Question: Did Parley P. Pratt make a prophecy in 1838 to La Roy Sutherland about the latter being struck dumb and coming to an untimely end?

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Questions

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Critics claim that the ordination blessing given to Heber C. Kimball is an example of false prophecy:

that he shall be made like unto those who have been blessed before him [see Lyman E. Johnson and Brigham Young]; and be favored with the same blessing. That he might receive visions; the ministration of angels, and hear their voice; and even come into the presence of God; that many millions may be converted by his instrumentality; that angels may waft him from place to place, and that he may stand unto the coming of our Lord, and receive a crown in the Kingdom of our God; that he be made acquainted with the day when Christ shall come; that he shall be made perfect in faith; and that the deaf shall hear, the lame shall walk, the blind shall see, and greater things than these shall he do; that he shall have boldness of speech before the nations, and great power.^[1]

To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, [[../CriticalSources|click here]]

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Answer

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Parley P. Pratt is here really more (mis)reading scripture than coming up with a prophecy out of the blue. He was mistaken, but this causes no problem for believers--even apostles can be wrong, and an isolated apostle has no right to declare binding doctrine. New revelation would always come to the prophet--which Parley likely knew, but he just thought his reading of the scripture was obviously correct, so felt no fear in making it. But, we must remember he came out of a long religious background before joining the Church in which he had a deep sense of the second coming's urgency and imminence. So, what seemed a "natural" reading to him just wasn't.

== Notes ==

1. [note]  History of the Church, 2:189. Volume 2 link