On 2 March of 2003,
President Hinckley, his wife, his daughter and her husband
made a
detour of their own to visit the grave site. Accompanying them
were
Elder M. Russell Ballard and his wife, Elder Gene R. Cook and
his wife, Brother
Don H. Staheli (President Hinckley’s personal
assistant), Elder Huntsman and
David Sayer. President
Hinckley was dressed in a dark gray suit with a black
overcoat and
gray hat. He was also carrying his cane with him.
The party had attended a
fireside in Memphis, Tennessee the night before
and were expected in
New Orleans that evening for more meetings.
Two hours were all
the group could squeeze into their schedule for the
visit. Elder
Huntsman had brought a wreath of flowers to place at the
memorial for
Elder Pratt, his great-grandfather. The wreath was made
of fresh-cut
flowers with a blue ribbon hanging from the front with the words
“Parley, We Love You” printed on the front in gold
letters. It was a large
wreath around 30 inches in diameter with it’s
own stand.
It was fairly heavy as well.
President Hinckley
asked how tall the monument was. A couple of guesses
were made before
Elder Ballard jumped up on the side of the marble box
surrounding the
monument and surmised that it was around seven feet high
considering
the distance from his head to the top. After reading the
inscription,
President Hinckley looked at Elder Ballard and asked to
have someone read
the words to Parley's favorite hymn that is
inscribed on the memorial. Elder
Ballard looked at Elder Gene R. Cook
and said “Gene, would you mind
reading the words from that hymn
for us?” A small hymnbook was quickly
produced from deep within
someone’s coat pocket and Elder Cook read the
beautiful words
to the group.
The
morning breaks, the shadows flee; Lo! Zion's standard
is unfurled!
The dawning of a brighter day Majestic rises
on the world. The clouds
of error disappear Before the rays
of truth divine; The glory,
bursting from afar, Wide o'er the
nations soon will shine. The
Gentile fullness now comes in,
And Israel's blessings are at hand;
Lo! Judah's remnant,
cleans'd from sin --
After a long moment
when thoughts turned inward President Hinckley
recounted a memory he
had as a young deacon serving the sacrament to
Brother George
Careless, the man who had put Elder Pratt’s words to
music. He
recalled how Brother Careless suffered from severe arthritis
to the
point where he couldn’t open his hands up. He said they
reminded
him of birds claws, but this didn’t influence the
respect he, as a young boy,
had for this great man. Tears came to his
eyes as he shared this sacred memory.
Elder Huntsman and
Elder Ballard then placed the wreath next to the
monument with help
from Ross Eagar, Aaron, and Bryan Christiansen.
Because it was so
heavy they had to poke the legs of the stand down
deep into the soil
around the monument to keep it from falling over.
This was obviously
a touching moment for Elder Huntsman as he talked
quite a lot about
Elder Pratt. He told the group about the strength his
family had
drawn as descendants of Parley P. Pratt.
While he was there
President Hinckley asked President Christiansen
to identify every
tree, shrub and flower at the monument. Then he walked
around,
studying every part of the memorial inside the fenced area and his
examination was minute and extensive.
Brother Staheli
suggested everyone regroup so some pictures could
be taken for the
Church News and for historical purposes. As the
group was leaving
someone asked the prophet if he thought Parley
was really buried
there. President Hinckley pondered for a moment
then said: “I
don't know.”
Do we have the right place?
It
doesn't matter where the mortal coil of
Parley P. Pratt is buried
because members of the family and Church
don't come here to remember
the particulars of Parley's death. Nor
do they come here to rail
against the men that brought him low, much
less to seethe against the
territory where it happened.
They come here to
remember the man who died bearing his testimony.
They come to
remember the greatness of his life, his dedication and his
contributions to the world. In this spot they remember more vividly
the
man who boldly testified before kings and magistrates around the world.
Members of the Church
know his spirit left here long ago. It has raced
on ahead with true
missionary zeal to do the Lord's work on the other
side of the vail.
On the morning of the First Resurrection Parley's spirit
will be here
once more to be permanently reunited with the body that
served him so
nobly and so well.
.
Of his fellow apostle, Elder John Taylor said:
"Brother Parley -- has gone
- but has left a name and a fame
that will live throughout time and and burst
forth in eternity; and
in the morning of the first resurrection. when the
opening heavens
shall revea1 the son of God. and he shall proclaim,
"I am the
resurrection and the life," when Death shall deliver up the
dead,
I expect to meet Brother Parley in the resurrection of the
just."
The end
Click
HERE to read more about the memorial
and the life of Parley Parker Pratt.
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