Brigham Young

Brigham Young was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877. He also served as the first governor of the Utah Territory.

Young was born in 1801 in Whitingham, Vermont and grew up in Upstate New York. He worked as a painter and carpenter before becoming a full-time church leader in 1835. After Joseph Smith died, Young became the church’s second president in 1847. He led his followers on a long journey from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley, where they built new communities and temples.

As governor, Young helped build schools and supported projects that later became the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. His leadership helped shape the history of the American West, and many places are named after him today.

Early life

Brigham Young was born on June 1, 1801, in Whitingham, Vermont. He was one of nine children. His father was a farmer, and when Young was three, his family moved to Chenango County in New York. Young did not go to school much, but his mother taught him to read and write. When he was twelve, his family moved again to a place called Genoa near Cayuga Lake. Sadly, his mother passed away from a sickness in 1815. After that, he moved with his father to Tyrone, New York.

Young’s father married again, and Young went to learn a trade. He moved to Auburn, New York to work with a man named John C. Jeffries. Young became a carpenter, glazier, and painter. Later, he moved to Port Byron. In October 1824, he married Miriam Angeline Works. They had a daughter named Elizabeth. Young later joined a church group called the Reformed Methodist Church in 1824. In 1828, Young met Heber C. Kimball, who was part of a different church group that would later become known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In 1830, Young learned about a book called the Book of Mormon from his brother. In 1831, some people came to Mendon to share their beliefs, and Young was interested. Young met Joseph Smith and joined the church in 1832. After his first wife passed away, he married again in 1834 to Mary Ann Angell.

LDS Church service

Brigham Young became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1835. He traveled to share his beliefs with people in Pennsylvania and New York. He helped finish the Kirtland temple and spoke there in 1836.

In Nauvoo, Young took on many important jobs. He joined the city council and helped organize church activities. He also traveled to the United Kingdom to support church members there.

When Joseph Smith passed away in 1844, many people were unsure who should lead the church. Most chose Young, and he became the new leader in 1847. He helped the church during a hard time and guided members to new places.

Migration west

See also: Mormon pioneers

Brigham Young decided to move his group of Latter-day Saints because of problems in a place called Nauvoo. He led them to an area called the Salt Lake Valley, which was then part of Mexico. The journey began in 1846, stopping first in a place called Winter Quarters, Nebraska, before going on to Salt Lake Valley.

Young reached Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, a day now celebrated as Pioneer Day in Utah. Soon after arriving, he and his team raised an American flag on a nearby hill. One of Young’s first actions was to name the new settlement “The City of the Great Salt Lake” and organize it into blocks. After a short stay to recover from an illness, Young returned to help other groups make the journey. His leadership helped organize a big and successful move.

Governor of Utah Territory

Brigham Young became the first governor of the Utah Territory in 1851. In this role, he helped build settlements, roads, and bridges. He also worked on projects to help the community, like building forts and organizing support for people in need.

Young started important projects, such as building railroads to connect different places. He also set up the first government meetings in the area and helped create a university. Some of his actions and beliefs caused disagreements with others in charge.

LDS Church president

Young was the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 29 years, the longest time anyone has held that job.

Educational endeavors

As a leader and governor, Young encouraged starting schools for children. He believed education was important for helping people understand how to make the Kingdom of God a reality. In 1875, Young gave buildings and land in Provo, Utah to start a school. This later became Brigham Young Academy and then Brigham Young University.

Young also started groups for women, young women, and young men. He created a new way to write words called the Deseret alphabet, but it didn’t become popular.

Temple building

Young helped build temples for the church. He chose the spot for the Salt Lake Temple and began planning it in 1853. He also started building the Salt Lake Tabernacle and announced plans for temples in St. George, Manti, and Logan. He also built the Endowment House, a smaller temple while the Salt Lake Temple was being built.

Teachings

Young’s teachings are in 19 books of his speeches called the Journal of Discourses. The church’s Doctrine and Covenants includes one of his teachings.

Polygamy

Young continued a practice started by Joseph Smith of having more than one wife. He said it was hard for first wives but necessary to have large families.

Adam-God doctrine and blood atonement

Main articles: Adam–God doctrine and Blood atonement

Young taught that Adam, the first man, was once a mortal who became a god. The church later rejected this idea.

He also taught that some very serious sins could not be forgiven through Jesus’s teaching alone. The church later rejected this teaching as well.

Race restrictions on temples, priesthood, and interracial marriage

See also: Black people and temple and priesthood policies in the LDS Church and Interracial marriage and the LDS Church

Young started a rule that men of black African descent could not hold a special leadership role. He taught that this was because they were considered descendants of Cain. He believed this rule came from God. This rule stayed until 1978, when another church leader ended it.

Mormon Reformation

Main article: Mormon Reformation

From 1856 to 1857, Young led a time of renewed focus on faith in the church. He emphasized the importance of strong family ties and rededication. The Reformation ended by early 1858.

Conflicts

After Young and his followers arrived, their settlements became part of the United States. Young asked the U.S. government to create a new state, but instead, the government made Utah Territory and appointed Young as governor. Some people thought Young’s way of leading was very strict.

Utah War

Main article: Utah War

In 1857, the U.S. president sent a new governor and soldiers to Utah. Young organized his militia to slow down the soldiers. Eventually, Young agreed to step down as governor, and the president forgave him.

Mountain Meadows Massacre

There is debate about Young’s involvement in the tragic event at Mountain Meadows in 1857, where travelers were attacked. Over 120 people were killed, and only a few young children survived. A monument was later placed at the site to remember those who were killed.

Death

Brigham Young passed away in Salt Lake City on August 29, 1877. He had been sick with a problem in his stomach.

His funeral was held on September 2, 1877, and many people came to honor him. He is buried at the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument in Salt Lake City. A special bronze marker was placed at his grave in 1938 by groups he helped start.

Business ventures and wealth

Brigham Young had many different jobs and businesses. He worked with wagons, a ferryboat, and a railroad. He also made lumber, wool, sugar beets, iron, and liquor. Young did well with buying and selling land and buildings.

He helped start important places in Salt Lake City, like a gas company, a water company, an insurance company, a bank, and a big store called ZCMI. In 1873, Young stopped leading some of these businesses to focus on other work. When he died, he was one of the richest people in Utah.

Legacy

Brigham Young had a big impact on history. People called him the "American Moses" because he led his followers, the Mormon pioneers, through a desert to a place they called their promised land. Many monuments and statues honor him, including one in the United States Capitol and another in Salt Lake City.

Young had many wives and children, which was part of his religious beliefs. His family lived in special houses he built in Salt Lake City. Even after he died, his family included many important leaders and figures.

In culture

In comics

Brigham Young appeared in some old comic stories. In one, a woman dreams about marrying him. He also shows up at the end of a French comic book in a series about a hero named Lucky Luke.

In literature

Several writers mentioned Brigham Young in their books. A Scottish poet wrote a poem called Brigham the Bold after Young passed away. Famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle included Young in one of his Sherlock Holmes stories. Another well-known author, Mark Twain, wrote about Young in his book Roughing It. There were also other mentions of Young in different stories.

In film and television

Brigham Young has been played by many actors in movies and TV shows. Some of these include Dean Jagger in a 1940 film, Charlton Heston in a 1995 movie, and Terence Stamp in a 2007 film. He also appeared in TV series like Hell on Wheels and Under the Banner of Heaven.

In theater

In a 2011 musical called The Book of Mormon, Young is shown in a humorous and exaggerated way.

Literary works

After Brigham Young died, many books were written with his speeches and writings.

Some important books have his teachings, letters to his sons, and diaries. These books help us learn about his ideas and beliefs.