We are so blessed to have a record of Zerah's life, written by his own hand and passed down from generation to generation. As we consider the events in Zerah's life which eventually led to his conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I would like to share with you some of those I think are most important.
"My father (John Pulsipher, born 8 July 1749 in Pomfret, Connecticut) was absolute in his family government, kind and affectionate to all his friends. His common practice was to make a feast once a year and invite some of the poorest people there were in the town and he seemed to take pleasure in their company. I lived with him twenty-five years and never knew him to turn a beggar away empty.
When I was but a child I frequently had serious reflections but never prayed. When I was a small boy my father ws taken sick for some time. I was not much concerned till I heard some of the neighbors say that Mr. Pulsipher must die. This put me to thinking that if my father should die, a large family of small children would be left without a head to the open winter, subject to many disasters that were incident to human life. I could not bear the thought. Am inpression immediately came to me that I must go to the barn and there pray for his recovery. I turned and ran as fast as I could. When I got there I was about to bow down when something informed me that if I did should die there and never return, which scared me so that I turned and ran back as fast as my legs would carry me. But my Father in Heaven took the will for the deed and restored my father to health.
Nothing of important nature happened for a number of years till I think I was about fourteen or fifteen years of age. When one evening as I was sitting by the fireside in my father's kitchen alone, a sudden influence overpowered my mind to such an extent that I lost sight of everything on earth for some time. I never knew how long. Suffice it to say that it was necessary that more preparation should be made before I should be willing to pass the vale of death. Though I could not be reconciled to souls left in hell fire to all eternity as I had been taught by the sectarians, still there were some things among the sects that appeared reasonable. I have often heard my father say that the signs of Christ's second coming were often seen and that Christ would come before many years should pass away. And if he did not live to see it, likely his children would.
When I was about twenty-one, I married a very agreeable companion, lived with her about one year when she died, leaving one child which we named Harriet. After the death of my wife I had some anxiety about her state and condition. Consequently in answer to my desires, in a few weeks she came to me in vision and appearing natural, looked pleasant as she ever did. She sat by my side and assisted me in singing a hymn beginning thus, "That glorious day is drawing nigh when Zion's light shall shine." This she did with a seeming composure. This vision took away all the anxiety of my mind concerning her, inasmuch as she seemed to enjoy herself well. This hymn, which she introduced and sang with me, applied to the great work of the last dispensation of the fullness of times. This transpired about the year before Joseph Smith had discovered the first revelation of the work of the last days. My mind became calm as respecting her condition in the spirit world.
In the year 1814 I hired a farm at Bellows Falls on the Connecticut River, and being alone, gave my brother John the privilege to work it with me. In the fall of that season there were the most extraordinary northern lights that I had ever seen. It was the cause of many speculative notions among the people, but my father said it was the signs of the last days and of Christ's second coming. I regarded my father's remarks as specimens of good sense.
I soon wound up my business in that country and went to Pennsyvania, in Susquehanna County, a new country where there was much good timber. I built a mill, cleared a farm and married a wife by the name of Mary Brown (our direct line ancestor) a very agreeable companion by whom I have a large family of kind children. I labored very hard rafting on the Susquehanna River. Many times my life was much exposed, but I stayed in that country about eight years and removed to Onondaga county in the state of New York. I then lost my only son by the fall of a tree which caused much grief to me in that place.
I had many agreeable friends and a good society there. I bought a farm and built a mill. I also built a meeting house for the Baptist Church which I was then associated with.
In the summer of 1831 I heard a minister say that an ancient record, or golden bible, was found in Palmyra, near Manchester, which remark struck me like a shock of electricity. At the same time I thought it might be something that would give light to my mind upon principles that I had been thinking of for years. Many times I had remarked that the pure church with its gifts and graces was not on the earth. If so, I had not found it, but I should be happy enough to find it in my day. I embraced it accordingly."
You can see how the Lord's hand was in Zerah's life many years before he found the true gospel. Many of the experiences he had were a preparation to his receiving the restored gospel.
The next post will address Zerah's conversion to the gospel. If you are wondering what our connection is to the Pulsipher family let me explain. Zerah's two daughters, Mariah and Almira married Burgess brothers, William and Horace. They were sons of William Burgess, Sr.and Violate Stockwell. They joined the church in New York in 1832 and also traveled with the Saints from Kirtland to Salt Lake and beyond. These two families had a very close connection and were always together in their journeys, from Kirtland to Southern Utah. There will be many upcoming posts detailing the Burgess family and their incredible heritage to each of us.
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