The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In about the year 1836 or 7 (It was probably 1837. Parley recorded, "Late in July [1837] I arrived in the City of New York, on a mission, took lodgings, and commenced to preach and write.. .. During our stay in New York I made frequent visits to the country and to other towns. Branches of the Church were formed at Sing Sing, and in Jersey, and also in Brooklyn and various other parts of Long Island." (See Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, 144, 148). Both Parley and his brother Orson were bom in New York. Parley was baptized in 1830 and then baptized Orson, who was age 19. Parley was ordained an apostle in 1835. He then served missions to Pennsylvania, New York, New England, Canada, and New York again before settling in Missouri in 1838. The above quote references his second mission to New York. In 1840, he served a mission in England. Orson was ordained an apostle in 1835), Parley P. Pratt came to New York preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Abraham Washburn was soon converted (Abraham was baptized 6 February 1838 by Parley Pratt and ordained a seventy by Orson Pratt March 1838 - see Nauvoo Seventies List, P-Z, pp. 136, 63). He said this new gospel was like a light in the darkness and he thought that every one who heard it would see the 'beauty of it, but his wife felt differently. At first she fought it with all her energy.
Hearing the gospel message, ". .. was too much for this dear lady who was a staunch Methodist, yet retaining may ideas of the Quaker faith in which she had been reared.10 She was infuriated at what she had just heard, it was impossible for God to give new revelations to man; all such things had ceased with the death of the ancient prophets and apostles. This man was surely an imposter teaching false doctrines. Her righteous indignation arose and she turned on Brother [Parley] Pratt and poured out the venom of her wrath in no gentle tones. Her husband tried in vain to sooth her."
Shortly after [Abraham] was baptized in the Church, Brother Pratt was holding a meeting one evening when a messenger arrived telling Brother Washburn that his wife had fainted. As he arose to leave the room, Brother Pratt said, "Brother Washburn, be not alarmed about your wife. I promise you in the name of the Lord that she will soon be a member of this Church. " In a very few weeks she was baptized.
Abraham Washburn was raised a Quaker. Their Sabbath began Saturday evening at sundown ("The Quaker religion began in England in 1652. Quakers were reportedly frugal and plain in dress and speech. Sometimes called "The Friends," church services had no ritual, sacrament, or ordained clergy. The meeting for worship was held "on the basis of silence." Members spoke in prayer or testimony as the "Inward Light moved them." After an hour the meeting would end with members shaking hands (from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia) (Lorena Larsen, Leaves from the Book of Life of Tamer Washburn. Quakers were often not receptive to the restored gospel. A history of Orson Pratt records his visits to Jericho, LeRayville, and Antwerp, New York, predominantly Quaker communities. The settlements, "met him with a quiet audience of two. He declined to preach" - see The Life and Thought of Orson Pratt, p. 48) and ended Sunday evening at sundown. During this Sabbath, no one could laugh aloud or engage in any pleasant pastime. Brother Washburn said it was very hard for young people with their fun loving natures to keep the Sabbath day strictly. In his young manhood before he heard the gospel, he investigated other religions and felt that the Methodist was more to his liking than the others so he joined that church and persuaded all his family to join them. In his young manhood, he saw the evils of tobacco and whiskey and decided that they were very harmful, and that he would leave them entirely alone.
After joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his mind was lit up by the Spirit of the Lord and he felt that if he just explained its principles to his brothers, they would see the beauty of it immediately and join with him in his new faith, but he was sorely disappointed for though he labored diligently, they did not see the light. He was baptized February 1838 and confirmed by Parley P. Pratt, and ordained a teacher by Orson Pratt, and later an elder by one of the Pratt brothers. He was appointed and set apart by either Parley or Orson Pratt to preside over the branch of the Church at Sing Sing, New York.
On one occasion, Orson Pratt brought his wife to visit with Sister Washburn while he attended to missionary matters. The ladies in those days wore lace caps trimmed with ribbons and sometimes flowers. Sister Pratt's hat was beautifully trimmed and Sister Washburn had not yet been able to get away from her Quaker notions of perfectly plain clothing, so she asked Sister Pratt to please take off the decorations from her lace caps while she was her guest. Sister Pratt did as she was requested. In later years. Sister Washburn often related the incident, and wondered how she could have been so narrow minded.
While Abraham Washburn was presiding over this branch, Orson Pratt went to England on a mission. On arriving at New York, he stayed with Brother Washburn until his vessel sailed. The evening before he sailed, Brother Washburn asked him while they were at a meeting what about money to pay his fare. Brother Pratt said the Lord would provide. Brother Washburn intended to hand him the necessary money the next morning before going to work, but it slipped his mind. Later in the day he rushed home to give Brother Pratt the money but on arriving was told by his wife that the ship had sailed earlier than Brother Pratt had thought it would, so Brother Pratt was gone. Brother Washburn was very sad about it, and told his wife that he was sure that Brother Pratt had no money for his fare. His wife told him not to worry about Brother Pratt, for she had given him the money for his fare to England and more. She said, "From the 75 dollars which is my monthly allowance for household purposes, I have a good savings account. I have given to Brother Pratt plenty for his needs, and have a fine sum left."
Tamer Washburn, Abraham's wife, related the following vision which she had while living at Sing Sing. She thought she went to heaven. Everything was beautiful beyond description. Such beauty and order prevailed everywhere. She came to a beautiful park where children were playing. She then came to a small group and found her own two children among them, very happy and contented. The beautiful lady who had charge of the group said to her, "Do not grieve for your children, it is your privilege beforehand to see their joy and happiness here, and all the conditions which will surround them so that you will not mourn for them. " A short time after this the two children died, Daniel 11 and Elizabeth 3, and [Tamer] said she could not shed a tear because her spiritual eyes could see the vision of the beautiful place where they had gone.
Abraham and Tamer would lose three children to death while residing in Sing Sing. Their third daughter, Elizabeth Underbill, was born on 23 August 1834, but she lived less than three years, dying sometime in 1837. Daniel Abraham was born 8 September 1837. Their oldest son, Daniel, died on 6 December 1837 at age eleven. An additional daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was born 16 August 1839. How long she lived is not known, but she died sometime before 1843. The Washburn family moved to Nauvoo in the spring of 1841, leaving three graves behind.
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