Memo #135

December 1, 2011 (written March 31, 2008)

To: My Beloved Family

From: Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Marden Pratt

Re: The Triumph of the Jews

The immediate future of the Jews includes the destruction of all their enemies and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes on Jerusalem for the final scenes and the coming of the Lord will be played out there. I will try to outline in this memo what we can expect in the lifetime of many of you.

The most dramatic and significant thing about events which are transpiring in the Middle East today is the fact that they were anticipated by practically every prophet in the Old Testament. In an age of cynicism mankind is confronted with the miracle of historical events unfolding in an orderly pattern just exactly the way they were predicted by inspired men of God living nearly 3,000 years ago.

However God rarely if ever reveals dates when things will occur. His prophets are only allowed to describe the signs of the times or the general period when they will occur. It is a characteristic of false prophets to constantly emphasize dates. Secondly, when prophecy is given, it may be subtle, even metaphorical, but when it comes to pass the fulfillment is literal. The destruction of the temple was literal. The destruction and scattering of the Jews happened as prophesied, the Six Day War and all future efforts by the wicked is literal and will end with the tiny nation of Jews being triumphant. As we shall see things which are happening in the Middle East are literal. When a handful of Jews could triumph over an army one hundred times larger than theirs who were also backed, armed, trained and financed by one of the worlds superpowers, Russia, who can doubt what the outcome will be in future wars as the whole world comes against the Jews to destroy them.

Or as recorded in “Fantastic Victory” by W. Cleon Skousen ~ page 260 ~ “On one of my visits to the Middle East I was told that the Israelis were pushing for a permanent peace treaty and making all kinds of overtures to the Arabs which, if they accepted, would have frozen the existing boundaries of Israel. At the time, the Jewish leaders simply declared that what they wanted was peace, not territory.

But whether the leaders of Israel wanted more territory or not, the fact remained that the scripture said they were going to get more in order to perform certain services and obligations which are essential to the welfare of mankind. Of course it should be appreciated that many Jews are not scriptorians. So the Jewish leaders were offering commitments which would have made it extremely difficult for them to do all the things the canon of scripture says they literally must do.

Nevertheless, it was amazing how it all worked out. Instead of accepting the Jews offering of peace, Egypt provoked a war, intimidated Jordan and Syria into joining her, and even though Israel pleaded with Jordan and Syria to keep out of the conflict, they insisted on coming in. As a result, Israel had to fight all three of them and ended up with vast quantities of new territory, most of which she is now compelled to hold in order to protect herself from similar attacks in the future. Whether Jewish leaders wanted it or not circumstances catapulted them into territories which they were not even seeking. And the end is not yet.

The Prophet Ezekiel described what the boundaries of Israel ultimately must be. It includes most of Jordan and most of Syria.

Brother Skousen finishes on a humorous note: “Some day the Islamic people must realize that the diabolical stratagem of the Soviet is to fight Israel down to the last Arab.”

The next thing in prophetic history that we must look forward to is the rebuilding of the temple for the third and last time. The first temple was built by Solomon about 1000 B.C. the second temple was built after Solomon’s was destroyed about 587 B.C.; shortly after Lehi was led away and his family was preserved, was built by Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David. It was dedicated 516 B.C. and was destroyed in 70 A.D. The Jews now are planning the building of the third temple, the one Jesus will return to.

They know exactly what the temple will be like for the prophet Ezekial gives such an accurate account of it, its size, number of rooms etc. that modern architects have the plans all drawn up. They are already to build it. Just one big problem, the Holy house of the Arabs is sitting on the exact spot where the temple is to be built. And the Jews actually guard this Arab shrine (Dome of the Rock) for fear some fanatic would destroy it and precipitate a holy war of destruction from the three hundred million plus Muslims.

When the Jewish leading rabbi was asked what they were going to do about getting rid of the Mosque, he replied, “We’ll let God take care of that.”

So here is a direct challenge from the Arabs in defiance of Biblical prophecy. No one has the slightest idea of how it is going to happen but unfortunately that magnificent building must go. And it is truly a beautiful structure, mother and I have been in it.

The fact that the whole thing looks so utterly impossible to us now is something we should remember after it finally comes to pass. If it follows the pattern of other prophecies it will be worked out and in such gradual phases that its final accomplishment will seem nothing more than a natural evolution of events. So just to dramatize the fulfillment of this prediction when it does finally come to pass: “That as of 1967 the practical possibility of the Jews building a temple in Jerusalem appears to be a fantastic and impossible dream. A major lesson of life, of course, is that all things are possible with God. That’s why it should be exciting to see just how He is going to work this one out.” Skousen page 268

All of the architectural details of the temple are given in the last ten chapters of Ezekiel. There is no doubt but what this generation will live to see a beautiful temple of Israel arise on the Temple Plaza in Old Jerusalem.

Brother Skousen further records: “as this book (Fantastic Victory) was about to go to press the following remarkable development came to our attention. According to an article in 

“The Christian and Christianity Today” (Aug. 4, 1967) “five hundred railcar loads of stone from Bedfor, Indiana, considered to be among the finest building stone in the world, is being freighted pre-cut to exact specifications, and one consignment has already been dispatched to Israel.

This report, received from authoritative sources in Sellsburg, Indiana, said cornerstones for the third Jewish Temple are already in Israel. Materials for this Temple have been secretly in preparation for several years, and it is believed American Jews are mainly responsible for financially undergirding the whole project.” Skouson page 282)

I might add that other reliable sources for the past several years report that the Jews, have all the materials arranged for and the money to pay for them including even the golden dishes and the priestly apparel. I find it extremely exciting (maybe I’m part Jew ~ but no, I’m just a member of Israel and as a fellow Israeli am cheering them on and know it will happen as prophesied and soon.)

Some time soon we shall see and hear of the battle of Armageddon in which all the nations of the world are going to join the Arabs in an effort to finally, once and for all, destroy every Jew from off the face of the earth. Too bad they are not reading their Bible. Surely would save them a lot of suffering. Many of the prophets saw it in vision and left some extremely interesting and remarkable details concerning that tragic, soon coming event.

John in Revelations says that there will be two mighty prophets raised up by the Lord who thru a series of mighty miracles will forestall the combined armed forces of all the world from destroying the Lord’s people. John even gives the size of all the combined military sources of the world saying that it will be two hundred million strong. (And that is the current size of the worlds military might.)

Thru mighty miracles this immense military power will be withheld from totally destroying the Jews by these two prophets, who incidently will come from the church for where else will they receive the Priesthood to perform these miracles.

John even gives an account of some of the miracles performed: “and if any man will hurt them fire will proceed out of their mouths (be able to call down fire from heaven) devouring their enemies, and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over the waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with plagues, as often as they will.” Revelations 11:5-6

and the prophet Zechariah 500 years earlier says: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I (the Lord) will seek to destroy ALL the nations that come against Jerusalem.” 12:9

“For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled and the women ravished. And half the city shall go forth into captivity.” Zechariah 14:2

The Lord will allow the two prophets to be killed and the triumphant wicked hosts will rejoice and refuse to allow the bodies to be buried and they will have three and a half days to celebrate. The two prophets will then suddenly be resurrected!

“And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall consume off their bones while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall raise up against the hand of his neighbor.” (the wicked will destroy each other)

Zechariah 14:12-13

To add to the tumult, the same terrible earthquake which split the Mount of Olives in two will have rocked and cracked the crust of the earth across whole continents. The great cities of the earth will crumble into rubble and mens hearts will fail them for fear, only one sixth of the great army of evil will survive.

Zechariah sums it up in this manner ~ after Jesus has descended, met the surviving Jews in the Valley created by the splitting of the Mount of Olives, the Jews fall at His feet and finally accept him as their Savior. And they (the Jews) shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him and finally accept him as their Lord, King and Savior and when they have purged themselves of their sorrow they will rise up to perform the great work that God has in store for them.

Yea, the dead in Christ shall be resurrected and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet him and thus shall we ever be with the Lord.

Hooray! These are exciting times to live in! The Savior will come and the things that have been foretold will come to pass.

My love always,

Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Marden Pratt

Steamed pudding (Grandma Adaline Pratt’s recipe)

(this is 2/3 the original ingredients but makes a large pudding!)

2 cups carrots grated

2 cups spuds grated

2 cups sugar

2 cups raisins

1 1/3 cups shortening  melted

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp soda

1 scant tsp salt

2 tsp each: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves

1 ½ cups chopped walnuts

stir all together. Pour in well greased pyrex or double boiler with a lid on. Steam for 1 hour. Will test done like a cake.

Use lemon sauce or caramel sauce as a topping.

Mother always had pretty cut glass dishes to serve this in! What a treat at Christmas time!

You can do this ahead in quart jars and fill wide mouth jars half full follow your pressure canner for potatoes and it saves well.

Christmas thoughts:

“The highest of all ideals are the teachings and particularly the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and that man is most truly great who is most Christlike.” David O McKay

“Here is something more than a babe in a manger; here is the creator of all that is good and beautiful. I have looked at majestic mountains rising high against the blue sky and thought of Jesus, the creator of heaven and earth. I have stood on the sand of an island in the Pacific and watched the dawn rise like thunder-- a ball of gold surrounded by clouds of pink and white and purple and thought of Jesus, the word by whom all things were made and without whom was not anything made that was made. I have seen a beautiful child, bright-eyed, innocent, and loving and trusting! And marveled at the majesty and miracle of creation. What then shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ?” President Gordon B Hinckley

“ Just as a light set upon a hill serves as a beacon to weary travelers, so Jesus Christ stands as a shining example to all the world, showing us a better way to peace and happiness. His light illuminates the path of life, leading us along the straight and narrow way. Those who press on, with their gaze fixed upon the light of Christ, have their own lights kindled within. He is real, and ye, HE LIVES!” Greg Olsen

“Each of us is an Inn Keeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” Neal A Maxwell”

  

Family Pictures

(Scroll to the end of the pictures to find the November memo)

1950 Dryden

1950 Pratt Family
Back Row: Richard, Adaline, Kay, Carolyn
Front Row: Stephen, Rose, Dawn

1953 - Moses Lake, WA

Pratt Family 1955
Back Row: Stephen
Middle Row: Kay, Carolyn, Dawn
Front Row: Rose, Adaline, Richard, Sheryl

Memo #134

November 1, 2011

To: My Beloved Family

From: Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard M. Pratt

Re: Fantastic Victory ~ extracted from that book by W. Cleon Skousen

(This is good reading! Go for it!)

One of the greatest signs of the imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the gathering of the Jews to Jerusalem. They are his people. He is a Jew and tho they have been rebellious and crucified him, He has never disowned them and when they finally repent and except Him as Savior they will regain their leadership in the millennium.

Here are two great prophecies of many from the ancient prophets concerning NOW and the future of the Jews: “Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom (means the whole world) shall be a desolate wilderness, for their violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem form generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.”

Joel 3: 19-21

“And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the Holy Land and shall choose Jerusalem again.” Zechariah 2: 12 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem... all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it...and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again...In that day (now) shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem,...and it shall come to pass in that day, (now) that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  Zechariah 12:2-9 (Better not mess around with Jerusalem and the Jews)

Note: Joel was prophesying about 850 B.C. and Zechariah four hundred years later. And both over twenty five hundred years ago. In the last ninety years those prophecies have been and are being fulfilled.

Today ~ all the nations of the world are against Jerusalem and the Jews. If they would read these two prophecies and the many others in the Bible and Book of Mormon of a like nature they would stay away from the Jews. Following is a brief history of the return of the Jews in the past ninety years.

“And verily I say unto you, I give you a sign, that ye know the time when these things shall be about to take place ~ that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and will establish again among them my Zion.” 3 Nephi 21:1

On October 24, 1841, one of the twelve apostles of God, Orson Hyde, returned to Jerusalem and specifically dedicated that land for the return of the Jews. His prayer was most prophetic and has been fulfilled. (Wish I had space to print it here) But it is exciting to know that prophecies that have stood unfilled for hundreds even thousands of years are being fulfilled. Even in our life time!

After the Roman destruction of 70 A.D. it was illegal for a Jew to be found in Palestine. This was enforced until 1917 when the British army freed the Holy Land from the infidel Turks who had ruled if for centuries. This was the opening for the Jews to return. But the British tried to prevent it for world diplomatic reasons. They couldn’t. At that time the land of Palestine had suffered the same fate as the Israelites. And was so barren that it barely supported at an existence

level only about two hundred thousand Turkish nomads.

The land of Palestine is so small that a man can walk across its width in two days, about 65 miles, and its length in a walk of about 160 miles. Its bounded on the West by the Mediterranean Sea, on the North by Lebanon, North East by Syria, South East by Jordan and Egypt on the South. All of these neighbors are Islamic and anti-Judaism. Together they number about one hundred million and have some of the finest soldiers in the world. And their intention since the Jews started returning 90 years ago is to totally destroy them. Three wars have been fought between Jeudah and their combined host from 1948 when the Jews, then less than one million, won their independence and became a nation. The last of the three wars was in 1967 when with a population of about two million, the Jews defeated this great host in one week. Or Just six days. Also their enemy was supplied with ample arms and war materials by Russia who also sent Russian military experts to advise how best to get rid of the Jews once and for all. And all the rest of the world was cheering them on.

The Jews didn’t have a chance to survive. The leaders pondered their dilemma and decided their only hope was a sudden and surprise attack. Every able bodied man eighteen and older and single women of the same age were conscripted to fight.

Monday June 5, 1967 ~ the first day. Their just target was the massed Egyptian army on their South border with seven hundred of the latest heavy bombers and hundreds of tanks. 

The surprise attack started at mid-night. The goal to wipe out 700 bombers while still on the ground. They succeeded. At daylight they concentrated on the tanks with such ferocity that the Egyptian crews abandoned their tanks and fled on foot thru the desert an estimated thirty five thousand perished. The Jews painted their six pointed white star on the captured tanks and used them against the enemy by the end of the third day the Jews were at the outskirts of Cairo and Egypt was suing for peace.

But already Jordan had invaded Palestine from the South East. Jerusalem was a part of Jordan at that time. While peace was being worked out with Egypt. The Jews with little chance to rest, sleep or eat, charged back home to repel the Jordanians. The shrapnel and bomb fragments fell in a heavy hail upon the border sanctuaries  such as the garden tomb. Dr. Matter, its caretaker was forced to take his wife and daughter and seek refuge inside the sacred tomb itself. I’ve been in that tomb and it would be a pretty safe place. Problem was he came out too soon. Mistaken by Jewish soldiers as an enemy they shot and killed him.

Fifteen thousand Jordanian soldiers were killed that day. The Israeli command had decided that the battle of Jerusalem should follow the same tactics as those used by the Roman general, Titus, when he conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

By afternoon of Tuesday the second day of the war, everything had changed by this time Israel had fought and overwhelmingly won the initial phase of her miracle war. Egypt and Jordan were flat on their backs and Syria soon would be. The Soviet Union was faced with traumatic calamity of losing from two to three billion dollars in Arabian military investments. In 48 hours Israel had gone from one of the weakest nations in the Mediterranean Middle East to one of the strongest. And Israel was not through. This was enough for Russia. She sent out the cry of the wounded bear, “Cease fire!” “Cease fire!” 

Severe handicaps were voluntarily assumed by the Israeli commanders as they plotted their attack to capture Jerusalem the third day of the war. They decided to do it without air or tank support. This was so that none of the holy places would be damaged. This cost them heavily in their number of dead and wounded. But even the troops who would pay the cost agreed that this was the only way to do it. For centuries the Jews had been saying, “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!”

Organized resistance by the Jordanians collapsed swiftly in the old city, but snipers remained a few days longer. Besides snipers, there was the peril of simple emotion itself. “My men were walking about the old city as in a dream, a platoon leader says, “tears rolled down their faces. They did not even bother to take cover. They had realized the two thousand year old prophecy of recovering Jerusalem. They touched the wall called the wailing wall and sobbed. Unshaven, red-eyed from lack of sleep soldiers, their combat uniforms stained with sweat and blood, donned their skull caps, opened small leather-bound prayer books and rocked back and forth as they chanted, “Thank the Lord, for the Lord has been kind.” Beyond the wall heavy firing could still be heard. One-eyed General Dayan announced that Jerusalem would never be relinquished by the Jews again.” (However in the battle, soon to be fought, called Armageddon it will take the personal arrival of the Savior to save the Jews) (Mother and I visited this area in 1972 five years later.)

Thursday June 8, 1967, the fourth day of the war. Russians were discovered as being commanders and military advisors to the Arabs. With Egypt and Jordan subdued only Syria remained in the fray. But perched on the Golan Heights just above the Sea of Galilee they could virtually shell all the center section of Israel. They had to go! June 9, the fifth day of the war, Jewish leaders had hoped they could persuade the Syrians to stay out of the war. The Syrians had answered with bombs and artillery. Israel regrouped their forces from Egypt and Jordan. General Moshe Dayan, the Israeli minister of defense immediately ordered the subjugation and occupation of the Syrian highlands and a penetration into Syria of at least twelve miles. Military authorities who visited the region after the war were amazed that the Israelis ever made it. No amount of bombing and shelling could have dislodged the Arabs. It was a furious frontal assault by Israeli infantry willing to engage in hand-to-hand combat which made the difference. Israeli troops made it to the trenches and cornered the Syrians inside and the fighting was furious.

Saturday, June 10, the Sixth and last day of the war the Israelis had gained the top but the retreating Syrians resisted savagely. But by mid afternoon it was plain that the spirit of resistance was breaking up. Syrian soldiers abandoned their posts. Some fled toward Damascus (capital of Syria) others tore off their uniforms in order to hide among the populace. Many surrendered or were captured. Intelligence reports indicated that Damascus lay naked and defenseless just thirty miles away! As far as Israel was concerned the war was over. It was also over for Syria. At 6:09 P.M. the Syrians accepted the terms of surrender.

World history would never be the same. A tiny beleaguered territory with a population of less than three million had stood up to the mighty Soviet Union and her Arab allies, totaling 110 million. Little David had taken on Goliath and won again. In six days Israel had doubled her population, and quadrupled her territory going form 8,000 square miles to 34,000. And their famous city, Jerusalem, was back in their hands.

Israeli Prime minister said to the Arab leaders: “We fought only because you left us no choice. We deeply regret the money wasted which could have gone to the development of your countries. Since 1952 ten billion dollars has been spent on arms. Had these vast sums been applied to economic and social needs millions of human beings who are steeped in poverty could ~ 4 ~

 by today have enjoyed an appropriate standard of living.”

the Arabs had suffered 35,000 dead and three times that many wounded. To avoid contagion and epidemics Israeli bulldozers covered heaps of sand over the scattered bodies of Egypt’s host who had fallen. Egyptian prisoners were released by the thousands to return home.

The Israelis had suffered 679 dead and 2563 wounded.

The final battle of the Jews is Armageddon, against all the world. It’s all prophesied and will conclude by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the rescuing of the Jews, their acceptance of the Christ. The resurrection of the just and cleansing of the world by fire. It is an exciting time to live and to watch it unfolding. The scriptures are true. You can read more about the 6 day war. There were a number of miracles I have not mentioned. With all of my heart I hope those reading this will align themselves with Jesus Christ and his gospel. IT IS TRUE! He will come again!

My love always,

Dad, Grandpa Pratt etc.

A side note to all the readers of my father’s memos. I have counted and there are only 8 more to come out after this one. He told me when he handed me the note books that I was to just put out one each month and there would be enough to last a bit past three years. And that will be the case. We can post earlier memos on this site if you have an interest. Comment if you would like that.   Love, Rose          I think Dad & Mom would have enjoyed the following .

Doctrine & Covenants 78:19

And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold. ......vs. 22 and he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things.

“The Pilgrims must have been very grateful for their new land of freedom. During this Thanksgiving we too lift grateful hearts and voices to that great Father who led those early pilgrims, who led our founding fathers and who leads those who will follow him today. Let us thank Him for his rich blessings and especially for this great land of freedom and prosperity. What a blessed privilege he has given us to live in a land choice above all other lands.

How shall we show our thanks to our Heavenly Father for this choice land? By being good citizens of our country. By upholding the constitution, by seeking good and honest men to govern, by living virtuous lives and spreading the gospel, there by helping defend our land from the evils of Satan. For only through righteousness will we remain free and strong. As we think of the gratitude we have for our homeland at this Thanksgiving time, let us rededicate ourselves to preserving it in righteousness for our posterity.  

Written by: Kay Pratt Smith 

Twas the Night before Christmas out on the ranch -anonymous

'Twas the night before Christmas & out on the ranch

The pond was froze over & so was the branch.

The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.

The kids were all home on vacation from school,

And happier young folks you never did see-

Just all sprawled around a-watchin' TV.

Then suddenly, some time around 8 o'clock,

There came a surprise that gave them a shock!

The power went off, the TV went dead!

When Grandpa came in from out in the shed

With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.

"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.

"Them power line wires must be down from the snow.

Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago."

“I'll hunt up some candles," said Mom.  "With their light,

And the fireplace, I reckon we'll make out all right."

The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom.

Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,

Uncased his old fiddle & started to play

That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.

Mom started to sing, & 1st thing they knew

Both Pop & the kids were all singing it, too.

They sang Christmas carols, they sang "Holy Night,"

Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.

They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,

And Pop read a passage from God's Book of Truth.

They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,

The youngsters agreed 'twas a fine Christmas Eve.

Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;

And when the kids wakened, the power was on..

"The power company sure got the line repaired quick,"

Said Grandpa - & no one suspected his trick.

Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,

He had pulled the main switch - the old Son-of-a-Gun!

Memo #133

October 1, 2011 (date written: March 28, 2008)

To: My beloved family & friends

From: Grandpa Pratt (Richard Marden Pratt)

share at: http://www.prattmemos.blogspot.com

Re: The Gathering of Israel

Everything our Father does has a purpose. The scattering of Israel was two-fold. First, through their suffering they would be taught, to obey as it is freedom from suffering, and to disobey brings nothing but misery. And secondly, it scattered the blood of Israel through out the Gentile world. Some times called the “believing blood”. As the ten tribes crossed Russia and Europe, they would have moved slowly as they grazed their animals and frequently a few people would stop by the wayside, because of sickness, death, or a beautiful countryside and other reasons. Also, Ephramites, who are a curious group would have taken side trips and never returned so all of the area they passed through would have salted the later Gentile settlers with “believing blood.”

Judah on the other hand was destroyed and the few survivors were scattered thru out all the great Roman empire from Africa to the arctic circle and into Asia. The Romans hoped to utterly destroy the Jews by, as the scripture says, putting one to a family two to a city. Smaller groups were led away, because they were righteous, for their preservation and protection such as Lehi and his family to America. And the resurrected Lord instructed the Nephites that the Jews did not know of them. And he continued:.. “I have other sheep, which are not of this land (America) neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice: neither have I at any time manifest myself unto them. But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them. 3rd Nephi 15:1-3

So besides the lost Ten Tribes, which must soon be brought forth from their hiding place, there are others, who like Lehi, were led away and are yet to be revealed along with the lost ten tribes.

However the gathering is going to be in a certain order and because of the sifting of Israel’s blood thru all nations many gentiles will receive the gospel and be saved. The first to be gathered will of course, be the children of the birthright. The right to lead which is the right to serve their brothers and sisters. Again to refresh our memories, this right belongs to Joseph who was sold into Egypt as a slave. And his twin sons, Manasseh and Ephraim received this birthright, or rather Ephraim did, but Manasseh is not far behind him.

So Ephraim will be gathered first along with Manasseh (The Lamanites) and then Judah. So we will begin with a short history of Ephraim.

Fifty years ago, give or take a few, the members of the church were mostly of the tribe of Ephraim, who are of the remnant of Jacob. We know it to be a fact that the Lord called upon the descendants of Ephraim to commence his work in the earth in these last days. We know further that he has said that he set Ephraim, according to the promises of his birthright, at the head. Ephraim receives the richer blessings, these blessings being those of presidency or direction. The keys are with Ephraim. It is Ephraim who is to be endowed with power to bless and give to the other tribes, including the Lamanites, their blessings. All the other tribes of Jacob, including the Lamanites, are to be crowned with glory in Zion by the hands of Ephraim. Doctrines of Salvation pages 250-251

The remnants of Joseph, found among the descendants of Lehi, will have part in this great work but it is Ephraim who will stand at the head and direct the work.

As this last dispensation dawned with the first vision in 1820 to the boy prophet, Joseph Smith, little or nothing was known about the gathering tribes etc. how then did we get this information. Of course revelation. If Epharaim was to be the leader then how was Ephraim to be identified, the answer of course is thru Patriarchs.

The first Patriarch to the church was the father of the prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith senior was called to be the Patriarch to the church in 1833, December 18^th. Among other blessings that a patriarch may pronounce upon the head of the person receiving it is his lineage. Not surprisingly then, the first blessings designated that the person being blessed was a descendant of Joseph thru his son Ephraim and hence an Ephramite.

My blessing says, “Thou art a pure Ephramite.” What does yours say? As the church grew in its earliest days and members came in as total strangers to each other. Then searching out their ancestors they found that they were in many cases the descendants of a fifteenth century minister, John Lathrop who taught and preached far beyond his time. The Smiths, Taylors, Kimballs and Pratts were some of them. In late years as members are gained in the far flung areas of the world other tribes have been identified and I understand that all of the twelve tribes have representatives in the church now.

I have served on six high councils of twelve men plus the stake presidency and clerks. And on each one I have asked how many are descended from this “believing blood” it averages about seventy-five percent. We don’t need to ask about the general authorities. A high percentage, if not all of them also claim the distinction of being the descendants of Ephraim. Remember this is the right of presidency and it will always be dominated by Ephramites. And the right to direct is the right to serve as the Savior directs and will always serve his family forever.

How does one become a member of Israel? The same way they always have and that’s by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance of sins, baptism by immersion by one holding Priesthood authority and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. As this new member continues in faith and obedience they receive all the other ordinances and covenants that will unite them back into the eternal family of our everlasting Father, and many will be the gentiles that the scattering will have brought into the fold.

Next, the gathering of the Lamanites. Our great grandfather. Parley P. Pratt records in his journal March 16, 1851, “I left Salt Lake City for the Pacific, on a mission to its islands and coasts. Being commissioned and set apart for that work by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” July 26, 1851, now in San Francisco having traveled from Salt Lake by wagon he records: “I hold the presidency of all the islands and coasts of the Pacific, under the direction of the First Presidency of the church ~ to open the door to every nation and tongue, as fast as the way is prepared and the Lord directs for the preaching of the gospel of salvation.”

And thus the gospel in this dispensation was launched for Central, South America and the islands of the Pacific. He states: “I am studying Spanish with all diligence, and will I trust master it in the course of a few months. I fear not earth, nor hell, nor men, nor devils, nor death. I desire to do good continually, and to bring about the restoration of His people. I glory in my calling. I

would not exchange it for any other position or calling on this earth.” (Page 387)

September 15, 1851 ~ “Here we are on the deep, bound for Chili. We have all been seasick...we study Spanish every day. It is a beautiful language. I hope to master it during the passage and a few months residence among the Chileans. We pay sixty dollars for passage in the cabin included food. We have a miser for a captain, who thinks more of a sixpence than he does of our lives or even his own. He keeps us on hard moldy bread, full of bugs and worms, and on salt beef and pork ~ the pork being rotten. He has flour, potatoes and good pork but will not allow it to be used.”

“After a most agreeable and tedious passage of sixty four days we at length arrived in port in tolerable health. (“we” consisted of he, his wife and companion) We landed at noon and took lodgings at a French Hotel, where we have a great variety of good eating and front parlor to ourselves ~ price four dollars a day for three of us.”

“The proprietor speaks French, the clerk, French with a little English, the landlady German, the waiter Spanish, and ourselves English, with a little Spanish. So you see we have a little Babel of our own independently of Nimrod or the great Tower.” (Valpariso, Chili November 9, 1851)

And so the gathering of Israel was launched among the descendants of Lehi.

They worked hard with little success and after a few months had exhausted their means and had to sail for home after a very miserable voyage of seventy four days they landed in San Francisco. But the seed had been planted the harvest must surely follow. And my youngest brother David on his first mission which was to the same area Parley had labored in, because he was a descendant was sent, with his companion, to open up missionary work in Valpariso. And later he and his wife served as mission president in Colombia in northern South America. In spite of this feeble and painful beginning there are now tens of thousands of members through out the entire area, upwards of four hundred stakes and many temples at this writing! More when you read this! Nice to know our family had the start of it.

Now to Judah. The Jews have probably been dispersed more widely, suffered more deeply and have had more miraculous preservations than all the other tribes because they crucified their and our Savior. But they also have great promises of a return and it is now taking place, and the world is not even aware of what is happening.

Oh! The blood, the tears, the suffering that the Jews have endured the past two thousand years and they still stubbornly refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior. The efforts to utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth beginning with the Romans two-thousand years ago has never ended and still goes on. In our times it was Hitler and his henchmen. They murdered six million reducing the total world population to twelve million. There apparently isn’t a people today that doesn’t have a Jewish population. The United States the largest number and Russia the next. There are Asian Jews, Black Jews, White Jews etc. Where ever they are the Orthodox among them still maintain their identity and are looking forward to returning to their home land. This they are now accomplishing in spite of the worlds opposition. It’s an exciting story, that which they have accomplished in the last ninety years ~ for ninety years ago their were virtually no Jews in Palestine and hadn’t been since the Roman’s efforts to annihilate them two thousand years ago. Now over half, about six million live in their homeland. A speck of land so tiny, about sixty miles wide by one hundred sixty miles long. That it could be fitted into the state of Utah eight times and leave a large area for public lands.

We no longer need to say that the Jews are going to gather. “I think now we may say they have gathered.” Conference report 1960(when there were only two million now it’s three times that!)

Continued next month under the title “Fantastic Victory!”

My love always

Dad, Grandpa Pratt

(Richard Marden Pratt)

Here is a must for your kitchens:

Dad’s Pioneer spoon bread and is it ever delicious! He often had a loaf of bread for visitors to take home or share a slice with him.

Pioneer Spoon Bread by Richard M Pratt

2 cups warm water 1 T. Yeast

1 tsp salt about 2 ½ cups flour (enough flour to make a “spongy” dough)

2 T. Sugar (or honey etc)

stir water and salt together. Add sugar then yeast then flour. Stir hard. Use a bowl that is big enough to allow this to rise tell double in bulk. Cover let rise 45 minutes.

Stir down and pour into well greased pans ( I use 2 loaf pans. More crust that way!)

Cover and let rise 45 minutes. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. You can use various types of flour, add raisins, nuts or sunflower seeds. Really GREAT especially when shared with someone you love. Or with a hot cup of cocoa or a cold glass of milk.

Our daughter, Kathy Rowbury Diether, took my bread recipe and “tweaked” it! Well she made perfection!

BREAD by Kathy: YES YOU PUT THE YEAST IN THE

12 cups flour (white or wheat) FLOUR TOO! IT WORKS!!!!! WOW!

½ cup sugar

1 T salt Email me if you have questions!

2 T saf-instant yeast randrflower@gmail.com

½ cup oil or liquid lecithin

5 cups hot tap water

Mix ALL dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix in mixer for 5 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes. After kneeding, cover and let rest for 10 plus minutes. This is a sticky dough. (I oil my hands to work with it). Use oil or Pam spray on the counter instead of flour to work the dough. Shape loaves and place them in bread pans, cover and let them rise 25 minutes. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes. This recipe makes 4 loaves. Can also be used for pizza crust, rolls, scones, braids and cinnamon rolls.

______________________________________________________________

The other day I had 6 cups of white 6 cups of wheat flour and had formed 3 loaves and then decided to make a treat with the last of the dough. It turned out so good I have to share it. I was inspired by Mom’s “plumb duff”recipe, But I had fresh peaches and so here it goes:

Peach Supreme better than any Danish you’ve had! By Rose Marie Pratt Rowbury

grease a 9x13 inch pan. Roll 1 loaf worth of dough into the pan. Spread ½ cup softened cream cheese. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon like making cinnamon rolls. Peel and slice fresh peaches over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cover and let rise 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 21-25 minutes. This is divine and so easy!

Memo #132

Date Written March 24-25, 2008

To: My Beloved Family & Friends

From: Dad, Grandpa Pratt etc.

Re: Israel Scattered

Once upon a time we lived in our Celestial homes as the spirit children of our resurrected and glorified parents. Where is it? The only clue we have is it is next to the great planet Kolob, the first creation of our Eternal Father. We know that Kolob governs and controls all of his countless other creations and is so immense that it revolves once in one thousand years. Hence one day on Kolob is as long as one thousand years on our puny earth.

To illustrate, the size of one of the large stars in our galaxy named Betelgeuse

(Be’T’L-Jooz) which is two hundred eighty five millions of miles in diameter, compared to our earth it is about three and a half million times larger or to illustrate, our sun has 98 percent of all the matter contained in our solar system of nine planets moons and meteors. Yet if we placed our huge sun in the center of Betelgeuse, our three closest planets to the sun in their orbits around the sun, which are Mercury, Venus, and earth, earth would still be within the periphery of that immense body. BIG HUH?

Anyway in our Celestial home we grew to adulthood. Jesus was the first born and besides being the creator of all that the Father and Mother has which are too numerous for man to count, He is also our Savior and the creator of this beautiful earth that we were sent to, to acquire our body of flesh and bones and to prove ourselves. Then by the resurrection and judgement live eternally here in a Celestialized condition or have to be removed and forever live on a planet far inferior and as a single individual forever.

Even in that pre-mortal condition each of us was determining our character. The First Born, Jesus chose to always obey our Father, while Lucifer, born not long after the Savior, chose to be in total rebellion to the point that he and one third of our brothers and sisters were cast out losing forever the right to have a flesh and bone body for their spirit to dwell in. All the rest of us, went all the way, from being nearly like our eldest brother to just short of being like Lucifer.

Our Father, then divided the others into two groups, the valiant in that pre earth life were counted and known as “Israel.” all the rest would be known as “Gentiles”. “Israel” it also means “Prince or Princess” of God. “Gentile” means all the other people.

In that early life Israel was called and fore-ordained to rescue the gentiles as far as they would allow themselves to be rescued.

“And again, my brethern, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; (before this earth) and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of His Son, to teach these things unto the people.

And those priests were ordained after the order of His Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption. And this is the manner after which they were ordained ~ being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, (Before the world was) and exercising exceedingly great faith are called with a holy calling which was prepared with, and according to a preparatory redemption for such.....thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and thru the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared. And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God to teach His commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into His rest. This high priesthood being after the order of His Son, Which order was from the foundation of the World; or in other words, being with out beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity according to His foreknowledge of all things”. Alma 13:2-7

From this scripture we learn at least five great truths. 1. Because of our great faith before this world was, 2. We were called and prepared to be the teachers to the rest of our siblings.

3. And it was because we did not harden our hearts as they did. 4. We were ordained to the priesthood (authority to act in the name of Deity) while yet spirits. 5. To teach the great gospel message of faith repentance and the gift of the Holy Ghost and the eternal life that comes to the obedient.

In that stage we were organized as spirits to come to earth and try to save all our Father’s children who had not followed Satan.

The first mention of the name “Israel” is Genesis 32:28 given to Jacob and came to apply to all his descendants with the promise that thru them all the nations of the earth would be blessed. His twelve sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. And the oldest son Rueben was to receive the birthright or authority to rule. He lost it thru sin and it then passed to Joseph who was sold into Egypt by his brothers and from Joseph the right to rule passed to his son Ephraim. Now remember this was all pre-planed before the foundation of the world by a loving Father who is trying to save all his children. And we must not forget that it started three generations earlier with Abraham who received the title, “Father of the Faithful.”

Joseph miraculously rose to the second highest in command of the leading nation in the world, Egypt, remember the flood happened only three hundred years earlier, and although Israel is not mentioned prior to this time the Lord still did the best for all his children that they would accept. The pre-flood children were blessed with the great prophet Enoch, seventh from Adam who rescued all who would listen and they were translated from the flood-doomed fate of this world to another sphere, from which they will return at the second coming or there about. Hopefully you are getting the picture, from my feeble writings, that our loving Father is doing the very best possible to save all his children, except the Satanic hosts.

Now a quick history of Israel down to the present time. The story of Joseph and his traitorous brothers, Joseph’s rise to fame and power, their reconciliation and Jacob and the other eleven brothers is given in detail in the closing chapters of Genesis (chapters 46-50.)

Israel - Jacobs total family to be rescued from the famine by the move including sisters and wives and children was only seventy souls added to Joseph plus his wife and two sons. Israel numbered seventy-four souls, the date was about 1800 B.C.

After enjoying peace and prosperity for a number of years there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph, and the new king was so frightened at the number of Israelites, for they had multiplied exceedingly fast that he enslaved them.

After 430 years they were led out of bondage by Moses to the land promised to Abraham for his children forever, that is his children descended from Isaac and Jacob.

Shortly after leaving Egypt Moses took a census and discovered that Israel could muster 603,550 men twenty years old and up who could be mustered into military service and this did not include males from the tribe of Levi. Add the women and children and it is easy to see that Israel had increased from 74 souls to well in excess of two million at the exodus four hundred and thirty years later.

What a colossal task Moses faced to bring this vast number of ex slaves into some semblance of order that they might become the Saviors of the rest of the world. And in fact the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ was to be a literal descendant from the tribe of Judah. At Moses’s translation it would still be over fourteen hundred years until the Savior’s birth. In fact chronology lists the translation of Moses in the year 1451 B.C.

Remember, these ex-slaves are our ancestors, chosen before the world was to be the Saviors of the world. Had they been obedient they would have become a great nation occupying the land given to Abraham and his descendants which would have been larger than the continental United States of America and would have included all the near and mid east countries of today.

They would have policed the rest of the world and most of the wars, famines and disasters that have plagued the earth would never of happened.

There were times of great righteousness but as a whole wickedness ruled. They reached the peak of their power under King David 1063 B.C. Held it precariously under his son King Solomon, but at Solomon’s death, the nation of Israel had a terrible civil war that divided the twelve tribes into two nations. Thousands were killed. What was the cause? The same thing that could cause a terrible conflict in our own nation today if it is not soon corrected, excessive taxation.

So-called wise King Solomon with his grandiose schemes which included palaces for one thousand wives and great public works and hand outs (sound familiar?) Solomon who in his early years had served the Lord and built the most costly temple ever built, the walls were papered with gold sheeting and most of the utensils more than twenty five hundred in number were pure gold. But the Lord accepted it and even appeared to Solomon twice.

At his death, ten tribes under the leadership of an Ephraimite named Jeroboam petitioned Solomon’s son, the new King Rehoboam, to reduce taxes or else.

Reoboam foolishly chose to raise taxes instead and a bloody civil war followed which resulted in the 12 tribes dividing in to two nations. The Southern Kingdom comprised of two tribes, Judah and Benjamin with Jerusalem (the Holy City) as their capital. And the ten Northern tribes led by Ephraimites with Samaria as their capital city. This happened about 975 B.C.

For the next two hundred fifty years the Northern Kingdom also called Israel had nothing but wicked kings. Which finally led to their demise in 721 B.C. Also several bitter wars with Judah. Finally the Assyrians came down against Israel. Israel appealed to Judah for help. Judah just laughed and cheered the Assyrians on. Result, the Assyrians after destroying Israel, killing a large percentage, carried the survivors back to Assyria as slaves. We have little record of them except for that found in the histories kept at the time by Flavius Josephus and the Apocrypha. These tell us that the ten tribes after a few years - 70 - as I recall, escaped Northward where never before man had been, (since the flood) that would be between the Black and Caspian seas then turned Westward crossing Southern Russia, hence crossing Europe going North in the Scandinavian countries and we know nothing more about them except as revealed by prophecy. They are soon to return and it will coincide with the coming of the Savior. (I Will treat it in some detail in a coming memo) Incidently the modern country named Denmark literally means “the land of Dan) Dan was one of the ten tribes. So apparently they went that-a-way. The total number of kings over Israel numbered 19 all were wicked.

Judah fared a little better. They had four good kings out of twenty-one and lasted until 587 B.C. another 134 years after Israel’s demise. They were then destroyed by Babylonia and the remnants carried into captivity. But the Great Father of us all still doing the best he could do or all that they would allow him to do was rescuing all that would listen such as father Lehi who led his family to safety in America and others that we do not yet have a record of but will have as they are revealed soon.

After serving in captivity for a number of years to Babylon a remnant of Judah was allowed to return to Jerusalem to prepare for the birth of the Savior.

After crucifying the Lord of us all, the Jews were destroyed and scattered 70 A.D. until the blood of the 12 tribes was literally scattered thru all nations. Now we come to the exciting part ~ The gathering of Israel. Don’t go away, it’s exciting because you are part of it. Look for this in next months memo!

I LOVE YOU,

Dad, grandpa Pratt etc.

Richard Marden Pratt

Memo #131 (64 to go)

Date written March 24, 2008 Date mailed August 1, 2011
To: My beloved Family and Friends
From: Dad, Grandpa etc.
Re: Work for the dead continued
Share this at: http://www.prattmemos.blogspot.com

One of the most flagrantly broken commandments by the most members of the church, is keeping the Sabbath day holy. There in Sacrament meeting we renew our covenant (promise) to keep it. Notice in the blessing on the bread the words that I underline: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, The Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.”
By faithful obedience we bind ourselves to God, and He to us, that we may be worthy to be bound to our family for all time and eternity and Jesus says that “All those who receive this covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.” D&C 84:40
What does the foregoing have to do with, “Work for the Dead?” EVERYTHING! A simple little act as partaking of the sacrament emblems each Sunday can make all the difference. What sparked the prophet Joseph Smith to investigate and find out about this great work?
He had an older brother whom as a small boy he idolized as small brothers so often do. Alvin died suddenly in the very prime of life in his mid twenties before the church was restored.
A vision was given to Joseph Smith, the prophet, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio January 21, 1836. The occasion was the administration of the ordinances of the endowment as far as they had been revealed. The prophet sees his brother Alvin in the celestial kingdom. The doctrine of salvation for the dead was revealed. Section 137 reads as follows:
“The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.
I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.
I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.
I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother (Not yet dead); my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;
And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.
Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;

For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. (Notice, desires of the heart must also be accompanied by the proper works!)
And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.” Doctrine and Covenants section 137
Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them. For they are all alive in him because of his mercy. And he that saith that little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the power of his redemption. (vs19-20)
“Wo unto such, for they are danger of death, hell, and an endless torment, I speak it boldly; God hath commanded me. Listen unto them and give heed, or they stand against you at the judgement seat of Christ.”(vs 21)
“For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing. The mercies of Christ and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works... this thing ought not to be; for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation because they have broken the law.” Moroni Ch. 8 (it’s only 30 vs. long. You might want to read it all)
and Jesus was crucified between two thieves. And one of them, which were hanged railed on him. Saying, “if thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” But the other answering rebuked him, saying, “dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss.”
And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:39-43
To those who don’t know the answers to other things they believe that the thief went straight to heaven with Jesus. But that isn’t what it says. Everyone goes to Paradise when they die the righteous to happiness where they rest from all the cares and frustrations of mortality the rest are also in paradise but they must be taught by the righteous that they may repent. So the worthy are only resting from the pains and cares of this world, but are very busy meeting with and teaching those like the thief that they might repent and be ready for baptism and the other ordinances if they will accept them.
Now the last section of the Doctrine and Covenants gives great insight on the conditions in Paradise for both the righteous and those who are in prison of their own making here on earth.
This section was a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph F. Smith October 3, 1918. He was the son of Hyrum Smith and a nephew of Joseph. It concerns the Savior’s visit to the spirits of the dead while his body was in the tomb. Where was the thief? Keep reading!
President Smith wrote: “I opened the Bible and read the third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter and as I read I was greatly impressed, more than I had ever been before, with the following passages; “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” 1 Peter 4:3, 18-20 and 4:6
So Jesus did not return to his Father during the few hours, (parts of three days) that his body lay in the tomb. But he was in the world of spirits teaching the hope of the gospel to those imprisoned in fetters of their own making just as the wicked today may be walking the streets but are in a prison of their own making and where was the thief? Read on!
“And I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great. And there were gathered in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality; and who had offered sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God and had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer’s name. All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, thru the grace of God the Father and His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance (resurrection) was at hand. (They would have been resurrected immediately following the Savior’s three days later.)
They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death...While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful. And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection, and the redemption of mankind from the fall and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.
But unto the wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised. Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence nor look upon his face.
Where these were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was peace.
And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name.... I wondered at the words of Peter ~ wherein he said that the Son of God preached unto the spirits in prison, who some time were disobedient, when once the long suffering of god waited in the days of Noah ~ and how it was possible for him to preach to those spirits and perform the necessary labor among them in so short a time (parts of 3 days)
and as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth (on earth) to teach them: But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed 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. (and the thief would have been there)
And the chosen messengers went forth ( I hope soon to be one of them) to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.
Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.
These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. And all the principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to qualify themselves...for the judgement.” D&C 13

Oh the greatness of our God, His love, mercy, and grace. All of his children will be saved that choose to be saved in some degree of glory according to their works weather living or dead! Live for it and let us aim for the Celestial kingdom as a family!
My love always,
Dad, Grandpa Pratt etc.
Richard Marden Pratt
Dad often enjoyed the hymn book he has mentioned some of his favorites before. He loved the messages in them.
One of the great women of the early church was Eliza R. Snow enjoy her great hymn,
How Great The Wisdom and the Love
How Great the wisdom and the love that filled the courts on high and sent the Savior from above to suffer, bleed, and die!
His precious blood he freely spilt; His life he freely gave, a sinless sacrifice for guilt, a dying world to save.
By strict obedience Jesus won the prize with glory rife: “Thy will, O God, not mine be done,” adorned his mortal life.
He marked the path and led the way, and every point defines to light and life and endless day where God’s full presence shines.
In mem’ry of the broken flesh we eat the broken bread, and witness with the cup, afresh, our faith in Christ our Head.
How great, how glorious, how complete, redemption’s grand design, where justice, love,. And mercy meet in harmony divine! (Hymn 195 text by Eliza R. Snow 1804-1887)
(One of her’s that Dad also loved is: O My Father #292)

Here are a few quotes from: Eliza R. Snow: First Lady of the Pioneers by Jaynann Morgan Payne
September Ensign 1973 (for the full article go to LDS.org)

“Change is the key word to this dispensation. The righteous, like gold, must be seven times purified.”

In 1866, when the Relief Society was reorganized, Eliza was set apart as president over the entire sisterhood of the Church.

“Prove all things and hold fast that which is good” was Eliza’s motto.

The year 1835 was a critical year in Eliza’s life, for with the publication of her beautiful poems, she had become famous and sought after. Her autograph album contains the priceless signatures of Queen Victoria of England, Charles Dickens, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Susan B. Anthony, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Victor Hugo, Abraham Lincoln, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, to name but a few.

Though “fragile,” Eliza was an amazing organizer. She served as general Relief Society president for 21 years, from 1866 to 1887.

Memo #130

July 1, 2011

To: My beloved family

From: Dad, Grandpa Pratt etc.

Re: Salvation of the Dead

One of the greatest proofs that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Christ and the only true church, is His plan, in His church, to save every soul no matter, when or where they lived. Inasmuch as certain ordinances have been designated by him as essential to salvation such as baptism. Then it is obvious that his perfect plan would be so designed as to reach all the dead, before the final judgement, who have died without ever hearing the gospel and when converted receive the saving ordinances. And this part of his great gospel plan is called, “Salvation for the Dead” every soul will hear it wherever they are, and when they accept it, mortals, who are faithful members of His Church, may go to a sacred place built for that purpose, called a Temple of God. There they vicariously are baptized, confirmed, males receive the Melchzedek Priesthood, Washed and anointed and receiving the highest ordinance of all “Eternal Marriage.”

Every soul that has died and will die ‘til all consigned to this planet have done so will be in the Paradisaical glory - a transition place until the resurrection and judgement is completed.

Those who have the Priesthood authority (The authority to act in the place or name of God) will be called to missions there to teach and preach the saving ordinances and those who receive them will then have these ordinances performed here on earth that they will be able to receive all the blessings including eternal marriage by proxy. Proxy is someone living doing something for the dead that they can’t do for themselves. That they may enjoy all the blessings that the faithful have here on earth. No one will be forgotten. Remember the Lord said to the repentant thief on the cross: “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” meaning that the thief would there be taught the great plan of Salvation which if he accepts it will be validated by one on earth that he too may be cleansed of his sins and receive all the blessings. What a fantastic doctrine. And I repeat, ALL other churches both Christian and non Christian haven’t any plan that approaches it. In fact they have NO plan. How could anyone of them then make any valid claim to being the true church of God.

“Work for the dead is taught solely by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for it is one of the vital signs of the true church of Jesus Christ, and all men may be perfectly assured for it is a divine truth; where this doctrine is not taught and practiced, there the true Church is not to be found.” Doctrines of Salvations Vol. II page 138

If belief alone were sufficient, as taught by most if not all so called Christian churches, then even the devils, who fear and tremble would be saved. They recognized the Savior and declared on several occasions that he was the Son of God. And the devils in the days of the sons of Sceva declared that they knew Jesus and Paul, yet they were far from the road to salvation.

Ibid 139

The story is told in “Rise of the Dutch Republic” by Motley. When Christianity was taken to the tribes of Europe, Radbod a Trisian Chief, was apparently converted and ready for baptism. Just before the ceremony was to be performed a singular thought crossed his mind, and he asked, “Where are my dead forefathers at present?” Wolfran, the Catholic bishop replied, “In hell, with all other unbelievers.” Mighty well,” said the heathen chieftain, “Then I will rather feast with my ancestors in the halls of Woden, than with your little starveling band of Christians in heaven. The Trisian converts were being made Lucifer-like, without agency, at the point of a sword, yet Radbod maintained his personal integrity to the end. “Entreaties and threats”, Motley says, “were unavailing and he went to his death rather than enter into a rite that would separate him from his ancestors.” Ibid 137

I had a somewhat similar incident in Kiribati Islands. I was trying to teach, with a language barrier, work for the dead and how their dead ancestors could receive all the ordinances “vicariously.” these were new converts and had not yet heard of such a thing. When they finally understood, pandemonium broke out as they all excitedly chattered to each other. When peace was restored one old man named Iakoba (Yakoba or Jacob) came up and demanded that I show him how baptism could be done for his dead father. Before he would sit down I had to run him thru a dry baptism. Standing by him in the customary stance for baptism for the living. I repeated that I was now baptizing him, calling him by name for and calling his dead Father by name, and then simulating the immersion in water. He seemed to understand and went back to his seat (on the floor, no furniture.) And was weeping with joy. I could only hope that he understood that it was just play acting and I think he did. What a fantastic and beautiful doctrine.

The world scoffs at the idea of vicariously doing something for someone else that they can’t do for themselves and the whole message of the gospel is “vicarious.” Beginning with our Savior hanging on the cross to save all from death and redeem all that believe. What a fantastic example of “vicarious”. For we couldn’t do it for ourselves. He did it for us!

In the world itself we practice this principle thru our elected officials and in the business world, following proper procedures we can receive what is called, “Power of Attorney”, with that authority we can perform all business transactions for the company or individual we are empowered to represent. We are doing it vicariously!

In fact our own salvation can only come by securing ourselves to our departed ancestors by vicariously searching them out, performing all the ordinances for them AND HAVING OURSELVES SEALED TO THEM.

The last two verses of Malachi and it’s the last in the old testament recorded about 400 B.C. says: “behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. And the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

“What would the curse be? Why no one could inherit it in the resurrection neither we nor our ancestors for the family only can do so, and the family has to extend in an unbroken line back to our first parents in the Garden of Eden. The earth will be cleansed and celestialized and become the Eternal “Heaven” of the family of Adam down to the last person to be born and die upon it WHO HAVE proven themselves. So work for our dead is as vital to us as it is to the dead. For they without us cannot be made perfect and neither can we without them.

Now perhaps you can understand why for the past fifteen or so years I have spent countless hours as an ordinance worker in the Temple. And Carolyn has spent endless hours collecting the names of our dead ancestors and many of you have spent many many hours seeing that all our ancestors are receiving the saving ordinances that we perform. The work for them fills our responsibilities. Whether they accept it or not is their choice.

Who was Elijah? He was the last prophet to hold the sealing power for the living and the dead and lived about 900 B.C. The Bible says he was caught up into heaven in a fiery chariot.

Moses, was also translated, so they could return to earth in their mortal bodies and restore their keys or authority. Moses holds the keys to the gathering of Israel. Elijah holds the keys to the sealing of the living and the dead and the Lord, who holds all the keys has specified that these keys must be passed from mortal to mortal. Hence, when the keys are taken from the earth because of wickedness the last one to hold them must remain in the flesh until a new dispensation.

April 3, 1836 Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (two witnesses) bowed in humble prayer in the newly dedicated Temple at Kirtland, Ohio, the first Temple in this dispensation. At the conclusion of the prayer, “ the veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.

We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah saying. “I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father. Behold your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice...for behold I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.

Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.

Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house.

And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so Amen.

After this vision closed Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the North.

After this Elias appeared and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.

After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death stood before us, and said; “Behold the time has fully come, which was spoken by the mouth of Malachi - testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come - to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse.- Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.” Doctrine & Covenants 110

The keys held by Elijah and restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery are the keys of the sealing power of the Priesthood which makes all the ordinances pertaining to the eternity of the family possible. And the righteous family meaning those who keep all the commandments are the only ones who can expect eternal life and to dwell on this celestialized earth with the Savior forever. And this applies to the DEAD as well as the living. Oh my dear family and anyone else who may read this, be sure your house is in order, be sure that you are sealed to your husband / wife and your children, be sure that

you are living by every word that has come from our Savior. (Remember too that if a spouse didn’t keep their covenants, Heavenly Father will still honor your personal covenants as you keep them and all will work out.) Oh what weeping what sorrow what despair will come upon those who at the judgement bar of God are dammed - meaning everything stops for them. They can go no further now and eternally and the best they can hope for is to be resurrected alone and single and spend eternity as servants to those who obeyed.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. The gift of the atonement has been given us by our Savior. We can repent of the things that we have done wrong and we can by making and keeping sacred covenants be with our families and with Jesus Christ eternally. Live for it! Embrace the plan of happiness and have joy in this life and in the life to come.

All My Love,

Dad, Grandpa Pratt (Richard Marden Pratt)

The following is from memo #115 a comment that was submitted. I thought you’d enjoy it!

I was so excited to find this website last evening. Richard Pratt, your father and grandfather, was along with one other person, the man most responsible for my coming into the Church, and his stirring testimony the thing I remembered most any time I was struggling in my early years in the Church.

After teaching seminary all those years he was assigned to teach Institute of Religion for his last year of his CES career (as I remember it), at age 65(?).

As a non‑member I was invited to attend his Book of Mormon class by my roommate, Dale Thompson, of Tremonton, Utah. At the end of the class I was walking out of the classroom when Brother Pratt stepped in front of me blocking my way. Toe to toe he looked me square in the eyes, indeed, looking right through me. He then bore the most powerful testimony I ever heard, which was simply this. With a thrilling fervor he said, "Steve, This Church is True!"

I walked down the hall and remember saying to myself, "I don't know if this Church is true; but I know, that man is not lying."

As I alluded to already, any time I was doubting or struggling whatever the cause, I saw him, his eyes looking right through me, bearing that testimony ... and all was well again.

Such is the power of a man who qualifies for the Spirit and bears his testimony with all his heart. I can honestly say, few are there that would have the courage to bear such a bold and powerful testimony to a total stranger. He did; and I will forever be grateful for it!

God bless you and your family. I was moved to indescribable tears of joy to find this website, and tears of sorrow to realize I missed a chance in this life to say thank you again.

I've book marked this blog and intend to read through his many notes. How stirring they are! What an additional blessing to find out that we are on the same page with our political convictions, which was something important to me shortly after my conversion. It made me feel like I was in some small way thanking him through my work as a political writer and editor.

Thanks again to the Pratt family! God Bless You all!

Steve Farrell

You may want to go back and read some of the memos again. Enjoy.