Shock

Last night, I was watching the local news when a story came on about a local Seminary Principal that had just been arrested for having a sexual relationship with a 16 year old student. When they said his name was Michael Pratt, my interest really peaked because I had a Brother Pratt when I was a sophomore. I was really hoping it wasn't the Bro. Pratt I knew, but when they showed his picture my stomach dropped.

Until my sophomore year--and after--I felt seminary was very boring. Brother Pratt changed that; he made seminary fun enough that I actually looked forward to it. He was a really exciting, dynamic teacher that bonded well with his students. We became pretty good friends; we found out that we're related through my mom's side of the family (Parley Pratt is a grandpa to both of us). He left my high school for a job at Lone Peak my junior year, so I hadn't seen or thought about him in a long time.

Message boards for all of the local news channels and newspaper are full of comments by people that loved Brother Pratt. There are also lots of people that are completely trashing the guy, and they're trashing the Church too. First of all, what Brother Pratt did was wrong, but he's not a mass murderer, or a child molester--he had a consensual relationship with someone legally too young. He took advantage of a student, he abused his position of trust and authority, and he completely betrayed his wife and kids. He also ruined his life; he's already been fired, his wife will probably leave him, and he's going to spend a good amount of time in prison. I'm sure that if he could, Bro. Pratt would give anything to go back in time and not make the same mistake. Brother Pratt isn't an evil person, and people should stop saying that he is. Whether people want to admit it or not, the bad decisions he's made don't cancel out the positive impact he had on thousands of students over the last 13 years. He helped a lot of kids; he probably helped a number of teenagers top using drugs, or avoid doing other dangerous things that could have killed themselves.

Ultimately, the whole situation is tragic. It's sad that a 16 year old girl will have to live with this for the rest of her life; it's sad that Bro. Pratt has ruined his life, and temporarily destroyed his family's as well; it's sad for all of the people that knew and loved Bro. Pratt; and it's sad for teachers in general who get scrutinized enough as it is. For those of you who think the absolute worst of Bro. Pratt, try and think about more than the over-the-top thoughts and comments being made about him. The girl was 16, not 8; that doesn't make it okay, but he's not a pedophile. He was a good man, probably in many ways still is, and that's what makes the whole situation so sad. Anyway, I'm absolutely shocked, and quite sad, by this news.