he preached the first sermon in the Salt Lake Valley and formally dedicated the valley to the Lord. Family and polygamy Some sources agree that Pratt married seven women and was the father of forty-five children, though other sources, including his first wife Sarah, claim that he married ten women. According to Sarah, at age 57 Pratt married his tenth wife, sixteen-year-old Margaret Graham. Graham was younger than his daughter Celestia, which caused Sarah, an outspoken critic of polygamy, to lash out in an 1877 interview by questioning his motivations behind the marriage. Pratt and all of his wives and children struggled with poverty, likely because Brigham Young constantly sent Pratt on missions to minimize his influence in the Quorum of the Twelve. Still, Pratt was able to support himself and his family by writing and publishing pamphlets on Mormon theology. Some of his wives also earned money by selling hats, fabrics, and other goods. On August 29, 1852, Orson Pratt delivered a sermon that taught the principle of polygamy, discussing the blessings of raising many children up in the LDS Church. This was the first time the practice was discussed openly in the church. In June 1870, Pratt participated in a debate against John P. Newman on whether or not the Bible supported polygamy. He defended the practice in his writings for The Seer and throughout his ministry, gaining the title "the apostle of polygamy." List of wives Sarah Marinda Bates Charlotte Bishop Adelia Ann Bishop Mary Ann Merrill Sarah Louisa Chandler Marion Ross Juliette Ann Phelps Eliza Crooks Sarah Louise Lewis Margaret Graham 1842 polygamy scandal and relationship with Sarah Pratt In 1886, Pratt's wife Sarah Pratt claimed in an interview that, while in Nauvoo, Illinois, that Joseph Smith was attracted to her and intended to make her "one of his spiritual wives" while Pratt was in England on missionary service. To Smith's proposal, Sarah replied that she would never break her marriage covenant with Orson and that she did not believe in Smith's revelation regarding plural marriage. She issued an ultimatum to Smith: "Joseph, if you ever attempt any thing of the kind with me again, I will tell Mr. Pratt on his return home." After Pratt returned from England, Sarah later claimed another incident occurred between her and Smith at her home. Sarah Pratt's neighbor, Mary Ettie V. Smith, reported that "Sarah ordered the Prophet out