A Voice Of Warning

[Avatar4321]

I just finished reading parley p pratt's A Voice of Warning. Fascinating read. He quoted the scriptures in ways I've never considered. He set up arguments for the church in ways that were simply amazing to me. Has anyone else read this book and what did you think of it?

[Ahab]

I read it a long time ago and don't consciously remember much about it right now, but I'm sure it's still subconsciously a part of how I think about things. I usually absorb good thoughts from others whenever I get them. That book and many others were part of a huge collection of good books in the Personal Gospel Library in text files on discs that the Deseret bookstore used to sell and I had it installed on my old pocket PC that I once carried around with me everywhere. I tried loading it on my phone a while back but couldn't figure out how to get it to work. Maybe I'll try again sometime soon. Lots of good books I would enjoy reading again.

[hagoth7]

I read it a couple of times before my mission. Had a thin hard bound copy with green binding. Loved it.

[Hamba Tuhan]

I've never read it, but it's available in various formats at Project Gutenberg.

[Avatar4321]

Never heard of project gutenberg but I read it as an eBook. It's a great read.

[rodheadlee]

I give, what is it about?

[Coreyb]

I give, what is it about?

Theology. First theology book produced in the lds movement by Parley Pratt. Shaped the way Mormons would go about reading the bible and see their movement as an extension of the biblical narrative. I believe it doesn't even use the name of Joseph Smith

[rodheadlee]

Thanks!

[Uncle Dale]

I just finished reading parley p pratt's A Voice of Warning. Fascinating read. He quoted the scriptures in ways I've never considered. He set up arguments for the church in ways that were simply amazing to me. Has anyone else read this book and what did you think of it?

It was required reading in the church I belonged to for so

many years -- probably because the message of the text

is essentially pre-Far West (and definitely pre-Nauvoo).

Mormons will find it lacking several of the key doctrines

unique to the modern LDS thology.

Then again, Joseph Smith said that it stood on equal

ground with the Standard Works of that day (pre-BoA),

so, if it was good enough for Smith to recommend,

without any corrections or qualifications, then it must

communicate a fairly pure version of Mormonism.

I never much cared for it, or for Key to Theology,

however -- so, to each his own, I suppose.

Had

[Coreyb]

It was required reading in the church I belonged to for so

many years -- probably because the message of the text

is essentially pre-Far West (and definitely pre-Nauvoo).

Mormons will find it lacking several of the key doctrines

unique to the modern LDS thology.

Then again, Joseph Smith said that it stood on equal

ground with the Standard Works of that day (pre-BoA),

so, if it was good enough for Smith to recommend,

without any corrections or qualifications, then it must

communicate a fairly pure version of Mormonism.

I never much cared for it, or for Key to Theology,

however -- so, to each his own, I suppose.

Had

It does represent a very early mormon theology. I think that it should be qualified that the term "standard works" did not carry the connotation of canonical scriptures in Joseph Smiths day as it does in the modern LDS church. How is that term used in the church you were a part of BTW? In Joseph's day (and early Utah) it seems to mean those works regularly printed on church presses and sold by the Mormon elders.

[mfbukowski]

Theology. First theology book produced in the lds movement by Parley Pratt. Shaped the way Mormons would go about reading the bible and see their movement as an extension of the biblical narrative. I believe it doesn't even use the name of Joseph Smith

It was once considered a "Standard Work"

 

 

One nineteenth-century memoirist wrote, “We had every encouragement to read the Church publications: The Voice of Warning; The Pearl of Great Price; and Key to Theology.” 34 That only Pratt’s writings would be on equal footing with the Pearl of Great Price, canonized in 1880, suggests the special status his works held in the minds of early LDS leaders and laity. His corpus was a virtual fifth scriptural volume of the church. Thomas D. Brown, in fact , claimed that Joseph Smith had pronounced Voice of Warning a standard work; 35 in 1864, it was one of two works Brigham Young recommended to a correspondent for an overview of Mormon doctrine. 36 In 1875, it was the very first title mentioned in the LDS Deseret News list of “Books worth Reading” (Pratt’s Key to Theology was next). 37

 

Givens, Terryl L. (2014-09-19). Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity (p. 12). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

Edited February 5, 2015 by mfbukowski

[mfbukowski]

It does represent a very early mormon theology. I think that it should be qualified that the term "standard works" did not carry the connotation of canonical scriptures in Joseph Smiths day as it does in the modern LDS church. How is that term used in the church you were a part of BTW? In Joseph's day (and early Utah) it seems to mean those works regularly printed on church presses and sold by the Mormon elders.

Yes, agreed.

I did not see the rest of the discussion before I posted my post above.

[Coreyb]

It was once considered a "Standard Work"

Givens, Terryl L. (2014-09-19). Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity (p. 12). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

Right. I of course do not mean to take away at all from the credence given to the book (as it rightly deserves), just that we now use that term differently

[VideoGameJunkie]

Reading is overrated.

[Coreyb]

Reading is overrated.

I respectfully disagree

[mfbukowski]

About what?

 

 

 

 

 

I guess we could draw pictures.....

Edited February 5, 2015 by mfbukowski

[Uncle Dale]

It was once considered a "Standard Work"

Givens, Terryl L. (2014-09-19). Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity (p. 12). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

 

 

Indeed -- Pratt stood high up in the hierarchy of LDS theologians

(if that is even a proper term for how he functioned). But his mentor

(and Orson Hyde's) was Elder Sidney Rigdon. Compare the essays

of Rigdon in Evening & Morning Star and the Messenger & Advocate

to see just how closely his view of latter day religion fit hand-in-glove

with that of Pratt.

 

While Pratt early on demonstrated his talents as a Mormon writer and

polemicist, I would not doubt that he was parroting Rigdon (or even

copying directly from Rigdon) in his early days.

 

Pratt's belittling of other Christian sects never set too well with me.

To him the RCC was the "Whor_ of Babylon" and the Church of

England her "illegitimate daughter;" and the Methodists a doubly 

illegitimate "grand-daughter" band of knowing, Korihor-like hirelings

of Satan -- Notice how modern LDS writers leave out such old rhetoric

when quoting or paraphrasing the Pratt brothers, Hyde, Rigdon, etc

 

Anyways -- if modern Mormons can find anything of real value

in Pratt's writings -- anything unique and unavailable elsewhere --

I'd be interested in hearing what that might be.

 

It's always best to go back to the first editions of his volumes

however. In the first printing of VoW, Cowdery, Harris and the

Whitmers come off looking like sterling examples of the latter-day

glory (but look what Pratt does to their reputations in the re-writes

and editing, later on).

 

UD

Edited February 5, 2015 by Uncle Dale

[Uncle Dale]

double posting

Edited February 5, 2015 by Uncle Dale

[readstoomuch]

Voice of warning and Key to the Science of theology are both outstanding books. The same for Givens Wrestling The Angel. Much more up to date, but discusses these things well.

[The Nehor]

I respectfully disagree

I disrespectfully agree.

[Avatar4321]

Reading is overrated.

if you truly believed that I doubt you would be online reading a message forum as often as you are.

reading is one of the best past times in the world.

[VideoGameJunkie]

I meant books. I'd rather see the movie version. I learned about the story of Moses by watching Ten Commandments. Plus I have a hard time remembering what I just read when I'm reading a book or scriptures.

[Coreyb]

I meant books. I'd rather see the movie version. I learned about the story of Moses by watching Ten Commandments. Plus I have a hard time remembering what I just read when I'm reading a book or scriptures.

I think most people have had this problem VGJ. Reading is a skill and must therefore be practiced and adapted to your personality, lifestyle and system of learning. I am a fairly slow reader, which sometimes gets me overwhelmed, but like anything, the value you receive will be proportionate to the effort you put in. Watching a movie generally takes less effort than reading the book (though a three hour epic like The Ten Commandments can take quite a bit), and so, you will usually get less out of a movie than a book, though there are plenty of worthless books IMO.