than to find out the truth. After hearing what was said, I had no fault to find with them. At this period I was keeping company with a young woman Eliza Dangerfield the third daughter of Thomas and Caroline Dangerfield a leather cutter her father a deacon of a Baptist Church. One day while we were visiting the house of my cousin John Hyde who was a Elder of the Latter day saints. We were invited to attend again the church and read their works, We felt it a duty to be baptized for the remission of our sins, accordingly we were baptized on the 16th day of October 1849 in the Pentonville Baths, Islington by Elder John Hyde Sr. and confirmed the following Sunday, Elder John Hyde confirmed Eliza Dangerfield and Elder Orson Pratt an apostle myself. I continued in the church and rejoiced in the signs following. I felt I had become a member of the church and Kingdom of God and that I was not to be idle but was to be up and doing.