Friday, April 16, 2021

Mary Haskin Parker Richards Journal Entry for March 19, 1848, Recording Orson Pratt's Teachings of the Plurality of Gods, Robust Deification, and Intelligences

In her journal entry for March 19, 1848, Mary Haskin Parker Richards (1823-1860) recorded the following doctrinal comments from Orson Pratt:

 

at 12 oclock I went to meeting at the Stand where we were addrest by Bro O Pratt upon the Plurality of Gods he proved from Scripture that we are the Sons & daughters of God (and that Jesus Christ was our Elder Brother’ who through his birth right has become our Saviour and our God and as a Child grows up and be comes like his father. so we grow up like our Heavenly Father and pertake of all his Attributes’ and in time shall become just like him Even Gods. He said that God himself was once Man like unto us. who was amenable to a higher Power for his conduct. And had a Father &C &C

 

the question said he will naturally arrise in your mind’ where did the first God come from’ and how he was Created. The Christian world in geen general’ admit that he existed from all Eternity and there is only 2 ways

he must either have existed’ from all Eternity. or otherwise have had a creation, and how could he have been Created as there was no living being. Or Spirit in Existence. This would naturaly be soposed to be impossible I will tell you what my Cogitations are’ but do not wish to consider that I teach it as doctring or beleve it as such.

he then gave us a view of what the World must have been E’er the Earth, and &C &C was formed said the matter then Existed out of which all things were made that now exist. And he sposed that there was a kind of Intelligent Matter; that had the Power of self Movement, and as Intelegence cleaveth to Intellgence' so one particle of intellegent Matter cleaveth to another' and at last a combination of this Matter' formed an Intelegent Spirit &C &C Bro Woodruff said he beleved what Bro Pratt had said was true. and that he had been well pleased with his remarks &C &C after which a Hymn was sung. and he dismissed the meeting. (Maurine Carr Ward, ed., Winter Quarters: The 1846-1848 Life Writings of Mary Haskin Parker Richards [Life Writings of Frontier Women Volume 1; Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 1996], 195-96)