Parley P. Pratt

Parley P. Pratt
Name	Parley P. Pratt
Birth date	April 12, 1807
Birth place	Burlington, Windham County, Vermont
Death date	May 13, 1857
Death place	Carson City, Nevada Territory
Occupation	minister, author, missionary
Spouse	Thankful H. Rich, Pleasant Green?

Parley P. Pratt was an early leader, missionary, theologian, and writer associated with the Latter Day Saint movement. A convert who became an influential apostle, Pratt organized missions across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South America, and the Pacific Islands. His hymns, journals, and polemical writings shaped the development of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the broader Restorationist milieu in the mid-19th century. Pratt's life intersected with controversies involving polygamy, frontier settlement, and violent conflict in the American West.

Early life and background

Pratt was born in Burlington in 1807 and raised in a family that moved through New York and Ohio. Influenced by revivals associated with the Second Great Awakening, he encountered preachers and movements including Methodism, Stone-Campbell movement, and followers of Alexander Campbell. In Ohio he worked as a bookbinder and saddle maker while engaging with intellectual currents connected to Transcendentalism and debates that involved figures like Orson Hyde and contemporaries such as William Miller.

Conversion and involvement in the Latter Day Saint movement

Pratt converted to the Latter Day Saint movement in the 1830s after meeting missionaries and reading texts connected to Joseph Smith. He was baptized and rapidly advanced, becoming an early apostle within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leadership alongside apostles such as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Orson Hyde. Pratt participated in the movement's relocation from Kirtland to Nauvoo and later to the Salt Lake Valley under the direction of leaders including Sidney Rigdon and Wilford Woodruff. He engaged in doctrinal debates with opponents like Alexander Campbell and critics from the Christian Union.

Missionary work and theological writings

Pratt organized and led extensive missionary campaigns to the United Kingdom where he worked with missionaries such as Orson Pratt and Edward Partridge to establish congregations in Liverpool and Manchester. He published key theological works including the polemical tract "A Voice of Warning" and hymn texts that entered Latter-day Saint hymnody alongside contributions from John Taylor and Eliza R. Snow. Pratt also proselytized in Canada with figures like Amasa Lyman, traveled to South America and the Hawaiian Islands with companions such as George Q. Cannon, and corresponded with leaders in Salt Lake City about conversion strategies and doctrinal exposition. His writings engaged controversies over celestial marriage and authority that connected to debates involving Orson Pratt (brother) and William Law.

Political activities and Nauvoo–Utah period

During the Nauvoo period Pratt served in civic and ecclesiastical roles as the movement faced opposition from figures like Joseph Smith and civic entities in Illinois. After the martyrdom of Joseph Smith Pratt aligned with the leadership of Brigham Young during the exodus to the Great Basin and the settlement of Salt Lake City. He engaged in interactions with federal officials and territorial authorities including contacts relevant to the Utah War and dealings with representatives from Washington, D.C. Pratt’s political and settlement activities intersected with the colonization of Utah Territory, establishment of Provo, and missionary outreach that involved coordination with administrators like Utah Territory governors.

Family, marriages, and controversies

Pratt’s personal life involved multiple marriages and relations that were controversial in the context of evolving doctrines on polygamy, drawing scrutiny from journalists and opponents such as Thomas L. Kane and critics in newspapers like the New York Herald. His family connections linked him to prominent Latter-day Saint families including the Pratt family and extended networks that included leaders like Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball. Domestic disputes and legal challenges arose that intersected with territorial law, sensational press coverage, and conflicts with aggrieved parties including relatives of former associates. Pratt's marriages and family arrangements became focal points during congressional and journalistic investigations into plural marriage and Mormon social practices.

Death, legacy, and influence

Pratt was killed in 1857 in the vicinity of Carson City by the estranged husband of one of his plural wives, precipitating legal and political controversy that resonated with national debates involving figures like Senator William M. Gwin and commentators in San Francisco press. His death occurred amid tensions preceding the Utah War and influenced public perceptions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the administration of President James Buchanan. Pratt’s hymns, sermons, and extensive journals continued to influence Latter-day Saint doctrine and historiography; his writings are studied alongside primary sources from Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Eliza R. Snow. Modern scholarship on Restorationism, frontier religion, and American Mormonism frequently cites Pratt in works by historians such as Richard L. Bushman, Leonard J. Arrington, D. Michael Quinn, and Jan Shipps. His role is discussed in contexts that include the history of American Westward Expansion, the development of Utah Territory, and debates over religious liberty before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Category:American Latter Day Saint leaders