Review: 'Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism'

Oxford Press

Shortly before his martyrdom, Parley P. Pratt finished a draft of his autobiography, which was later edited and published in 1874. For more than a century, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have sifted its pages to witness the adventures, trials and testimony of the memorable apostle.

Terryl L. Givens and Matthew J. Grow have added to Pratt’s story and the early history of the LDS Church with their new biography, “Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism.”

I offer a very brief review of the book in this article for the Deseret Morning News.

5 questions answered about Parley P. Pratt

Benchmark Books

The life of Parley P. Pratt is inextricably linked with the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Terryl L. Givens and Matthew J. Grow shed additional light on Pratt’s life and his influence on the early history of the LDS Church in their new biography, “Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism.”

The contents of the book, along with a recent lecture by the authors at Benchmark Books in Salt Lake City, provide answers to many questions about Pratt.


I address answers to the following five questions about Pratt's life and teachings in this article for the Deseret Morning News:

1. In what ways is Pratt comparable to the Apostle Paul?
2. How accurate is Pratt's autobiography?
3. What was the nature of Pratt's relationship with Joseph Smith?
4. What was the influence of Pratt on Mormon theology?
5. What were Pratt's most influential books?

Forthcoming articles on Parley P. Pratt

I recently completed two articles on Parley P. Pratt, both of which will be published shortly.

The first is a short review of a new biography by Terryl L. Givens and Matthew J. Grow, "Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism."

The second is a series of answers to the following five questions about Pratt:

1. In what ways is Pratt comparable to the Apostle Paul?
2. How accurate is Pratt's autobiography?
3. What was the nature of Pratt's relationship with Joseph Smith?
4. What was the influence of Pratt on Mormon theology?
5. What were Pratt's most influential books?

Will conflicts of interest influence health care case?

The destiny of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is waiting on the doorstep of the United States Supreme Court. The decision of the court will likely come down to one vote.


However, Justices Clarence Thomas and Elena Kagan are both facing allegations of conflicts of interest. While it is unlikely these allegations could lead one or both of the justices to recuse themselves thereby complicating the outcome of the case.


I address the potential influence of these conflicts in this article.

Can President Barack Obama be reelected?

The 2012 election will likely be a challenge for President Barack Obama Whereas his main obstacle in 2008 was emerging victorious in the Democratic primary, Obama must now convince voters who flocked to his side in the 2008 general election to do so again.

Can he do it?

I address the issue in this article for ksl.com.

'The Playboy Club' is bad for television

The Playboy Club is bad for television not merely because it contains immoral content, but because it stands for pornography. And while it is becoming increasingly unpopular to do so, the nation is in need of more voices who can declare that pornography is immoral, harmful to family stability, and degrading to women.

I go into more detail in this article about why the program is bad for television.