Item Detail
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3277
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1
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10
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English
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Orson Pratt, Jr. : Gifted Son of An Apostle and an Apostate
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Dialogue : A Journal of Mormon Thought
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Spring 1988
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21
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84-94
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Orson Pratt, Jr. was the oldest son of Orson Pratt, by his first wife, Sara M. Bates. Because of polygamy, Sarah eventually apostatized from the Church and took all of her children, except one, with her. For nearly 20 years the family apostasy was carefully hidden, but in 1864 Orson Jr. became the first to openly announce his disbelief. Before that he seemed to be a believing Mormon, and was active in the Church, even on a high council, but he did not believe. He wanted, however, to do what was right as a Mormon, and perhaps he thought a testimony would grow from activity. He refused a mission call in 1863, however, and the following year resigned from the high council and made his apostasy known. At this time he was living near St. George, along with his mother, and their position there soon became untenable. Orson announced his disbelief while speaking in Church, and that same night he was excommunicated. He later became a music teacher in Salt Lake City.
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A Book of Mormons
Annals of the Southern Utah Mission
Arthur Pratt, Utah Lawman
Erastus Snow : The Life of a Missionary and Pioneer for the Early Mormon Church
Life and Labors of Orson Pratt
Recollection of Orson Pratt : An Interesting and Unique Personality
Sarah M. Pratt : The Shaping of an Apostate
The Life and Thought of Orson Pratt
The Orson Pratt--Brigham Young Controversies : Conflict Within the Quorums, 1853-1868
The Phenomenon of the Closet Doubter : A Description and Analysis of One Approach to Activity in the Church