Memo #103 (88 to go to my 105th birthday)

April 1, 2009
To: All I Love
From: Grandpa Richard Pratt
Re: The Greatest Missionary

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1:1-3
In the beginning when our Heavenly Parents had reached the status of being “God” and they became God the same way that you and I may be come God. Their first-born was a son. Because of His obedience, total and complete to his parents, he achieved the status of God while yet a spirit and was authorized by his father to be in charge of all the creations of our Father. In modern terms, “He is the superintendent of construction of all our Father has.” Also, under his Father and our Father, He is in charge not only of construction but the perfecting and eternal life of all that is created including the eternal lives of the rest of God’s family of which you and I are a part. Not only are we also sons and daughters but thru obedience may become as they are ~ Gods. What a fantastic future!
This creation started so long ago and has continued till now. And will continue into the eternities, that man, mortal man, cannot count them. ALL CREATED, governed and saved by our oldest brother even Jesus Christ.
Though He had reached the status of Godhood the creator of all the worlds and those that live on them, he would still have to go thru a state of mortality, as you and I and prove himself in the flesh, make important decisions as faith, baptism, though he had no sin but in order to fulfill all righteousness to be an example to us all he fulfilled and was obedient to ALL law. Gave up his mortal life voluntarily and came forth three days later as the resurrected fully obedient son of our heavenly parents. Even to the fulfilling of a three-year mission and that is what I want to talk about now.
I can understand his leaving his Heavenly home, comforts, and status to gain a body and fulfill the other gospel requirements but to serve a mission! How could he do it? And there is only one answer ~ TO BE COMPLETELY OBEDIENT and to rescue all that would follow him into the waters of baptism. Did the Savior of us all perform baptisms? Why that is the crowning joy of missionary service. A missionary is not fulfilled until he has had his first baptism.
And the Savior said to his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him DENY himself (the pleasures of the world) and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24
“Now after John was put into prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” Mark 1:14
“And after these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; AND THERE HE TARRIED WITH THEM, AND BAPTIZED.” John 3:22
“When therefore the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John. JST. 4:1
NOTE: In the King James translation it reads: “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more than John.” John 4:1 ~ and that is correct.
Then in verse 2 some ancient unbelieving scribe inserted in parentheses (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples)
YES JESUS ALSO BAPTIZED even more than John the Baptist.
Can you imagine in your church membership records what it would be like to show you were baptized by the Lord Jesus Christ? Well many were!
Now the baptismal words used today as I remember them are: “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”
He would probably or might have said: “Having been commissioned by my Father, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of myself, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen” Interesting to think about!
Is there baptism anymore valid than your own? NO because the Lord has said, “Whether by my own voice or THE VOICE OF MY SERVANTS IT IS THE SAME.”
Why did the Lord wait until he was thirty years old to go on his mission? Because, that was Jewish law. And he ALWAYS obeyed the law unless it was contrary to the law of God. The Jewish law stated that age before a man could qualify to be a rabbi (teacher of God)
An interesting side light. The scripture reads, “When he came to be about thirty years old.” Remember the average family did not have a calendar as we do today. This was driven home to me in the islands. They couldn’t afford a calendar and apparently none were available. So time was reckoned by “ABOUT” about 9 in the morning because they didn’t have clocks and watches, meant sometime before the sun reached its zenith overhead.
One day I was working with a native and I was losing track myself. I asked him what day of the week it was. He looked at me rather blankly and then responded with, “what month is this?”
One day I was invited to come speak to a congregation of Non-members on another island. I was told the meeting would start about nine in the morning. We, mother and I were the only ones there other than our host. About ten o clock the first started showing up. I asked the host what the problem was. He answered, “No Clocks!” we finally got the meeting started about 11:00 AM with 29 present. And we soon had a branch there.
So the Savior filled the requirements to be a rabbi, a teacher, and a missionary when he became ABOUT thirty years old. And served about three years before his death.
Incidentally, he served without purse or script. As did the early elders in our time. In fact my first mission was such. I don’t remember having as much as fifty cents. We were fed and given a bed by the people. It was common courtesy to look to the needs of others.
The Savior was asked, “Where do you live?” He answered the foxes have dens, and the birds have nests but I haven’t a place to lay my head. I could say the same thing of my first mission. And we got along fine but in today’s delinquent world the missionaries would not receive consideration for their needs. So we no longer as a church practice “without purse or script.”
I have filled four missions totaling six years and two months and have participated in 400 plus baptisms. Probably our most rewarding conversions were Dan and Zuk Grey and their children in Tama or Toledo, Iowa. They now live in Seattle and are active ~ both children are temple married and Andy filled a mission. Dan and Zuk receive this memo and I express my love and appreciation to them by their making that mission worth while. Thank you Dan and Zuk!
Now back to the greatest missionary of us all and oh how gladly we should follow him and assist him until every soul is saved to some degree of glory. For every ear must hear the
glad news before He comes to claim his own. The total population to live upon the earth from Adam till the end is quesstimated at 80,000,000,000 (80 billion) that great missionary is not going to stop until every soul is converted.
He said to his disciples in Jerusalem; “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be dammed.” Mark 16:14-15
“Dammed” means to be stopped. They can not go any further down the stream of salvation until the “dam” is removed by faith, repentance and BAPTISM.
The Savior didn’t even rest the three days his body laid in the grave for his spirit went to the world of spirits and there from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers (missionaries) clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, “even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.” D & C 138:30
When this fantastic Savior of ours came forth in his resurrected body he spent the next 40 days in eight separate, recorded meetings with his disciples preparing and authorizing them to go into All the world and teach the gospel and baptize them that believe.
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel. (Angels)
Which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:9-11
And he has now returned as promised and this I know for a surety. And has given the command again for the last time in this dying world. And it can best be summed up in the prophet’s words, “EVERY MEMBER A MISSIONARY.” And these memos are my last feeble effort, not having much strength left to influence all I can to accept and if they have already accepted to strengthen each of us to be true and faithful that we might be like a beacon on a hill. But most particularly is that call to young men who only have a small window of time to enjoy this great blessing from the age of 19 – 26. After that, unless called to be a mission president a man cannot go on a mission until his last dependant has left home and then only if he is married and they go as a couple.
The world is dying. The people are perishing never has there been a greater need for our young men to go out and literally rescue souls. The fact that convert baptisms are running around one third of a million a year shows that the field is ripe and ready to harvest. But there isn’t much time left. For the hour and day of the cleansing of the earth was set in the beginning and when that day comes the earth will be cleansed with fire. People are silently crying out for help. We must not fail them. Oh that I could go again, but this is the best I can do for now.
Any young man approaching missionary age who may perchance read this who feel that for some sin, real or imagined are therefore not planning on a mission, get rid of it. Go to your Bishop he is there to help you be free of eternal regrets. And go on a mission. You will rejoice forevermore. For if you don’t one of two things will happen. One you will be forever regretful that you failed to go or two you will drop out of the church. Please, PLEASE do not face either of these.
Let us all join our Savior in this mighty work of saving ours and his brothers and sisters from the sure and certain fate that otherwise awaits them.
I was drowning one dark night in the turbulent Wenatchee River. I was about 18 years old, fully dressed with heavy boots, all my fishing tackle and a large number of fish. As I made, what I thought was my last gasp, my feet touched bottom. But just before that I would have given everything in this world for a helping hand and that is the way your converts will feel about you. You are that helping hand!
Over fifty years after my first baptism of a mother with three little girls under the age of eight up in the state of Washington, I was visiting, as the Bishop, sick ward members in the current Provo hospital. I passed an open door and a feeble voice called out, “Elder Pratt!” It was that mother, now at the close of her life. What a joyful reunion for both of us and her report still warms my soul and made all my missionary efforts worthwhile. All had stayed faithful. The three girls were temple married, each had several children, and all the boys had filled missions. And as near as she could remember about 50 people were now members of the church because of that one baptism 50 years earlier and it never stops. This is what is called, in the scripture, “being a Savior on Mt. Zion.”
And I now close this memo, wishing my choicest blessings upon each of you as if you and I were the only people on earth. May you especially be blessed to believe! Believe that I know what I am writing about. Believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for he certainly knows and testifies of the Father and all the blessings relating to all of us who believe. Especially believe that there is more so much more than just the pleasures of the world.
Finally some parting words from the great prophet Moroni, the lonely survivor of several million people.
“Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in CHRIST, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth…go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be dammed;
…These signs shall follow them that believe… in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues;…they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”
BUT MOST IMPORTANT, “whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing unto him will I CONFIRM ALL MY WORDS, EVEN UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
Note: I have experienced or witnessed all the above many times. “Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old and come unto the LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART.” (Mormon 9:21-27)
I know these things to be true! And may you know too that we may rejoice together forever with our Lord and Savior even Jesus Christ.
All My love,
Dad, Grandpa, brother etc.
Richard Marden Pratt

(Just a side note from Rose. My sweet Father’s health is not good. Sheryl and Gibb are sleeping at his house nights. All of us are taking turns to comfort and fill Dad’s needs. We have some sweet folks from Hospice helping us too. It is wonderful to me to know that Heavenly Father has a plan and that we are seeing our sweet Patriarch taking the next step in his eternal journey. He has worked hard to have memos for you continuing on and he hopes you will all learn and grow from what he is trying to share. He has an abiding love of our Savior and for his gospel and an abiding love for each one of us. Love, Rose