Addison Pratt was born on February 21, 1802 in Winchester, New Hampshire. He was the son of Henry Pratt, a famous New England organ builder, and Rebekah Jewell. Addison, the fourth of twelve children, at an early age determined to follow the sea, and when he was nineteen years old, he left home and went to sea. Visits home between whaling cruises led him to become acquainted with his sister's close friend, Louisa Barnes. They were married on April 3, 1831 and established themselves at farming at Ripley, New York, where Addison had the occasional opportunity to captain a shipping boat on Lake Erie near their home. The Pratts had three children while living in Ripley.

Louisa's sister Caroline and husband Jonathan Crosby had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and upon Louisa's invitation, they went and taught the Pratts. Soon the Pratts became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, according to expectations, sold their farm and moved to Missouri with the rest of the members of their new faith. Later, after persecution of the Latter-day Saints in Missouri, the Pratts emigrated to Nauvoo, Illinois. While in Nauvoo, Addison mentioned to the Prophet Joseph Smith that he had been a whaler and had visited the Hawaiian Islands. He told Joseph Smith that he believed the natives would be interested in the Book of Mormon. Soon Addison Pratt was called with three other missionaries to go on a Latter-day Saint mission to Hawaii. Pratt's mission focused on the Society Islands in the South Pacific, and he would later return to the area three more times. After the Saints reached the Great Salt Lake, his wife and children joined Pratt at Tubuai in 1850.

The Pratts' moved to the Church settlement of San Bernardino, California, after returning to the United States. Addison was called on four missions all together. He served a few months in Tahiti before the mission closed due to French control. At the start of the Utah War, Brigham Young called Saints on the coast to return to Utah. The Pratt family then divided: Addison and Fay stayed in California while Louisa, Ann Louise, and Ephraim returned to Beaver, Utah. Lois and family and Ellen and family stayed with Louisa at different times. Although they corresponded, the Pratt family never reunited. Addison Pratt died on October 14, 1872 and Louisa died on September 8, 1880.