Safekipedia

Brigham Young

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Portrait of Brigham Young from around 1845.

Brigham Young

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

Brigham Young was born in 1801 in Whitingham, Vermont. He grew up in Upstate New York. Before becoming a church leader, he worked as a carpenter, glazier, and painter. In 1835, he became a full-time church leader. After Joseph Smith passed away, Young became the church’s second president in 1847.

In 1846, Young led his followers on a long journey from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley. They traveled to a place that was then part of Mexico. Young reached Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, a day now celebrated as Pioneer Day in Utah. He helped build new communities and temples there.

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. Many places are named after him today.

Brigham Young believed in education and started schools for children. He gave buildings and land in Provo, Utah to start a school. This later became Brigham Young Academy and then Brigham Young University. Young also helped build temples for the church, choosing the spot for the Salt Lake Temple and starting plans for it in 1853.

Young passed away in Salt Lake City on August 29, 1877. Many people came to honor him at his funeral. He is buried at the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument in Salt Lake City. Today, many monuments and statues honor him, including one in the United States Capitol.

Images

A peaceful statue of Jesus Christ at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, created by the famous artist Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Portrait of five brothers: Lorenzo Dow Young, Brigham Young, Phineas Howe Young, Joseph Young, and John Young.
A wooden chair crafted by Brigham Young, an early carpenter, now displayed at the Church History Museum.
Portrait of Brigham Young, an American religious leader, painted around 1857.
Historical portrait of Brigham Young taken in 1853 in Salt Lake City.
Portrait of Brigham Young from 1855, a historical figure known for his leadership in the early days of the United States.
Grave of Brigham Young, a key historical figure in the founding of Salt Lake City.
A marble statue of Brigham Young in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
A scenic view of This Is The Place Heritage Park, a historical site in Salt Lake City.
A historical bronze monument in Salt Lake City honoring Brigham Young, located near the intersection of Main and South Temple Streets.
Historical map showing the boundaries of Brigham Young's home property from 1862.

Related articles

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Salt Lake City

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Brigham Young, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.