🠈 Parley Pratt 🠊
Park City was originally named Parley's Park City after Parley Pratt (April 12, 1807 – May 13, 1857). Parley Pratt helped survey Parleys Canyon in 1949 and who laid claim to the area that is now Park City. Parley Pratt was "martyred" in a bizarre incident in Arkansas.
Parley Pratt was a member of "Disciples of Christ" which was influenced by Sidney Rigdon. Like many followers of Rigdon, Pratt joined the LDS movement on hearing claims that Joseph Smith had uncovered a new testament called The Book of Mormon.
Pratt rose in the ranks and became an Apostle in Joseph Smith's Quorum of Twelve Apostles. Pratt became a fervent believer in the principle of polygamy and wrote pamphlets about the Celestial Kingdom and about the persecutions suffered by members of the LDS Church.
Pratt emigrated with Brigham Young to Utah. He helped with the survey of Parleys Canyon and laid claim to the area that is now Park City.
While on a survey expedition to San Francisco, Pratt seduced Eleanor—the wife of a Mr. Henry McLean. Eleanor, who had not gained a divorce from McClean, was sealed to Pratt in Salt Lake.
Marrying other people's wives was not uncommon in Mormonism. Joseph Smith had married the wives of several of his followers. Pratt's second wife was resealed to a man named Stearn.
In an attempt to keep his children from the clutches of Pratt, Mr McClean sent the three children to stay with their maternal grandparents in New Orleans.
In 1857, Eleanor and Parley Pratt set out to retrieve the children from New Orleans. Henry McLean chased Pratt to Oklahoma where he tried having Pratt arrested for kidnapping. Oklahoma did not recognize kidnapping by a parent as a crime.
After failing in court, Mr. McClean pursued Pratt to Alma Arkansas where he shot Mr Pratt.
Parley Pratt had 12 wives, 30 children, and 266 grandchildren. Estimates claim the line descending from Pratt has grown to over 30,000.
The Wikipedia article indicates that some Mormons draw parallels between Saint Parley Pratt and Saint Paul of the Christian tradition. Mr Pratt wrote about theology and traveled around doing missionary work and was martyred.
The martyrdom of Pratt at the hands of the estranged husband of one of his wives is often cited as one of the persecutions that Mormons have had to endure at the hands of gentiles.
References:
- Wikipedia - Parley Pratt (Drawn 2/20/2017)
- Conjugal Relationships of Parley Pratt by Cheryl L. Bruno (Drawn 2/20/2017)