Prophecy fulfilled regarding Sam Brannan
Published October 5, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
In 1854, the late Apostle Parley P. Pratt prophesied that Sam Brannan, who had become a millionaire after leaving the Church, would not die until he was in want of ten cents to buy a loaf of bread. This prophecy was fulfilled when later reports found Brannan in the state of squalid penury and wretchedness.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 45, No. 14, 2 April 1883):
It is said that Parley P. Pratt, when he met Brannan in California, prophesied that he would live to be in want of ten cents to buy a loaf of bread. This prophecy was literally fulfilled.
In Their Own Words
“In 1854, while the late Parley P. Pratt was on a mission on the Pacific Coast, he was informed that Mr. Brannan, then a millionaire, was very much afraid some one would kill him for his money. Parley P. Pratt said Go tell Sam Brannan from me that he shall not die till he is in want of ten cents to buy a loaf of bread. It seems the word of the Prophet has been fulfilled. — Millennial Star 45:14”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 2 April 1883 (Vol. 45, No. 14). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1883-04-02_45_14 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 45, No. 14, 2 April 1883 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1883-04-02_45_14
Filed under
Related Miracles
Similar miracle types and stories from the 1850s.
Miracle of the Week
One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.