When you are not sure what to do first…

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This is an interesting story from Parley P. Pratt’s autobiography about how he decided to go on a new mission.

After Parley was ordained as an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he was instructed to prepare for a mission in the coming spring. After begin abstent for some time he now returned home and began to make preparations for his mission but, he writes,

“the state of my affairs was such that it seemed almost impossible for me to leave home; my wife was sick, my aged mother had come to live with me, and looked to me for support-age and infirmity having rendered my father unable to do for himself or family. I was also engaged in building a house, and in other business, while at the same time I was somewhat in debt, and in want of most of the necessaries of life.

“Under these embarrassed circumstances, I hesitated for a while whether to attempt to perform the mission assigned me, or stay at home and finish my building and mechanical work. While I pondered these things, with my mind unsettled, and continued my work, with a feeling of hesitation whether it was a duty to sacrifice all the labor and expense to which I had been in my preparations and unfinished work, or whether it was a duty to stay and complete it, I was called very suddenly to administer to a brother by the name of Matthews, who was taken suddenly and dangerously ill. I found him writhing and groaning in the utmost agony, being cramped and convulsed in a horrible manner, while the family were in great consternation, and weeping around him. I kneeled down to pray, but in the midst of my prayer we were interrupted by the cry of fire! fire!! fire!!! We sprang from our knees, and ran towards my house, which was all in a blaze, being an unfinished, two story frame building, open to the fresh breeze and full of shavings, lumber, shingles, etc., while a family occupied a small apartment of the same, and no water near.

“Our utmost exertions barely accomplished the removal of the family and their goods; the building, tools, boards, shingles, building materials, all were consumed in a few moments.

” Thus closed all my hesitation; my works of that nature were now all completed, and myself ready to fill my mission.

I think that similar episodes sometimes happens in our lives. We are not sure what we should do first and then we receive unexpected “help” such as Parley received and it becomes easier to overcome our “hesitations”.

For another interesting story about Parley P. Pratt see my blog, www.blog.giuseppemartinengo.com