We visited an old Baptist deacon by the name of Hamlin. After hearing of our appointment for
evening, he began to tell of a book, a strange book, a very strange book! in
his possession, which had been just published.
This book, he said, purported to have been originally written on plates
either of gold or brass, by a branch of the tribes of Israel; and to have been
discovered and translated by a young man near Palmyra, in the state of New
York, by the aid of visions, or the ministry of angels… I felt a strange
interest in the book. [The] next
morning… for the first time, my eyes beheld the “Book of Mormon”- that book of
books – that record which reveals the antiquities of the “New World” back to
the remotest ages, and which unfolds the destiny of its people and the world
for all time to come; - that Book which contains the fullness of the gospel of
a crucified and risen Redeemer; - that Book which reveals a lost remnant of
Joseph, and which was the principal means, in the hands of God, of directing
the entire course of my future life.
I opened it with eagerness, and read its title page. I then read the testimony of several
witnesses in relation to the manner of its being found and translated. After this I commenced its contents by
course. I read all day; eating was a
burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I
preferred reading to sleep.
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.
Can anyone read the preceding passage and doubt the
sincerity of Parley P. Pratt’s conversion?
I suppose some could. But when
you consider his life, and read his sermons, and read all the poems he wrote about
God and the Restoration, the only rational conclusion is this: Parley P. Pratt
really believed in Mormonism.
Why is this a reason you should stay LDS? Because you need to remember that the
founders of the Church were not con-men.
There are so many reasons to be proud of our heritage. There are so many reasons to be proud of the
men and women who brought this Church to what it is today. Were some lies told? Yes.
Did some leaders practice unrighteous dominion? Yes.
But overall, the founders of the LDS church were sincere people seeking
after the will of God.
Like Parley P. Pratt, I have also felt joy when reading the
Book of Mormon. Though I no longer view
it as a literal historical record, I still appreciate its warmth and
goodness. The Book is beautiful. It has a proven track record of facilitating
communication between humans and God.
God works in mysterious ways. I think God had an interest in getting the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints started, so that people like me nearly two hundred years
later could get close to God through living the Mormon lifestyle, and so that
people in the Philippines could be given some relief after the devastating
typhoon Haiyan. And to get the Church
started, God led men like Parley P. Pratt to Joseph Smith.
What Pratt felt and thought when he first encountered Mormonism
was neither neurosis nor wishful thinking.
He wasn’t being duped or brainwashed.
He was converting to a legitimate, albeit colorful, Christian
denomination. The Spirit of God was
moving in his life.
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