| Apostle, missionary,
pamphleteer, cosmologist. Coverage primarily 1830–1839. |
| Born |
|
September 19, 1811
in Hartford, Washington county, New York |
|
Orson Pratt journals,
7. |
| Died |
|
October 3, 1881
in Salt Lake City |
|
|
| Father |
|
Jared Pratt |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 6. |
| Mother |
|
Charity Dickinson |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 6. |
| Events |
|
For pre-Mormon years, see Orson Pratt (h1) |
|
|
| Baptized |
|
September 19, 1830
baptized on his 19th birthday by his brother, Parley. |
|
¶
Orson Pratt (h1); ¶
Parley P. Pratt (h); Orson Pratt journals, 9. |
| Called |
|
November 4 called to preach to "a crooked and
perverse generation." |
|
¶ D&C
34:6 |
| Elder |
|
December 1, 1830 ordained an elder by Joseph
Smith. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h1) |
| Chosen, ordained, sanctified |
|
December 2, 1830 Joseph writes Colesville
brethren that Orson is one whom "the
Lord hath called, chosen, ordained, sanctified and sent unto you another
Servant and apostle …" |
|
Early documents 1:19. |
| Colesville |
|
December 1830 Colesville, Broome
county, New York (less than a month). |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h1); Orson Pratt journals, 10. |
| Kirtland |
|
February 27, 1831 arrives in Kirtland with Samuel Smith. |
|
¶ Joseph
to Hyrum, March 3–4, 1831 |
| Northeastern Ohio |
|
Spring 1831 one month mission with Lyman Wight (h)
(swh) about 100
miles west of Kirtland; then east with Parley (h) to Rome and
Thompson, Ohio. |
|
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| Eastern states |
|
January 25, 1832 witnesses Joseph Smith ordained
president of the High Priesthood at general conference in Amherst,
Ohio. Oliver
is among 22 missionaries called. He and Lyman
E. Johnson are called
to "the eastern countries." They leave February 3 and travel through
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York city, and Long Island, holding thirty
meetings. |
|
¶ Presidents
of the High Priesthood
¶ D&C 75:14
¶ Orson Pratt (h1) |
| Jackson county |
|
June [6], 1831 called on journey to Missouri with Parley. "On
our way we held about fifty meetings, and baptized five in Peru,
Delaware county, Ohio, and six in Vermillion county, Illinois." Orson
recalls that they arrived in Independence in late August, Parley recalls
it was September. In either case, it was after Joseph Smith's party had
arrived (July 14), dedicated the temple site (August 4), and left for Kirtland
(August 9). |
|
¶ D&C 52:26
¶ Orson Pratt (h1)
Parley P. Pratt, 84. |
| High priest |
|
February 2, 1832 ordained a high priest by Sidney Rigdon,
probably in Hiram, Ohio. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 12. |
| |
|
February 3, 1832 begins year-long mission to the east with Lyman E. Johnson, traveling through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and New Hampshire. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 12–16. |
| Raises corpse after three days |
|
[Summer 1832] During the same summer, it is said, a young
girl whose parents, David Rosenburger and wife, lived near Hyde Lake, not
far from Theresa, [New York], apparently died after a short illness. Her
parents, converts to the new faith, kept the body for three days unburied,
until the arrival of Orson Pratt, who, after
praying beside the corpse and anointing the brow from the strange vase
of ointment asked that all leave the room, and a moment later, recalled
the weeping friends to show them their daughter, restored to life. Even
the adherents to the new faith doubted this miracle, it is said, and there
was a falling off in attendance at the Mormon meetings. |
|
Watertown Daily Times, Dec.
10, 1898, excerpted in Jefferson county genealogy 12, no. 1 (Apr. 11, 2002):
9. |
| Kirtland |
|
February 17, 1833 returns to Kirtland, having traveled "near 4,000 miles, … baptized 104 persons and organized several new branches of the church." |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 16. |
| |
|
[February 18, 1833:] Washed my hands and feet as a testimony unto the Lord that I had warned this wicked generation, and that my garments were clean of their blood, and on the same day I was admitted into the school of the Prophets. During my attendance at this school, I boarded with the Prophet Joseph, from whom I received much good instruction. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 16. |
| Eastern states |
|
March 26, 1833 begins mission to the East with Lyman
E. Johnson, returning September 28, 1833. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 16, 26. |
| |
|
November 27, 1833 leaves for New York with Lyman E. Johnson, returning February 13, 1834 |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 26, 32. |
| Fund raising |
|
February 20, 1834 Kirtland high council assigns Orson and
go east with Orson Hyde "to obtain donations for Zion, and means to redeem
the farm on which the house of the Lord Stands." |
|
Minutes of February 20, 1834 |
| |
|
February 22–March 17, 1834 preaches in Cleveland, Newbury Center, Painesville, and Thompson, Ohio; Springfield, Elk Creek, Westfield, China, and Geneseo, New York, where he is appointed to a mission with John Murdock. |
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Orson Pratt journals, 26, 32, 35// ¶ Orson Pratt (h2) |
| |
|
March 20, 1834 travels with John Murdock raising volunteers for Zion's Camp and baptizing twenty-four in New York, returning to Kirtland, April 24. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 35, 39. |
| |
|
April 26, 1834 copies revelations for Joseph Smith. |
|
SHOWREF=opj], 39. |
| Zion's Camp |
|
May 1, 1834 leads a company of
20 men—the first group of Zion's Camp members—twenty miles south to Aurora. to leave Kirtland to redeem Zion, to Aurora is the first to leave Kirtland to redeem Zion. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 40. |
| New Portage |
|
May 4, 1834 (Sunday) in New
Portage, addresses camp on the second coming and millennium,
and "the
Saints inheriting the earth forever." |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 40. |
| |
|
May 6, 1834 Joseph arrives at New Portage with
a hundred volunteers. |
|
¶ Heber's
Zion's Camp (1); Orson Pratt journals, 40. |
| Companies organized |
|
May 8, 1834 camp is divided into companies of 12
or 13 each. "… behold the presence of the Lord was
with us by day and by night and his Angel went before us to prepare the
way." |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 40; ¶ Heber's
Zion's Camp (1). |
| High council |
|
July 7, 1834 member of high council in Clay County, Missouri. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 42; Minutes
of July 7, 1834 |
| Clay County refugees |
|
July 12, 1834 designated one of a half dozen men to "visit
the scattered brethren and teach them in the ways of truth and holiness, &c." |
|
¶ Minutes of July
12, 1834 |
| Apostle |
|
April [5?] 26, 1835 ordained an apostle by Oliver
Cowdery and David Whitmer. |
|
MS 27, no. 6 (Feb. 11, 1865): 87. Cp. Heber C. Kimball journal in Woman's view,
54: "Sunday morning, April 5. The Twelve had not all as yet been
together, and as the time drew near that we should bear our testimony
unto our brethren and friends. We were all assembled together with the
exception of Brother Orson Pratt, who had not yet been with us. At the
time we were praying and wishing for his arrival, while opening the meeting,
he entered the house, and we rejoiced at his presence, and thanked the
Lord for it. He was then ordained, and we proceeded to speak according
to our ages. … Sunday, 26th, we received our charge from Joseph
Smith the Prophet." |
| Summer mission east |
|
June through September 1835 mission with the
Twelve, proselyting and fund-raising mission with the Twelve to New England. |
|
Orson's thoughts, 42–43. |
| Conferences |
|
Attends conferences with the Twelve as they travel eastward
through New York: Westfield,
Chautauqua County; Freedom,
Cattaraugus County; Lyons, Wayne
County; Pillar Point, Jefferson County; Plattsburg,
Clinton county. At Plattsburg, Orson and Heber C. Kimball leave the rest
of the Twelve and go to by steamboat
to St. Albans, Vermont. |
|
¶ Heber
C. Kimball (h3)
Minutes of May 22–25, 1835 |
| |
|
October and November, 1835 western Pennsylvania. |
|
Orson's thoughts, 43. |
| England |
|
August 29, 1839 leaves
Nauvoo for England, |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 103. |
| Nauvoo |
|
July 1841 returns to Nauvoo. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 142. |
| Eastern states |
|
July 1, 1843 leaves on mission to the eastern states,
returning in October. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 200, 204. |
| Eastern states |
|
July 21, 1845 leaves on mission to the eastern states, returning
December 11, 1845. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 242, 313. |
| Positions |
|
May 1, 1834 captain
of ten in Zion's Camp. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 40. |
| New
York |
|
Spring
1837 presides over the Saints in New York. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 94. |
| University
of Nauvoo |
|
August 10, 1841
professor, University of the City of Nauvoo. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 144. |
| Captain
of Fifty |
|
March 9, 1846 captain
of fifty in the Pioneer Company. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 326. |
| Baptized |
|
September 19, 1830 baptized |
|
¶
Orson Pratt (h1) |
| Joseph
blesses |
|
November 4, 1830 Joseph gives Orson a blessing |
|
|
| Confirmed |
|
December
1, 1830 confirmed a member of the Church of Christ. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 10. |
| Arrives
Kirtland |
|
February 27, 1831
arrives in Kirtland, Ohio
with Samuel H.
Smith. |
|
Journal history |
| Journey to Missouri |
|
Summer 1831 travels with Parley to Independence. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h1) |
| Ordained
high priest |
|
February 2, 1832 ordained a high priest by Sidney
Rigdon. |
|
¶
Orson Pratt (h1) |
| Vermont |
|
October 12–14, 1832 preaches in Jay, Vermont. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Mission
to Boston |
|
September 24, 1833 begins mission to Boston with Lyman
E. Johnson (h). |
|
¶
Orson Pratt (h1) |
| Pennsylvania |
|
December 11, 1833 attends conference in Girard, Erie county,
Pennsylvania with Lyman E. Johnson and John
Murdock. |
|
|
| Returns |
|
February 13, 1834 returns from mission to Boston, "Elder
Lyman E. Johnson having arrived a few days before me. I had been absent
two months and a half." |
|
MS 27, no. 5 (Feb. 4, 1865): 73. |
| Raise an army |
|
February 24, 1834
called with Orson
Pratt "to assist in gathering up the strength of the Lord's
House, preparatory to the redemption of Zion." They leave for New York two days later.
Kirtland, arriving in Geneseo, New
York, March 15. |
|
¶ D&C
103:40
Orson Pratt journals, 34. |
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| Kentucky |
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January 1835 baptizes in Licking
River, Kentucky. |
|
[SHOWRREF-jh], Jan. 22, 1835 // ¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Apostle |
|
February 14, 1835 chosen one of the first Twelve Apostles
by Oliver Cowdery, David
Whitmer, and Martin Harris. |
|
Minutes of February
14, 1835 |
| Ordained apostle |
|
February 21, 1835 receives ordination blessing
as an apostle. |
|
Minutes
of February 21, 1835 |
| Mission blessing |
|
Sunday morning April 5,
1835.—The Twelve had not all as yet been together … and as
the time drew near that we should travel to the east, we appointed this
day to bear our testimony unto our brethren and friends. We were all
assembled together with the exception of Brother Orson Pratt who had
not yet been with us.—At this time while we were praying, and wishing
for his arrival, while opening the meeting he entered the house, we rejoiced
at his presence, and thanked the Lord for it. |
|
Heber extracts in TS
6, no. 7 (Apr. 15, 1845): 869. |
| Mission of the Twelve |
|
May 4, 1835 leaves with the Twelve on a mission
through New York and New England. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Baptizes
future wife |
|
June
18, 1835 baptizes Sarah Marinda Bates (1817–1888) (future wife) near
Sackets Harbor, New York on the
east shore of Lake Erie. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| New Hampshire |
|
Late July–early September 1835 preaches almost daily
in New Hampshire, "in towns where they had not before heard,
baptized a few, and then returned to Kirtland." |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Kirtland |
|
September 1835 arrives in Kirtland. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Twelve meet with the presidency |
|
September 26, 1835 The Twelve meet with
the "council of the Presidency of the Church" about letters William
E. McLellin and Orson Hyde have written about Sidney's school. The two
confess and are forgiven. |
|
Minutes of September 26, 1835 |
| Boards with Sidney |
|
October 1, 1835 begins boarding with Sidney
Rigdon. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 72. |
| Beaver county Pennsylvania |
|
October 14, 1835 leaves on mission to the Ohio
river, preaching by the way. Spends 2–3 weeks in Beaver county,
western Pennsylvania. Holds sixteen meetings, baptizes "a few," organizes
a church, and ordains Dr. Samuel Avard an elder to preside. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Kirtland |
|
November 16, 1835 returns to Kirtland. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Teaches, studies |
|
December 1835 teaches grammar school in the evenings, studies
Hebrew for about eight weeks with Professor Seixas. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Mission east and Canada |
|
April 6, 1836 leaves on a mission to the East and Canada
with Parley and Freedom Nickerson.
"Preached about
two months; baptized several." |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2); Orson Pratt journals, 75. |
| Jefferson county, New York |
|
[June 4, 1836:] Took the steamer for Oswego; commenced preaching
in Jefferson county [New York] and the regions adjoining; baptized many,
and raised up some new Branches. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| New York |
|
June 13, 1836 Orson and Luke
Johnson are joined by Heber C. Kimball in Sackets
Harbor. |
|
MA 3, no.
4 (Jan. 1837): 439. |
| Henderson, New York |
|
July 4, 1836 Luke
Johnson marries
Orson and Sarah Marinda Bates in Henderson, Jefferson
county, New York <>. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Kirtland |
|
October 12, 1836 arrives in Kirtland. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Henderson, New York |
|
Mid-August 1837 moves family back to Henderson, New York. |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| New York City |
|
Spring 1838 moves to New
York City to replace Parley presiding over church
there. "I preached diligently
among them some six or seven months; baptized many." |
|
¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Parley's
escape |
|
July 4, 1839 helps
Parley escape from prison. |
|
Orson Pratt journals 101. |
| Publishes First Vision account |
|
[September–October 1840] publishes A Interesting
Account of Several Remarkable Visions, and of the late Discovery of Ancient
American Records, first published account of the First Vision. |
|
Orson Pratt's Account of the First Vision |
| Excommunicated |
|
August 20, 1842
excommunicated. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 181. |
| Rebaptized |
|
January 20, 1843
rebaptized, re-ordained an apostle. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 188. |
| Endowed |
|
December 23, 1843
endowed in Joseph's home. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 209. |
| Second
anointing |
|
January 26, 1844
second anointing in Brigham Young's home |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 209 |
| Memorial
to Congress |
|
March 1844 leaves
Nauvoo to deliver memorial to Congress |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 211. |
| Martyrdom |
|
July 16, 1844
learns of the martyrdom. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 218. |
| Disfellowshipped |
|
January 11, 1846
disfellowshipped, returning to full fellowship later that month. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 496. |
| Leaves
Nauvoo |
|
February 14, 1846
leaves Nauvoo for the west. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 316. |
| Lay
out Winter Quarters |
|
October 1846 helps
lay out Winter Quarters. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 363. |
| Pioneer
company |
|
April 7, 1847 leaves
Winter Quarters with Pioneer Company |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 379. |
| Odometer |
|
May 10, 1847 invents odometer. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 391. |
| Enters
Salt Lake Valley |
|
July 22, 1847 first Saint
to enter the Salt Lake Valley. |
|
Orson Pratt journals, 454. |
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Families |
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|
| Wife |
|
Sarah Marinda
Bates (1817–1888) md. July 4, 1836 in Henderson, New York < |
|
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| Children |
|
Orson
Jr., b. July 11, 1837, Kirtland
Celestia Larissa, b. May 10, 1842, Nauvoo
Sarah Marinda, b. October 27, 1844, Nauvoo; d. July 26, 1845, Nauvoo
Vanson, b. January 1846 in Nauvoo; d. July 28, 1847, Winter Quarters
Laron, b. July 10, 1847, Winter Quarters |
|
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| Wife |
|
Charlotte Bishop,
b. March 19, 1824, Crown Point, New York; md. fall 1844, Nauvoo by Brigham
Young; left Orson in 1845 to marry a Mr. Tyler. |
|
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| Wife |
|
Adelia Ann Bishop,
b. November 5, 1826, Crown Point, New York; md. December 13, 1844, Nauvoo
by Heber C. Kimball. |
|
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| Child |
|
Lucy Adelia Bishop,
b. September 15, 1847, Winter Quarters. |
|
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| Wife |
|
Mary Ann Merrill,
b. June 2, 1819, Southold, Long Island, New York; md. March 27, 1845 in
Nauvoo by Brigham Young. |
|
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| Wife |
|
Sarah Louise
Chandler, b. March 12, 1822 or 1823, Stoddard, New Hampshire; md. 1846;
d. June 12, 1846 about 50 miles west of Mt. Pisgah, Iowa on west bank of
Platt river. |
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Orson Pratt (h1)
Orson Pratt (h2)
Parley P. Pratt (h)
Biographies
|