The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry, and TravelsPratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker)
Religion
The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry, and Travels
Pratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Apostles -- Biography; Pratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker), 1807-1857
This was a joyful and unexpected meeting of two brothers. He
immediately accompanied me home, and was introduced to my wife and
our little farm in the wilderness, where we spent some days
together. He admired my wife; but above all my farm. "Brother
Parley," said he, "how have you done all this? When we were last
together you had no wife, no farm, no house, no orchard, and now
you are here with everything smiling around you." I replied that
hard work had accomplished it all. And, continued I, we are now
about to leave this quiet home which we have toiled so hard to
make, and perhaps, never see it again. "How so?" said he, with much
surprise, and somewhat of disappointment. I then unfolded to him
the gospel and prophecies as they had been opened to me, and told
him that the spirit of these things had wrought so powerfully on my
mind of late that I could not rest; that I could no longer be
contented to dwell in quiet and retirement on my farm, while I had
light to impart to mankind, of which I knew they were in a great
measure ignorant. "But," said he, "if I had fifty acres of land, a
comfortable house, a fine orchard, a beautiful garden, with meadow
land, grain, and above all, such beautiful flowers and so valuable
a housekeeper as you have, and all these things the work of our own
hands, I am sure I would stay and enjoy the same while I lived; and
the world might go on its own jog, and its own way, for all me.
Besides, how are you to get your living? This is your all; you have
toiled for years to obtain it, and why not now continue to enjoy
it?" "William," said I, "I see plainly you know but little of my
circumstances if the changes which have taken place with me since
we parted five years ago, nor how vastly wealthy I have become
within that time. Why, sir, I have bank bills enough, on the very
best institutions in the world, to sustain myself and family while
we live."
"Indeed," said he, "well, I should like to see some of them; I
hope they are genuine." "Certainly," I replied, "there is no doubt
of that. They are true bills and founded on capital that will never
fail, though heaven and earth should pass away. Of this I will
convince you in a moment."
I then unlocked my treasury and drew from thence a large pocket
book, fall of promissory notes like the following: _"Whoever
shall forsake father or mother, brethren or sisters, houses or
lands, wife or children, for my sake and the gospel's, shall
receive an hundred fold in this life, and in the world to come lie
everlasting." "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, you
shall ask what you will in my name and I will give it you." "All
things are possible to him that believeth."_
"Now, William," said I, "are these the words of Jesus Christ, or
are they not?" "They certainly are," said he, "I always believed
the New Testament."
"Then you admit they are genuine bills?"
"I do."
"Is the signer able to meet his engagements?"
"He certainly is."
"Is he willing?"
"He is."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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