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Show Page 102 Orson Pratt read both scriptural and scientific texts with a single eye, so his conference observations occasionally seemed odd or irrelevant. During an afternoon session, which seemed to Joseph Smith a deeply spiritual meeting, "a millennium within these walls," Orson Pratt regaled the conference with a discourse on how a man's body changes completely every seven years - in what connection he made the remarks is unknown, but Joseph stood afterward and with a tone of some irritation announced that he cared not "what the theories of men are. We have the testimony that God will raise us up, and he has the power to do it. If any one supposes that any part of our bodies...ever goes into another body, he 3 is mistaken." The whole sense of the exchange is confusing and somewhat superficial, but illustrates Orson's eccentric vectors of allusion. In civic affairs, Orson was no less uncooperative. When Joseph Smith suggested in council meeting that Nauvoo pass an ordinance permitting only gold and silver specie as legal tender within the city, Orson objected to the idea, presumably because land was the customary medium of exchange. Despite Orson's objections, the ordinance went into immediate effect - the Prophet, who had been nearly ruined by land credit schemes in Kirtland, was not about to permit the same thing to happen in 4 Nauvoo. But Joseph Smith clearly had the spiritual kingdom first in his mind. In April 1843 he ordered the Twelve to resume traveling and preaching "to save their lives." Joseph commanded them not to let "a single corner of the earth go without a mission," and he said, "I want Orson Pratt should go." The next few weeks were bound up with preparation for another mission to the East, as well as civic affairs: examining Nauvoo stock, gathering means for the construction of public buildings in Nauvoo, and helping Parley build a house for his family. On July 1 Orson Pratt left Nauvoo with |
