At their second meeting on Sunday evening, Mr. Patrick had immediately turned the time over to Parley when the hymn and prayer were finished. And for the next two to three hours, Nathan sat and marveled. He had never seen Parley preach to nonmembers in this kind of a formal setting, and it was amazing to watch him. He picked up the discussion exactly where John Taylor’s questions earlier that day had left off. Parley boldly stated that the New Testament did indeed provide a pattern of what Christ’s church should look like, and then he had proceeded to lay out five principles or characteristics found in the New Testament Church—namely, an inspired priesthood and apostleship, the need for faith, the ordinances of salvation, the presence of spiritual gifts, and the need for a reformation of life.
Nathan was amazed at Parley’s mastery of the scriptures. He led the group through passage after passage which illustrated the points he was making. It was obvious that the group was most impressed with what he had to say. But after more than two hours, Parley said there was more he would like to say but that the time was growing late. Instantly someone called for another meeting. Mr. Patrick suggested one for the following evening, a motion which was unanimously sustained by the group.
That next meeting had been held last night. This time Parley focused on prophecy, starting with Moses and continuing through to John’s revelation. Nathan felt like a child at the feet of a university instructor. He thought he knew the Bible well, but he realized he had much to learn as Parley laid out a chain of references which showed there would be a great restoration in the last days in preparation for the second coming of Christ. Again, Parley spoke for more than two hours. As they passed the hour of nine, Parley again apologized, much to Nathan’s growing amusement. There was still more to be said, he suggested, but the hour was late and perhaps it was best to continue in another meeting. Once again a meeting was called for the following evening. And so they had come again this night.
At the close of the invocation, Mr. Patrick once again turned the time over to the preacher from the United States. Parley rose slowly this time, and Nathan sensed that at last he was ready for the summation. The previous two nights were only preparation. “My dear brothers and sisters,” he began, “it has been a most enjoyable labor to sit with you these past few days and discuss the Lord’s holy word.”
He turned to where John Taylor and his wife sat. “How grateful I am to Brother Taylor’s most thoughtful challenge to us all. As you will recollect, he asked us why we do not find in the Christian churches today the things which were evident in Philip’s day. ‘Where is our Philip?’ he cried. ‘Where are our Apostles to bring us the gift of the Holy Ghost?’
“We have labored long in holy writ these past two evenings to show, first, that Christ’s church is the pattern we must follow and, second, that the holy prophets from the time of Moses to the end of the New Testament have foretold of a time when God’s church would once again be restored to the earth.
“Brother Taylor asked about angelic ministrations. He asked about spiritual gifts. He asked about a commission from heaven by which men are authorized to preach the holy word and administer the ordinances to men. No one doubts the sincerity of the preachers and ministers of the various faiths. They are good men. Men who for the most part seek to do God’s will. But remember, the Apostle Paul himself declared it in the book of Hebrews. ‘No man taketh this honour,’ meaning the priesthood authority, ‘unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.’ ”
He paused, letting his eyes move from face to face. No one moved, for, like Nathan, they seemed to sense something of significance was coming.
“Well,” he said soberly, “my companion and I have come to Toronto for this very purpose. We have been sent by God, no doubt because of your faith in seeking his will and studying his word. And we are here to bear witness to you that the heavens have not been sealed. We are here to bear witness that God still speaks to his children, just as he did in days of old. We are here to bear witness unto you that his holy priesthood has been restored to the earth once again, not through any act of man or government, but through the ministering of angels.
“The authority to baptize which Philip held was restored to earth when John the Baptist, even he who baptized the Savior in the river Jordan, came to earth as a resurrected being.”
A ripple of interest and shock swept through the group.
“That’s right,” Parley cried. “And that glorious angel, sent from God above, laid his hands on the heads of two young men alongside the banks of the Susquehanna River and said, ‘Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron.’ And just a short time after that, Peter, James, and John, who held the holy apostleship anciently, returned to earth and restored the priesthood of Melchizedek to the earth once again.”
“When was this?” a man cried from one side of the room. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“This happened in the spring of 1829,” Parley said. “And you have not heard of it, because as yet the messengers are few and the field so broad. But that is why we are here.”
Mr. Patrick was looking at Parley closely now, and Nathan saw that there was open concern on his face. But if Parley saw it, he gave no heed.
“Nor is that all,” he went on. “God restored this priesthood authority to a young man by the name of Joseph Smith and then directed him to use that authority to organize the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth once again.”
At the mention of Joseph Smith’s name, a murmur went through the group. But Parley, filled with emotion, rushed on. “And I am here to testify to you that that church fits the pattern laid down in the New Testament. It does have the authority. There are once again Twelve Apostles. In it are found the ordinance of baptism and the power to give the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
He turned to John Taylor now, who seemed mesmerized by the power of Parley’s testimony. “And I testify to you that the spiritual gifts are found again on the earth. The gift of tongues, the gift of healing, the power to preach in God’s name and bring people into the kingdom. Angelic ministration is once again a reality. In fact, it was through an angel that new scripture has come forth. A resurrected being by the name of Moroni returned to the earth and visited the Prophet Joseph Smith, and told him of gold plates hidden in a nearby hill.”
Suddenly Mr. Patrick was on his feet, his mouth working. Parley was still looking at the Taylors, and didn’t see him for a moment. His voice was at the peak of a crescendo now. “Joseph Smith translated that book, which is called the Book of Mormon, by the gift and power of God. It is another witness of the Lord and Savior. It bears a powerful testimony of Christ’s reality and—”
“Enough!” Patrick roared.
Parley turned in surprise, as did all the others. Patrick’s face was red and his jaw set. “You are a Mormon.”
“I am indeed, sir.”
“I object to the line of preaching you are taking, Mr. Pratt. This has been nothing more than a ruse to get us to listen to the false preachings of Mormonism.”
Instantly, pandemonium erupted. Several cried out in support of Mr. Patrick, turning and shaking their fists at Nathan and Parley. But there was an equally vigorous cry of protest at Patrick’s remarks. For several minutes the room was a tangle of heated debate and earnest conversations. Finally, shouting until he got their attention, Mr. Patrick took control again.
“I am sorry,” he said flatly. “I know it was I who invited Mr. Pratt to speak to us, but I cannot feel good about opening my house to such falsehoods any further. Mr. Pratt and Mr. Steed are no longer welcome here.”
“Out with them,” cried a man near the front.
“Let them speak!” shouted another. “They speak the truth.”
Suddenly John Taylor was up and on his feet. The group quieted as he looked at their host. “I honor that decision as your right and privilege, Mr. Patrick. And we thank you for being a most generous host.” He turned and looked around the group. His voice rose with fervency. “We are here, ostensibly in search of truth. Hitherto we have fully investigated other creeds and doctrines and proven them false. Why should we fear to investigate Mormonism? This gentleman, Mr. Pratt, has brought to us many doctrines that correspond with our own views. We have endured a great deal and made many sacrifices for our religious convictions. We have prayed to God to send us a messenger, if He has a true church on earth. Mr. Pratt and his companion have come to us under circumstances that are peculiar. And there is one thing that commends them to our consideration—they have come amongst us without purse or scrip, as the ancient Apostles traveled. And none of us are able to refute Mr. Pratt’s doctrine by scripture or logic.”
As Nathan looked on in amazement, Mr. Taylor continued: “I desire to investigate Mr. Pratt’s doctrines and claims to authority, and shall be glad if some of my friends will unite with me in this investigation. But if no one will unite with me, be assured I shall make the investigation alone. If I find his religion true, I shall accept it, no matter what the consequences may be; and if false, then I shall expose it.” And with that, he sat down.
The widowed Mrs. Walton was up instantly, looking at John Taylor and then around at the rest of the group. “I believe Mr. Pratt has preached the truth to us these past three nights. Most of you, by now, have heard of the miraculous healing of my good friend, Mrs. Emmaline Compton, who was totally blind. That healing was done by the power and authority which Mr. Pratt holds. Can we deny that he is a representative from God? I think we can come to no other conclusion but that the Lord has answered our prayers and sent us his servants so we may find what we have been looking for.”
She turned to Nathan and Parley, ignoring both the angry mutters and the murmurs of assent. “Therefore, while my house is not nearly as large and fine as Mr. Patrick’s, I hereby say to those who wish to continue this study, we shall be meeting at my home each evening at seven p.m. All are welcome.”
* * *
Newel Knight and his wife, Lydia, along with Jessica and her daughter, arrived in Clay County, Missouri, on Sunday, the fifteenth of May. The following Sabbath, a meeting was called for all the Saints in the area. Unlike the study group in Toronto, Canada, this group did not meet in a palatial home filled with the fine furnishings. Their meeting place was a grove of cottonwood trees along the Missouri River bottoms across the river from Jackson County. There were few who were well dressed and born to wealth. Most of their clothes showed signs of considerable wear. Many, and not always just the children, were barefoot. Yet, like the seekers of truth in Canada, they met to determine a course of action that would keep them in harmony with God’s will.
There were nearly two hundred of them gathered in the shade of the great cottonwood trees a mile or so out of the town of Liberty, and Jessica Roundy Steed and her four-year-old daughter, Rachel, were among that number. As she looked around, Jessica knew she had done the right thing. Here were the people she knew and loved. It had been hard leaving the Steeds—one of the hardest things she had ever done—but now she felt at peace. This was where she belonged.
John Corrill, counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge, pulled away from a small group of men and walked to the front of the assembly. The group immediately fell quiet.
“Brothers and sisters,” he said, “we’ve gathered here today to discuss our future. As you know, Bishop Partridge and W. W. Phelps have returned from their scouting expedition up north. We’re anxious to hear their report. We’ll ask Father Morley to ask the Lord’s blessing to be upon us in this meeting, then we’ll immediately turn the time over to Brother Partridge and Brother Phelps.”
Isaac Morley, who was the other counselor in the bishopric, gave an eloquent but simple prayer, and Jessica had to smile to herself. Father Morley was not known for giving short prayers. That said a lot about how anxious he was to hear what the two brethren had to say.
When the prayer was finished, Edward Partridge came forward. Every eye turned and followed him as he walked to the front of the group. Brother Phelps remained where he was near the back of the group.
“Who’s that, Mama?” Rachel whispered.
“You know Bishop Partridge, honey. He was in Kirtland for a time. He’s the bishop here in Missouri.”
“What’s a bishop, Mama?”
“Shhh,” Jessica smiled. Rachel’s little-girl voice carried clearly, and several people had turned to smile at her. “A bishop is called of God to help us take care of our temporal needs.”
“Our what?”
“Shhh. I’ll tell you later.”
As Bishop Partridge reached the front of the group, he smiled easily as he let his eyes sweep across the gathering. Then the smile faded away and he became quite somber. “Brothers and sisters.” It was almost a sigh. “As you know, the good citizens of Clay County were kind enough to take us in when we were driven from our homes in Jackson County. They have given us shelter, allowed us to live on their land, in many cases provided food, jobs, and other necessities. At the time we promised them our stay in Clay County would be brief. It has been more than two years since we came. They have been patient. But more and more they are asking when we shall keep our promise.”
A hand came up in the back, and Bishop Partridge stopped. He nodded in the man’s direction.
“Bishop, is there no hope that we can ever return to Zion?”
“Ever?” The bishop’s eyes filled with a sad wistfulness. “There is still hope, Brother Carter. The Lord has said Zion has not been moved out of her place. But he also said we must wait a little season for the redemption of Zion. But we can’t wait any longer to decide what to do. More of our people are coming all the time. The people of Clay County are becoming alarmed. We do not wish a recurrence of the depredations we experienced south of the river in Jackson County. The citizens have assured us that if we commit to remove hence, they shall protect us from further violence.”
“But where shall we go?” one of the sisters in the back cried. Instantly a ripple of murmuring swept through the crowd.