The McBlog: Dundee Tales: Pratt's Hill

Pratt's Hill or Arthur's Seat

Each transfer, President and Sister Brown climb up Pratt’s Hill (or Arthur’s Seat) twice, first with the departing missionaries on Tuesday and then with the arriving missionaries on Wednesday. When they get to the top, each missionary goes off by him/herself, prays and contemplates about their mission, makes and reviews goals, etc. They then come back together and sing High on the Mountain Top, and have a prayer together. Each missionary gets a bookmark that has the hymn on one side and the following on the other side:

Orson Pratt came to Edinburgh as a missionary in the spring of 1840. He was 28 years old and one of the original apostles of the restoration, having been converted in Canada. His first companion was Samuel Mulliner, a native Scot, also converted in Canada. Soon after arriving in Edinburgh Orson climbed Arthur's Seat (known to LDS church members as “Pratt's Hill”). There he petitioned the Lord for 200 souls. The two men worked tirelessly preaching in the streets every day and seven times on Sundays. Progress was very slow at first. By the end of the summer they had only 23 baptisms, 7 of which were relatives of Samuel. However by the end of March the following year his prayer had been answered and in the Millennial Star he reported "1 left upwards of 200 disciples under the watch-care of George D Watt, a faithful and humble brother from Preston in England."

On New Year's Day in 1976, with snow lightly falling, Mission President Derek Cuthbert, his wife Muriel, some of their children and a few missionaries, followed Orson's example and climbed Arthur's Seat. There was only one stake In Scotland formed 13 years previously. A special prayer was offered for 300 men to be raised up to provide future leadership for further stakes of Zion in Scotland. In 1980 Mission President Lamar Poulton received the following telegram "Will be in Scotland on 12^th October to form Stakes in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley. Most historic day in Scotland since Battle of Bannockburn-- David B. Haight.”

On 1^st Jan 2013 President & Sister Brown with a few missionaries prayed for priesthood strength so that Limerick District can be made a Stake.

President and Sister Brown nearing the top.

The Young Missionaries coming up the hill
(white specks in the upper right).

We did not do this when we arrived in Scotland, and likely will not do it when we leave, as the senior missionaries are not on the same “transfer schedule” as the young missionaries. So we decided to do it last week. We had been told that they would leave the mission home for Pratt's Hill between 11 am and noon, so we planned to get there about 10:45. On our way to Edinburgh, they called and said that they were leaving at 10:30 and so it was decided that we would meet them there. We actually got there first. It was a good hike up to the top, and we were able to watch the young missionaries climb up the hill.
Unfortunately, the weather was not the best and it was quite windy, foggy and cold on top. I had thought it would be warm, so I only wore a short-sleeve shirt; I was cold. But it was wonderful to be up there with other missionaries as we pondered about how best to "Hasten the Work."