Читать книгу History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Joseph F. Smith - Страница 87

1. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 103.

2. This Mount Pleasant branch of the Church, it will be remembered, was organized by the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, in the October previous. See vol. I, chap. 30.

3. Of this incident Elder Parley P. Pratt, who was the Prophet's traveling companion on this mission, says: "We baptized a young man named Heman Hyde; his parents were Presbyterians, and his mother, on account of the strength of her traditions, thought that we were wrong, and told me afterwards that she would much rather have followed him to an earthly grave than to have seen him baptized. Soon afterwards, however, herself, her husband, and the rest of the family, with some thirty of forty others, were all baptized and organized into a branch of the Church—called the Freedom branch—from which nucleus the light spread and souls were gathered into the fold in all the regions round. Thus mightily grew the word of God, or the seed sown by that extraordinary personage, the Prophet and Seer of the nineteenth century." (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 117.)

Speaking of the pleasure of his companionship with the Prophet, Elder Pratt also says: "As we journeyed day after day, and generally lodged together, we had much sweet communion concerning the things of God and the mysteries of His kingdom, and I received many admonitions and instructions which I shall never forget." (Ibid., p. 117.)

4. Speaking of "Father Beaman" and his interesting family, Elder Parley P. Pratt has the following interesting passage, which discloses the fact that "Father Beaman" was acquainted with the work during the time that the Book of Mormon was translating: "Among those whose hospitality we shared in that vicinity (Geneseo) was old Father Beaman and his amiable and interesting family. He was a good singer, and so were his three daughters; we were much edified and comforted in their society, and were deeply interested in hearing the old gentleman and Brother Joseph converse on their early acquaintance and history. He (Beaman) had been intimate with Joseph long before the first organization of the Church; had assisted him to preserve the plates of the Book of Mormon from the enemy, and had at one time had them concealed under his own hearth." (Ibid., pp. 117, 118.)