Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 3/Number 1/Letter to Oliver Cowdery from Orson Pratt (Sep. 5, 1836)
Burville, Jefferson Co. N. Y. Sept. 5, 1836
Br. O Cowdery,
Sir, I left Kirtland on the 6th day of April after a few day's travel through the mud and rain arrived in the province of U. C. here I commenced lifting a warning voice, testifying against their iniquities, exposing their religious systems by contrasting them with the system of the bible which not unfrequently produced no small stir, for the craftsmen, not of the great goddess Diana, but of great Babylon, brought no small gain unto themselves by making not silver shrines but religious systems by which through covetousness and feigned words they could make merchandise of the people. And when th[e]y saw their doctrines exposed by the all powerful word of God and uncovered in the sight of men, they were ready to cry out in their hearts as their works manifest, saying we know by this our craft we obtain our wealth moreover we see and hear that not alone in Canada but almost throughout all the United States, these Mormon elders have persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that our systems and doctrines which uninspired men have invented, are false and that we ought to believe in the doctrine of the New Testament which teaches that the church (or body) of Christ, is composed of the following members, viz: apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, discerners of spirits, speakers with tongues, interpreters of tongues, &c. so that not only this our craft is in eminent danger, but the great mystery Babylon will be ruined and come to nought whom the whole world worshipeth.
I will now give you an example of their exceeding great zeal in opposing the doctrine of the New Testament which they call Mormonism.
On the 27th of April last elder F. Nickerson and myself went to the village of Brantford, U. C. and obtained the privilege from one of the trustees of the school house of leaving an appointment for the next evening, which was circulated through the town. The next evening I went down alone to Mount Pleasant to fill the appointment; went to the school house found it crowded with men but no females, I went into the pulpit and was about to open the meeting by reading a chapter in the bible when a man by the name of Lewis Burwell a Methodist by profession arose and requested me to answer a few questions previous to preaching. He then proceeded as follows. To what church do you belong? Answer. To the church of Latter Day Saints slanderously called Mormons. Do you believe in the book of Mormon? Yes sir, with all my heart. He then said he had read the book and made some very harsh expressions, desiring to know of me if I could speak with tongues prophesy, &c. I replied that I had not come to boast of what I or the church to which I belonged could do, but to hold forth the gospel and the promises and blessings which it proposes to all the faithful and obedient, but he insisted on my answering him yes or no, I replied that I did not consider myself under the least obligation to answer any of his questions till after my discourse, in which I would set forth our sentiments as a society in plainness, after which he or any gentleman present should have the privilege of taking exceptions and exposing publicly every erroneous principle, but he insisted on knowing what our church believed before preaching. About this time the congregation began to stamp with their feet and hiss, they also began to be divided the more part were determined to hear, while the remainder said that I should not preach, and the whole house was in an uproar some crying one thing and some another, some crying liberty of conscience as loud as they could hallow; while others were yelling delusion, impostor &c. and they began to contend one with another very sharply, becoming angry they proceeded to blows, two or three were knocked down in the school house, the noise was such for one or two hours that it might have been heard some distance, but I stood in the pulpit very much composed lifting my heart in silent prayer that the Lord would deliver me out of their hands unhurt; some threatened to lay violent hands upon me while others said I was a stranger and they would protect me, but one man laid hands upon me who reached over the pulpit and gave me a sudden pull against the side of the same; at length some gentlemen present kindly assisted me in escaping they opened one of the pulpit doors took me by the hand and we passed through their midst. The whole congregation however followed us through the main st. of the village and seeing myself surrounded by a multitude part friends and part foes I concluded the better way of escape would be to go into a tavern and pass out the back door, which I accordingly did, being accompanied with two men as guides. I travelled that night to Mount Pleasant on foot and alone pondering npon [upon] the scene through which I had passed and the corruptions of this generation, the next day the people in Brantford sent an express requesting me to come the next evening and preach with an assurance that I should be protected.—I accordingly went had a crowded house and good attention, after my discourse gave liberty 4 arose, one at a time and brought forth their objections till they run themselves out of arguments and some of the assembly began to hiss at them, the meeting was closed and the people departed without any disturbance.
Thus we can see the zeal of the religious denominations of our land in opposing what they call Mormonism.
I tarried in the province not far from two months held 34 meetings, baptized 12 and then took my journey to Jefferson co. N. Y. in which vicinity I have held fifty six meetings baptized 14 attended one conference in the same county at which there were 13 more that came forward in baptism two elders and two teachers were ordained. The truth seems to be progressing in these parts.
ORSON PRATT