Key to the Science of Theology (Annotated)

By: Legacy LDS Audiobook Foundation, Parley P. Pratt

Narrated by: Michael Neeb

Parley P. Pratt began to work on The Key to the Science of Theology in San Francisco in August 1851, just before leaving for his mission to Chile. He continued writing it while in Chile. He finished the manuscript upon his return to Utah in 1853. The manuscript remained unpublished, however, until 1855 when Parley found a publisher in England. Parley's book represented a lifetime of thought and built on ideas first propounded in Pratt's earlier writings, especially missionary tracts stemming from his years in England.

The impact of The Key to the Science of Theology was unparalleled. One Latter-day Saint diarist of the 19th century observed: "We had every encouragement to read the Church publications: The Voice of Warning; the Pearl of Great Price; and Key to Theology."

That Parley's writings would be on the same footing as the Pearl of Great Price, canonized in 1880, indicates the special status his works held among early Church leaders and members.

During the 22 years following its publication, a time when almost no other Church books were being written, The Key to the Science of Theology went through three more editions, suggesting that the work had the tacit approval of Brigham Young.

Indeed, in 1875, Voice of Warning and Key to the Science of Theology were the first two titles mentioned in the Church's Deseret News list of "Books worth Reading".

Parley's Key to the Science of Theology continues to be a book worth the time today, providing the modern listener insight into the early gospel thinking of Church leaders.

©2017 Mormon / LDS Audiobook Foundation (P)2017 Mormon / LDS Audiobook Foundation

Great insights

It's been on my to-read shelf for a very long time. I am glad I finally got around to it. Pratt knew and understood the gospel extremely well. I am glad for the insights he gave me. This will now make a great reference book.

Parley P. Pratt and Michael Neeb - powerful combo

Michael Neeb is an intense narrator and we put that together with one of my favorite apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and this book, which is 4 hours long, will seem like it lasted for only 30 minutes, leaving us wanting more. I finished this book today and could not say enough good things about it. Both in terms of contents and narration. Very powerful and I hope that Legacy LDS Audiobook Foundation will continue to produce these books.

What an incredible book, especially for it's time!

An absolutely incredible book, especially considering when it was written in the middle of the 1800s. Which is further testimony that it's contents are inspired and from God.

Everyone should be as studious

Great insights about Parley Pratt's understanding of the gospel. My favorite quote about the Holy Ghost is found below:

""It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine toned sympathies, joys, tasts, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being."

the reader is a bit too animated

the over animated voice was a bit distracting to the material. great subject matter. overall worth the listen.

Thought provoking but narrator was just wrong.

So I'd been wanting to listen to this book for a long time. The content is often brilliant and illuminating however the narrator was just a bad fit. If the intent is just to hammer out the text vocally as fast as possible, then great job -- however this being a doctrinal and spiritual book, they should've gotten a narrator who didn't sound like he'd be better suited reading a Mafia novel or book on motorcycle racing. Michael Neeb reads so fast and so aggressively that it's very hard to absorb the ideas. At the end of each sentence there's the quickest hiss of breath and he's nailing the next line. This would be fine if it was a review of a Mohammed Ali fight, but don't look to this audiobook for contemplation and don't expect mystic transport. Slowing down the speed didn't help much either. At best, slowed down Neeb sounds like Jack Nicholson. At worst, slowed down he sounds like a snarky barbiturate addict. I wish they'd redo this book with someone that has some feel for a spiritual presentation and isn't just blasting thru it to get a paycheck. 😂

Narrator is horrible

Really Good content- narrator almost destroys the whole thing. Please re do with another narrator

Terrible Narration

I struggled to really enjoy the content because the narrator was TERRIBLE in pacing and vocal inflection.