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Show LEE NELSON T As I began this history, it seemed prudent to begin with my experiences experi-ences among the Utes, leaving out or quickly glossing over the events in Missouri which forced me to flee to the Rocky Mountains at such a young age. My thinking was that some of the Missouri happenings would be offensive to some readers. read-ers. I wasn't worried about legal retribution, knowing that my history his-tory wouldn't be read or published until after my death. AFTER thoughtful consideration, considera-tion, however, realizing that my history cannot be fully understood and appreciated without an accounting of those Missouri happenings. hap-penings. I have decided to go back to the beginning and tell it all at the risk of offending those who conform closely to the standards of social piety. I apologize in advance to anyone I might offend, hoping they will understand why I am impelled to tell the truth, the whole truth. I hope posterity doesn't judge me too harshly. MY OLDER brother, David, and I became orphans when our parents pa-rents died in a hotel fire in Toronto, Canada in 1828. 1 was five years old at the time, and David was ten. We went to live with an aunt and uncle, Henry and Sarah Watkins on a small farm in the country near Toronto. They were old and not very well, so they left us pretty much alone to raise ourselves. We first heard about the Church in 1838, when I was twelve. One Sunday we were invited to a neighbor's home to hear Parley P. Pratt preach. He wasn't one of the typical go-to-hell-and-burn-' forever preachers we were used to : hearing. He didn'C make you feel '' like God was mad at you for every little thing you had ever done wrong. ELDER PRATT was youthful ; and strong, like a young bull. He had a warm smile, and a quick wit. The local preachers hated him. They went wild at the mention of his doctrine that men could become be-come like God. They'd scream, yell, and spit out their protests, hardly able to contain themselves at such bold doctrine. They responded the same way when the Book of Mormon was mentioned, a new scripture, in addition to the Bible, written by ancient prophets who lived on the American continent. These teachings seemed kind of logical to me, but the ministers went wild at the suggestion there could be more scripture in addition to the Bible. TWO OF the local preachers attended that first meeting where we heard Elder Pratt speak. David and I were sitting in the front row. We certainly weren't religious boys or involved in any serious quest for truth. We had already heard about the Mormons' gold bible bi-ble and their boy prophet, Joe Smith. There was something new and exciting about the Mormons, not the usual hellfire and damnation fare dished out every Sunday by the local preachers. We were in the front row because we were curious. cu-rious. And when the two preachers walked in the door, we knew we could expect an exciting evening. AS SOON as Elder Pratt began his sermon, the two preachers began be-gan throwing objections and questions ques-tions at him. At first he tried to handle their questions in a polite, thoughtful manner. Most of the time they didn't give him a chance to finish his answer before throwing throw-ing something else at him I started to feel sorry for Elder Pratt because the ministers were ruining his sermon. Seeming to sense they were getting the best of Pratt, the preachers became louder loud-er and more hostile in their attacks. I sensed the people around me were annoyed, as I was, that Elder Pratt was unable to tell his story. ALL OF a sudden, I noticed that Elder Pratt hand't said anything for some time. At first glance, he appeared to be calmly watching the frenzied protesting of the preachers, but as I looked closer from my front row seat, I noticed some little things that made my heart beat faster. He was holding the edge of the little podium with his hands. His knuckles were whitening as his muscular hands tightened their grip. I had the feeling that soon the wood would splinter from what appeared to be an intense force. HIS NOSTRILS were dilated slightly more than normal to accommodate an increased breathing brea-thing rate. At close inspection I could see that his knees, although in loose-fitting trousers, were not straight, but slightly bent, like a wild animal preparing to spring. His sideburns were dampened by perspiration. He was like a volcano about to erupt, and the entire intensity of his being was focused through his clear brown eyes directly upon the two babbling ministers, too involved in-volved in their arguments to notice the change in Elder Pratt. I DIDN'T know much about the Mormons and their customs, and I wouldn't have been surprised if Elder Pratt had leaped upon the two preachers and crushed them in his powerful arms. I could feel the growing intensity in the room, almost electric. It was overwhelming. over-whelming. Soon everyone in the room was watching Elder Pratt, aware as I was of the mounting intensity within with-in the Mormon missionary. Everyone, Every-one, that is, except the two preachers, who continued their empty prattle, unaware of the change in the Mormon missionary. I WAS surprised at what he finally final-ly did. Instead of springing upon them as a lion upon bleating goats, he simply told them to shut up, not in a loud or angry tone of voice, but with the quiet firmness of a man who knows he will be obeyed. The ministers looked at him in surprise, halting their babblings, shocked that a so-called minister, though uneducated in the arts of the ministry, minis-try, would have the nerve and the bad taste to tell them to shut up, and in public. Before they could say anything in response, Elder Pratt pointed to the door and said, "Out!" in the same firm voice. One of the preachers began to say something in protest to the command, but Elder Pratt caught him in the middle mid-dle of the first word, repeating the order to leave. THE PREACHERS looked back and forth at each other, then at the other people, in apparent confusion confu-sion as to how they should respond. re-spond. Elder Pratt stood firm and quiet, clearly expecting them to obey his command. He didn't say another word, and I don't think anyone was very surprised sur-prised when the two preachers picked up their coats and headed for the door, resuming their babbling bab-bling - something about Pratt being the Devil himself. WITH NOTHING more than the intensity of his will. Elder Pratt had overpowered and defeated two of the most influential and powerful men in our community. I looked up at him in admiration, thinking that if that's what Mormonism could do to a man, I w anted to be a Mormon. During the next two weeks. Elder Pratt baptized and confirmed II people in our community, including in-cluding Uncle Henry, Aunt Sarah, David and I. Three years later, we moved to Missouri. To Be Continued Next Week |