Parley P. Pratt and the Making of Mormonism

Parley P. Pratt joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830 and was murdered in 1857 by the estranged husband of his twelfth plural wife. An original member of the Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Pratt played a key leadership role for the Mormons. His writings, including poetry, apologetics, and an autobiography, helped define Mormon theology and identity, and his hymns remain popular today.Arguably Mormonism's most influential early leader after Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, Pratt is also one of its least understood. This collection of essays uses Pratt's life and writings as a means for gaining insight on early Latter-day Saint history, including the Church's initial internationalization, vibrant print culture, development of a unique theology, family dynamics, and the Mountain Meadows Massacre.