While traveling for his mission, Lorin Farr was on board an iron boat, The Valley Forge, on the Ohio River. William B. Allen recorded his meeting with Lorin Farr and his teachings concerning baptism and its salvific importance:
MORMONISM,
or LATTER DAY SAINTS.
The following sketch of Mormonism
is taken from the diary of the writer, written nearly thirty years ago, on his
return from a visit to Illinois and Missouri:
At St. Louis, June 17th
[1843], 11 o'clock, we again embarked upon the water on board the iron boat, Valley
Forge, bound for Louisville. . . . On board the boat was a Mormon preacher,
whose name was Lorin Farr. . . . . He was about twenty-three years of age . . .
That day it became generally known on the boat that there was a Mormon preacher
aboard, and a general desire prevailed with the passengers to have him preach.
He was approached upon the subject and at once assented, and the passengers
being soon all seated in the main cabin, he proceeded to discourse as follows:
. . .You may here, then learn the difference between Mormons and other
denominations professing Christianity. We believe that to obtain salvation, the
signs which I have enumerated from the Bible must follow the believer. You know
that on the day of Penticost they spoke with new tongues, &c. It is also
necessary to salvation that you repent and be baptized, and the promise is unto
you and unto your children, &c. I know that different opinions prevail as
to the mode of baptism, and I am only astonished that there should be a
contrariety of sentiment upon the subject among any enlightened people. As for
the Mormons, they believe that the only proper mode is my immersion. This was
the way Christ was baptized, as is evident from the fact that he went down into
the water, and came up straightway out of the water; otherwise it is not a
birth, or being born. We are commanded, then, first to believe, then to repent,
and then to be baptized, which last brings forcibly to our memories the death,
burial, and resurrection of the Saviour. (William B. Allen, A
History of Kentucky: Embracing Gleanings, Reminiscences, Antiquities, Natural
Curiosities, Statistics, and Biographical Sketches of Pioneers, Soldiers,
Jurists, Lawyers, Statesmen, Divines, Mechanics, Farmers, Merchants, and Other
Leading Men, of All Occupations and Pursuits [Louisville, Ky.: Bradley
and Gilbert, 1872], 229-30, 231-32)
