{"id":44442,"date":"2023-03-12T11:22:56","date_gmt":"2023-03-12T18:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.timesandseasons.org\/?p=44442"},"modified":"2023-03-13T18:59:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T01:59:14","slug":"zerah-pulsipher-and-the-angel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2023\/03\/zerah-pulsipher-and-the-angel\/","title":{"rendered":"Zerah Pulsipher and the Angel"},"content":{"rendered":"

The other day, I came across an interesting talk from Glen L. Rudd about Moroni and his postmortal adventures. While interesting, however, it is unfortunately inaccurate on a few points. In particular, listing Zerah Pulsipher<\/a> as someone who saw the Angel Moroni is inaccurate to the statements that Pulsipher recorded about his conversion.<\/p>\n

\"Was<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The relevant section of Glen Rudd\u2019s discussion are as follows:<\/p>\n

Most people never think much about him; but Moroni is still active and busy and doing all those necessary things to help bring about the full restoration of the gospel. \u2026<\/p>\n

Moroni had the great privilege, as he walked across this American Continent, of finding a place and designating the place where the St. George temple was to be built. He also designated where the Manti Temple was to be. And it\u2019s been written that he designated Kirtland and Nauvoo and probably others. Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith 22 different times during the life of the Prophet Joseph that we know of.<\/p>\n

Now, I want to tell you the names of some of the people that saw Moroni. \u2026<\/p>\n

The ninth man to see Moroni was a man named Zera Pulsipher. He was a minister of another church. He had a vision in his barn. While he was out in the barn one day, a light descended upon him in the middle of this barn, and he looked up and saw Moroni. And Moroni blessed his life and showed him the plates. He became a Seventy in the Church. He became a high priest and became a patriarch. He\u2019s the man who converted and baptized Wilford Woodruff into the Church in 1833.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s an interesting story (and some other parts probably bear some discussion, as indicated by a post by Ardis Parshall at her blog <\/a>Keepatitchinin<\/em><\/a> and another about the Angel Moroni<\/a> over at the Latter-day Saint blog From the Desk<\/em>), but what about Zerah Pulsipher?<\/p>\n

The story that Rudd references comes from Zerah Pulsipher\u2019s autobiographical sketches. Zerah made three attempts at writing about his life later on (the latter two of which form the basis of the well-known, but haphazardly created, typescript). In his story, Zerah talks about Jared Carter coming and preaching about the Book of Mormon and testifying that he had learned that it was true through personal revelation. Zerah and his family were already acquainted and interested in the Book of Mormon, but felt like they needed more confirmation. As is written in the one of the Zerah Pulsipher autobiography<\/a> drafts:<\/p>\n

as the Preacher had s[ai]d that he had got his Knowledge from heaven and was Nothing but a man and I the same[,] that I had Just as good a right to obtain that Blesing as he[.] therefore I was determined to have that knowledge for my self which I Considered it My Privilege[.] from that time I made it a matter of fervent Prayer<\/p>\n

I think about the sevent[h] day as I was thrashing in my barn with doors shut[,] all at once there seemd to be a ray of Light from heaven which causd me to stop work for a short time but soon began it again[.] but in a few minints another Light Came above my head which Causd me to Look up[.]<\/p>\n

I thought I saw the angels with <the> book of Mormon in their hands in the attitude of sho[w]ing it to me and saying this is the great Revelation of the Last days in which all thing spoken of by the Prophets must be fulfild[.] The Vision was so open and plain that I began to rejoice Exceedingly so that I walkd the the length of my barn Crying glory hallalujah to god and the Lamb forever for some time[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Being visited by angels in vision testifying of the Book of Mormon is a powerful experience, which is something I don\u2019t intend to downplay. But it doesn\u2019t align with Rudd\u2019s claim that Zerah \u201clooked up and saw Moroni. And Moroni blessed his life and showed him the plates.\u201d The account indicates that there were multiple angels, none of which have names given. (Also, he technically doesn\u2019t state that they showed him the golden plates, just that they had \u201c<the> book of Mormon in their hands\u201d, which could be the printed edition rather than the plates.)<\/p>\n

Might other accounts that Zerah left behind lend more support to the idea that he was specifically visited by Moroni? I\u2019ve found three other accounts of what Zerah said happened. One is from a record of a Zerah Pulsipher sermon<\/a> where: \u201cElder Zera Pulsipher \u2026 bore a testimony of having seen a vision, when an angel appeared to him, having a Book of Mormon in his hand.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/a> This one is a second-hand record, but it does limit it down to one unnamed angel. The earliest attempt at a Zerah Pulsipher autobiography<\/a>, however, also includes a similar account to the one cited above, and when it comes to the vision, that account records that:<\/p>\n

Another bright<er> light presented from above with such masterly rays of Glory filld me to the running over it came with such magestty and power from above that I lookd up to see from whence it came and beheld as I thought the Angels of god with the Book of Mormon in their hands informing me that was the great work of god that was to Commence in the Last days to fulfil all the all the Prophecies that had been spoken on on that subject.[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This first-hand account that is most likely the closest to the event itself (though probably still written a couple decades later) repeats the same message of multiple angels visiting him with the Book of Mormon in their hands.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the other extant draft of a Zerah Pulsipher autobiography<\/a> states that a group of unknown angels appeared in a vision to him. He wrote that:<\/p>\n

another Light Came from above greatly Exceeding the first I Lookd up to see what it was it seemd that I saw angels one above another with the Book of Mormon in their hands saying this is a Revelation from god I was then so fild with Joy that I walkd the Barn flore criing hallaluah to god and the Lamb for ever & ever I then knew the work was of god for mys[elf.][5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This final account is, if anything, even more explicit than the others in outlining that it was multiple, not a single, angel that visited Zerah, \u201cone above another with the Book of Mormon in their hands.\u201d Given that he was seeking for a witness about the book that he had in his possession (the printed version of the Book of Mormon) and that it seems like multiple angels have copies of the book in his vision, it also seems more likely to me that they were displaying the printed version of the Book of Mormon testifying about it rather than the gold plates. Thus, to me, it is a stretch to claim that Zerah was visited by Moroni and also a stretch to claim that Zerah saw the gold plates.<\/p>\n

The source for Glen Rudd’s discussion is H. Donl Peterson, who wrote a book about Moroni. Peterson’s handling of the Pulsipher story is interesting. He titles the section about Zerah as “Zerah Pulsipher Saw the Plates and Angels,” and shares the story from the typescript, basically the same as the ones shared above. Taken alone, this aligns with the analysis above. Oddly, though, the story is shared in a chapter entitled “Moroni’s Appearances to Others” and concludes with a list of “Those who saw Moroni in a dream our in person,” and includes Zerah on that list.[9]<\/sup><\/a> No explanation is given for the leap in logic from seeing angels to seeing Moroni, but it seems that Rudd took Peterson at his word.<\/p>\n

In Glen Rudd\u2019s and H. Donl Peterson’s defense, though, it is a common element in storytelling to attach good stories about obscure people to someone more familiar. Folklorist Eric Eliason, for example, Eliason notes that J. Golden Kimball \u201cacts as a magnet, pulling in free-floating stories having to do with slightly subversive but basically benign humorous behavior,\u201d including both \u201cspecifically Mormon storytelling\u201d and stories that are \u201cnearly identical\u2013other than the details of the main character and setting\u2013to those told about colorful politicians and preachers elsewhere.\u201d[6]<\/sup><\/a> For example, he shared the following story:<\/p>\n

J. Golden Kimball was walking by his neighbor\u2019s house, and his neighbor, who was watering his garden, turned his hose on him, drenching him, and said, \u201cYou\u2019re a Mormon, right? Don\u2019t you Mormons believe in baptism by immersion?\u201d And then J. Golden Kimball, while jumping the fence and running at the man said, \u201cYes, and we also believe in the laying on of hands.\u201d[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a humorous, witty story, but the original version is not a J. Golden story – it\u2019s a Willard Bean story (of Fighting Parson fame).[8]<\/sup><\/a> Because J. Golden Kimball is associated with this type of unorthodox wit and Willard Bean is not as well-known, Kimball folklore acted as a magnet, drawing the story into its domain.<\/p>\n

What seems to have happened in the storytelling here is similar. To me, it\u2019s easy to see the appeal of attaching a story about unidentified angels with the Book of Mormon with the Angel Moroni and the Golden Plates. It\u2019s understandable. Moroni is very well known and acted here as a magnet for the story. But it\u2019s also just not accurate from a historical perspective to say that Zera Pulsipher<\/a> saw the Angel Moroni.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Footnotes:<\/p>\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a> Glen L. Rudd, \u201cThe Angel Moroni\u201d, Brigham Young University\u2013Idaho Devotional, March 11, 2003, https:\/\/www2.byui.edu\/Presentations\/transcripts\/devotionals\/2003_03_11_rudd.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a> Church History Library in Salt Lake City, MS_753_f0001_item_1-Record_book_circa_1858-1878, Zerah Pulsipher Autobiographical Sketch #2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/sup><\/a> \u201cMinutes of the General Conference\u201d, 6 October 1852, afternoon session; Millennial Star, 31 July 1852, vol. 14, p. 335. Zerah Pulsipher Sermons<\/a> collection.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/sup><\/a> \u201cZerah Pulsipher autobiographical sketch<\/a>,\u201d undated. MS 753.3. Church History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/sup><\/a> Church History Library in Salt Lake City, MS_753_f0001_item_1-Record_book_circa_1858-1878, Zerah Pulsipher Autobiographical Sketch #3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/sup><\/a> Eric A. Eliason, The J. Golden Kimball Stories<\/em> (Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield: University of Illinois Press, 2007), 9-10.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/sup><\/a> Eric A. Eliason, The J. Golden Kimball Stories<\/em> (Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield: University of Illinois Press, 2007), 61.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/sup><\/a> See, for example Marlin K. Jensen, \u201cThe Power of a Good Life,\u201d April 1994<\/a> Conference Report.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/sup><\/a> H. Donl Peterson, Moroni \u2013 Ancient Prophet Modern Messenger<\/em> (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 161-172.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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