Parley P. Pratt's First Interview with Joseph Smith
Parley P. Pratt, ca. 1853, Daguerreotype by Marsena Cannon, Church Archives
Parley Parker Pratt (1807–1857) married Thankful Halsey (1797–1837) in Canaan, New York, on 9 September 1827. They moved to Ohio and within a short time became members of the Reformed Baptist Society through the efforts of Sidney Rigdon (1793–1876).
Eventually, Parley decided to dedicate his life to preaching full time, so he sold his Ohio property in August 1830 and made his way to New York to visit family before commencing his mission. As Parley and Thankful made their way on the Erie Canal, he felt inspired to get off at Newark, about ten miles from Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith (1805–1844) resided during the unfolding of the Restoration. Parley directed his wife to continue her journey to their ancestral home with a promise that he would eventually join her.
At this time, Parley met a Baptist deacon who let him borrow a copy of the Book of Mormon that had been published earlier that year in Palmyra. Parley read the book and became convinced it was true. He decided to find Joseph Smith the Prophet, so he traveled to the Smith home in Manchester. However, by this time Joseph was living in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, the Prophet's brother, Hyrum Smith (1800–1844), was still living in the family log home and invited Parley to spend the night. With several other family members and two recent converts present, Hyrum and Parley spent most of the evening talking about the Restoration. Hyrum sent Parley on his way the next day with a copy of the Book of Mormon.
After fulfilling some commitments he had made, Parley soon returned to Manchester. He and Hyrum then made their way to Fayette, New York, about twenty-five miles away to meet Oliver Cowdery (1806–1850), one of the Three Witnesses. Oliver baptized Parley on 1 September 1830 and ordained him an elder before Parley continued on his journey to meet his wife as planned. Shortly thereafter, Parley returned to Manchester where he met Joseph Smith for the first time in October 1830. At this same time, Parley was called to join Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr. (1809–1836), and Ziba Peterson (1818–1849) on a mission "into the wilderness among the Lamanites" (Doctrine and Covenants 32:1–4).
Years later, before his death in 1857, Parley recorded his autobiography, a compelling story of his life that includes his description of this first interview with Joseph Smith. The manuscript was kept by family members but was eventually published in 1874. It became an instant Latter-day Saint classic.
First Interview with Joseph Smith
Having lifted a warning voice to multitudes in all this region of country, I now took leave, and repaired again to the western part of New York, and to the body of the Church.
On our arrival, we found that brother Joseph Smith, the translator of the Book of Mormon, had returned from Pennsylvania to his father's residence in Manchester, near Palmyra, and there I had the pleasure of seeing him for the first time.
He received me with a hearty welcome, and with that frank and kind manner so universal with him in after years.
On Sunday we held meeting at his house; the two large rooms were filled with attentive listeners, and he invited me to preach. I did so, and afterwards listened with interest to a discourse from his own mouth, filled with intelligence and wisdom. We repaired from the meeting to the water's edge, and, at his request, I baptized several persons.
President Joseph Smith was in person tall and well built, strong and active, of a light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, very little beard, and of an expression peculiar to himself, on which the eye naturally rested with interest, and was never weary of beholding. His countenance was ever mild, affable, beaming with intelligence and benevolence; mingled with a look of interest and an unconscious smile, or cheerfulness, and entirely free from all restraint or affectation of gravity; and there was something connected with the serene and steady penetrating glance of his eye, as if he would penetrate the deepest abyss of the human heart, gaze into eternity, penetrate the heavens, and comprehend all worlds.
He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar; his rebuke terrible as the lion; his benevolence unbounded as the ocean; his intelligence universal, and his language abounding in original eloquence peculiar to himself—not polished—not studied—not smoothed and softened by education and refined by art; but flowing forth in its own native simplicity, and profusely abounding in variety of subject and manner. He interested and edified, while, at the same time, he amused and entertained his audience; and none listened to him that were ever weary with his discourse. I have even known him to retain a congregation of willing and anxious listeners for many hours together, in the midst of cold or sunshine, rain or wind, while they were laughing at one moment and weeping the next. Even his most bitter enemies were generally overcome, if he could once get their ears.
I have known him when chained and surrounded with armed murderers and assassins who were heaping upon him every possible insult and abuse, rise up in the majesty of a son of God and rebuke them, in the name of Jesus Christ, till they quailed before him, dropped their weapons, and, on their knees, begged his pardon, and ceased their abuse.
In short, in him the characters of a Daniel and a Cyrus were wonderfully blended. The gifts, wisdom and devotion of a Daniel were united with the boldness, courage, temperance, perseverance and generosity of a Cyrus. And had he been spared a martyr's fate till mature manhood and age, he was certainly endued with powers and ability to have revolutionized the world in many respects, and to have transmitted to posterity a name associated with more brilliant and glorious acts than has yet fallen to the lot of mortal. As it is, his works will live to endless ages, and unnumbered millions yet unborn will mention his name with honor, as a noble instrument in the hands of God, who, during his short and youthful career, laid the foundation of that kingdom spoken of by Daniel, the prophet, which should break in pieces all other kingdoms and stand forever.
But I will not forestall the reader. I have yet to speak of him in my history, under many and varying circumstances, in which I have necessarily been associated with him, up to the latest year of his life.
It was now October, 1830. A revelation had been given through the mouth of this Prophet, Seer and Translator, in which Elders Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, Ziba Peterson and myself were appointed to go into the wilderness, through the western States, and to the Indian territory. Making arrangements for my wife in the family of the Whitmers, we took leave of our friends and the church late in October, and started on foot (The Life and Travels of Parley P. Pratt: The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt [New York: Russell Brothers, 1874], 46–49)