Ways of the Lord
By C.H. Taylor about Moroni W. Pratt
In the month of June 1911, two or three days prior to Moroni W. Pratt’s going to the hospital at Salt Lake City, I was working in my garden at my home in Preston, Idaho, when suddenly it was made known to me that Brother Pratt was going to have our stone house in which we lived at the time. Although Brother Pratt and I had never talked about a transaction, I knew by the power of God it was really going to be so. I went to the house and told my wife that Brother Pratt would own our home and she asked me if he was then outside. I told her I knew not where he was but I did know there was going to be a change for Brother Pratt.
The next day Brother Pratt came down from Treasureton, where he then lived to put his hay up and his mower broke down. I went across the street where he was to see him and the first words he said to me were, “Brother Taylor, I would like to have your home”. I joked with him about moving houses and told him to move ours over on his land. He said, “If it were not a stone house I would.” But he asked me if I would make a trade with him and I told him that I would. He then asked me if I would trade my house and 25 acres for his 30 acres as he wanted a home for his good wife. I told him I would exchange and give him a $100.00 note besides. “My how good that makes me feel,” he said. “Now I will have my wife come down tomorrow from Treasureton so we can fix things up and I will have a home for her”. We rejoiced and were both filled with joy and our eyes with tears.
Sister Pratt came down the following day and went up to Attorney A. W. Hart’s office. After the deeds had been made and delivered affecting the exchange, Brother Pratt said to her, “What did I tell you Mary, when Brother Taylor was building that home?” She replied, “You made the remark then that he was building it for me, but I never thought before now that I would get it”. I turned to Brother Pratt and said, “I haven’t any squash pie or butter milk, but lets have some ice cream”. He said, “No, don’t — I don’t feel well. My time has come. I have a through ticker.”
Strange to say he turned very sick and we had to take him home and as he has said, “My time has come” so he passed on to the great reward he had earned. He was rushed to the hospital in Salt Lake City. He said, “It is useless” and despite every effort in his behalf, he passed from mortal life a few days afterward. I had always been very close to Brother Pratt since I had worked for him at Fairview, Idaho, and his good wife was like a mother to me always. I now testify that the above statement is true and one of the many promises made to me, that things should be made known to me beforehand, if I would keep the commandments of the Lord and do my part, and evidently, Brother Pratt had the same gift.
[transcript courtesy of Shirley De Hart]