Parley Parker Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother William to acquire land, 1823. Affiliated with Baptist church, ca. 1825. Lived in Ohio, 1826–1827. Married first Thankful Halsey, 9 Sept. 1827, at Canaan, Columbia Co., New York. Converted to reformed Baptist (later Disciples of Christ or Campbellite) faith by Sidney Rigdon, 1829. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ordained an elder by Oliver Cowdery, 1 Sept. 1830, at Seneca Lake, Seneca Co., New York. Served mission to unorganized Indian Territory and Missouri with Oliver Cowdery and others, 1830–1831. En route, stopped at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, and vicinity; missionaries baptized some 130 individuals. Returned to Kirtland, 3 Apr. 1831. Ordained a high priest by Lyman Wight, 4 June 1831. Served mission to western U.S., 7 June 1831–May 1832. Moved to Jackson Co., Missouri, summer 1832. Appointed president of Elders School in Jackson Co. Left to serve mission to eastern U.S., Mar. 1834. Participated in Camp of Israel expedition to Missouri, 1834. Moved to Kirtland, Oct. 1834. Ordained member of Quorum of the Twelve by JS, David Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery, 21 Feb. 1835. Served mission to eastern U.S., spring–28 Aug. 1835. Served mission to Canada, Apr.–June 1836. Stockholder in Kirtland Safety Society. Wife died, 25 Mar. 1837. Married second Mary Ann Frost Stearns, 14 May 1837, at Kirtland. Left to serve mission to New York City, July 1837. Moved to Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri, Apr. 1838. Participated in skirmish at Crooked River, near Ray Co., Missouri, 25 Oct. 1838. Jailed at Richmond, Ray Co., and Columbia, Boone Co., Missouri, 1838–1839. Reunited with family, 11 July 1839, in Illinois. Served mission to England, 1839–1842. First editor of Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, published in Manchester, Lancashire, England, 27 May 1840. President of British mission, 1841–1842. Arrived at Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois, 7 Feb. 1843. Member of Nauvoo Masonic Lodge. Admitted to Council of Fifty, 11 Mar. 1844. Participated in plural marriage during JS’s lifetime. Directed affairs of church in New York City, 1844–1845. Moved to what became Mount Pisgah, Clarke Co., Iowa Territory, 1846. Left to serve mission to England, 31 July 1846. Arrived at Winter Quarters, unorganized U.S. territory (later in Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska), 8 Apr. 1847. Arrived in Salt Lake Valley, 28 Sept. 1847. Led exploration party into southern Utah Territory, Nov. 1849–Feb. 1850. Served mission to Chile and California, 16 Mar. 1851–18 Oct. 1852. Served mission to eastern U.S., beginning Sept. 1856. Murdered at Van Buren, Crawford Co., Arkansas.
