My name is Brian Austin. My father’s name is Frederick Nelson Austin, and my mother’s name was Eleen Austin. I was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire on the 29th of June, 1945. I originate from a large family, having two brothers age twenty and eleven, and two sisters age twenty-four and twenty-two. My eldest brother is on a proselyting mission in Dundee.
In 1952 my mother died and our family was never quite the same again. Things were indeed black then. Money problems were difficult and yet all the time my father and my youngest sister kept working hard for us. My sister took over the task of mother of the family and did the house chores. The whole family worked together and by 1957, three of the family were working. Things brightened considerably as all three received good jobs.
Then one day during that time, two elders visited our home. My eldest sister was soon baptized and my other sister soon followed. However, the rest of the family were sceptical. My father still allowed the elders to continue coming and six months later my father and we three brothers were baptized. Our whole lives were changed by the Gospel. My father is now General Secretary at the Ashton-Oldham Ward and my youngest sister is an officer in Sunday School. Ironically enough, my eldest sister who helped bring us into the Gospel has become inactive, but we all know that one day she will become active again. On the 28th of January, 1962, I was called and set apart as a Building Missionary. A week later I was sent to work on the Manchester Stake House. A week later, I was sent to Lowestoft. This mission has built my testimony and taught me more about the Gospel than I ever knew before.
This article is part of the UK & Ireland Church History website: https://www.lds.org.uk/church-history