Carl B. Pratt
Encyclopedia
Carl Barton Pratt was a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1997 to 2011.
, Mexico
to Mormon
parents. His family later moved to Colonia Dublán
. In 1947, the family moved to Lehi
, Arizona
. From 1961 to 1963 Pratt served as a LDS Church missionary
in Argentina
. He received a bachelor's degree
from the University of Arizona
and a law degree
from Arizona State University
.
In 1968, Pratt baptized Karen Ann Yeoman, who he had known for several years. She was a graduate of Arizona State who had taken institute
classes there with Rhett James. In 1969, Pratt married Yeoman in the Mesa Arizona Temple
. They have eight children.
In 1971 and 1972 Pratt was a law clerk for Judge David Lewis of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
. Pratt worked for the Salt Lake City law firm of Kirton and McConkie. In this position, he worked as an attorney for the LDS Church. He was employed as general counsel for the church in the South America
North Area
of the church at the time of his call as a general authority.
From 1985 to 1988 Pratt served as a Regional Representative of the Twelve
in Ecuador
. From 1988 to 1991 he served as president
of the church's Spain
Seville
Mission
. From 1995 to 1997, Pratt was an area seventy. In 1997, he was called as a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy.
Pratt served as president of the South America North Area of the church, with Benjamin de Hoyos
and Rafael E. Pino
as his counselors.
On October 1, 2011, Pratt was released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and given general authority emeritus status at the LDS Church's semi-annual general conference
.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1997 to 2011.
Biography
Pratt was born in MonterreyMonterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
parents. His family later moved to Colonia Dublán
Colonia Dublan
Colonia Dublán began as a Mormon colony, located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It is now a part of Nuevo Casas Grandes. It is one of the few surviving Mormon colonies in Mexico .-History:...
. In 1947, the family moved to Lehi
Lehi, Arizona
Lehi is a distinct community within Mesa, Arizona, which predates Mesa's own founding. Lehi was annexed into its much larger former neighbor in 1970, and now is the northern limit of central Mesa....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. From 1961 to 1963 Pratt served as a LDS Church missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
and a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
.
In 1968, Pratt baptized Karen Ann Yeoman, who he had known for several years. She was a graduate of Arizona State who had taken institute
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
classes there with Rhett James. In 1969, Pratt married Yeoman in the Mesa Arizona Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
The Mesa Arizona Temple is the seventh operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Mesa, Arizona, it is the first of five LDS temples built or planned in the state.-History:...
. They have eight children.
In 1971 and 1972 Pratt was a law clerk for Judge David Lewis of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
. Pratt worked for the Salt Lake City law firm of Kirton and McConkie. In this position, he worked as an attorney for the LDS Church. He was employed as general counsel for the church in the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
North Area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
of the church at the time of his call as a general authority.
From 1985 to 1988 Pratt served as a Regional Representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve, commonly shorted to regional representative or regional rep, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1968 and 1995...
in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. From 1988 to 1991 he served as president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the church's Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
. From 1995 to 1997, Pratt was an area seventy. In 1997, he was called as a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy.
Pratt served as president of the South America North Area of the church, with Benjamin de Hoyos
Benjamín De Hoyos
Benjamín De Hoyos Estrada has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1999.De Hoyos was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, and grew up in northern Mexico...
and Rafael E. Pino
Rafael E. Pino
Rafael Eduardo Pino Gimenez has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008 and is the first Venezuelan general authority in LDS Church history....
as his counselors.
On October 1, 2011, Pratt was released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and given general authority emeritus status at the LDS Church's semi-annual general conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
.