Orson Pratt
Encyclopedia
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He was born in Hartford, New York
, USA, the son of Jared and Charity Dickenson Pratt.
Orson Pratt died of complications from diabetes on October 3, 1881, the last surviving member of the original Council of the Twelve.
, who introduced him to Latter Day Saint church and baptized him on his nineteenth birthday, September 19, 1830 in Canaan, New York
.
Pratt was ordained an Elder
several months later, on April 26, 1831, by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. and immediately set out for Colesville, New York
, his first mission. This was the first of a number of short missions in which Orson visited New York
, Ohio
, Missouri
, and the Eastern States. On February 2, 1832, he was ordained a High Priest by Sidney Rigdon
and as a High Priest he continued his missions, preaching in Pennsylvania
, New York
, New Jersey
, Vermont
, New Hampshire
, Connecticut
, and Massachusetts
.
Orson Pratt was a member of the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles under Joseph Smith. He was ordained to this position on April 26, 1835. He served as a member of the mission of the Twelve Apostles to the British Isles between 1839 and 1841. He contributed to the mission by preaching in Scotland
, and producing an early missionary tract, An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions. This tract contains the earliest known public printing of an account of Joseph Smith's First Vision
and also contains material similar to that later published as the 1842 Articles of Faith.
On his return to America in 1841, Pratt found the Church membership in contention over several issues. Rumors and gossip were rife in Nauvoo, Illinois
and Pratt found the religious principle of plural marriage
difficult to accept. He rebelled against Smith when he found that his wife, Sarah Pratt, accused Smith of attempting to seduce her. Pratt was disciplined and excommunicated August 20, 1842. Some months later, he reconciled with Smith and requested re-baptism. Pratt was reinstated in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 20, 1843.
administrator between 1848 and 1851. In 1850, as mission president
of the British
Mission
, Pratt told his missionaries
"[e]very soul in Britain should hear the gospel this year". Although this goal was not achieved, by the end of the year there were twice as many church members residing in Britain as in the United States.
While presiding over this mission, Pratt received a pamphlet from Lorenzo Snow
entitled "The voice of Joseph" that Snow wanted translated into French to advance his missionary efforts in northern Italy. Pratt managed to make contacts with people in Paris who were willing to do this translation.
to work in Austria
. Traveling with William W. Ritter, he was there for nine months, but did not baptize anyone. The LDS missionaries were eventually expelled by the Austrian government.
Pratt was a member of Young's initial pioneer company, the "Vanguard Company
," that crossed the plains to select a western site for Mormon colonization. His journals of this trip are an important Mormon history resource. As the group made their way from Missouri to Utah, Pratt acted as the company's scientific observer. He made regular readings with the company's scientific instruments, took notes on geological formations and mineral resources, and recorded information on plants and animals. He described snow on Laramie Peak on June 7, and noted that rock found on June 10, ...would make excellent grindstones, being of fine grit sandstone. (May, p. 57)
As a mathematician, Pratt assisted company scribe William Clayton in the design and invention of a version of the modern odometer
. Intended to compute the distance traveled per day, the design consisted of a set of wooden cog wheels attached to the hub of a wagon wheel, with the mechanism "counting" the revolutions of the wheel. The apparatus, called the "roadometer," was built by carpenter Appleton Milo Harmon
, and was first used on the morning of May 12, 1847.
With Erastus Snow
, Pratt entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 21, 1847, three days ahead of the main body of the Vanguard company. Several days later, he preached the first sermon in the Salt Lake Valley and formally dedicated the valley to the Lord.
, to lash out in an 1877 interview, Pratt and all of his wives and children struggled with poverty.
, Joseph Smith, Jr. was attracted to her and intended to make her "one of his spiritual wives
" while Orson was in England on missionary service. To Smith's proposal Sarah replied, "Am I called upon to break the marriage covenant … to my lawful husband! I never will. I care not for the blessings of Jacob, and I believe in NO SUCH revelations, neither will I consent under any circumstances. I have one good husband, and that is enough for me." Pratt issued an ultimatum to Smith: "Joseph, if you ever attempt any thing of the kind with me again, I will tell Mr. Pratt on his return home. Depend upon it, I will certainly do it," a warning that elicited the threat from Smith, "Sister Pratt, I hope you will not expose me; if I am to suffer, all suffer; so do not expose me. … If you should tell, I will ruin your reputation, remember that." After her husband Orson returned from England, Pratt later claimed an incident between Pratt and Smith at her home occurred, and "Sarah ordered the Prophet out of the house, and the Prophet used obscene language to her [declaring that he had found Bennett
in bed with her]," according to Sarah Pratt's neighbor, Mary Ettie V. Smith. Sarah told her husband about the incident; Orson took Sarah's side and confronted Smith, who denied Sarah's allegation and responded that she was Bennett's lover. The resulting estrangement between Smith and Orson Pratt, who stood by Sarah in preference to the denials of Joseph, led to Smith warning his disciple that "if [Orson] did believe his wife and follow her suggestions he would go to hell,.
However, in the local and Mormon press, Sarah Pratt was accused of having had an adulterous relationship, not with Smith, but with Bennett
, and numerous affidavits were printed in local and pro-Mormon Nauvoo
publications, including the leading councils of the church and from members such as Jacob B. Backenstos, a relative of the sheriff of Hancock County
. Van Wagoner has dismissed the adultery charges against Sarah Pratt as "highly improbable" and that J. B. Backenstos's affidavit stating that Bennett continued the adulterous relationship with Sarah Pratt after Orson returned from England could "be dismissed as slander."
Orson Pratt became estranged from the church and Smith. Wilford Woodruff
stated that "Dr. John Cook Bennett was the ruin of Orson Pratt". Van Wagoner and Walker note that, on August 20, 1842, "after four days of fruitless efforts at reconciliation, the Twelve excommunicated Pratt for 'insubordination' and Sarah for 'adultery'".
Orson soon returned to the church and denounced Bennett. Van Wagoner cites a letter written by Orson's brother Parley P. Pratt
, Orson wrote a postscript to his brother's letter: "J.C. Bennett has published lies concerning myself & family & the people with which I am connected".
.
In Utah, Pratt's strong skills in analysis and writing led Young to assign him to produce sermons and pamphlets dealing with LDS topics. He wrote sixteen pamphlets in defense of LDS doctrines, drawing on the works of Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Parley P. Pratt. These include Divine Authority, or the Question, Was Joseph Smith Sent of God? in 1848 and Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon in 1850 and 1851. Although these materials were primarily used in the mission field, Pratt was also a church spokesman on the topic of plural marriage
. At a special missionary conference in Salt Lake City in August 1852, Pratt publicly preached a sermon announcing the doctrine of plural marriage. He later published an essay in defense of the practice in 12 monthly installments in the church periodical The Seer
, which provides the most complete defense of the LDS doctrine during this period. Orson Pratt as part of his system of Mormon theology embraced the philosophical doctrine of hylozoism
. Pratt himself practiced plural marriage, having seven wives and forty-five children.
However, Pratt's views were not always without controversy. In 1865, a majority of the First Presidency
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church officially condemned some of Pratt's doctrinal writings, including some of his articles from The Seer
:
Pratt acted as Church Historian and Recorder
from 1874 until his death. He edited many church periodicals and helped divide editions of the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants into verse format and provided appropriate cross references.
, and had a strong interest in astronomy
. He offered science based lectures on these topics to early LDS audiences in Utah, and published two related books. New and Easy Method of Solution of the Cubic and Biquadratic Equations was published in 1866, and Key to the Universe was published in 1879.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He was born in Hartford, New York
Hartford, New York
Hartford is a town centrally located in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 2,279 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, USA, the son of Jared and Charity Dickenson Pratt.
Orson Pratt died of complications from diabetes on October 3, 1881, the last surviving member of the original Council of the Twelve.
Church membership and service
Orson Pratt was the younger brother of Parley P. PrattParley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
, who introduced him to Latter Day Saint church and baptized him on his nineteenth birthday, September 19, 1830 in Canaan, New York
Canaan, New York
Canaan is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,820 at the 2000 census.The Town of Canaan is in the northeast part of the county.- History :The first settlers arrived around 1759....
.
Pratt was ordained an Elder
Elder (Mormonism)
Elder is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
several months later, on April 26, 1831, by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. and immediately set out for Colesville, New York
Colesville, New York
Colesville is a town in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 5,441 at the 2000 census.The Town of Colesville is in the northeast part of the county and is northeast of Binghamton.- History :...
, his first mission. This was the first of a number of short missions in which Orson visited New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and the Eastern States. On February 2, 1832, he was ordained a High Priest by Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
and as a High Priest he continued his missions, preaching in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Orson Pratt was a member of the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles under Joseph Smith. He was ordained to this position on April 26, 1835. He served as a member of the mission of the Twelve Apostles to the British Isles between 1839 and 1841. He contributed to the mission by preaching in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and producing an early missionary tract, An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions. This tract contains the earliest known public printing of an account of Joseph Smith's First Vision
First Vision
The First Vision refers to a vision that Joseph Smith, Jr. said he received as a youth in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, which his followers call the Sacred Grove. Smith described it as a personal theophany in which he received a forgiveness of sins...
and also contains material similar to that later published as the 1842 Articles of Faith.
On his return to America in 1841, Pratt found the Church membership in contention over several issues. Rumors and gossip were rife in Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
and Pratt found the religious principle of plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
difficult to accept. He rebelled against Smith when he found that his wife, Sarah Pratt, accused Smith of attempting to seduce her. Pratt was disciplined and excommunicated August 20, 1842. Some months later, he reconciled with Smith and requested re-baptism. Pratt was reinstated in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 20, 1843.
Mission president in Britain
After settling in the western United States with the Mormon pioneers, Pratt was called to return to Europe as a missionMission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
administrator between 1848 and 1851. In 1850, as mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
, Pratt told his missionaries
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
"[e]very soul in Britain should hear the gospel this year". Although this goal was not achieved, by the end of the year there were twice as many church members residing in Britain as in the United States.
While presiding over this mission, Pratt received a pamphlet from Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
entitled "The voice of Joseph" that Snow wanted translated into French to advance his missionary efforts in northern Italy. Pratt managed to make contacts with people in Paris who were willing to do this translation.
Opening the Austrian mission
In 1865, Pratt was one of the first LDS missionariesMormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
to work in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Traveling with William W. Ritter, he was there for nine months, but did not baptize anyone. The LDS missionaries were eventually expelled by the Austrian government.
Migration west
Mormon Pioneer
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah...
," that crossed the plains to select a western site for Mormon colonization. His journals of this trip are an important Mormon history resource. As the group made their way from Missouri to Utah, Pratt acted as the company's scientific observer. He made regular readings with the company's scientific instruments, took notes on geological formations and mineral resources, and recorded information on plants and animals. He described snow on Laramie Peak on June 7, and noted that rock found on June 10, ...would make excellent grindstones, being of fine grit sandstone. (May, p. 57)
As a mathematician, Pratt assisted company scribe William Clayton in the design and invention of a version of the modern odometer
Odometer
An odometer or odograph is an instrument that indicates distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or automobile. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two. The word derives from the Greek words hodós and métron...
. Intended to compute the distance traveled per day, the design consisted of a set of wooden cog wheels attached to the hub of a wagon wheel, with the mechanism "counting" the revolutions of the wheel. The apparatus, called the "roadometer," was built by carpenter Appleton Milo Harmon
Appleton Milo Harmon
Appleton Milo Harmon was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a leading pioneer of the emigration to Salt Lake City and the settlement of Utah Territory. Harmon was born in Conneaut Pennsylvania, the son of Jesse Pierce Harmon and Annie Barnes, he married Elmeda...
, and was first used on the morning of May 12, 1847.
With Erastus Snow
Erastus Snow
Erastus Fairbanks Snow , born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1849 to 1888. Snow was also a leading figure in Mormon colonization of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.Snow Canyon State Park Erastus...
, Pratt entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 21, 1847, three days ahead of the main body of the Vanguard company. Several days later, he preached the first sermon in the Salt Lake Valley and formally dedicated the valley to the Lord.
Family and wives
Orson Pratt was married to ten women. At age 57 Pratt married a sixteen year old girl, his tenth wife Margaret Graham, younger than his daughter Celestia, causing his first wife Sarah, an outspoken critic of polygamyPolygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
, to lash out in an 1877 interview, Pratt and all of his wives and children struggled with poverty.
1842 polygamy scandal and relationship with Sarah Pratt
In 1886, Orson's wife Sarah Pratt claimed in an interview that, while in Nauvoo, IllinoisNauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
, Joseph Smith, Jr. was attracted to her and intended to make her "one of his spiritual wives
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
" while Orson was in England on missionary service. To Smith's proposal Sarah replied, "Am I called upon to break the marriage covenant … to my lawful husband! I never will. I care not for the blessings of Jacob, and I believe in NO SUCH revelations, neither will I consent under any circumstances. I have one good husband, and that is enough for me." Pratt issued an ultimatum to Smith: "Joseph, if you ever attempt any thing of the kind with me again, I will tell Mr. Pratt on his return home. Depend upon it, I will certainly do it," a warning that elicited the threat from Smith, "Sister Pratt, I hope you will not expose me; if I am to suffer, all suffer; so do not expose me. … If you should tell, I will ruin your reputation, remember that." After her husband Orson returned from England, Pratt later claimed an incident between Pratt and Smith at her home occurred, and "Sarah ordered the Prophet out of the house, and the Prophet used obscene language to her [declaring that he had found Bennett
John C. Bennett
John Cook Bennett was an American physician and a ranking and influential—but short-lived—leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, who acted as second-in-command to Joseph Smith, Jr., for a brief period in the early 1840s....
in bed with her]," according to Sarah Pratt's neighbor, Mary Ettie V. Smith. Sarah told her husband about the incident; Orson took Sarah's side and confronted Smith, who denied Sarah's allegation and responded that she was Bennett's lover. The resulting estrangement between Smith and Orson Pratt, who stood by Sarah in preference to the denials of Joseph, led to Smith warning his disciple that "if [Orson] did believe his wife and follow her suggestions he would go to hell,.
However, in the local and Mormon press, Sarah Pratt was accused of having had an adulterous relationship, not with Smith, but with Bennett
John C. Bennett
John Cook Bennett was an American physician and a ranking and influential—but short-lived—leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, who acted as second-in-command to Joseph Smith, Jr., for a brief period in the early 1840s....
, and numerous affidavits were printed in local and pro-Mormon Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
publications, including the leading councils of the church and from members such as Jacob B. Backenstos, a relative of the sheriff of Hancock County
Hancock County, Illinois
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,104, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 20,121 in 2000. Its county seat is Carthage. Hamilton is the largest city in Hancock County, with Carthage being the second largest...
. Van Wagoner has dismissed the adultery charges against Sarah Pratt as "highly improbable" and that J. B. Backenstos's affidavit stating that Bennett continued the adulterous relationship with Sarah Pratt after Orson returned from England could "be dismissed as slander."
Orson Pratt became estranged from the church and Smith. Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
stated that "Dr. John Cook Bennett was the ruin of Orson Pratt". Van Wagoner and Walker note that, on August 20, 1842, "after four days of fruitless efforts at reconciliation, the Twelve excommunicated Pratt for 'insubordination' and Sarah for 'adultery'".
Orson soon returned to the church and denounced Bennett. Van Wagoner cites a letter written by Orson's brother Parley P. Pratt
Parley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
, Orson wrote a postscript to his brother's letter: "J.C. Bennett has published lies concerning myself & family & the people with which I am connected".
List of wives and children
- Sarah Marinda BatesSarah Marinda Bates PrattSarah Marinda Bates Pratt was the first wife of Mormon Apostle and polygamist Orson Pratt and a later a critic of Mormon polygamy. She was a founder of the Anti-Polygamy Society in Salt Lake City and called herself a Mormon apostate...
- Orson Pratt, Jr.
- Declined missionary service with Brigham YoungBrigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
because "I informed you of the change that had taken place in my religious views." - Declared to church officials, "I was made a High Counciler, although I was then an unbeliever, as now … In regard to my faith … I resolved I would not accept nothing that my conscience would not receive. … I have come to the conclusion that Joseph Smith was not especially sent by the Lord to establish this work, and I cannot help it, for I could not believe otherwise, even if I knew I was to suffer for it the next moment."
- Excommunicated, 18 September 1863
- Declined missionary service with Brigham Young
- Lydia Pratt
- Celestia Larissa Pratt
- Sarah Marinda Pratt
- Vanson Pratt
- Laron Pratt
- Marlon Pratt
- Marintha Althera Pratt
- Harmel Pratt
- Arthur Pratt
- Deputy U.S. marshall
- Replied to a reported in 1882 why he was not a Mormon, "I am the son of my father's first wife, and had a mother who taught me the evils of the system."
- Excommunicated for apostasy on 5 October 1874
- Herma Ethna Pratt
- Liola Menella Pratt
- Orson Pratt, Jr.
- Charlatte Bishop
- Adelia Ann Bishop
- Lucy Adelia Bishop Pratt
- Elzina Bishop Pratt
- Lorum Bishop Pratt
- Lorus Bishop Pratt
- Eltha Bishop Pratt
- Orthena Bishop Pratt
- Mary Ann Merrill
- Milando Merrill Pratt
- Vianna Merrill Pratt
- Oradine Merrill Pratt
- Lathilla Merrill Pratt
- Valton Merrill Pratt
- Louisa Chandler
- Marian Ross
- Marian Agnes Ross Pratt
- Larinda Marissa Ross Pratt
- Milson Ross Pratt
- Irintha Pratt
- Ray Ross Pratt
- Ruby Ross Pratt
- Sarah Louisa Lewis
- Willow Lewis Pratt
- Juliaet Ann Phelps
- Alva Phelps Pratt
- Clomenia Phelps Pratt
- Ortherus Phelps Pratt
- Margaret Phelps Pratt
- Rella Phelps Pratt
- Neva Phelps Pratt
- Julius Phelps Pratt
- Eliza Crooks
- Levius Crooks Pratt
- Dora Crooks Pratt
- Jarad Crooks Pratt
- Onthew Crooks Pratt
- Samuel Crooks Pratt
- Margaret Graham
- Orlon Graham Pratt
- Pearl Graham Pratt
- Royal Graham Pratt
Writer, historian and philosopher
While in Illinois, Pratt acted as an instructor at the university in NauvooNauvoo University
Nauvoo University was a private academic institution organized by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois...
.
In Utah, Pratt's strong skills in analysis and writing led Young to assign him to produce sermons and pamphlets dealing with LDS topics. He wrote sixteen pamphlets in defense of LDS doctrines, drawing on the works of Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Parley P. Pratt. These include Divine Authority, or the Question, Was Joseph Smith Sent of God? in 1848 and Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon in 1850 and 1851. Although these materials were primarily used in the mission field, Pratt was also a church spokesman on the topic of plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. At a special missionary conference in Salt Lake City in August 1852, Pratt publicly preached a sermon announcing the doctrine of plural marriage. He later published an essay in defense of the practice in 12 monthly installments in the church periodical The Seer
The Seer (periodical)
The Seer was an official periodical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which first appeared in 1853 and was published throughout 1854.-History of publication:...
, which provides the most complete defense of the LDS doctrine during this period. Orson Pratt as part of his system of Mormon theology embraced the philosophical doctrine of hylozoism
Hylozoism
Hylozoism is the philosophical point of view that all matter is in some sense alive. This may include the view that "inanimate" matter has latent powers of abiogenesis, a widely held position in the scientific community...
. Pratt himself practiced plural marriage, having seven wives and forty-five children.
However, Pratt's views were not always without controversy. In 1865, a majority of the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church officially condemned some of Pratt's doctrinal writings, including some of his articles from The Seer
The Seer (periodical)
The Seer was an official periodical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which first appeared in 1853 and was published throughout 1854.-History of publication:...
:
"The Seer [and other writings by Pratt] contain doctrines which we cannot sanction, and which we have felt impressed to disown, so that the Saints who now live, and who may live hereafter, may not be misled by our silence, or be left to misinterpret it. Where these objectionable works, or parts of works, are bound in volumes, or otherwise, they should be cut out and destroyed."
Pratt acted as Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities...
from 1874 until his death. He edited many church periodicals and helped divide editions of the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants into verse format and provided appropriate cross references.
Science publications
Pratt was known as an accomplished mathematicianMathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, and had a strong interest in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. He offered science based lectures on these topics to early LDS audiences in Utah, and published two related books. New and Easy Method of Solution of the Cubic and Biquadratic Equations was published in 1866, and Key to the Universe was published in 1879.
See also
- Pratt-Romney familyPratt-Romney familyThe Pratt–Romney Family is the name of a U.S. political family. It is linked by marriage to the Smith Family and the Matheson Family.The Pratt–Romney Family is the name of a U.S. political family. It is linked by marriage to the Smith Family and the Matheson Family.The Pratt–Romney Family is the...
- Sarah Marinda Bates PrattSarah Marinda Bates PrattSarah Marinda Bates Pratt was the first wife of Mormon Apostle and polygamist Orson Pratt and a later a critic of Mormon polygamy. She was a founder of the Anti-Polygamy Society in Salt Lake City and called herself a Mormon apostate...