“Parley Asks for Forgiveness,” Doctrine and Covenants Stories (2024)
“Parley Asks for Forgiveness,” Doctrine and Covenants Stories
January–July 1837
Parley Asks for Forgiveness
A friend’s testimony builds his faith
When it was time for Thankful and Parley Pratt to have their baby, they came home from their mission in Canada. They had a healthy baby boy just as the Lord had promised they would.
Saints, 1:270
Sadly, Thankful died a few hours after the baby was born. Parley knew he wouldn’t be able to take care of the baby without her. He asked a woman in Kirtland to care for the baby while he went back to Canada to finish his mission.
Saints, 1:270
In Kirtland, Joseph Smith started a bank to raise money for God’s work. He asked people to let the bank use their money so others could borrow it. But, for many reasons, the bank didn’t have enough money and had to close. Other banks in the United States were failing too.
Life became hard for the Saints. Some lost their jobs and now didn’t have enough money to buy food or clothes. Some people were angry at Joseph, even some of his close friends. They thought Joseph wasn’t a true prophet because the bank failed.
While this was happening, Parley came home from his mission. The problems with the bank made life hard for Parley too. He wouldn’t have enough money to pay for his house, and he wouldn’t have a place to live.
Saints, 1:270–71
Now Parley was angry with Joseph too. He wrote Joseph a letter. He told Joseph that he still believed in the Book of Mormon. But he also said unkind things about the Prophet. He told Joseph he was wrong to start the bank in the first place.
Saints, 1:271
Later, some of Parley’s friends from Canada came to Kirtland. Parley had taught them the gospel, and they were happy to see him again.
Saints, 1:279–80
But they were also surprised that Parley and so many others had lost their faith that Joseph Smith was a prophet.
Saints, 1:279–80
One of Parley’s friends from Canada was John Taylor. When Parley saw him, he told John how angry he was at Joseph Smith. He told John not to follow Joseph anymore.
Saints, 1:280
John reminded Parley that when they were in Canada, Parley had shared his testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. “I now have the same testimony,” John said. “If the work was true six months ago, it is true today. If Joseph Smith was then a prophet, he is now a prophet.”
Saints, 1:280
Parley knew his friend John was right. He felt sorry about his angry letter to Joseph. He knew that Joseph was doing his best to do the Lord’s work. The problems with the bank did not mean that Joseph was not a true prophet of Jesus Christ.
Saints, 1:283
Parley went to Joseph’s home. He told Joseph that he was sorry about the unkind things he had said. Joseph forgave Parley, prayed for him, and blessed him. Parley served many more missions and told people all over the world that Joseph Smith was the Lord’s prophet.
Doctrine and Covenants 64:7–11; Saints, 1:283