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Parley P. Pratt was an early Mormon apostle and author. He was born April 12, 1807 to Jared Pratt and Charity Dickenson in Burlington, New York. Pratt was a descendent of Pilgrims on the Pratt side of the family. He had limited education because his family moved often, but he read extensively and was very well self-educated.
He became a Baptist when he was eighteen, although not fully satisfied as to their truthfulness. He heard Sydney Rigdon speak soon after his marriage. Rigdon later became a Mormon apostle, but at that time he was a preacher for a group called the Disciples or Campbellites. Pratt was thrilled to hear someone actually teaching New Testament gospel, but still worried about the issue of authority. He saw in his own studies that the apostles had been given the authority to continue teaching after Jesus Christ died, and he felt there ought to be apostles with authority today. Despite his concerns, Pratt joined that movement and became... Read the rest of this article »
Orson Pratt was born on September 19, 1811 in Hartford, New York to Jared Pratt and Charity Dickenson. He lived in New Lebanon, Columbia City, New York from 1814- 1822. While there, he attended school in the winter, studying arithmetic and bookkeeping. During the summers, he farmed. In his free time, he studied the Bible.
While attending a boarding school from 1829 to 1830, he took classes in geography, grammar and surveying. In 1830, he first learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes nicknamed Mormons.
His brother Parley P. Pratt became a Mormon and, while Orson was living in Canaan, New York, Parley and another man arrived on a mission trip. They taught the gospel to Orson, who believed their teachings. He agreed to be baptized and this was done on his nineteenth birthday in 1830.
He decided to travel to Fayette, New York to meet Joseph Smith personally, a journey of 200 miles. Joseph received a revelation... Read the rest of this article »
William Wines Phelps was born February 17, 1792 in Hanover, New Jersey to Enon Phelps and Mehitable Goldsmith. He is best known as the writer of many still-popular Mormon hymns.
William W. Phelps was a contender for lieutenant governor of New York and the editor of a partisan newspaper when the church was organized. Three days after its organization, he purchased a copy of the Book of Mormon and read it. He wrote in a letter that after reading it, he spent ten hours talking to Sydney Rigdon about it. He traveled to Kirtland, Ohio, where the Mormons were gathered, and let it be known he was there to serve the Lord. He was baptized and was told through a revelation that he was to become an elder in the Mormon priesthood and then to assist Oliver Cowdery in helping to select, write, and print textbooks to be used in the Church’s schools.
On June 19, he left with several other elders to serve a mission in Missouri. While there, he had an opportunity to... Read the rest of this article »
When people think of Mormon General Authorities (high level church leaders), they tend to think of dignified men who speak carefully and behave traditionally. Even for his own time, J. Golden Kimball defied tradition. He was nicknamed “The Swearing Apostle” and when church meetings were first broadcast on radio, people worried about his vocabulary. His approaches to problem-solving were often unique for his environment, but he was effective and no one ever questioned his testimony. He attributed his bad habit of swearing—something Mormons generally avoid—to having been a mule driver in his younger days. He said it’s the only language mules understand.
He was initially a reluctant missionary. His mother wanted him to serve, but he didn’t really want to go. In those days, it was easier to find yourself on a mission than it is today. His mother asked him to meet with the prophet about it and he showed up dirty and wearing visible guns and knives... Read the rest of this article »
Thomas B Marsh was, for a time, an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, until his excommunication. He eventually returned to the church.
Thomas B. Marsh was born in 1799 in Massachusetts, the son of James Marsh and Mary Law. In 1820, he married Elizabeth Godkin and began a grocery business. When it failed, he moved to Boston, where he worked in a type foundry for seven years.
While in Boston, he became a Methodist for a time, but soon decided the church’s teaching didn’t match what he read in the Bible. He ended his membership and felt the spirit tell him that in time, the true church would be restored. He then felt impressed to travel, where he eventually found himself in Palmyra. When he arrived at a printing shop, he met Martin Harris. The first sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon had just been printed and he read them. He believed the book to be true and asked permission to take a copy of those pages home with him to Massachusetts.... Read the rest of this article »
Newel Knight was the second son born to Joseph Knight, Sr. and Polly Peck. He was born September 13, 1800 in Vermont. The family was not wealthy, but it was comfortably well-off and the children received a common-school education. His parents believed in God, but did not belong to a church. They accepted the doctrine of Universalian, which taught that everyone would eventually go to Heaven, although they did not attend any churches at all.
In 1825, Joseph Smith, first prophet of the Mormons, came to work for Joseph’s business partner. When Joseph returned home, he kept in contact with the two men, and was hired in 1826 to work for Joseph Knight. Knight considered Joseph Smith the best hired hand the family had ever employed and young Joseph Smith got along well with the entire family, but developed a particular friendship with the father.
The family learned that Joseph Smith had been called by God to bring to light an ancient record in the future. Joseph... Read the rest of this article »
Joseph Knight, Sr. was born in 1772 in Massachusetts. He was known as a serious, hardworking man who was well respected by his neighbors. He owned a farm and was successful enough to care for his family and to help others, but was not wealthy.
In 1827, Joseph Smith was hired to work for Knight’s business partner, Josiah Stowell, to work for him shortly before the young prophet became the first leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes nicknamed Mormons. Stowell believed there was a mine hidden nearby and hired Joseph to dig until he found it. Joseph did so, but eventually convinced Stowell it was a waste of time. Joseph continued to have connections with both men and was eventually hired by Knight.
Joseph Knight and his family took a strong liking to the 21-year-old man, who was about the same age as one of Joseph Knight’s sons, and soon Joseph Smith was confiding in Joseph Knight about the work he had... Read the rest of this article »
Meridian Magazine tells the unusual story of a missionary serving in Europe just after World War II, as Mormon missionary work was beginning to ramp back up. It should be noted this is in no way typical of missionary service and would have been allowed only if the missionary’s leader, known as a mission president, felt inspired to alter the usual rules for missionary work. In this case, although the missionary did unusual things, he was able to share his faith with people who might not otherwise have paid any attention to a Mormon missionary.
Carl J. Christensen was called to serve a mission in France. He and nine other new missionaries left for Europe by ship. While on the ship, Paul W. Litchfield, Chairman of the Board for Goodyear spotted them and complimented their behavior and dress. He knew many Mormons through his work with the Boy Scouts of America and was a regular listener of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Sunday program, Music and the Spoken... Read the rest of this article »
Orson Hyde is best known for his dedication of the Holy Lands for the gathering of the Jews. He was born in 1805 in Oxford, Connecticut. Orson Hyde’s early years were very difficult. He was one of eleven children and his family became homeless when he was seven. Then his mother died during childbirth. His father sent the children to live with others, splitting them up as he left to fight in the War of 1812. Orson was sent to the home of Nathan Wheeler. His birth father died from drowning when he was twelve, leaving him orphaned. Despite the challenge of being sent to live away from home so young, the boy was apparently happy in his new home.
When he was fourteen, the family fell on hard times and Orson walked 600 miles on foot to take care of some property his foster father owned. This, while certainly challenging for a teenager, was excellent preparation for his future life as a Mormon pioneer.
Orson lived in Kirtland, Ohio on this land for four... Read the rest of this article »
William Huntington, an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often nicknamed Mormons, is an example of someone who faced hardship with courage and faith.
Born in 1784 in New Hampshire, William Huntington married Zina Baker in 1806. He did very well financially until 1811. Then he sold out. Unfortunately, when the country went to war in 1812, he suffered severe financial setbacks. He completed his military service in 1816 and then once again improved his financial situation. He began to study the Bible, trying to understand what God really taught. Huntington received inspiration that alcohol was not appropriate, so he stopped drinking. He became a Presbyterian.
William Huntington began to pray to know which church was true, even though he had already joined one. He received an answer that none were true, but that the true church would be restored in his lifetime. He learned that it would be the same church Jesus... Read the rest of this article »
