Parley P. Pratt
Born: 12 April 1807
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 21 February 1835
Died: 13 May 1857
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 21 February 1835
Died: 13 May 1857
Biographical Articles
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 1
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Juvenile Instructor, 15 January 1903, Events in the Life of Parley P. Pratt
Juvenile Instructor, 1 February 1903, Events in the Life of Parley P. Pratt
Improvement Era, April 1907, The Centennial of Parley P. Pratt - 1807-1907
Young Woman's Journal, September 1915, Missionary Experiences of Parley P. Pratt
Young Woman's Journal, January 1916, Instances of Healing
Young Woman's Journal, December 1916, Parley P. Pratt's Answered
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Juvenile Instructor, 15 January 1903, Events in the Life of Parley P. Pratt
Juvenile Instructor, 1 February 1903, Events in the Life of Parley P. Pratt
Improvement Era, April 1907, The Centennial of Parley P. Pratt - 1807-1907
Young Woman's Journal, September 1915, Missionary Experiences of Parley P. Pratt
Young Woman's Journal, January 1916, Instances of Healing
Young Woman's Journal, December 1916, Parley P. Pratt's Answered
Jenson, Andrew. "Pratt, Parley Parker." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 1. pg. 83-85.
PRATT, Parley Parker, a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1857, was born April 12, 1807, in Burlington, Otsego county. New York. He was the third son of Jared and Charity Pratt, Jared was the son of Obadiah and Jemima Pratt, Obadiah was the son of Christopher and Sarah Pratt; Christopher was the son of William and Hannah Pratt; "William was the son of Joseph Pratt; Joseph was the son of Lieutenant William and Elizabeth Pratt, who were found among the first settlers of Hartford, Conn., in the year 1639. They are supposed to have accompanied the Rev. Thomas Hooker and his congregation, about one hundred in number, from Newtown, now called Cambridge, Mass., through a dense wilderness, inhabited only by savages and wild beasts, and became the first founders of the colony at Hartford, in June. 1636. This ancient pilgrim, William Pratt, was a member of the legislature for some twenty-five or thirty sessions; and the general court gave him one hundred acres of land in Saybrook, Conn., for service performed as lieutenant in the Pequot war: he was one or the judges of the first court in New London county. Parley P. Pratt was a lineal descendant, of the seventh generation, from that distinguished pilgrim and humble pioneer of the new world. The youthful days of Parley P. Pratt were characterized by the soberness and thoughtfulness of manhood. Though from adverse circumstances his education was extremely limited, yet he displayed, even in youth, an originality of mind seldom exhibited. In September, 1820, he, being led by the Spirit of the Lord from his home in the State of Ohio, came several hundred miles eastward, where he fortunately obtained a copy of one of the most remarkable works of modern times—the Book of Mormon. He read the same, was convinced of its divine authenticity, and traveled in search of the highly favored men of God who had seen angels and heard the voice of the Almighty. He soon succeeded in finding some of them, from whom he learned that about five months previous the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been organized. He requested baptism, and was immediately after ordained an Elder. The same month he visited Canaan, Columbia county, N. Y.—the county where he had spent many of his youthful days—and after preaching a few times in different neighborhoods, and baptizing Orson Pratt, his brother, he returned to Seneca county. Receiving a revelation through Joseph the Prophet, he, in company with three or four others, performed a mission, some fifteen hundred miles, to the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and was among the first of the Saints to stand upon that choice land where the city of Zion is hereafter to be built, preparatory to the second advent of our Savior. In the spring of 1831 he returned to the northern part of Ohio, where he met Joseph the Prophet, by whom he was ordained a High Priest June 6. 1831. In the summer he again performed a mission through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, preaching, baptizing and building up the Church. In the autumn of 1833 he and about twelve hundred men, women and children were driven by a murderous, furious mob from their own houses and lands in Jackson county, Missouri. Two hundred houses were burned, cattle shot, hay stacks and grain burned, many whipped until their bowels gushed out; others killed, and the afflicted remnant driven across the river into Clay county. Soon after this Elder Pratt performed a long journey of about fifteen hundred miles east, preaching repentance and strengthening the Saints. In 1834 he again returned to Clay county, Missouri, officiating in his holy calling wherever he went. Having returned to the northern part of Ohio, he was chosen and ordained one of the Twelve Apostles of this last dispensation, Feb. 21, 1835, by Joseph Smith. The same year he performed a lengthy missionary journey through Pennsylvania, New York, and several of the New England States, and returned again to Ohio. In 1836 he visited Canada, and established a large branch of the Church in Toronto, and other branches in adjoining towns. In 1837 he visited New York city, where he founded a large branch of the Church. In 1838 he removed to Caldwell county—near the western boundaries of Missouri, and in the same year another dreadful persecution commenced against the Saints, and they were again driven from their own houses and inheritances, and their property to the amount of millions was destroyed; some scores of defenseless men, women and children were murdered; scores of others incarcerated in dungeons, among whom was Parley P. Pratt; the balance, about fifteen thousand, were exterminated from the State, and found refuge in Illinois. Elder Pratt was kept in prison, without trial, about eight months, when, by the kind providence of God, he made his escape on July 4, 1839. Immediately after gaining his liberty he published a history of the Missouri persecutions, written while in prison. The first edition appeared in Detroit in 1839. In company with others of the Twelve he went to England in 1840, and in the city of Manchester commenced the publication of a periodical entitled the "Millennial Star," which has continued until the present time—the current volume being, the sixty-third. In 1841 he was appointed the president over all the British conferences, and remained in this high and honorable station until the autumn of 1842, during which he edited the "Millennial Star," superintended the Saints' emigration, and published several small but interesting works. The following winter he returned to Illinois, where he continued laboring in the ministry for one or two years. About the beginning of the year 1845 he was appointed president over all the branches in the New England and Middle States, his headquarters being at New York City, where he published a periodical entitled "The Prophet." In the summer he returned to Nauvoo. In February, 1846, he was again driven from his home by a ruthless mob. Some fifteen or twenty thousand Saints were also driven from the United States about the same time, with the loss of houses and lands, and an immense amount of property, which the mob are in the unmolested possession of until the present day. After wading through unparalleled sufferings with his family, he and the persecuted Saints succeeded in reaching the Indian country at Council Bluffs, and being called by the Holy Ghost, through the Prophet Brigham Young, to go to England, he left his family upon the broad prairies, without house or scarcely any food, to comply with the word of the Lord. He arrived in England, assisting in setting the Church in order, and in strengthening the Saints throughout the British Isles. In the spring of 1847 he returned to his family and brethren; and in the summer and autumn of that year he removed to Great Salt Lake valley, and suffered incredible hardships until the harvest of 1848. He assisted in forming a constitution for the provisional government of Deseret, and was elected a member of the senate in the general assembly; and was afterwards elected to the legislative council when Utah became a Territory of the United States. In 1851 he was sent on a mission to the Pacific Islands and to South America. In the summer of 1855 he returned over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to his home, and occupied a part of his time in preaching In the various settlements of Utah, and at other times laboring with his own hands in the cultivation of his farm. The following winter he officiated as chaplain in the legislative council at the State House in Fillmore City. In the autumn of 1856 he accompanied about twenty missionaries across the plains to the States. During the winter and part of the following spring he visited the Saints at St. Louis, Philadelphia, New York and other places, preaching, writing and publishing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And finally, on the 13th of May, 1857, he fell a noble martyr for the cause of the truth, which he had advocated with such untiring perseverance for nearly twenty-seven years. He was assassinated near the boundary line between Arkansas and Indian Territory while on a mission to the States; his body was buried near the place where he was killed. Among the numerous writings of this martyred Apostle may be mentioned first, the "Voice of Warning," printed in New York in 1838, and which has since passed through many editions, and then translated into several foreign languages; second, his "History of the Missouri Persecutions;" third, his "Poems;" fourth, his "Key to Theology," a masterly production. The history of his life, up to near the time of his martyrdom, was written by himself, and was published in the year 1874 by his son, the late Parley P. Pratt. To this work the "Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt," the reader is referred for a full history of the life of this great and illustrious Apostle.
PRATT, Parley Parker, a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1857, was born April 12, 1807, in Burlington, Otsego county. New York. He was the third son of Jared and Charity Pratt, Jared was the son of Obadiah and Jemima Pratt, Obadiah was the son of Christopher and Sarah Pratt; Christopher was the son of William and Hannah Pratt; "William was the son of Joseph Pratt; Joseph was the son of Lieutenant William and Elizabeth Pratt, who were found among the first settlers of Hartford, Conn., in the year 1639. They are supposed to have accompanied the Rev. Thomas Hooker and his congregation, about one hundred in number, from Newtown, now called Cambridge, Mass., through a dense wilderness, inhabited only by savages and wild beasts, and became the first founders of the colony at Hartford, in June. 1636. This ancient pilgrim, William Pratt, was a member of the legislature for some twenty-five or thirty sessions; and the general court gave him one hundred acres of land in Saybrook, Conn., for service performed as lieutenant in the Pequot war: he was one or the judges of the first court in New London county. Parley P. Pratt was a lineal descendant, of the seventh generation, from that distinguished pilgrim and humble pioneer of the new world. The youthful days of Parley P. Pratt were characterized by the soberness and thoughtfulness of manhood. Though from adverse circumstances his education was extremely limited, yet he displayed, even in youth, an originality of mind seldom exhibited. In September, 1820, he, being led by the Spirit of the Lord from his home in the State of Ohio, came several hundred miles eastward, where he fortunately obtained a copy of one of the most remarkable works of modern times—the Book of Mormon. He read the same, was convinced of its divine authenticity, and traveled in search of the highly favored men of God who had seen angels and heard the voice of the Almighty. He soon succeeded in finding some of them, from whom he learned that about five months previous the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been organized. He requested baptism, and was immediately after ordained an Elder. The same month he visited Canaan, Columbia county, N. Y.—the county where he had spent many of his youthful days—and after preaching a few times in different neighborhoods, and baptizing Orson Pratt, his brother, he returned to Seneca county. Receiving a revelation through Joseph the Prophet, he, in company with three or four others, performed a mission, some fifteen hundred miles, to the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and was among the first of the Saints to stand upon that choice land where the city of Zion is hereafter to be built, preparatory to the second advent of our Savior. In the spring of 1831 he returned to the northern part of Ohio, where he met Joseph the Prophet, by whom he was ordained a High Priest June 6. 1831. In the summer he again performed a mission through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, preaching, baptizing and building up the Church. In the autumn of 1833 he and about twelve hundred men, women and children were driven by a murderous, furious mob from their own houses and lands in Jackson county, Missouri. Two hundred houses were burned, cattle shot, hay stacks and grain burned, many whipped until their bowels gushed out; others killed, and the afflicted remnant driven across the river into Clay county. Soon after this Elder Pratt performed a long journey of about fifteen hundred miles east, preaching repentance and strengthening the Saints. In 1834 he again returned to Clay county, Missouri, officiating in his holy calling wherever he went. Having returned to the northern part of Ohio, he was chosen and ordained one of the Twelve Apostles of this last dispensation, Feb. 21, 1835, by Joseph Smith. The same year he performed a lengthy missionary journey through Pennsylvania, New York, and several of the New England States, and returned again to Ohio. In 1836 he visited Canada, and established a large branch of the Church in Toronto, and other branches in adjoining towns. In 1837 he visited New York city, where he founded a large branch of the Church. In 1838 he removed to Caldwell county—near the western boundaries of Missouri, and in the same year another dreadful persecution commenced against the Saints, and they were again driven from their own houses and inheritances, and their property to the amount of millions was destroyed; some scores of defenseless men, women and children were murdered; scores of others incarcerated in dungeons, among whom was Parley P. Pratt; the balance, about fifteen thousand, were exterminated from the State, and found refuge in Illinois. Elder Pratt was kept in prison, without trial, about eight months, when, by the kind providence of God, he made his escape on July 4, 1839. Immediately after gaining his liberty he published a history of the Missouri persecutions, written while in prison. The first edition appeared in Detroit in 1839. In company with others of the Twelve he went to England in 1840, and in the city of Manchester commenced the publication of a periodical entitled the "Millennial Star," which has continued until the present time—the current volume being, the sixty-third. In 1841 he was appointed the president over all the British conferences, and remained in this high and honorable station until the autumn of 1842, during which he edited the "Millennial Star," superintended the Saints' emigration, and published several small but interesting works. The following winter he returned to Illinois, where he continued laboring in the ministry for one or two years. About the beginning of the year 1845 he was appointed president over all the branches in the New England and Middle States, his headquarters being at New York City, where he published a periodical entitled "The Prophet." In the summer he returned to Nauvoo. In February, 1846, he was again driven from his home by a ruthless mob. Some fifteen or twenty thousand Saints were also driven from the United States about the same time, with the loss of houses and lands, and an immense amount of property, which the mob are in the unmolested possession of until the present day. After wading through unparalleled sufferings with his family, he and the persecuted Saints succeeded in reaching the Indian country at Council Bluffs, and being called by the Holy Ghost, through the Prophet Brigham Young, to go to England, he left his family upon the broad prairies, without house or scarcely any food, to comply with the word of the Lord. He arrived in England, assisting in setting the Church in order, and in strengthening the Saints throughout the British Isles. In the spring of 1847 he returned to his family and brethren; and in the summer and autumn of that year he removed to Great Salt Lake valley, and suffered incredible hardships until the harvest of 1848. He assisted in forming a constitution for the provisional government of Deseret, and was elected a member of the senate in the general assembly; and was afterwards elected to the legislative council when Utah became a Territory of the United States. In 1851 he was sent on a mission to the Pacific Islands and to South America. In the summer of 1855 he returned over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to his home, and occupied a part of his time in preaching In the various settlements of Utah, and at other times laboring with his own hands in the cultivation of his farm. The following winter he officiated as chaplain in the legislative council at the State House in Fillmore City. In the autumn of 1856 he accompanied about twenty missionaries across the plains to the States. During the winter and part of the following spring he visited the Saints at St. Louis, Philadelphia, New York and other places, preaching, writing and publishing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And finally, on the 13th of May, 1857, he fell a noble martyr for the cause of the truth, which he had advocated with such untiring perseverance for nearly twenty-seven years. He was assassinated near the boundary line between Arkansas and Indian Territory while on a mission to the States; his body was buried near the place where he was killed. Among the numerous writings of this martyred Apostle may be mentioned first, the "Voice of Warning," printed in New York in 1838, and which has since passed through many editions, and then translated into several foreign languages; second, his "History of the Missouri Persecutions;" third, his "Poems;" fourth, his "Key to Theology," a masterly production. The history of his life, up to near the time of his martyrdom, was written by himself, and was published in the year 1874 by his son, the late Parley P. Pratt. To this work the "Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt," the reader is referred for a full history of the life of this great and illustrious Apostle.
Jenson, Andrew. "Pratt, Parley Parker." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. pg. 317, 323, 325, 332.
PRATT, Parley P., president of the British Mission from 1841 to 1842. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.) Parley P. Pratt was murdered May 13, 1857, near Van Buren, Arkansas.
PRATT, Parley P., president of the California Mission from 1851 to 1852, and from 1854 to 1855, was assassinated in Arkansas May 13, 1857. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.)
PRATT, Parley P., was the first president of the Canadian Mission, who practically opened the mission for permanent missionary work in 1836. There have been Saints in Canada since 1832, but the small branches raised up in the Dominion of Canada belonged to missions in the United States until 1920. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.)
PRATT, Parley P., president of the Eastern States Mission from 1844 to 1845. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.)
PRATT, Parley P., president of the British Mission from 1841 to 1842. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.) Parley P. Pratt was murdered May 13, 1857, near Van Buren, Arkansas.
PRATT, Parley P., president of the California Mission from 1851 to 1852, and from 1854 to 1855, was assassinated in Arkansas May 13, 1857. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.)
PRATT, Parley P., was the first president of the Canadian Mission, who practically opened the mission for permanent missionary work in 1836. There have been Saints in Canada since 1832, but the small branches raised up in the Dominion of Canada belonged to missions in the United States until 1920. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.)
PRATT, Parley P., president of the Eastern States Mission from 1844 to 1845. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 83.)
Morton, W. A. "Events in the Life of Parley P. Pratt." Juvenile Instructor. 15 January 1903. pg. 52-55.
EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF PARLEY P. PRATT.
IF by reading the lives of great men "we can make our lives sublime," then it would be a good thing for each of us to read "The Life and Travels of Parley P. Pratt." He was indeed a great man. He might not be called great were he measured by the world's standard of greatness; but as the thoughts of God are above the thoughts of men, so is the standard of the Almighty above that of the world, and, according to that standard he was a great man; great because he was good; for good men are always great men.
The brevity of this sketch compels me to omit many very important events in the life of this faithful Apostle. I am pleased, however, to be able to state that in the near future another and much cheaper edition of his "Life and Travels" will be published, and will, I am sure, be read with pleasure and profit by thousands of Saints, both young and old.
We have read in the "Book of Mormon" that the Lord gives no commandment unto the children of men save He first prepare the way for them to accomplish that which He desires. The life of Parley Parker Pratt fully corroborates the truth of this statement. Thousands of years ago the Lord planned a "marvelous work and a wonder," which He decided to bring forth in the last days or in the dispensation of the fullness of times. In order to lay the foundation of that work it would be necessary for Him to raise up men, mighty and strong, who would bend all their energies to His will and seek first and foremost the interests of His kingdom and its righteousness. It would be necessary for these men to come upon the earth at a certain time, so that when the Lord commenced His work they would have reached the age of manhood and would be able to assist in it.
Judged by his life, a life consecrated wholly and solely to God and His great latter-day work, Parley P. Pratt must have been a chosen vessel, ordained and set apart for the Master's use before he came to this earth. This being the case we can readily see why he should be born on the 12th day of April, 1807. This would cause him to be twenty-three years of age when the work of the last dispensation would be ushered in, a work in which he was destined to take a very important part. So, while the 12th of April, 1807, is not a red-letter day on the Church calendar, it is of sufficient importance to remember; for on that day was born one of the greatest Apostles of the last dispensation.
Let us look for a moment at his birthplace, Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. In this, I think, we can also see the hand of Omnipotence. Born in such close proximity to the cradle of the great latter-day work, he was able to get most intimately acquainted with its founder, Joseph Smith, and therefore able to judge of its divinity.
But notwithstanding that he was born at such an appropriate time and place, had Parley P. Pratt been a religious bigot, a narrow-minded sectarian, he would not have been a suitable person to assist in laying the foundation of this great work. He was neither. His soul was free from religious bias. His father "was a man of excellent morals, and he exerted himself diligently, by stern example as well as precept, to instil into the minds of his children every principle of integrity, honesty, honor and virtue." "He taught us," says Parley, "to venerate our Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, His Apostles, as well as the scriptures written by them; while at the same time he belonged to no religious sect, and was careful to preserve his children free from all prejudice in favor of or against any particular denomination, into which the so-called Christian world was then unhappily divided."
Even when he was a mere boy. Parley began unconsciously to prepare himself for his future mission; while other boys were spending their spare hours loitering in stores or at the street corners, he was at home reading good books. He says: "I always loved a good book. If I worked hard, a book was in my hand in the morning while others were sitting down to breakfast; the same at noon; if I had a few moments, a book ! a book! a book at evening while others slept or sported; a book on Sundays: a book at every leisure moment of my life."
At the age of fifteen years he was engaged by a Mr. Wm. S. Herrick to assist him on his farm, and he speaks in the warmest terms of praise of his employer.
The following winter he had the privilege of attending school, during which time he boarded with his widowed aunt, Mrs. Van Cott, who performed the part of a mother to him.
With the return of spring he bade good bye to the school forever. In the month of September following he and his brother William started on a journey westward in search of some spot of ground which they might prepare as their future home. After traveling two hundred miles on foot they selected a spot for a farm in the woods, about two miles from the town of Oswego, in the State of New York. From a Mr. Morgan they purchased seventy acres of land for the sum of two hundred and eighty dollars. They paid seventy dollars down, and agreed to pay the balance in four annual payments, with interest. They then returned to the East and began to work to raise the means to pay for the land.
In this undertaking they were doomed to suffer disappointment. They improved the land, planted crops and reaped a good harvest; but they could not get a market for their produce. They were unable to raise the money to pay for the land and Mr. Morgan took advantage of their circumstances. He took the land from them, together with the payments they had made, and all the improvements they had put upon the farm.
It has been truly said:
"Man's inhumanity to man makes countless millions mourn."
But we have been taught to recognize the hand of God "in all things." Let us not make an exception in this case. Parley P. Pratt's life was to be one of trials and disappointments. His training for such a life was not beginning a day too soon. Place him upon a farm in the town of Oswego and what do you do ? You interfere with the purposes of God and stay the progress of Parley P. Pratt's mission. That was not the place for him. I am sure that today Elder Pratt does not regret losing that farm. Filled with sorrow and disappointment, he left the country and his father, and went to Wayne Co., New York, where he spent a few months with his uncles, Ira and Allen Pratt. In the autumn of 1826 he decided to bid farewell to civilization and to go into the wilderness of the far west and spend the remainder of his days among the natives of the forest. "There," thought he, "there will be no buying and selling of lands—no law to sweep all the hard earnings of years to pay a small debt—no wranglings about sects and creeds and doctrines. I will win the confidence of the red man; I will learn his language; I will tell him of Jesus; I will read to him the scriptures; I will teach him the arts of peace; to hate war; to love his neighbor; to fear and love God; and to cultivate the earth."
"A strange resolve," you say. No, it is not strange when we know his future life. This was simply the leaping of the missionary spirit in his young soul.
The following winter we find him in a little cabin built with his own hands, in a dense forest in the state of Ohio, away from the abode of man, but near to nature and nature's God. Let us approach the humble cabin and take a peep into it. A fire is burning brightly, and before it, stretched on a bed of leaves and straw, is a young man not yet twenty years of age, reading the Holy Scriptures. Who can this strange mortal be that has left the society of men and taken up his abode in a lonely forest, spending his days and nights in reading, meditation and prayer, and living on venison, and a little bread and water.'' My dear friends, that is a future prophet in Israel, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, one whose name in years to come shall be known throughout all the world, and who by tongue and pen shall lead thousands of the children of men out of darkness into the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. That boy lying on that bed of leaves is Parley P. Pratt. Spring returned. The woods were pleasant, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the sweet songs of the birds. Parley Pratt was now twenty years of age. He bargained for a piece of farm land, commenced to clear a farm and to build a house. During this work his thoughts often flew away to the land of Canaan, where lived one whom he had loved for years. He decided to go and see her again. So taking leave of his forest home, he returned to Canaan, and proceeded at once to the home of Mr. Halsey, where he found the object of his affections — his daughter Thankful. They spent the evening together. Parley told the young lady of his losses, poverty and prospects, of the lone retreat in the forest where he had spent the previous winter and where he expected to make his home. He also told her of his religious views and of his desire to teach the red man. "Now," said he, "if you still love me and desire to share my fortune, you are worthy to be my wife. If not, we will agree to be friends forever, but part to meet no more in time."
"True love laughs at locksmiths." She does the same at poverty. Thankful Halsey's love was true. "I have loved you during three years' absence," said she, "and never can be happy without you."
Two months later they were married, and soon after set out for their home in the wilderness. Mrs. Pratt had some money, and this she gave to her husband to pay for the land he had purchased. What cannot be accomplished by the magic touch of a woman.' Thankful Pratt, always "bandbox sleek" herself, soon had the little log home neat as wax. She did not spend her days in pining after those she had left behind, but using her heart horticultural powers set to work to convert the wilderness into a bed of flowers. And she succeeded too. In this home of "duty and endeavor" Parley Pratt was no silent partner. The mighty oaks of the forest which day by day had tried to frighten him off by crying out "No thoroughfare," tottered and fell before his ax and muscle, and in their place soon sprang up acres of golden grain. Other settlers followed the example set by Parley Pratt, and in a few years the "desert began to blossom as the rose." A little community sprang up, a school was established, and Thankful Pratt was appointed teacher. Here Parley Pratt might have spent the remainder of his days in peace and happiness; but such was not the design of the Almighty. He had a greater work for His servant to do. I have no doubt but that that was the proper place for Parley P. Pratt to beat that time. Succeeding events prove this.
W. A. Morton.
(to be continued.)
EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF PARLEY P. PRATT.
IF by reading the lives of great men "we can make our lives sublime," then it would be a good thing for each of us to read "The Life and Travels of Parley P. Pratt." He was indeed a great man. He might not be called great were he measured by the world's standard of greatness; but as the thoughts of God are above the thoughts of men, so is the standard of the Almighty above that of the world, and, according to that standard he was a great man; great because he was good; for good men are always great men.
The brevity of this sketch compels me to omit many very important events in the life of this faithful Apostle. I am pleased, however, to be able to state that in the near future another and much cheaper edition of his "Life and Travels" will be published, and will, I am sure, be read with pleasure and profit by thousands of Saints, both young and old.
We have read in the "Book of Mormon" that the Lord gives no commandment unto the children of men save He first prepare the way for them to accomplish that which He desires. The life of Parley Parker Pratt fully corroborates the truth of this statement. Thousands of years ago the Lord planned a "marvelous work and a wonder," which He decided to bring forth in the last days or in the dispensation of the fullness of times. In order to lay the foundation of that work it would be necessary for Him to raise up men, mighty and strong, who would bend all their energies to His will and seek first and foremost the interests of His kingdom and its righteousness. It would be necessary for these men to come upon the earth at a certain time, so that when the Lord commenced His work they would have reached the age of manhood and would be able to assist in it.
Judged by his life, a life consecrated wholly and solely to God and His great latter-day work, Parley P. Pratt must have been a chosen vessel, ordained and set apart for the Master's use before he came to this earth. This being the case we can readily see why he should be born on the 12th day of April, 1807. This would cause him to be twenty-three years of age when the work of the last dispensation would be ushered in, a work in which he was destined to take a very important part. So, while the 12th of April, 1807, is not a red-letter day on the Church calendar, it is of sufficient importance to remember; for on that day was born one of the greatest Apostles of the last dispensation.
Let us look for a moment at his birthplace, Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. In this, I think, we can also see the hand of Omnipotence. Born in such close proximity to the cradle of the great latter-day work, he was able to get most intimately acquainted with its founder, Joseph Smith, and therefore able to judge of its divinity.
But notwithstanding that he was born at such an appropriate time and place, had Parley P. Pratt been a religious bigot, a narrow-minded sectarian, he would not have been a suitable person to assist in laying the foundation of this great work. He was neither. His soul was free from religious bias. His father "was a man of excellent morals, and he exerted himself diligently, by stern example as well as precept, to instil into the minds of his children every principle of integrity, honesty, honor and virtue." "He taught us," says Parley, "to venerate our Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, His Apostles, as well as the scriptures written by them; while at the same time he belonged to no religious sect, and was careful to preserve his children free from all prejudice in favor of or against any particular denomination, into which the so-called Christian world was then unhappily divided."
Even when he was a mere boy. Parley began unconsciously to prepare himself for his future mission; while other boys were spending their spare hours loitering in stores or at the street corners, he was at home reading good books. He says: "I always loved a good book. If I worked hard, a book was in my hand in the morning while others were sitting down to breakfast; the same at noon; if I had a few moments, a book ! a book! a book at evening while others slept or sported; a book on Sundays: a book at every leisure moment of my life."
At the age of fifteen years he was engaged by a Mr. Wm. S. Herrick to assist him on his farm, and he speaks in the warmest terms of praise of his employer.
The following winter he had the privilege of attending school, during which time he boarded with his widowed aunt, Mrs. Van Cott, who performed the part of a mother to him.
With the return of spring he bade good bye to the school forever. In the month of September following he and his brother William started on a journey westward in search of some spot of ground which they might prepare as their future home. After traveling two hundred miles on foot they selected a spot for a farm in the woods, about two miles from the town of Oswego, in the State of New York. From a Mr. Morgan they purchased seventy acres of land for the sum of two hundred and eighty dollars. They paid seventy dollars down, and agreed to pay the balance in four annual payments, with interest. They then returned to the East and began to work to raise the means to pay for the land.
In this undertaking they were doomed to suffer disappointment. They improved the land, planted crops and reaped a good harvest; but they could not get a market for their produce. They were unable to raise the money to pay for the land and Mr. Morgan took advantage of their circumstances. He took the land from them, together with the payments they had made, and all the improvements they had put upon the farm.
It has been truly said:
"Man's inhumanity to man makes countless millions mourn."
But we have been taught to recognize the hand of God "in all things." Let us not make an exception in this case. Parley P. Pratt's life was to be one of trials and disappointments. His training for such a life was not beginning a day too soon. Place him upon a farm in the town of Oswego and what do you do ? You interfere with the purposes of God and stay the progress of Parley P. Pratt's mission. That was not the place for him. I am sure that today Elder Pratt does not regret losing that farm. Filled with sorrow and disappointment, he left the country and his father, and went to Wayne Co., New York, where he spent a few months with his uncles, Ira and Allen Pratt. In the autumn of 1826 he decided to bid farewell to civilization and to go into the wilderness of the far west and spend the remainder of his days among the natives of the forest. "There," thought he, "there will be no buying and selling of lands—no law to sweep all the hard earnings of years to pay a small debt—no wranglings about sects and creeds and doctrines. I will win the confidence of the red man; I will learn his language; I will tell him of Jesus; I will read to him the scriptures; I will teach him the arts of peace; to hate war; to love his neighbor; to fear and love God; and to cultivate the earth."
"A strange resolve," you say. No, it is not strange when we know his future life. This was simply the leaping of the missionary spirit in his young soul.
The following winter we find him in a little cabin built with his own hands, in a dense forest in the state of Ohio, away from the abode of man, but near to nature and nature's God. Let us approach the humble cabin and take a peep into it. A fire is burning brightly, and before it, stretched on a bed of leaves and straw, is a young man not yet twenty years of age, reading the Holy Scriptures. Who can this strange mortal be that has left the society of men and taken up his abode in a lonely forest, spending his days and nights in reading, meditation and prayer, and living on venison, and a little bread and water.'' My dear friends, that is a future prophet in Israel, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, one whose name in years to come shall be known throughout all the world, and who by tongue and pen shall lead thousands of the children of men out of darkness into the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. That boy lying on that bed of leaves is Parley P. Pratt. Spring returned. The woods were pleasant, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the sweet songs of the birds. Parley Pratt was now twenty years of age. He bargained for a piece of farm land, commenced to clear a farm and to build a house. During this work his thoughts often flew away to the land of Canaan, where lived one whom he had loved for years. He decided to go and see her again. So taking leave of his forest home, he returned to Canaan, and proceeded at once to the home of Mr. Halsey, where he found the object of his affections — his daughter Thankful. They spent the evening together. Parley told the young lady of his losses, poverty and prospects, of the lone retreat in the forest where he had spent the previous winter and where he expected to make his home. He also told her of his religious views and of his desire to teach the red man. "Now," said he, "if you still love me and desire to share my fortune, you are worthy to be my wife. If not, we will agree to be friends forever, but part to meet no more in time."
"True love laughs at locksmiths." She does the same at poverty. Thankful Halsey's love was true. "I have loved you during three years' absence," said she, "and never can be happy without you."
Two months later they were married, and soon after set out for their home in the wilderness. Mrs. Pratt had some money, and this she gave to her husband to pay for the land he had purchased. What cannot be accomplished by the magic touch of a woman.' Thankful Pratt, always "bandbox sleek" herself, soon had the little log home neat as wax. She did not spend her days in pining after those she had left behind, but using her heart horticultural powers set to work to convert the wilderness into a bed of flowers. And she succeeded too. In this home of "duty and endeavor" Parley Pratt was no silent partner. The mighty oaks of the forest which day by day had tried to frighten him off by crying out "No thoroughfare," tottered and fell before his ax and muscle, and in their place soon sprang up acres of golden grain. Other settlers followed the example set by Parley Pratt, and in a few years the "desert began to blossom as the rose." A little community sprang up, a school was established, and Thankful Pratt was appointed teacher. Here Parley Pratt might have spent the remainder of his days in peace and happiness; but such was not the design of the Almighty. He had a greater work for His servant to do. I have no doubt but that that was the proper place for Parley P. Pratt to beat that time. Succeeding events prove this.
W. A. Morton.
(to be continued.)
Morton, W. A. "Events in the Life of Parley P. Pratt." Juvenile Instructor. 1 February 1903. pg. 74-77.
EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF PARLEY P. PRATT.
(continued from page 55.)
ONE day a number of Reformed Baptist preachers, and among them Sidney Rigdon, Alexander Campbell, and a Mr. Scott, came into the neighborhood. Parley decided to go and hear them. He was very much surprised to hear them preach faith in God, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, with the promise of the Holy Ghost to those who obeyed these ordinances. These things Parley Pratt had learned from the Scriptures; he believed them with all his heart; and he with a number of others promptly embraced them. They were organized into a society and met quite often for public worship. Here we see Parley P. Pratt converted by Sidney Rigdon. Later we shall hear of Sidney Rigdon being converted by Parley P. Pratt.
After this, Parley Pratt knew no rest. He felt that his mission was not to redeem the desert, but to work for the redemption of the souls of men. What greater or grander work could man engage in.'' In it he was encouraged by his faithful wife. When he told her that he had decided to sell their home and farm and go out into the world, where he knew not, save as he was directed by the Spirit of God, no words of protest fell from her lips; but "it is the Lord's way—His will be done," seemed to be her only answer.
So at a great sacrifice they parted with all they had, and Parley Pratt set out on a mission which was to end only with his life. In this, as in the other things which I have referred to, we can clearly discern the hand of Providence. If Parley Pratt is to be a minister of Christ—if he is to go out into the world to call upon mankind to leave all they have and follow their Redeemer, let him first set the example himself. This is, indeed, what we have witnessed.
After traveling for several hundred miles, Brother Pratt and his wife arrived at Rochester, New York. Look now at the workings of the Spirit of God with this man. Turning to his wife, he said, "We must part for a season; go and visit our friends in our native place. I will come soon, but how soon I know not; for I have a work to do in this region of country, and what it is or how long it will take to perform it I know not; but I will come when it is performed."
Yes, he had a work to perform in that region. One evening, soon after this, as he was stopping with an old Baptist deacon, the latter told him of a strange book which he had in his possession. He promised to let him peruse it the next day. All the following day and following night Parley P. Pratt read that strange book. As he devoured its sacred contents, the Spirit of God bore witness to him that it was a divine record, and contained the fullness of the everlasting Gospel. This book was the Book of Mormon. Parley at once set out in search of the discoverer and translator of the record. He went to Palmyra, but failed to find him there, as he had gone to reside in Pennsylvania. He however, made the acquaintance of his brother, Hyrum Smith, who unfolded to him the opening up of the great work of the latter days. Parley P. Pratt was prepared for these things. He drank in the glorious truths of the Gospel as a thirsty hart does the water of the brook, and on the first of September, 1830, he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder Oliver Cowdery, was confirmed and ordained an Elder the same evening. He then knew why he had been prompted to sell his home and farm; he then knew why he should part with his wife and come into this part of the country; he then knew the work he had to perform. The mists had rolled away, and he saw the hand of his Heavenly Father in all his wanderings, and "owned the rectitude of what he once had deemed mysterious ways."
Soon after his baptism and ordination Elder Pratt returned to the land of his fathers. He found his wife, his father and mother and a number of his relatives in good health and spirits, and was warmly welcomed by them. He preached the Gospel to them. They received it in part, but his brother Orson, then a lad of nineteen years, received it with all his heart and was baptized. If Parley P. Pratt had never done any other work, surely this, the conversion of his brother Orson, who became one of the greatest champions of the faith the Church of Christ has had, would bring to him an eternal weight of glory. A little later he had the pleasure of meeting the Prophet Joseph, A friendship was formed by these men which will last through all eternity.
In October, 1830, Elder Pratt and a number of others were called by the Lord to go on a mission through the western states and to the Indian Terri tory. They called on the Indian nation at Buffalo and spent several days in instructing the red men in the knowledge of their forefathers. It was on this mission that they met Sidney Rigdon and a number of his followers. They succeeded in convincing them that they did not possess authority to preach the Gospel and administer in its ordinances, after which they baptized them.
Time will not permit me to even make mention of a number of very important missions which Elder Pratt performed during the next four years. We next see him as a recruiting officer, traveling through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, gathering together men, arms, stores and money for the relief of the afflicted Saints in Missouri. He was one of the two hundred men known as Zion's Camp, who traveled one thousand miles to carry aid to those who were in distress. The camp waded through much affliction, but never once was a word of complaint heard from the faithful Parley. He had been inured to trial. The Lord had polished him in the furnace of adversity during his younger days, and his experience was a great blessing to him at this time. From among the faithful members of the camp the Lord chose twelve men to be His apostles and special witnesses. Parley P. Pratt was one of them. He was ordained an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ on the twenty-first of February, 1835. His brother Orson was also ordained an apostle at the same time.
After his ordination. Parley was instructed to prepare for a mission the following spring. From a financial point of view no man could perhaps have been more poorly prepared for such a work. He did not have a home; his wife was in delicate health, and his aged mother was dependent on him for support. To make matters worse, he was in debt. Is it any wonder that he hesitated? Who would not have done so? He had begun to build a house, and was beginning to think that perhaps it was his duty to stay and complete it, when the Lord suddenly removed all such doubts from his mind. Elder Pratt was summoned to administer to a brother named Matthews, and while he was attending to this ordinance, in some mysterious way, his unfinished house caught fire. It perished in the flames, and when it was reduced to ashes. Brother Pratt was ready to go on his mission. One gave him a coat, another a hat, a third house room, a fourth provisions, while a fifth forgave him his debts, and a sixth bade him God-speed. He bade his loved ones good-by and set out on his mission, which he performed faithfully. In the winter he returned to Kirtland, and spent the season in the company of his brethren in the Temple studying the Hebrew language and in receiving ordinances of the Priesthood.
Elder Pratt had been ten years married, and as yet his wife had borne him no children. With the return of spring the Elders began to make preparations for other missions. Parley was spending considerable time in speculating as to how he could extricate himself from the debt he had incurred during the winter, when Elder Heber C. Kimball called upon him one evening with a prophetic message which brought joy unspeakable to his heart. "Brother Parley," said he, "thy wife shall be healed from this hour, and shall bear a son, and his name shall be Parley; and he shall be a chosen instrument in the hand of the Lord to inherit the Priesthood and to walk in the steps of his father. He shall do a great work in the earth in ministering the word and teaching the children of men. Arise, therefore, and go forth in the ministry, nothing doubting. Take no thought for your debts, nor the necessaries of life, for the Lord will supply you with abundant means for all things. Thou shalt go to Upper Canada, even to the city of Toronto, and there thou shalt find a people prepared for the fullness of the Gospel, and they shall receive thee, and thou shalt organize the Church among them, and it shall spread thence into the regions around about, and many shall be brought to a knowledge of the truth and shall be filled with joy; and from the things growing out of this mission shall the fullness of the Gospel spread into England and cause a great work to be done in that land."
"Was that prophecy fulfilled?" you ask.
Yes, to the very letter, for the word of the Lord never fails.
In Canada he met and converted John Taylor, who afterwards became the President of the Church. These two men became greatly attached to each other, and formed a life-long friendship equal to that of brothers.
I have said that the prophecy of Elder Kimball was fulfilled. Yes, it was; but part of it under very trying circumstances. True to the words of the inspired prophet. Sister Pratt became a mother, but soon after fulfilling this part of her life's mission, she embraced her darling babe, and bade good-by to earth. She was perfectly resigned to the change, having been told of it in an open vision.
From Canada, the work spread into England, where thousands were prepared for it and embraced it with honest hearts.
Elder Pratt was a conspicuous figure in the Church, and was therefore a target for the enemies of righteousness. He bore his trials patiently and without murmuring. He loved the Church of Christ and the men whom God had placed at the head. He preferred persecution and suffering with them to the joys and pleasures of the world. At times when he could have made his escape from mobs and prisons, he refused to do so, but stayed and suffered with his fellow-servants.
I could go on for an hour longer, and then despair of doing anything like justice to the life of this great man. His name is known in the home of every Latter-day Saint, and is entwined with loving memories in the hearts of those who remain and who knew him while he was in the flesh.
God grant that these few incidents, taken in haste from the record of a "well-spent life," may inspire us to emulate that life, which was, indeed, a life of love and devotion.
W. A. Morton.
EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF PARLEY P. PRATT.
(continued from page 55.)
ONE day a number of Reformed Baptist preachers, and among them Sidney Rigdon, Alexander Campbell, and a Mr. Scott, came into the neighborhood. Parley decided to go and hear them. He was very much surprised to hear them preach faith in God, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, with the promise of the Holy Ghost to those who obeyed these ordinances. These things Parley Pratt had learned from the Scriptures; he believed them with all his heart; and he with a number of others promptly embraced them. They were organized into a society and met quite often for public worship. Here we see Parley P. Pratt converted by Sidney Rigdon. Later we shall hear of Sidney Rigdon being converted by Parley P. Pratt.
After this, Parley Pratt knew no rest. He felt that his mission was not to redeem the desert, but to work for the redemption of the souls of men. What greater or grander work could man engage in.'' In it he was encouraged by his faithful wife. When he told her that he had decided to sell their home and farm and go out into the world, where he knew not, save as he was directed by the Spirit of God, no words of protest fell from her lips; but "it is the Lord's way—His will be done," seemed to be her only answer.
So at a great sacrifice they parted with all they had, and Parley Pratt set out on a mission which was to end only with his life. In this, as in the other things which I have referred to, we can clearly discern the hand of Providence. If Parley Pratt is to be a minister of Christ—if he is to go out into the world to call upon mankind to leave all they have and follow their Redeemer, let him first set the example himself. This is, indeed, what we have witnessed.
After traveling for several hundred miles, Brother Pratt and his wife arrived at Rochester, New York. Look now at the workings of the Spirit of God with this man. Turning to his wife, he said, "We must part for a season; go and visit our friends in our native place. I will come soon, but how soon I know not; for I have a work to do in this region of country, and what it is or how long it will take to perform it I know not; but I will come when it is performed."
Yes, he had a work to perform in that region. One evening, soon after this, as he was stopping with an old Baptist deacon, the latter told him of a strange book which he had in his possession. He promised to let him peruse it the next day. All the following day and following night Parley P. Pratt read that strange book. As he devoured its sacred contents, the Spirit of God bore witness to him that it was a divine record, and contained the fullness of the everlasting Gospel. This book was the Book of Mormon. Parley at once set out in search of the discoverer and translator of the record. He went to Palmyra, but failed to find him there, as he had gone to reside in Pennsylvania. He however, made the acquaintance of his brother, Hyrum Smith, who unfolded to him the opening up of the great work of the latter days. Parley P. Pratt was prepared for these things. He drank in the glorious truths of the Gospel as a thirsty hart does the water of the brook, and on the first of September, 1830, he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder Oliver Cowdery, was confirmed and ordained an Elder the same evening. He then knew why he had been prompted to sell his home and farm; he then knew why he should part with his wife and come into this part of the country; he then knew the work he had to perform. The mists had rolled away, and he saw the hand of his Heavenly Father in all his wanderings, and "owned the rectitude of what he once had deemed mysterious ways."
Soon after his baptism and ordination Elder Pratt returned to the land of his fathers. He found his wife, his father and mother and a number of his relatives in good health and spirits, and was warmly welcomed by them. He preached the Gospel to them. They received it in part, but his brother Orson, then a lad of nineteen years, received it with all his heart and was baptized. If Parley P. Pratt had never done any other work, surely this, the conversion of his brother Orson, who became one of the greatest champions of the faith the Church of Christ has had, would bring to him an eternal weight of glory. A little later he had the pleasure of meeting the Prophet Joseph, A friendship was formed by these men which will last through all eternity.
In October, 1830, Elder Pratt and a number of others were called by the Lord to go on a mission through the western states and to the Indian Terri tory. They called on the Indian nation at Buffalo and spent several days in instructing the red men in the knowledge of their forefathers. It was on this mission that they met Sidney Rigdon and a number of his followers. They succeeded in convincing them that they did not possess authority to preach the Gospel and administer in its ordinances, after which they baptized them.
Time will not permit me to even make mention of a number of very important missions which Elder Pratt performed during the next four years. We next see him as a recruiting officer, traveling through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, gathering together men, arms, stores and money for the relief of the afflicted Saints in Missouri. He was one of the two hundred men known as Zion's Camp, who traveled one thousand miles to carry aid to those who were in distress. The camp waded through much affliction, but never once was a word of complaint heard from the faithful Parley. He had been inured to trial. The Lord had polished him in the furnace of adversity during his younger days, and his experience was a great blessing to him at this time. From among the faithful members of the camp the Lord chose twelve men to be His apostles and special witnesses. Parley P. Pratt was one of them. He was ordained an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ on the twenty-first of February, 1835. His brother Orson was also ordained an apostle at the same time.
After his ordination. Parley was instructed to prepare for a mission the following spring. From a financial point of view no man could perhaps have been more poorly prepared for such a work. He did not have a home; his wife was in delicate health, and his aged mother was dependent on him for support. To make matters worse, he was in debt. Is it any wonder that he hesitated? Who would not have done so? He had begun to build a house, and was beginning to think that perhaps it was his duty to stay and complete it, when the Lord suddenly removed all such doubts from his mind. Elder Pratt was summoned to administer to a brother named Matthews, and while he was attending to this ordinance, in some mysterious way, his unfinished house caught fire. It perished in the flames, and when it was reduced to ashes. Brother Pratt was ready to go on his mission. One gave him a coat, another a hat, a third house room, a fourth provisions, while a fifth forgave him his debts, and a sixth bade him God-speed. He bade his loved ones good-by and set out on his mission, which he performed faithfully. In the winter he returned to Kirtland, and spent the season in the company of his brethren in the Temple studying the Hebrew language and in receiving ordinances of the Priesthood.
Elder Pratt had been ten years married, and as yet his wife had borne him no children. With the return of spring the Elders began to make preparations for other missions. Parley was spending considerable time in speculating as to how he could extricate himself from the debt he had incurred during the winter, when Elder Heber C. Kimball called upon him one evening with a prophetic message which brought joy unspeakable to his heart. "Brother Parley," said he, "thy wife shall be healed from this hour, and shall bear a son, and his name shall be Parley; and he shall be a chosen instrument in the hand of the Lord to inherit the Priesthood and to walk in the steps of his father. He shall do a great work in the earth in ministering the word and teaching the children of men. Arise, therefore, and go forth in the ministry, nothing doubting. Take no thought for your debts, nor the necessaries of life, for the Lord will supply you with abundant means for all things. Thou shalt go to Upper Canada, even to the city of Toronto, and there thou shalt find a people prepared for the fullness of the Gospel, and they shall receive thee, and thou shalt organize the Church among them, and it shall spread thence into the regions around about, and many shall be brought to a knowledge of the truth and shall be filled with joy; and from the things growing out of this mission shall the fullness of the Gospel spread into England and cause a great work to be done in that land."
"Was that prophecy fulfilled?" you ask.
Yes, to the very letter, for the word of the Lord never fails.
In Canada he met and converted John Taylor, who afterwards became the President of the Church. These two men became greatly attached to each other, and formed a life-long friendship equal to that of brothers.
I have said that the prophecy of Elder Kimball was fulfilled. Yes, it was; but part of it under very trying circumstances. True to the words of the inspired prophet. Sister Pratt became a mother, but soon after fulfilling this part of her life's mission, she embraced her darling babe, and bade good-by to earth. She was perfectly resigned to the change, having been told of it in an open vision.
From Canada, the work spread into England, where thousands were prepared for it and embraced it with honest hearts.
Elder Pratt was a conspicuous figure in the Church, and was therefore a target for the enemies of righteousness. He bore his trials patiently and without murmuring. He loved the Church of Christ and the men whom God had placed at the head. He preferred persecution and suffering with them to the joys and pleasures of the world. At times when he could have made his escape from mobs and prisons, he refused to do so, but stayed and suffered with his fellow-servants.
I could go on for an hour longer, and then despair of doing anything like justice to the life of this great man. His name is known in the home of every Latter-day Saint, and is entwined with loving memories in the hearts of those who remain and who knew him while he was in the flesh.
God grant that these few incidents, taken in haste from the record of a "well-spent life," may inspire us to emulate that life, which was, indeed, a life of love and devotion.
W. A. Morton.
Lauritzen, Annie G. "The Centennial of Parley P. Pratt - 1807-1907." Improvement Era. April 1907. pg. 433-438.
THE CENTENNIAL OF PARLEY P. PRATT, 1807-1907.
AN APPRECIATION OF HIS LIFE.
BY ANNIE G. LAURITZEN, A GRANDDAUGHTER.
"The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Lo Zion's standard is unfurled;
The dawning of a brighter day
Majestic rises on the world."
Almost simultaneously with the birth of the great prophet of God in the latter days were born some of the great masterly and noble spirits whom Abraham was shown would be reserved in the heavens until the latter days.
Parley Parker Pratt, third son of Jared and Charity Pratt, was born in Burlington, Otsego County, New York, April 12, 1807, about sixteen months after the birth of the prophet. Being of sturdy New England stock, his father, a man of excellent morals, exerted himself diligently to instil into the minds of his children every principle of integrity, honesty, honor and virtue, and he taught them to venerate their Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, his prophets and apostles, as well as the scriptures which they had written.
At the early age of seven years he was a devout student of the Holy Scriptures, his mother giving him lessons on the life of Joseph in Egypt. He read of his dreams, servitude, temptation and exaltation,—his kindness and affection for his father and brethren—all this he says inspired him with love and with the noblest sentiments ever planted in the bosom of man. "I read of David and Goliath, of Saul and Samuel, of Sampson and the Philistines, all these inspired me with hatred for the deeds of evil doers, and love for good men and their deeds. After this I read of Jesus and his apostles, and hew I loved them, how I longed to fall at the feet of Jesus, to worship him or offer my life for him."
Thus we see that at an extreme early age God was having him prepared by wise and judicious parents for the great field of labor in his future vineyard; thus in virtue's mold was formed and trained the sturdy spirit whom God had foreordained to a great position and calling in assisting to establish his church and preach his gospel to the nations of the earth.
As this devout and studious boy began to arrive at the age of manhood, he learned by diligent and prayerful study that no religious denomination to be found by him could satisfy his idea of the true Church of God, as it existed in the days of Christ and his disciples. He could find no organization complete, with apostles and prophets, no one divinely commissioned of Heaven who would say to him, "Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," as the ancient apostles would have said to him. Thus far, he had found none who could with divine authority administer salvation to him. So, becoming discouraged with the condition of affairs, he decided to retire from the society of mankind for a season, in order to more fully study the scriptures, and learn of God and his ancient people. Thus was spent in solitude, in a lone forest in the state of New York, the twentieth year of the youth, in a little log cabin erected by his own strong arm; and thus was God preparing the heart and mind of this noble youth who was destined to become one of the greatest apostles and theological writers the world has ever known.
Next spring he married, and with his young bride started west, journeying as the whisperings of the Spirit of God directed him, but where and for what purpose he had no definite idea. Arriving at Rochester, he informed his wife that he must stop awhile in this region, for so the Spirit prompted him. It was at this place that he visited an old Baptist deacon, by the name of Hamblin, who began to tell him of the discovery of a book—a strange book—a very strange book. And it was at the home of this man that his eyes first beheld the Book of Mormon. He says, "As I read, the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true, as plainly and manifestly as a man comprehends and knows that he exists. My joy was now full, as it were, and I rejoiced sufficiently to more than pay me for all the sorrows, sacrifices and toils of my life. I soon determined to see the young man who had been the instrument in its discovery and translation."
He accordingly visited Palmyra where he found Hyrum Smith, his brother Joseph being absent, who cordially invited him to his home where they spent most of the night in conversing on the gospel. Eagerly he listened to the brother of the prophet as he unfolded to him the discovery of the Book of Mormon, its translation, the rise of the Church of Latter-day Saints, and the commission of his brother Joseph, and others, by revelation, and the ministering of angels by which the apostleship and divine authority had again been restored to earth. On leaving this worthy man and his family, he was presented with a copy of the Book of Mormon which he continued to read on his journey. He says: "And to my great joy, I found that Jesus Christ in his glorified and resurrected body had visited the remnant of Joseph on the American continent soon after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, and that through his personal ministry his gospel was revealed and written in countries and among nations entirely unknown to the Jewish apostles." Commenting farther, he exclaims, "Surely, thought I, Jesus had other sheep, and here were a portion of them; surely the angels sang with the spirit and with the understanding, when they declared, 'we bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.' "
Thus we see how full of appreciation, of deep thought and wonderful understanding, he was; so young a man, yet so full (if inspiration and of the Holy Spirit! He was as a pure stream of living water running on, and on, and on, increasing ever in its mighty flow. His voice was soon to be uplifted in defense of God's own truth, even as a voice of warning to the nations of the earth.
Soon after this, he returned to Brother Hyrum and requested baptism at his hands, and there he met for the first time the man whom he had long sought as the one duly commissioned of Heaven, the prophet Joseph, whom he learned to love and to honor with a reverence which amounted to admiration, and ripened into everlasting love and friendship. He was baptized by Oliver Cowdery in Seneca lake, about September 1, 1830.
On February 21, 1835, he was ordained one of the original twelve apostles of the Lamb of God, in this dispensation. And thus he was among the chosen few who were the minute men of the Church, and who were ever ready to spend their time, their means, and even their lives, to assist in the establishment of his righteous kingdom, and to spread the gospel at home and abroad.
And so it was that he, in company with the prophet Joseph, the patriarch Hyrum, and two other leading men of the Church, were torn from their afflicted and suffering families, and after passing through a mock trial for purporting to believe in the second chapter of Daniel, wherein it says that in the last days the God of heaven shall set up his kingdom never more to be thrown down, these five men were sentenced to be shot for confessing a belief in the word of God. But the God of heaven, who had set up his kingdom and ordained his chosen ones by his own hand, sustained those noble men in their hours of affliction, testing and trial, and spared their lives until they had accomplished the labors unto which he had foreordained them.
Yet, O what toil, what sorrow, what self-sacrifice, it would cost to establish Zion and to purify her people! Yet, O what joy, what rapture, what delight when angels came and once more talked with men, restoring the priesthood of the Holy One, teaching them of the way leading back into his presence that, through the learning of his righteous way, and by the walking in his chosen path, they might obtain eternal life and exaltation in that glorious world where dwell the eternal Father and the Son.
By diligent study and research for light and knowledge, by becoming a divinely commissioned servant of the Almighty, through listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, as well as through associating with and obeying the voice of the great latter-day prophet, Parley Parker Pratt became a most wonderful instrument in the hands of God of spreading the glad tidings of salvation at home and abroad, from Canada to South America, from Maine to California, and to the islands of the sea. Among the first to bring the gospel message to the Lamanites, the aborigines of America, and to the people of Great Britain, he suffered bonds, imprisonment, trial and persecution and shared the privations of the Saints from the early rise of the Church to their time of entrance to the Rocky mountains. But it is not of the preaching of this divinely inspired and eloquent man, nor of his theological and poetic writings, I wish to speak. We have all read the supremely interesting story of his life, written by himself; all are familiar with his Key to Theology, his Voice of Warning, his poems and soul inspiring hymns. Nor is it of his marvelous gift of healing through the power of the holy priesthood which he held; but what I wish to emphasize is the divinely loving, tender and affectionate nature of this mighty man of God; of his great love for the Prophet and his brethren, for his family and his friends, and of the pure ideas of life which he held.
It was on meeting the Prophet, after that memorable imprisonment and mock trial at Richmond, that he pours forth his soul in love and admiration for Joseph: for, indeed, their meeting was more like that of two brothers after a separation of years. As they embraced each other they could not refrain from weeping. They spent several days together, and it was during those sweet and memorable interviews that he learned from Joseph the many true and glorious principles concerning God and the heavenly order of eternity. He says: "It was Joseph Smith who taught me how to prize the endearing relationships of father, mother, husband, wife, brothers, sister, son and daughter. It was from him I learned of marriage for eternity; that the refined sympathies and affections which endeared us to each other emanated from the Fountain of divine, eternal love; the true dignity and destiny of a son of God, clothed with an eternal priesthood, as the patriarch and sovereign of his countless offspring; that the highest dignity of a woman is to stand as a queen and priestess to her husband, and to reign for ever and ever as queen mother of her numerous and still increasing offspring. I had loved before, but I knew not why, but now I loved with a pureness and intensity of elevated, exalted feeling which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this groveling sphere, and expand it as the ocean. I felt that God was my heavenly father indeed; that Jesus was my brother, and that the wife of my bosom was an immortal, eternal companion, a kind ministering angel, a crown of glory for ever and ever."
It was while on a mission to England that he wrote a most touching poem to his family, part of which is as follows:
There dwell my family—my bosom friends,--
The precious lambs of my Redeemer,—my
Best of Heaven's gifts to man,—my germs of
Life and immortality,—my hope of heaven,--
My principality on earth begun, --
My kingdom in embryo, big with thrones
Of endless power and wide dominion.
Ye kindred spirits from world's celestial!
Offsprings of Deity;—sons and daughters
Of eternity;—ye nobles of heaven,
Whose dwellings were of old among the Gods
In everlasting mansions!
Surely, as stated by himself, the gospel enlarges the soul, expands and exalts the affections, and regenerates, ennobles and elevates mankind.
Hear him again:
Ye kindred spirits, filled with mutual love,
Pure as the dews descending from above,
All hail! to you the sacred keys are given
To make you one on earth and one in heaven.
Be fruitful, then, and let your race extend.
Fill earth, the stars and worlds that never end.
No one can read the history of this great man without being impressed with the sincerity and integrity of heart, and the energy and zeal exemplified and manifested in his life and labors. The grand and ennobling virtues of his life, his mighty love and devotion to God and his righteous cause, his great love and affection for his family and friends, his purity of thought, nis tenderness of soul, his brave and dauntless courage in the hour of trial, his lofty aspirations, the heavenly inspirations of this great apostle whose centennial is now at hand, are themes ever to be glorified.
Richfield, Utah.
THE CENTENNIAL OF PARLEY P. PRATT, 1807-1907.
AN APPRECIATION OF HIS LIFE.
BY ANNIE G. LAURITZEN, A GRANDDAUGHTER.
"The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Lo Zion's standard is unfurled;
The dawning of a brighter day
Majestic rises on the world."
Almost simultaneously with the birth of the great prophet of God in the latter days were born some of the great masterly and noble spirits whom Abraham was shown would be reserved in the heavens until the latter days.
Parley Parker Pratt, third son of Jared and Charity Pratt, was born in Burlington, Otsego County, New York, April 12, 1807, about sixteen months after the birth of the prophet. Being of sturdy New England stock, his father, a man of excellent morals, exerted himself diligently to instil into the minds of his children every principle of integrity, honesty, honor and virtue, and he taught them to venerate their Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, his prophets and apostles, as well as the scriptures which they had written.
At the early age of seven years he was a devout student of the Holy Scriptures, his mother giving him lessons on the life of Joseph in Egypt. He read of his dreams, servitude, temptation and exaltation,—his kindness and affection for his father and brethren—all this he says inspired him with love and with the noblest sentiments ever planted in the bosom of man. "I read of David and Goliath, of Saul and Samuel, of Sampson and the Philistines, all these inspired me with hatred for the deeds of evil doers, and love for good men and their deeds. After this I read of Jesus and his apostles, and hew I loved them, how I longed to fall at the feet of Jesus, to worship him or offer my life for him."
Thus we see that at an extreme early age God was having him prepared by wise and judicious parents for the great field of labor in his future vineyard; thus in virtue's mold was formed and trained the sturdy spirit whom God had foreordained to a great position and calling in assisting to establish his church and preach his gospel to the nations of the earth.
As this devout and studious boy began to arrive at the age of manhood, he learned by diligent and prayerful study that no religious denomination to be found by him could satisfy his idea of the true Church of God, as it existed in the days of Christ and his disciples. He could find no organization complete, with apostles and prophets, no one divinely commissioned of Heaven who would say to him, "Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," as the ancient apostles would have said to him. Thus far, he had found none who could with divine authority administer salvation to him. So, becoming discouraged with the condition of affairs, he decided to retire from the society of mankind for a season, in order to more fully study the scriptures, and learn of God and his ancient people. Thus was spent in solitude, in a lone forest in the state of New York, the twentieth year of the youth, in a little log cabin erected by his own strong arm; and thus was God preparing the heart and mind of this noble youth who was destined to become one of the greatest apostles and theological writers the world has ever known.
Next spring he married, and with his young bride started west, journeying as the whisperings of the Spirit of God directed him, but where and for what purpose he had no definite idea. Arriving at Rochester, he informed his wife that he must stop awhile in this region, for so the Spirit prompted him. It was at this place that he visited an old Baptist deacon, by the name of Hamblin, who began to tell him of the discovery of a book—a strange book—a very strange book. And it was at the home of this man that his eyes first beheld the Book of Mormon. He says, "As I read, the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true, as plainly and manifestly as a man comprehends and knows that he exists. My joy was now full, as it were, and I rejoiced sufficiently to more than pay me for all the sorrows, sacrifices and toils of my life. I soon determined to see the young man who had been the instrument in its discovery and translation."
He accordingly visited Palmyra where he found Hyrum Smith, his brother Joseph being absent, who cordially invited him to his home where they spent most of the night in conversing on the gospel. Eagerly he listened to the brother of the prophet as he unfolded to him the discovery of the Book of Mormon, its translation, the rise of the Church of Latter-day Saints, and the commission of his brother Joseph, and others, by revelation, and the ministering of angels by which the apostleship and divine authority had again been restored to earth. On leaving this worthy man and his family, he was presented with a copy of the Book of Mormon which he continued to read on his journey. He says: "And to my great joy, I found that Jesus Christ in his glorified and resurrected body had visited the remnant of Joseph on the American continent soon after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, and that through his personal ministry his gospel was revealed and written in countries and among nations entirely unknown to the Jewish apostles." Commenting farther, he exclaims, "Surely, thought I, Jesus had other sheep, and here were a portion of them; surely the angels sang with the spirit and with the understanding, when they declared, 'we bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.' "
Thus we see how full of appreciation, of deep thought and wonderful understanding, he was; so young a man, yet so full (if inspiration and of the Holy Spirit! He was as a pure stream of living water running on, and on, and on, increasing ever in its mighty flow. His voice was soon to be uplifted in defense of God's own truth, even as a voice of warning to the nations of the earth.
Soon after this, he returned to Brother Hyrum and requested baptism at his hands, and there he met for the first time the man whom he had long sought as the one duly commissioned of Heaven, the prophet Joseph, whom he learned to love and to honor with a reverence which amounted to admiration, and ripened into everlasting love and friendship. He was baptized by Oliver Cowdery in Seneca lake, about September 1, 1830.
On February 21, 1835, he was ordained one of the original twelve apostles of the Lamb of God, in this dispensation. And thus he was among the chosen few who were the minute men of the Church, and who were ever ready to spend their time, their means, and even their lives, to assist in the establishment of his righteous kingdom, and to spread the gospel at home and abroad.
And so it was that he, in company with the prophet Joseph, the patriarch Hyrum, and two other leading men of the Church, were torn from their afflicted and suffering families, and after passing through a mock trial for purporting to believe in the second chapter of Daniel, wherein it says that in the last days the God of heaven shall set up his kingdom never more to be thrown down, these five men were sentenced to be shot for confessing a belief in the word of God. But the God of heaven, who had set up his kingdom and ordained his chosen ones by his own hand, sustained those noble men in their hours of affliction, testing and trial, and spared their lives until they had accomplished the labors unto which he had foreordained them.
Yet, O what toil, what sorrow, what self-sacrifice, it would cost to establish Zion and to purify her people! Yet, O what joy, what rapture, what delight when angels came and once more talked with men, restoring the priesthood of the Holy One, teaching them of the way leading back into his presence that, through the learning of his righteous way, and by the walking in his chosen path, they might obtain eternal life and exaltation in that glorious world where dwell the eternal Father and the Son.
By diligent study and research for light and knowledge, by becoming a divinely commissioned servant of the Almighty, through listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, as well as through associating with and obeying the voice of the great latter-day prophet, Parley Parker Pratt became a most wonderful instrument in the hands of God of spreading the glad tidings of salvation at home and abroad, from Canada to South America, from Maine to California, and to the islands of the sea. Among the first to bring the gospel message to the Lamanites, the aborigines of America, and to the people of Great Britain, he suffered bonds, imprisonment, trial and persecution and shared the privations of the Saints from the early rise of the Church to their time of entrance to the Rocky mountains. But it is not of the preaching of this divinely inspired and eloquent man, nor of his theological and poetic writings, I wish to speak. We have all read the supremely interesting story of his life, written by himself; all are familiar with his Key to Theology, his Voice of Warning, his poems and soul inspiring hymns. Nor is it of his marvelous gift of healing through the power of the holy priesthood which he held; but what I wish to emphasize is the divinely loving, tender and affectionate nature of this mighty man of God; of his great love for the Prophet and his brethren, for his family and his friends, and of the pure ideas of life which he held.
It was on meeting the Prophet, after that memorable imprisonment and mock trial at Richmond, that he pours forth his soul in love and admiration for Joseph: for, indeed, their meeting was more like that of two brothers after a separation of years. As they embraced each other they could not refrain from weeping. They spent several days together, and it was during those sweet and memorable interviews that he learned from Joseph the many true and glorious principles concerning God and the heavenly order of eternity. He says: "It was Joseph Smith who taught me how to prize the endearing relationships of father, mother, husband, wife, brothers, sister, son and daughter. It was from him I learned of marriage for eternity; that the refined sympathies and affections which endeared us to each other emanated from the Fountain of divine, eternal love; the true dignity and destiny of a son of God, clothed with an eternal priesthood, as the patriarch and sovereign of his countless offspring; that the highest dignity of a woman is to stand as a queen and priestess to her husband, and to reign for ever and ever as queen mother of her numerous and still increasing offspring. I had loved before, but I knew not why, but now I loved with a pureness and intensity of elevated, exalted feeling which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this groveling sphere, and expand it as the ocean. I felt that God was my heavenly father indeed; that Jesus was my brother, and that the wife of my bosom was an immortal, eternal companion, a kind ministering angel, a crown of glory for ever and ever."
It was while on a mission to England that he wrote a most touching poem to his family, part of which is as follows:
There dwell my family—my bosom friends,--
The precious lambs of my Redeemer,—my
Best of Heaven's gifts to man,—my germs of
Life and immortality,—my hope of heaven,--
My principality on earth begun, --
My kingdom in embryo, big with thrones
Of endless power and wide dominion.
Ye kindred spirits from world's celestial!
Offsprings of Deity;—sons and daughters
Of eternity;—ye nobles of heaven,
Whose dwellings were of old among the Gods
In everlasting mansions!
Surely, as stated by himself, the gospel enlarges the soul, expands and exalts the affections, and regenerates, ennobles and elevates mankind.
Hear him again:
Ye kindred spirits, filled with mutual love,
Pure as the dews descending from above,
All hail! to you the sacred keys are given
To make you one on earth and one in heaven.
Be fruitful, then, and let your race extend.
Fill earth, the stars and worlds that never end.
No one can read the history of this great man without being impressed with the sincerity and integrity of heart, and the energy and zeal exemplified and manifested in his life and labors. The grand and ennobling virtues of his life, his mighty love and devotion to God and his righteous cause, his great love and affection for his family and friends, his purity of thought, nis tenderness of soul, his brave and dauntless courage in the hour of trial, his lofty aspirations, the heavenly inspirations of this great apostle whose centennial is now at hand, are themes ever to be glorified.
Richfield, Utah.
"Missionary Experiences of Parley P. Pratt." Young Woman's Journal. June 1915. pg. 556-557.
Missionary Experiences of Parley P. Pratt.
[Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 145-149.]
I preached to the people, and was kindly entertained till Monday morning, when I took leave and entered Hamilton, a flourishing town at the head of Lake Ontario; but my place of destination was Toronto, around on the north side of the lake. If I went by land I would have a circuitous route, muddy and tedious to go on foot. The lake had just opened, and steamers had commenced plying between the two places; two dollars would convey me to Toronto in a few hours, and save some days of laborious walking; but I was an entire stranger in Hamilton, and also in the province; and money I had none. Under these circumstances I pondered what I should do. I had many times received answers to prayers in such matters; but now it seemed hard to exercise faith, because I was among strangers and entirely unknown. The Spirit seemed to whisper to me to try the Lord, and see if anything was too hard for Him. that I might know and trust Him under all circumstances. I retired to a secret place in a forest and prayed to the Lord for money to enable me to cross the lake. I then entered Hamilton and commenced to chat with some of the people. I had not tarried many minutes before I was accosted by a stranger, who enquired my name and where I was going. He also asked me if I did not want some money. I said, Yes. He then gave me ten dollars and a letter of introduction to John Taylor, of Toronto, where I arrived the same evening. * * *
In the morning I commenced a regular visit to each of the clergy of the place, introducing myself and my errand. I was absolutely refused hospitality, and denied the opportunity of preaching in any of their houses or congregations. Rather an unpromising beginning, thought I, considering the prophecies on my head concerning Toronto. However, nothing daunted, I applied to the sheriff for the use of the Court House, and then to the authorities for a public room in the market place; but with no better success. What could I do more? I had exhausted my influence and power without effect. I now repaired to a pine grove just out of the town, and, kneeling down, called on the Lord, bearing testimony of my unsuccessful exertions; my inability to open the way, at the same time asking Him in the name of Jesus to open an effectual door for His servant to fulfil his mission in that place.
I then arose and again entered the town, and going to the house of John Taylor, had placed my hand on my baggage to depart from a place where I could do no good, when a few inquiries on the part of Mr. Taylor, inspired by a degree of curiosity or of anxiety, caused a few moments delay, during which a lady by the name of Walton entered the house, and, being an acquaintance of Mrs. Taylor’s, was soon engaged in conversation with her in an adjoining room. I overheard the following:
“Mrs. Walton I am glad to see you; there is a gentleman here from the United States, who says the Lord sent him to this city to preach the Gospel. He had applied in vain to the clergy and to the various authorities for opportunity to fulfil his mission, and is now about to leave the place. He may be a man of God; I am sorry to have him depart.”
Mrs. Walton: “Indeed! Well, I now understand the feelings and spirit which brought me to your house at this time. I have been busy over the wash tub and too weary to take a walk: but I felt impressed to walk out. I then thought I would make a call on my sister, the other side of town ; but passing your door, the Spirit bade me go in; but I said to myself, I will go in when I return ; but the Spirit said: go in now. I accordingly came in. and I am thankful that I did so. Tell the stranger he is welcome to mv house. I am a widow; but I have a spare room and bed, and food in plenty. He shall have a home at my house, and two large rooms to preach in just when he pleases. Tell him I will send my son John over to pilot him to my house, while I go and gather my relatives and friends to come in this very evening and hear him talk; for I feel by the Spirit that he is a man sent by the Lord with a message which will do us good.”
(The evening found Brother Pratt quietly seated at her house, in the midst of a number of listeners.)
* * * * *
Next day Mrs. Walton requested me to call on a friend of hers, who was also a widow in deep affliction, being totally blind with inflammation in the eyes; she had suffered extreme pain for several months, and had also been reduced to want, having four little children to support. She had lost her husband, of cholera, two years before, and had sustained herself and family by teaching school until deprived of sight, since which she had been dependent on the Methodist society; herself and children being then a public charge. Mrs. Walton sent her little daughter of twelve years old to show me the way. I called on the poor blind widow and helpless orphans and found them in a dark and gloomy apartment, rendered more so by having every ray of light obscured to prevent its painful effects on her eyes. I related to her the circumstances of my mission, and she believed the same. I laid my hands upon her in the name of Jesus Christ, and said to her, “your eyes shall be well from this hour.” She throw off her bandages; opened her house to the light; dressed herself, and walking with open eyes, came to the meeting that save evening at Sister Walton’s, with eyes as well and as bright as any other person’s.
Missionary Experiences of Parley P. Pratt.
[Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 145-149.]
I preached to the people, and was kindly entertained till Monday morning, when I took leave and entered Hamilton, a flourishing town at the head of Lake Ontario; but my place of destination was Toronto, around on the north side of the lake. If I went by land I would have a circuitous route, muddy and tedious to go on foot. The lake had just opened, and steamers had commenced plying between the two places; two dollars would convey me to Toronto in a few hours, and save some days of laborious walking; but I was an entire stranger in Hamilton, and also in the province; and money I had none. Under these circumstances I pondered what I should do. I had many times received answers to prayers in such matters; but now it seemed hard to exercise faith, because I was among strangers and entirely unknown. The Spirit seemed to whisper to me to try the Lord, and see if anything was too hard for Him. that I might know and trust Him under all circumstances. I retired to a secret place in a forest and prayed to the Lord for money to enable me to cross the lake. I then entered Hamilton and commenced to chat with some of the people. I had not tarried many minutes before I was accosted by a stranger, who enquired my name and where I was going. He also asked me if I did not want some money. I said, Yes. He then gave me ten dollars and a letter of introduction to John Taylor, of Toronto, where I arrived the same evening. * * *
In the morning I commenced a regular visit to each of the clergy of the place, introducing myself and my errand. I was absolutely refused hospitality, and denied the opportunity of preaching in any of their houses or congregations. Rather an unpromising beginning, thought I, considering the prophecies on my head concerning Toronto. However, nothing daunted, I applied to the sheriff for the use of the Court House, and then to the authorities for a public room in the market place; but with no better success. What could I do more? I had exhausted my influence and power without effect. I now repaired to a pine grove just out of the town, and, kneeling down, called on the Lord, bearing testimony of my unsuccessful exertions; my inability to open the way, at the same time asking Him in the name of Jesus to open an effectual door for His servant to fulfil his mission in that place.
I then arose and again entered the town, and going to the house of John Taylor, had placed my hand on my baggage to depart from a place where I could do no good, when a few inquiries on the part of Mr. Taylor, inspired by a degree of curiosity or of anxiety, caused a few moments delay, during which a lady by the name of Walton entered the house, and, being an acquaintance of Mrs. Taylor’s, was soon engaged in conversation with her in an adjoining room. I overheard the following:
“Mrs. Walton I am glad to see you; there is a gentleman here from the United States, who says the Lord sent him to this city to preach the Gospel. He had applied in vain to the clergy and to the various authorities for opportunity to fulfil his mission, and is now about to leave the place. He may be a man of God; I am sorry to have him depart.”
Mrs. Walton: “Indeed! Well, I now understand the feelings and spirit which brought me to your house at this time. I have been busy over the wash tub and too weary to take a walk: but I felt impressed to walk out. I then thought I would make a call on my sister, the other side of town ; but passing your door, the Spirit bade me go in; but I said to myself, I will go in when I return ; but the Spirit said: go in now. I accordingly came in. and I am thankful that I did so. Tell the stranger he is welcome to mv house. I am a widow; but I have a spare room and bed, and food in plenty. He shall have a home at my house, and two large rooms to preach in just when he pleases. Tell him I will send my son John over to pilot him to my house, while I go and gather my relatives and friends to come in this very evening and hear him talk; for I feel by the Spirit that he is a man sent by the Lord with a message which will do us good.”
(The evening found Brother Pratt quietly seated at her house, in the midst of a number of listeners.)
* * * * *
Next day Mrs. Walton requested me to call on a friend of hers, who was also a widow in deep affliction, being totally blind with inflammation in the eyes; she had suffered extreme pain for several months, and had also been reduced to want, having four little children to support. She had lost her husband, of cholera, two years before, and had sustained herself and family by teaching school until deprived of sight, since which she had been dependent on the Methodist society; herself and children being then a public charge. Mrs. Walton sent her little daughter of twelve years old to show me the way. I called on the poor blind widow and helpless orphans and found them in a dark and gloomy apartment, rendered more so by having every ray of light obscured to prevent its painful effects on her eyes. I related to her the circumstances of my mission, and she believed the same. I laid my hands upon her in the name of Jesus Christ, and said to her, “your eyes shall be well from this hour.” She throw off her bandages; opened her house to the light; dressed herself, and walking with open eyes, came to the meeting that save evening at Sister Walton’s, with eyes as well and as bright as any other person’s.
"Instances of Healing." Young Woman's Journal. January 1916. pg. 54-55.
Instances of Healing.
These incidents occurred in the city of New York, in the year 1837, under the administration of Elder Parley P. Pratt and his companions. “We soon commenced baptizing, and continued doing so almost daily during the winter and spring. One lady, who had been four years under the doctor’s care with a crippled leg, arose and walked, with her leg instantly restored whole, even as the other. Her physician was immediately dismissed, and was very angry because we had spoiled his patronage. He even threatened to sue us. Another lady, who had lain in her bed four years with dumb palsy, arose and walked. She had not, previous to our laying hands on her, been able to stir a finger or a toe, on her right side, for about four years; so said the family and so she herself testified. In this case her physician and also some religious ministers, who called to see her, glorified God, acknowledged His hand, and exhorted her to persevere in the faith. A child * * * was healed of brain fever in the last stage, when the doctors had given it over, and the kindred and neighbors had gathered in to see it die. I laid my hands upon it in the presence of them all, and it was healed, and in a few hours took nourishment, and commenced to play and run about the floor. In the same house, in an upper chamber, lay a woman, by the name of Dexter, sick, who had not left her room, nor scarcely her bed, for some six months; she was on the point of death, and her babe also, who had taken the disease from her. Her mother, who had the care of her, was present when the child was healed, and she ran up stairs and told the woman that there were men below who healed the sick, as in days of old. by the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus. The woman exclaimed, ‘Thank God, then I can be healed’. She sent for us and from that hour was restored to health, and the child also.”[1]
[1] “Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt”, p. 187.
Instances of Healing.
These incidents occurred in the city of New York, in the year 1837, under the administration of Elder Parley P. Pratt and his companions. “We soon commenced baptizing, and continued doing so almost daily during the winter and spring. One lady, who had been four years under the doctor’s care with a crippled leg, arose and walked, with her leg instantly restored whole, even as the other. Her physician was immediately dismissed, and was very angry because we had spoiled his patronage. He even threatened to sue us. Another lady, who had lain in her bed four years with dumb palsy, arose and walked. She had not, previous to our laying hands on her, been able to stir a finger or a toe, on her right side, for about four years; so said the family and so she herself testified. In this case her physician and also some religious ministers, who called to see her, glorified God, acknowledged His hand, and exhorted her to persevere in the faith. A child * * * was healed of brain fever in the last stage, when the doctors had given it over, and the kindred and neighbors had gathered in to see it die. I laid my hands upon it in the presence of them all, and it was healed, and in a few hours took nourishment, and commenced to play and run about the floor. In the same house, in an upper chamber, lay a woman, by the name of Dexter, sick, who had not left her room, nor scarcely her bed, for some six months; she was on the point of death, and her babe also, who had taken the disease from her. Her mother, who had the care of her, was present when the child was healed, and she ran up stairs and told the woman that there were men below who healed the sick, as in days of old. by the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus. The woman exclaimed, ‘Thank God, then I can be healed’. She sent for us and from that hour was restored to health, and the child also.”[1]
[1] “Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt”, p. 187.
"Parley P. Pratt's Prayer Answered." Young Woman's Journal. December 1916. pg. 771-772.
Parley P. Pratt’s Prayer Answered.
Parley P. Pratt had been sent on a mission to Canada and had been refused hospitality and denied the opportunity of preaching. He says: “Rather an unpromising beginning, thought I. * * * However, nothing daunted, I applied to the Sheriff for the use of the Court House, and then to the authorities for a public room in the market place; but with no better success. What could I do more? I had exhausted my influence and power without effect. I now repaired to a pine grove just out of the town, and, kneeling down, called on the Lord, bearing testimony of my unsuccessful exertions, and of my inability to open the way ; at the same time asking Him in the name of Jesus to open an effectual door for His servant to fulfil his mission in that place. I then arose and again entered the town, and going to the house of John Taylor, had placed my hand on my baggage to depart from a place where I could do no good, when a few inquiries on the part of Mr. Taylor, inspired by a degree of curiosity or of anxiety, caused a few moments’ delay, during which a lady by the name of Walton entered the house, and, being an acquaintance of Mrs. Taylor’s, was soon engaged in conversation with her in an adjoining room. I overheard the following: ‘Mrs. Walton, I am glad to see you; there is a gentleman from the United States who says the Lord sent him to this city to preach the Gospel. He has applied in vain to the clergy and to the various authorities for opportunity to fulfil his mission, and is now about to leave the place. He may be a man of God; I am sorry to have him depart.’ Mrs. Walton: ‘Indeed! Well, I now understand the feelings and spirit which brought me to your house at this time. I have been busy over the wash tub and too weary to take a walk; but I felt impressed to walk out. I then thought I would make a call on my sister, the other side of town; but passing your door, the Spirit bade me go in; but I said to myself, I will go in when I return; but the Spirit said: go in now. I accordingly came in, and I am thankful that I did so. Tell the stranger he is welcome to my house. I am a widow; but I have a spare room and bed, and food in plenty. He shall have a home at my house, and two large rooms to preach in just when he pleases.[1]
[1] Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 146-7.
Parley P. Pratt’s Prayer Answered.
Parley P. Pratt had been sent on a mission to Canada and had been refused hospitality and denied the opportunity of preaching. He says: “Rather an unpromising beginning, thought I. * * * However, nothing daunted, I applied to the Sheriff for the use of the Court House, and then to the authorities for a public room in the market place; but with no better success. What could I do more? I had exhausted my influence and power without effect. I now repaired to a pine grove just out of the town, and, kneeling down, called on the Lord, bearing testimony of my unsuccessful exertions, and of my inability to open the way ; at the same time asking Him in the name of Jesus to open an effectual door for His servant to fulfil his mission in that place. I then arose and again entered the town, and going to the house of John Taylor, had placed my hand on my baggage to depart from a place where I could do no good, when a few inquiries on the part of Mr. Taylor, inspired by a degree of curiosity or of anxiety, caused a few moments’ delay, during which a lady by the name of Walton entered the house, and, being an acquaintance of Mrs. Taylor’s, was soon engaged in conversation with her in an adjoining room. I overheard the following: ‘Mrs. Walton, I am glad to see you; there is a gentleman from the United States who says the Lord sent him to this city to preach the Gospel. He has applied in vain to the clergy and to the various authorities for opportunity to fulfil his mission, and is now about to leave the place. He may be a man of God; I am sorry to have him depart.’ Mrs. Walton: ‘Indeed! Well, I now understand the feelings and spirit which brought me to your house at this time. I have been busy over the wash tub and too weary to take a walk; but I felt impressed to walk out. I then thought I would make a call on my sister, the other side of town; but passing your door, the Spirit bade me go in; but I said to myself, I will go in when I return; but the Spirit said: go in now. I accordingly came in, and I am thankful that I did so. Tell the stranger he is welcome to my house. I am a widow; but I have a spare room and bed, and food in plenty. He shall have a home at my house, and two large rooms to preach in just when he pleases.[1]
[1] Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 146-7.