William Dickinson Pratt was born 3 September 1802 in Worcester, Otsego County, New York, United States to Jared Pratt (1769-1839) and Charity Dickinson (1776-1849) and died 15 September 1870 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Hannah Ward (1808-1840) 30 November 1836 in Geauga County, Ohio, United States. He married Wealthy Eddy (1810-1892) 27 February 1841 in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. He married Jane Hawley (1821-1895) 1849 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. He married Catherine Margaret Frederickson (1805-1863) 24 August 1857 in Presidents Office, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. He married Azubah Deseret Cox (1850-1934) 24 October 1863 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. He married Losana Bentley (1813-1870) 17 July 1867 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States.
Biography
Religious Awakening (LDS)

Early missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.
The 1830's saw a great Protestant religious revival sweep across the United States that was called the "Second Great Awakening" and was characterized by much emotional preaching, spiritual and social reform movements and a surge in membership growth for a great many Christian denominations.
This period also saw the rise of a new Church of Christ that was organized in early 1830 by its young prophet-leader, Joseph Smith (1805-1844), and after 1838 was formally named The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This church group was frequently called the "Mormon Church" or "Latter-day Saints" (LDS) for its belief in a new set of holy scriptures called "The Book of Mormon". For better or worse, this new religion generated a lot of attention in this region.
Missionaries of this church taught that it was not a reform movement or protest movement but a "restoration" of the original church with completeness of the full of doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ including the ministering of angels, the restored priesthood, lost scripture, revelations, prophecy, living apostles, the gifts of the spirit and much more. This message had profound impact on many who subsequently left all to follow the Prophet and the Church. In many cases their faith was so strong as to push these early converts to endure many difficult hardships and sacrifices and to eventually journey over a thousand miles westward to settle in the Great Salt Lake Valley. (See also New Religion (LDS 1830).)[1][2]
William was introduced to the Church at an early date, likely by the ministrations of his younger brother Parley, the first of the family to learn of the Church and accept the Gospel.
Zions Camp Participant

This Judith Mehr rendition depicts struggles endured by members of Zion's Camp, an expeditionary force to help Church members in Jackson County redeem their brethren.
One of the most interesting episodes in the early history of LDS Church was the march of Zion's Camp (1834). The members of the Church in Missouri were being persecuted, and the Prophet Joseph made it a matter of prayer and received a revelation on February 24, 1834. The Lord instructed the Prophet to assemble at least one hundred young and middle-aged men and to go to the land of Zion, or Missouri. (See D&C 130:19–34.)
Zion’s Camp, a group of approximately one hundred and fifty men, gathered at Kirtland, Ohio, in the spring of 1834 and marched to Jackson County, Missouri. By the time they reached Missouri, the camp had increased to approximately two hundred men.
William participated in Zion's Camp alongside his two younger brothers who would later both become Apostles in the LDS Church. William himself was ordained to the 1st Quorum of Seventy.
LDS Quorum of Seventy

Created by the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith (1805-1844) in early 1835, the Quorum of Seventy was to act as traveling and presiding ministers for the newly created The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many of these men performed notable works for the early church, living near then church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio. The Quorum of Seventy itself did not meet as a governing body of the church and was not renewed until reorganized by the church in 1976.
Later Years / Migration to Utah
In April of 1844 William is listed among those to serve a mission in New York, and on April 5 and 6 of 1845 presided at the quarterly conference held in Greenwood, Stuben County, New York. He preached several discourses there and sent a report of the conference which was published in the Times and Seasons. After the expulsion of the saints from Nauvoo Elder Pratt emigrated to Utah.
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Sarah Jane Pratt (1838-1838) | 19 February 1838 Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, United States | October 1838 Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, United States |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Mirza Liona Pratt (1850-1851) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Alice Pratt (1858-1931) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Daniel Dickinson Pratt (1868-1946) | |||
Joseph Milando Pratt (1870-1878) |
Siblings
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Mary Pratt (1793-1849) | 10 February 1793 Canaan, Columbia County, New York | 2 January 1849 Canaan, Columbia County, New York | Jerome Brown (1778-1855) Samuel Bigelow (1789-1857) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Anson Pratt (1801-1849) | 9 January 1801 Canaan, Columbia County, New York | 26 May 1849 Saint Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri | Sarah Barber (1803-1841) |
William Dickinson Pratt (1802-1870) | 3 September 1802 Worcester, Otsego County, New York, United States | 15 September 1870 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States | Hannah Ward (1808-1840) Wealthy Eddy (1810-1892) Jane Hawley (1821-1895) Catherine Margaret Frederickson (1805-1863) Azubah Deseret Cox (1850-1934) Losana Bentley (1813-1870) |
Parley Parker Pratt (1807-1857) | 12 April 1807 Burlington, Oswego County, New York, United States | 13 May 1857 Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas, United States | |
Orson Whitley Pratt (1811-1881) | 19 September 1811 Hartford, Washington County, New York | 3 October 1881 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah | |
Nelson Edmund Pratt (1815-1889) |
Residences
Vital Records
Salt Lake Gravestone

- Location: Salt Lake City Cemetery.
- William Dickinson Pratt at Find A Grave
See Also
- William Pratt
- Pratt Family
- Pratt in Otsego County, New York
- Pratt in Salt Lake County, Utah
- Pratt in Hancock County, Illinois
- William Dickinson Pratt, The Joseph Smith Papers Association, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/william-dickinson-pratt?highlight=William%20Dickinson%20Pratt, retrieved 01 Jun 2024
- William Dickinson Pratt, LDS Church Historical Data Base, https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/william-dickinson-pratt-1802?lang=eng&timelineTabs=allTabs, retrieved 01 Jun 2024
- Profiles of Zion Camp Members pg 72-115 - BYU Studies - William D Talbot 1973 Thesis. Detail review of all camp participants.
- William D Pratt, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/William-Pratt/6000000000687669417, retrieved 01 Jun 2024