author
Orson Pratt
1811–1881
A leading early Latter-day Saint thinker, he paired missionary work and church leadership with a strong interest in mathematics, astronomy, and theology. His life sits at the crossroads of faith, debate, and the building of the early Mormon movement.
5 Audiobooks
The Kingdom of God, Part 1
by Orson Pratt
The Bible and Polygamy: Does the Bible Sanction Polygamy?
by Orson Pratt, George Q. (George Quayle) Cannon, John Philip Newman, George Albert Smith
About the author
Born in New York in 1811, Orson Pratt became one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He was the brother of Parley P. Pratt and was baptized into the church in 1830, soon taking on missionary assignments and other leadership roles.
Pratt is often remembered not only as a religious leader but also as a writer and intellectual. Sources describe him as a mathematician as well as a church historian, and he published widely on theology and doctrine during the nineteenth century. His work helped explain and defend early Latter-day Saint beliefs for readers in the United States and Britain.
He died in Salt Lake City in 1881. For many readers today, his story is especially interesting because it brings together frontier religion, public controversy, and a genuine appetite for ideas.