The Reply

This letter was wriiten by Rey L. Pratt to Jesus M. Widow Of Monroy as a reply of the letter that she sent the August 27, 1915 relating the fact of the execution of his son Rafael and the brother Vicente Morales.

This reply was inserted in the manuscript "Como llego el Evangelio restaurado al pueblo de San Marcos, Tula de Allende, Estado de Hidalgo", (How arrived the Restored Gospel to the town of San Marcos, Tula of Allende, State of Hidalgo)” by Guadalupe Monroy Mera (Rafael’s sister). This document is in Spanish only. she wrote:

El día 28 de octubre de 1915 habíamos recibido carta del Presidente Pratt, contestación de una carta que mi mamá había escrito con fecha de 27 de agosto. La carta del Presidente Pratt decía así:

On October 28, 1915 we received a letter from President Pratt, answering a letter that my mother had written dated August 27. The letter from President Pratt said:

Manassa, Colorado. October 21, 1915

Mrs. Jesus M. Widow Of Monroy

San Marcos, Hidalgo, Mexico

My highly dear and well beloved sister:

In my possession is your kind and sad letter, dated last August 27, which gave me sorrow and inexplicable sadness by the sad and terrible news that letter contain and I am unable to answer it due the great grief I feel.

And if the loss of a true and faithful brother as was brother Rafael and also the brother Vicente, is for me a great grief, I can undesrtand how much will not be for her adored mother!, wife, little daughter, and sisters and all the brothers on which he had presided with dignity in the branch of San Marcos. But truly is, sister, I can say that I loved the brother Rafael like my blood brother and hearing the news of his tragic death, I feel a big sorrow same than I would feel to see die my own blood brother.

But there is one thing that gives me hope, comfort and even joy in all this grief that all grief I am suffering because of what has happened to our dear brother Rafael is to contemplate the nobility of his life, doesn't matter He didn't deserve the death at the hands of none men and He died doing the rightful instead of doing unjust things.

Died as martyr for the Gospel of Christ and He will receive the crown of a martyr in the kingdom of God.

He died as he lived after receiving the gospel, faithfull to his convictions and faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord and faithful in keeping the covenants he made with God in the waters of baptism and faithful in honoring the priesthood he had received and also the call of President of the Branch of San Marcos, always doing everything in his hands for the welfare of the brothers of the Branch and also doing everything possible to spread the good news and the light of the Gospel among those who were in darkness, even if that preaching was among his enemies and those who hated him because of the gospel that he had accepted and he was teaching.

What else could have made this man? And because of that I am entirely sure that everything goes well for him and He will receive eternal life and exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

I know that the separation is hard and almost we do not know how to live without him in this life, again we must console ourselves with the thought that " He has fought a good fight, He has finished his course, He has kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give him at that day: and not to him only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”

Although the separation here is hard, we are confident that in the resurrection of the dead, we shall all be gathered together again. You'll have your son, his wife her husband and Conchita will have her father, and I will have my faithful and beloved brother and friend, if we all live up to the end of our lives as he lived and died faithful in every way as he died.

On the advice you ask me, sister, for you and all your family, about leaving their homes and country and seek refuge in the United States, I have thought a lot the matter seriously to advise well. In one hand I recognize how difficult it will stay there and in the other hand, I know how hard to get out and come to an unknown country and move it very difficult because of not know the language, and also you are not accustomed to the weather here, specially for the rigor in Winter.

But in recent Paper News that have come into my hands I have seen that the governments of the United States and South America have recognized the Government of General Carranza and I also noticed that most of the country is under the government of the mentioned General, I have judged, if this is the case, it would be better to remain at home, in hope that soon will end the intolerable state of affairs that has existed in Mexico for so long.

As regards the place of San Antonio, Texas, mentioned by Mr. Cowley, is a place very far from any branch of the Church and would be there entirely alone of all the brothers of the Church.

But in the case that in future it would necessary you leave of Mexico, I will do my best to direct you and your family to some place where you can be among the brethren of the Church and at the same time in a climate that is not as rigorous and where you can find something to do to help make a living.

You see, by the head of this letter, that we are now in the State of Colorado, having moved just last week. I've been to this place by three months, struggling to open a mission among Mexicans living in these places, but my wife and my family have been in Salt Lake City, but now we are all here.

But where we are is one of the coldest city throughout the U.S. and winters are very terrible. But we are all in good health thanks to the Lord, and joy in announce you we have a new girl. She is two months old and Sister Pratt is in very good health.

The news of the death of the brothers Rafael and Vicente, caused the deepest sorrow and sadness for all my family. For this letter all send their heartfelt sympathy, asking that God's Spirit has come upon each one of you to comfort them as only the Spirit can comfort.

From Mr. McVey I have received a letter that he had received news of the death of Raphael by a letter that Mr. Bailey had written, he having just received news that Mr. Cowley has reached where he is.

Mr. McVey feels great pain and a willingness to help the whole family on everything from you, at this time of travail. He says he has written to Natalia every week, but it has not received any letters since leaving Mexico. I'm going to write today in response to your letter.

In the new mission here seems that the Lord is blessing me, because everywhere want to hear the Gospel message, and I'm so busy I hardly have time to write. But my job here, merely temporary, and the Work is to begin here and wait for the official church for me to go to Mexico as soon as the conditions there are made in peace, so we can again work in the proclamation of Gospel.

Well, my dear sister, I ask for you and for those of his esteemed family, the richest blessings of the Lord and that He will send His consolation at all times of such distress. Eagerly I hope to see the day when I may return and be with my dear brothers in the mission and share with them their joys and sorrows and sufferings and help as possible to relieve this suffering and that day will be one of the most happy days in my life.

I am sorry the communications are breakdown that make letters on the road so long, but I hope this letter reaches you without much delay in your hands, finding them all well and enjoying the blessings of the Lord.

My dear sister,for me, your faith and resignation manifested in this your hour of trial and tribulation, has been one of the greatest inspirations of my life, and I thank the Lord for you and your happiness in your cause.

Please warmly greetings by all of us to all members of his esteemed family and all the brothers. And you get the truest love of me and my wife, my sister and all my children who always want to stay as their brothers kindly in the Gospel of Christ.

Rey L Pratt

Guadalupe Monroy wrote:

Esta carta nos sirvió de un gran consuelo a nuestras penas y la respuesta a nuestra pregunta de qué haremos. Esto era el resultado que esperáramos el mejor tiempo de las condiciones políticas. Esperar resignadas a que llegara el día cuando viniera el hermano Pratt

This letter served us a great comfort to our grief and the answer to our question of what we will do. This was the response to expect the best time of political conditions. Wait with resignation the day when the brother Pratt came back.