This thesis is an examination of the autobiography of Parley P. Pratt in light of current American autobiography research, intended to assert its worthiness for greater consideration by scholars of American culture. The findings suggest that the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt is comparable to other works now included in the canon of American autobiography such as Jonathan Edward's "Personal Narrative," Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography and Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Critical theories on the above autobiographies are applied to the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt in order to show its applicability to the current dialogue of American autobiography. Finally, the theories of Frederick Jackson Turner and Harold Bloom are applied to the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt in order to demonstrate that Parley P. Pratt is a quintessential nineteenth-century, frontier American, and that his Autobiography can be used as a tool for greater understanding of American culture.

The chief purpose of this investigation is to determine the elements of speech style, the motive appeals, and the use of the elements of interest which play the most characteristic roles in twelve of Parley P. Pratt's sermons. While all the speeches that Pratt delivered have not been studied, since there are likely hundreds of them of which we have no record, it is thought that this study is sufficiently broad to warrant the conclusions that the writer has drawn.A brief biography is included as a part of this study that a better understanding of the man might be appreciated. Most of the biographical information was borrowed freely from his autobiography which was edited and published by his family in 1874.

In 1849, President Brigham Young commissioned a fifty man company, headed by Parley P. Pratt, to explore Southern Utah for possible colonization. The four month trek spanned the coldest months of the winter, and afforded some very harrowing and hazardous experiences. These events weave a heroic story filled with excitement and adventure, while simultaneously revealing the tremendous dedication and fortitude on the part of the explorers to successfully complete their mission.Many of the Southern Utah colonies that were initiated in the subsequent years following the expedition were based on information gathered during this seven-hundred mile expedition. In addition, their findings provided a crucial link in Brigham Young's imminent decision to colonize southern Utah.

In 1855 Parley P. Pratt, a Mormon missionary and member of the Quorum of the Twelve, published Key to the Science of Theology. It was the culmination of over twenty years of intellectual engagement with the young religious movement of Mormonism. The book was also the first attempt by any Mormon at writing a comprehensive summary of the religion's theological ideas. Pratt covered topics ranging from the origins of theology in ancient Judaism, the apostasy of early Christianity, the restoration of correct theology with nineteenth century Mormonism, dreams, polygamy, and communication with beings on other planets. For nearly fifty years after its publication, Key to the Science of Theology was one of the most widely circulated books within the Mormon community, serving as a model of doctrinal orthodoxy. This thesis aims to understand Pratt's book and his theological ideas, broadly, in their historical context. Primary sources related to Pratt and his contemporaries, including other works by Pratt, Mormon missionary tracts, newspaper clippings, and theological writings by competing religions, help place Pratt's ideas within the larger framework of American religious and intellectual thought of the early to mid-nineteenth century. Pratt drew from non-Mormon sources to help explain the Church's teachings, at times appropriating ideas and rhetoric from elsewhere to bolster his claims about the superiority and universality of the Mormon message. The first chapter of this thesis gives a biographical sketch of Pratt. It introduces key concepts in Mormon belief and how Pratt conceived them. Furthermore, the chapter offers a philosophical take on Pratt's life as one motivated by an apocalyptic worldview. Chapter two draws upon Pratt's apocalyptic conscience to examine his eschatological ideas including a strain of early Mormon thought regarding theocracy. Pratt envisioned a world-wide theocracy coming at the millennium. Mormons, Jews, and Native Americans as ancient Israelites would all share in a world-wide order built around twin centers of power in the historical Jerusalem and a New Jerusalem to be established in North America. Chapter three looks at Pratt's cosmology and argues that his views of the universe, including other planets and beings, were influenced and framed by contemporary Spiritualism as a means of combatting the threat of Mormons leaving the Church for Spiritualist practices. The epilogue looks at changes made to the text of Key to the Science of Theology in 1915 by Church leader Charles Penrose. It places the text's republication within an ongoing battle between older Church leaders like Penrose and younger leaders such as John Widtsoe over what would constitute Mormon orthodoxy during the modernizing phase of the Church in the early twentieth century. Issues like evolution and polygamy took the forefront over eschatological and cosmological concerns.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an administrative and ecclesiastical quorum. The Church, first organized in 1830, did not organize the Quorum of Twelve Apostles until 1835. When it was organized, Joseph Smith outlined the quorum's responsibilities through revelation. The Twelve were assigned two unique and specific responsibilities: to take the gospel to the nations of the earth and to form a traveling high council for the regulating of the Church outside of its stakes. The first opportunity for the Twelve to fulfill their responsibilities was in May 1835 when they were assigned to travel to the eastern United States and southern Canada. There they both preached the gospel and regulated the branches of the Church. This mission represents not only the first time the Apostles fulfilled their assigned responsibilities but the only time that they filled their responsibilities as an entire quorum. It is surprising that more secondary literature on this mission is not available. This thesis seeks to commence an academic conversation regarding this mission and its impact both on the quorum's development and on the Church in its outlying areas. Chapter 1 details the preparation of the individual members of the Twelve to fulfill this mission. It discusses the preparation of the Twelve prior to their call to the apostleship. It also discusses the training that took place between their call and the commencement of this mission. As an administrative body for the membership of the Church, the Twelve spent the majority of their time on this mission with the members of the Church. Chapter 2 identifies the unique purpose of the Twelve on this mission and how that purpose was fulfilled. Joseph Smith originally laid out the geographic framework for this mission, which sent the Twelve into Canada and throughout much of the northeastern United States. Chapter 3 identifies the locations of the Twelve based on available records and seeks to provide an answer to how the Twelve decided which areas to preach in. Many individuals were baptized during this five-month mission. Chapter 4 identifies what the Twelve taught and the sources that they used. It also discusses the reaction of the people they taught. The concluding chapter summarizes the thesis and identifies areas for further research.