Descendants of John (Thomas) Bates
Notes
SOURCE: Copied from records at Genealogy Library; Salt Lake City, Utah
Pioneers & Prominent Men of Utah
Temple Record Index Bureau
Jefferson County, New York, recordsNOTE: Birth date possibly 25 Mar 1815
!SEALING TO SPOUSE: Weir - performed again 12 Sep 1966 SL
BIRTH:Place near New Berlin
!BAPTISM: Performed again 17 Sep 1968
!SEALING TO SPOUSE:Performed again 15 Jul 1872; 8 Apr 1908 SLSOURCE: Pioneers and Prominant Men of Utah
"Authorities suggest not to seal"
Sealing performed by David J. Wardell and Lydia W. Wardell
SOURCE: Pioneers and Prominant Men of Utah
SOURCE: Pioneers and Prominant Men of Utah
SOURCE: Pioneers and Prominant Men of Utah
!ENDOWMENT:Performed again 22 Aug 1878
SOURCE: Pioneers and Prominant Men of Utah
DEATH:Child
DEATH:Child
SOURCE: Copied from records at Genealogy Library; Salt Lake City, Utah !BAPTISM:Rebaptized 17 Sep 1864
BAPTISM:Rebaptized 17 Sep 1864
SOURCE: Copied from reocrds at Genealogy Library; Salt Lake City, Utah !ENDOWMENT:Performed again 23 May 1928
DEATH: Possibly 4 June, 1934
SOURCE: Copied from records at Genealogy Library; Salt Lake City, Utah
Baptized by Elder Orson Pratt near Sackett's Harbor, June 18, 1835. Later married to the same Orson Pratt (see extensive notes on Orson Pratt).
BAPTISM: Date shown is for rebaptism as a result of excommunication; ordinance performed by Joseph Smith. Performed again 14 Apr 1928 !ENDOWMENT:Performed again 25 Apr 1928
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:
Orson Pratt Journals, Watson, comp. (1975), Pg.66
June 18th, 1835. I baptized Sarah Marinda Bates, near Sacketts Harbor, whom I received in marriage upwards of one year after. During the latter part of July, the month of August, and the forepart of September, I preached almost every day in New Hampshire, in towns where they had not before heard; baptized a few, and then returned to Kirtland. (MS 27:87)
Orson Pratt Journals, Watson, comp. (1975), Pg.85
July 4. I was married to Sarah M. Bates, Elder Luke Johnson officiating. (op. cit. 27:88)
BAPTISM: Date shown is rebaptism. Original baptism was by his brother, Parley P. Pratt, on his 19th birthday, September 19, 1830.
The re-baptism was by Joseph Smith and resulted from his excommunication (see notes below for 1842).ENDOWMENT: Also received an endowment in the Kirtland Temple during the winter of 1835. See notes below.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:
A member of the Council of Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1881. A younger brother of Elder Parley P. Pratt, also an Apostle.
His parents were hardworking and poor people; he was accustomed to labor from his boyhood, during which time the family removed to New Lebanon, Columbia county, where he attended school part of the time each year until 1825, acquiring a common school education and becoming familiar with arithmetic and bookkeeping. He also studied the Bible.
From the time he was 11 years old he worked at farming in different places, attending school in the winter, going to Lorain county, Ohio, in the fall of 1827, and in the fall of 1828 performed a journey of nearly 700 miles to Connecticut; went thence to Long Island, and in the winter of 1829/30 studied geography, grammar, and surveying at a boarding academy.
He was a prayerful as well as studious youth, although neither he nor his parents connected themselves with any religious denomination.
In September, 1830, his brother Parley P. Pratt, who had embraced the gospel as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith, came with another Elder to Canaan, Columbia county, New York, where Orson was residing. He then received their testimony and was baptized September 19, 1830, his birthday, being then 19 years old.
In the following month he traveled 200 miles to see Joseph Smith in Fayette, Seneca county, New York. On November 4, 1830 he received through the Prophet the revelation found in D&C Section 34, in which he is called of God to preach the gospel, to lift up his voice both long and loud, to cry repentance, and prepare the way before the coming of the Lord. He was confirmed and ordained an Elder December 1, 1830, by Joseph Smith, and went on his first mission to Colesville, Broome county, New York.
In the early part of 1831 he went on foot to Kirtland, Ohio, where the Prophet had removed -- a distance of about 300 miles. He then performed several missions in Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, baptizing many converts.
At a conference held in Amherst, Ohio, June 25, 1832, he was ordained a High Priest by Sidney Rigdon, after which he traveled and preached without purse or scrip, through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City to Long Island, thence northeast through part of Vermont into New Hampshire -- preaching and baptizing by the way and making many converts in Bath, New Hampshire and Charleston, Vermont. Next he proceeded to the southern part of Connecticut and had continued success.
After laboring in these parts until the fall of 1832, he started west, traveling some 300 or 400 miles, preaching, baptizing, ordaining men to the ministry, and laboring in many parts of New York. He returned to Kirtland, Ohio, February 17, 1833, having traveled on foot about 4,000 miles, baptized 104 persons, and organized several new branches.
In Kirtland he attended the School of the Prophets during the winter, boarding with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and in the following spring he again went east, performing another successful mission, traveling 2,000 miles in 6 months, and baptizing over 50 persons.
After this he remained in Kirtland about 2 months, laboring on the House of the Lord, and on November 27 started on another mission to the eastern branches.
He returned to Kirtland February 13, 1834, having traveled about 1,000 miles. Thirteen days later he started out again, on a special mission with Elder Orson Hyde, on which he was absent about 2 months and traveled about 800 miles.He next traveled with Zion's Camp to Missouri, being captain of a company.
July 7, 1834, he was ordained one of the standing High Council in Missouri, where he also visited the scattered branches in Clay county, and in August was sent eastward, traveling through Illionis and Indiana to Ohio, suffering severely through fatigue and ague (the effects of fever; chills).
As he was wandering the streets of Columbus, Ohio one day, tired from his journey and sick with ague, he was hoping to find lodging for the night. While standing in the town's main street he felt impressed to speak to a certain man. That man turned out to be the only member of the Church in Columbus at the time. While lodging at his home, Orson read through THE MESSANGER AND ADVOCATE (an early Church newspaper) and read an announcement that he has been chosen as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Following the item was a request that he be in Kirtland by an appointed day. Leaving immediately he traveled by stagecoach and managed to arrive at 10:00am the morning designated, joining the meeting of the Twelve which was already in session. The brethren marveled at his timely arrival and told him that they had all prayed and some had prophesied that he would be in attendance that day.
He was ordained a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles under the hands of David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery the day of his arrival in Kirtland, April 26, 1835.
May 4, 1835, he went on another mission to the eastern states, and was absent a little over 6 months. During the winter and early spring he taught a grammar school in Kirtland and then received his endowments in the Kirtland Temple.
His next mission was to Canada West; he left on April 6, 1836. While absent he baptized many persons and raised-up several branches of the Church.July 4, 1836, he married Sarah M. Bates (David J. Wardell is her 3rd great-grandnephew), whom he had baptized in Sackett's Harbor, June 18, 1835.
In the fall, having returned to Kirtland, he studied algebra, and after providing a home for his wide, went to the state of New York and labored in the ministry during the winter of 1837/1838. In April, 1839, the Saints having been driven from Far West, Missouri, he went there to fulfill a revelation, and with several of the Twelve, met at the corner stone of the temple, whence they parted to preach the gospel to foreign nations.
He was the means of delivering his brother Parley from prison in Columbia, Missouri, July 4, 1839. In the fall of 1839 he preached through the eastern branches, and in the spring of 1840 embarked for England.
He preached 9 months in Edinburgh, Scotland, raised up a branch of over 200 persons, and in the spring of 1841 returned to America.
After this mission he took charge of a mathematical school at Nauvoo. In Nauvoo he fell victum to the slanderous lies fostered by the apostate John C. Bennett. Sarah had been accused of adultery with Bennett. Among the falsehoods circulated were stories about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He did not join in "withdrawing the hand of fellowship" from Bennett. He attempted suicide on July 15 and "caused almost the whole city to go in search of him".
Orson refused to endorse a resolution affirming the Prophet's moral character, because of the falsehoods circulated by Bennett that had influenced him. Brigham Young wrote Parley P. Pratt that "Brother Orson Pratt is in trouble in consequence of his wife. His feelings are so wrought up that he does not know whether his wife is wrong, or whether Joseph's testimony and others are wrong and do lie, and he is deceived for 12 eaysr or not; he is all but crazy about the matters ... We will not let Brother Orson go away from us. he is too good a man to have a woman destroy him".
After several days of discussion and attempts to get Orson to "recall his sayings against Joseph and the Twelve, but he persisted in his wicked course and would not recall any of his sayings which were unjust and untrue" (recorded by Wilford Woodruff).
He was excommunicated on August 20, 1842 for "insubordination"; Sarah was excommunicated for "adultery". Within 3 months Orson confessed his error and his sin in criticizing Joseph Smith. In 1878 he stated that he had "got his information from a wicked source, from those disaffected (meaning bennett), but as soon as he learned the truth he was satisfied". Joseph Smith rebaptized Orson and Sarah Pratt in January, 1843, and Orson was reinstated in the Quorum of the Twelve.
He next undertook a mission through the eastern states in the summer of 1843, and upon his return in the fall was elected a member of the city council, helped to draw up a memorial to Congress ans went to Washington, D.C. to present it in the spring of 1844.
He labored among the churches east until the news of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith was recived, whereupon he returned to Nauvoo. During the difficulties that succeeded the death of the Prophet and Patriarch, he labored with the Twelve, which was the presiding quorum of the Church, in the management of its affairs.
He crossed the plains with the Pioneers in 1847, and on the way, when weather would permit, took astronomical and other scientific observations, determining, by the aid of the sextant and circle of reflection, the latitude and longitude of the most prominent places, the changes in elevation above sea level, and so on, in anticipation of the great highway which even then was expected by the Saints to span the vast continent.
During the journey he invented an odometer to measure the distance traveled each day.
He was the first man of the Pioneers to enter the Salt Lake Valley, having preceded the main body of the company by 3 days. In 1848 he was appointed president over all branches of the Church in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and adjacent countries, starting from Winter Quarters on May 11. The number of Church members in Great Britain was then about 18,000; during his presidency of 2 years this increased to about 31,000. In this short period he chartered and fitted-out about 20 ships loaded with Saints for Utah.
In the midst of the press of business he wrote some 15 pamphlets and published and circulated several hundred thousand of them. At the same time he edited the "Millennial Star", and increased its circulation from less than 4,000 to nearly 23,000. He lectured, at different times, to large audiences in the principal cities of England and Scotland.
In 1851 he returned to the Great Salt Lake Valley, and in the winter of 1851/1852 delivered a series of 12 astronomical lectures to crowded audiences in the old Tabernacle, which were published in the "Deseret News". He was elected a member of the legislative assembly during its first session, and at each successive session when he was in the Territory, and 7 times was chosen speaker of the House.
In August, 1852, Brigham Young selected him to introduce the doctrine of plural marriage officially to the Saints at a special conference in Salt Lake City.
In 1852 he was also appointed to a mission to Washington, D.C. to take the presidential charge of all the branches in the United States and British provinces east of the Rocky Mountains. In Washington he published "The Seer". The purpose of the periodical was to expound "the views of the Saints in regard to the Ancient Patriarchal Order of Matrimony, or Plurality of Wives, as developed in a Revelation, given through JOSEPH THE SEER".
In the spring and summer of 1853 he again went on a mission to Europe, returning the following year. April 22, 1856 he again started for England and presided over the European Mission, publishing more pamphlets, and returned by was of California, while the U.S. Army was enroute to Utah, arriving home in January, 1858. September 23, 1860 he was called on another mission to the United States, being gone about 1 year. April 24, 1864 he was set apart for a mission to Austria; he left for that land in 1865, accompanied by Elder William W. Riter (in consequence of the stringent laws he was unable to open the gospel door to that nation). He bore his testimony to the authorities and left, going over to England, where he visited the conferences and labored assiduously, returning August 4, 1867.
In 1869 he went to New York City. There he transcribed and published the Book of Mormon in phonetic characters called the "Deseret Alphabet". Phonetic alphabets of various types and descriptions were very popular at the time.
In August, 1870, Dr. John P. Newman, chaplain of the U.S. Senate and President Ulysses S. Grant's personal pastor, delivered a strong anti-pologamy sermon in his Metropolitan Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. Salt Lake Daily Telegraph editor Edward Sloan proposed that Newman debate pologamy in Salt Lake. Newman accepted and, when Brigham Young declined to be his opponent, debated instead with Orson Pratt. The 3 day debate was reported daily in the New York Herals. Edward Tullidge declared that "millions of readers followed the arguments of Dr. Newman and Orson Pratt and it is safe to estimate that quite two-thirds of them yielded to the Mormon apostle. It is reported that Newman never forgave "the Mormons".
At the adjourned general conference in 1874, he was appointed and sustained as Historian and General Church Recorder, which position he retained until his death. July 18, 1879, he once more left his home to cross the ocean, this time to transcribe and publish an edition of the Book of Mormon in the Pitman phonetic characters. He was called home soon, however, and returned September 27.
In 1875, two years prior to his death, Brigham Young readjusted the seniority of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve. Orson Pratt and Orson Hyde, both of whom had been ordained before John Taylor, were placed behind him, according to the dates of their reinstatement in the Quorum.
In September, 1878, he started east with Elder Joseph F. Smith (then an Apostle), visiting the Whitmers in Missouri, the Hill Cumorah, and other places figuring in the history of the Church, and returned in October. December 3rd of the same year he started again for England to stereotype the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, which he arranged in verses, with foot notes and references. From this important and laborious mission he returned September 2, 1879.
After his arrival home he attended a number of stake conferences and was again elected a member of the legislature, acting in his usual capacity as speaker of the House. After this his health was poor and finally he finished his long and useful career, October 3, 1881, when he died at the home of his wife, Marion Ross, at 300 North 300 West in Salt Lake City. For a little over a year he had suffered with diabetes and was, for much of the time, unable to leave his room. Shortly before his death he dictated his epitaph to President Joseph F. Smith: "My body sleeps for a moment, but my testimony lives and shall endure forever".
On Sunday, September 18, 1881, he delivered his last public address in a clear and forceful manner, speaking to a large congregation in the Tabernacle about 20 minutes.
Orson Pratt was the last of the original Twelve Apostles of the Church. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean 16 times on missions of salvation. He found time to study higher mathematics, and in addition to his published scientific books, left an elaborate work in manuscript on differential calculus, containing original principles. He was the father of 45 children.
"Orson Pratt was truly an Apostle of the Lord. Full of integrity, firm as a rock to his convictions, true to his brethren and to his God, earnest and zealous in defense and proclaimation of the truth, ever ready to bear testimony to the latter-day work, he had a mind stored with scripture -- ancient and modern -- was a powerful and eloquent speaker, a powerful minister, a logical and convincing writer, an honest and a great soul who reached out after eternal things, grasped them with the gift of inspiration, and brought them down to the level and comprehension of the common mind. Thousands have been brought into the Church through his preaching in many lands, thousands more by his writings.
He set but ilttle store on the wealth of this world, but he has laid up treasures in heaven which will make him eternally rich".(Quotation by the editor of the Deseret News at the time of his death; October 5, 1881, page 563).
Source: LDS BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA, VOLUME 1, PAGES 87-91. See also MILLENNIAL STAR, VOLUME 27, PAGE 23; SOUTHERN STAR, VOLUME 2, PAGE 297. Material supplimented by notes from David J. Wardell.
Some of the PUBLICATIONS by Orson Pratt:
Divine Authority
Kingdom of God, in 4 parts
Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, in 6 parts Reply to "Remarks on Mormonism"
Great First Cause
New Jerusalem
Absurdities of Immaterialism
The Seer, in 18 numbers
8 tracts on the first principles of the gospel
Cubic and Biquadratic Equations
Key to the Universe or a New Theory of its Mechanism
North side of Platte 12 miles ... Wyoming
SOURCE: Copied from records at Genealogy Library; Salt Lake City, Utah !ENDOWMENT:Performed again 23 May 1928
BIRTH:Place now called Marshall, Tennessee
ENDOWMENT:Possibly June
BAPTISM:Rebaptized 22 Sep 1875
BAPTISM:Rebaptized 22 Sep 1875
BIRTH:Stillborn
BAPTISM:Performed again 28 Aug 1967
