The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-04

constitute some OF the most men,
orable events in the church, and
which remain burning shame upon
the boosted Christian spirit of that
day. He travelled with the pioneers
IN their dangerous, difficult and try
ing trip across the western Wilds,
and he was the first man among the
pioneers to cast his eye over and set
his foot in this valley.
In 1S4S he was made president
over the entire British mission, then
embracing England, Scotland, Ire
land and Wales, and adjacent places.
In the two years that followed, he
performed an almost stupendous
work. Besides directing the entire
work of that mission, which then
embraced some $4,000 souls, he fitted
out and dispatched some eighteen
vessels loaded with emigrants;
wrote some fifteen pamphlets, edited
the MilIe7liGE Star, the circulation
of which he increased from 1000 to
%, 900, and he lectured to large audi
ences in the principal cities of Eng
land and Scotland. Under his direc-
ton, the membership of the mission
over which he presided increased in
the two years he was there from
about $4,000 souls to some $4,000.
Returning to Utah in 1850, Mr..
Pratt delivered a series of lectures
on astronomy in the old Tabernacle,
which were listened to by large and
interested audiences. In 1852 he was
appointed president of the Churches
east of the Rocky Mountains
including those of Great Britain,
with headquarters at Washington.
He also published religious paper
there called The Seer. He went to
Europe in 1858, and returned in
1854. In 1856 he again went to Eu-
rope and presided over the mission
on that continent, continuing his
literary labors and studies through
all. He returned to Utah in 1858,
coming this time by way Of CalifOr-
MIA. In 1860 he went on a mission
to the United States, and in 1864
was set apart for mission to Aus
.tria, and went, but was unable to
labor there because the laws of the
country forbade PROSECUTING. He re-
turned to England and remained
there until 1867. In 1869 he tran
scribed the Book of Mormon into
the Deseret Alphabet, going to the
City of New York for that purpose.
In 1877 he again crossed the ocean,
his object being to transcribe the
Book of Mormon into the Pitman
phonetic characters. He went east
in 1878, accompanied by Apostle
Joseph f. Smith, visiting points of
interest and persons Of note con-
nected with the history of the
church. On the Sd of Deem
Der of the same year he
once more went to England,
and while there had the Book
Mormon and Book of Doctrine and
Covenants stereotyped, to which he
added foot notes. He returned to
Utah ia 1879, and has since resided
IN this city.
trom this sketch it will be seen
iii u his life must have been one of
Ii lOst unexampled industry and
perseverance, and during all he
N intalned his profound studies
Al increased his enormous fund of
Information. formulating new the
lr'oS and advancing new ideas. In
n 1851 he was elected a member of
the Territorial Legislature, and has
adI the same distinction conferred
u2un him every time since, when in
tl,e territory. Seven times he was
chosen speaker.
He was made church historian in
1874, and held the position until his
death. He held the famous three
days discussion with DR.. j. 2. New
ma1 in 1870, that divine coming all
the way from Washington for the
verbal battle.
1t would seem that the work
already detailed would be more
than could be performed by one
man; but such is not the case, for
during all these hard labOrS he
found time to prepare and publish,
among others. the following works,
many of them requiring great labor
and time Divine Authority;
Kingdom of God, in four parts; Re-
markable Visions; Divine Anthem
ITCHY of the Book Of Mormon, in six
parts; Reply to Remarks on Nor
monism;" Great First Cause; New
Jerusalem; Absurdities Of Inmate
rialism; The Seer, in eighteen num-
bers; Eight Tracts on the First
Principles ofthe Gospel; Cubic and
Biquadratic Equations; Key to the
Universe, or a New Theory Of its
Mechanism; ETC., etc.
Mr.. Pratt was a wonderful man,
and his life is q grand illustration
of the results that industry will
bring. He could claim no college
education; but what was far greater,
he could boast a depth and breadth
of knowledge which could be ex-
celled by no college graduate; and
this knowledge he acquired by in
diYidual industry, by watching and
working through the silent hours of
the night, by wasting no moment,
and allowing no opportunity to &C
quire greater information pass idly
by. 1t has long been held that in
this age any person who is deter
mined TO become educated can do
so, and in the life of this great man
can be found one of the most strik-
| inc DrOOfS of Snch an assertion.