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Pratt, Orson, 1811-1881

 Person

Biography

Orson Pratt (1811-1881) was a religious leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soon after it was founded.

Orson Pratt was born in New York in 1811. He was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by his brother, Parley P. Pratt. Orson was baptized in 1830 and became a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He served two missions in the British Isles and also aided in establishing missionary work in Austria. He was excommunicated for a brief period in 1842 due to a disagreement with the prophet Joseph Smith about polygamy, but he was re-baptized soon after and again joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He migrated west with Brigham Young and the rest of the members of the Church after Joseph Smith's death.

Citation:
Wikipedia, via WWW, April 5, 2021 (Orson Pratt born in New York in 1811; Introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by his brother, Parley P. Pratt; Baptized in 1830 and became a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He served two missions in the British Isles and also aided in establishing missionary work in Austria; Excommunicated for a brief period in 1842 due to a disagreement with the prophet Joseph Smith about polygamy, re-baptized soon after and again joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Migrated west with Brigham Young and the rest of the members of the Church after Joseph Smith's death.)

Found in 8 Collections and/or Records:

William Snow autobiography

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Vault MSS 60
Scope and Contents

Handwritten autobiographical materials. Snow writes about his early life in Vermont, conversion to the Mormon Church, and missionary work. Some genealogy and patriarchal blessings are included. Snow made the overland journey by ox team from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City in 1850. He writes of numerous deaths from cholera, problems with company discipline, and travelling conditions.

Dates: 1850

George Crane autobiography

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230336551]
Identifier: MSS 450
Scope and Contents

Handwritten autobiography composed near the year 1912. Crane was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after he heard Orson Pratt (1811-1881), apostle for that religion, speak in England in 1864. He later served as president of the Wandsworth Branch of the Church. He migrated to Utah. Crane also writes about his courtship and marriage and about his mission to England from 1878 to 1880.

Dates: 1912

Orson Pratt correspondence

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230308527]
Identifier: MSS SC 1065
Scope and Contents

Photocopies of two letters. One, dated 30 April 1857, was sent to "my dear wife Juliaett" from Orson and deals with family matters. The other, dated 26 Jan. 1851, was written by Louisa P. Pratt (wife of Orson) to "dear cousin Jane." This missive was written while Louisa was with Orson on a mission to the Tahitian Islands. It describes the island of Tapai in that group and gives an account of missionary activities there.

Dates: 1851-1857

Orson Pratt letter to Lucy Mack Smith

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230321280]
Identifier: MSS SC 2288
Scope and Contents

Photocopy of a handwritten letter dated 16 Jan. 1854 and addressed to Lucy Mack Smith (1775-1856), mother of the Joseph Smith (1805-1844) who was the first president of the Mormon Church. Pratt writes from Washington, DC and informs Smith that he has purchased some manuscripts and refers to his attempts to get a book published relating to the Mormons.

Dates: 1854 January 16

Orson Pratt letter to Brigham Young

 Collection — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197233287132]
Identifier: Vault MSS 183
Scope and Contents

Handwritten and signed letter, dated 4 Sept. 1845, and addressed to Brigham Young, the second president of the Mormon Church. Pratt writes from New York City describing the contition of the Mormon Church in the eastern United States. The item was published in the Brigham Young University Friends of the Library Series.

Dates: 1845 September 4

Orson Pratt letter to Nathaniel H. Felt

 Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Vault MSS 213
Scope and Contents

Handwritten and signed letter, dated December 11, 1866, and addressed to Nathaniel H. Felt from Orson Pratt. Pratt writes concerning the mission for the Church in Great Britain.

Dates: 1866 December 11

Katharine Smith Salisbury correspondence

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230321272]
Identifier: MSS SC 2287
Scope and Contents

Photocopies of handwritten letters and typed copies of correspondence. Salisbury writes to the Mormon Church leaders Brigham Young (1801-1877), Orson Pratt (1811-1881), and John Taylor (1808-1887) requesting funds. One letter in the collection is from Brigham Young. Two of the items were written by Salisbury to her "Dear Sister" (probably her sister-in-law, Samantha) in 1853 and 1854 lamenting the death of a family member, "Jenkins."

Dates: 1853-1879

Erastus Fairbanks Snow papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1419
Scope and Contents

Photocopies of handwritten diaries from about 1836 to 1857, a notebook from 1848, correspondence from 1847 to 1888, financial papers from 1855 to 1883, miscellaneous items from 1840 to 1879, and copy of a revelation given in 1836 which is now found in Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 111. The materials relate to Snow's finances and activities.

Dates: 1836-1888

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Letters 6
Church Government 5
Latter Day Saint churches -- Apostles 3
Autobiographies 2
Latter Day Saints -- Correspondence 2