Parley P. Pratt's Spiritual Impression to Leave his Wife and Boat
Published October 17, 2026 at 8:15 AM
Contributed by
Todd Morgan
Beaumont, CA, 92223
While traveling by canal boat toward Albany, Parley P. Pratt felt a powerful, clear spiritual impression that he needed to disembark at Newark, New York, despite having already paid for passage to his destination. He did not know why, but the Spirit made it plain that he had a specific work to perform in that region. He told his wife that they must part for a season and that he would follow once his mission was completed. Though his wife was initially inclined to object, she had witnessed the hand of God in Parley’s life many times before and deferred to the spiritual mandate.
In Their Own Words
“I now felt an anxious desire to visit my brother Orson, who was then in the state of New York. I accordingly took leave of my friends in Ohio, and set out on a journey of some hundreds of miles. I traveled by canal boat, and as we were approaching the town of Newark, I felt a powerful impression that I must leave the boat and go ashore. I did not know for what purpose, but the Spirit seemed to whisper to me that I had a work to perform in that region. I told my wife that I must leave the boat, and that she must continue her journey to our friends, and that I would follow her as soon as I had performed the work which I felt I had to do. She was somewhat surprised, and would have objected, but she had seen the hand of God so plainly manifest in His dealings with me many times, that she dare not oppose the things manifest to me by His spirit. I accordingly left the boat, and she continued her journey. I walked into the town of Newark, and as I was walking along the street, I felt a strong impression to go to a certain house. I went to the house, and found a family who were very kind to me. I stayed with them for some time, and preached the gospel to them, and they were baptized. I then felt that my work in that region was performed, and I continued my journey to visit my brother.”
— Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Chapter V
Sources & References
Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. Parley P. Pratt Jr. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1874), chapter V - via Project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44896 (account extracted verbatim from the public-domain text; research confidence: high) Full first-person account: Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. Parley P. Pratt Jr. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1874), chapter V https://www.gutenberg.org/files/44896/44896-h/44896-h.htm
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