Orson Pratt

1811– 1881

Younger brother of Parley P. Pratt; born in Hartford, New York; baptized in 1830 by his brother; ordained an apostle, 1835; accompanied other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on mission to England, 1839; along with Erastus Snow was one of first two members of the vanguard Mormon pioneer company to enter the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847; served as editor of the Millennial Star, 1848–50, and the Seer, 1853–54; chosen by Brigham Young to publicly announce the Latter-day Saint practice of plural marriage in August 1852; a prolific writer who published numerous tracts and books on gospel subjects, several of which were used by the Latter-day Saint missionaries in Hawai‘i; died in Salt Lake City. (See Jenson, BE, 1:87–91; Whitney, History of Utah, 4:25–29; England, Life and Thought of Orson Pratt; Pratt, Essential Orson Pratt; Whittaker, “Bone in the Throat”; Conquerors of the West, 3:2090–96; GQC journal, Dec. 21, 1850; Nov. 13, 1852; Mar. 7, 11, 1853; Apr. 12, 1854.)