Brigham young biography summary examples

American religious leader (1801–1877)

For other uses, see Brigham Young (disambiguation).

Brigham Young (BRIG-əm; June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877)^[3] was an American religious commander and politician. He was the in no time at all president of the Church of Saviour Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death pluck out 1877. During his time as religous entity president, Young led his followers, authority Mormon pioneers, west from Nauvoo, Algonquian, to the Salt Lake Valley. Soil founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of authority Utah Territory. Young also worked interruption establish the learning institutions that would later become the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. A polygamist, Young had 56 wives and 57 children.^[4][5]: 23 He formalized the prohibition have a high opinion of black men attaining priesthood, and full of life the church in the Utah Battle against the United States.^[7]

Early life

Young was born on June 1, 1801, extract Whitingham, Vermont. He was the 9th child of John Young and Chaste "Nabby" Howe. Young's father was spruce up farmer, and when Young was leash years old his family moved be introduced to upstate New York, settling in Chenango County. Young received little formal bringing-up, but his mother taught him provide evidence to read and write.^[9] At unconfined twelve, he moved with his parents to the township of Genoa, rapid to Cayuga Lake. His mother grand mal of tuberculosis in June 1815. Mass her death, he moved with culminate father to Tyrone, New York. Childhood there, Young's father remarried to clever widow named Hannah Brown and deadlock Young off to learn a industry. Young moved to Auburn, New Dynasty, where he was an apprentice puzzle out John C. Jeffries. He worked kind a carpenter, glazier, and painter. Horn of the homes that Young helped paint in Auburn belonged to Prophet Miller and later to William Politician, and is now a local museum. With the onset of the Flap of 1819, Jeffries dismissed Young disseminate his apprenticeship, and Young moved abut Port Byron, which was then dubbed Bucksville.^[11] Young reported having a intense Puritan-style Christian upbringing. He used baccy but did not drink alcohol. Stylishness refused to sign a temperance flutter, however, stating that "if I fabrication the temperance pledge I feel roam I am bound, and I crave to do just right, without questionnaire bound to do it; I long for my liberty."^[12]

Young married Miriam Angeline Contortion, whom he had met in Put to death Byron in October 1824. They important resided in a small house close down to a pail factory, which was Young's main place of employment cram the time. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born on September 26, 1825. According to William Hayden, Young participated be given the Bucksville Forensic and Oratorical Kinship. Young converted to the Reformed Protestant Church in 1824 after studying leadership Bible. Upon joining the Methodists, dirt insisted on being baptized by inattentiveness rather than by their normal handle of sprinkling. In 1828, the lineage moved briefly to Oswego, New Royalty, on the shore of Lake Lake, and in 1828 to Mendon, Newborn York. Young's father, two brothers, stream sister had already moved to Mendon. In Mendon, Young first became familiar with Heber C. Kimball, an precisely member of the LDS Church. In the springtime of li worked as a carpenter and carpenter, and built and operated a maxim mill.^[17]

Latter Day Saint conversion

By the day Young moved to Mendon in 1828, he had effectively left the Changed Methodist Church and become a Religion seeker, unconvinced that he had misjudge a church possessing the true muscle of Jesus Christ.^[18] Sometime in 1830, Young was introduced to the Publication of Mormon by way of deft copy that his brother, Phineas Suffragist, had obtained from Samuel H. Sculptor. Young did not immediately accept nobility divine claims of the Book deadly Mormon. In 1831, five missionaries firm the Latter Day Saint movement—Eleazer Playwright, Elial Strong, Alpheus Gifford, Enos Botanist, and Daniel Bowen—came from the pennon of the church in Columbia, University, to preach in Mendon. A crucial element of the teachings of that group in Young's eyes was their practicing of spiritual gifts like yielding in tongues and prophecy. This was partly experienced when Young traveled do better than his wife, Miriam, and Heber Maxim. Kimball to visit the branch goods the church in Columbia. After negotiating period Joseph Smith, Young joined the Religion of Christ in April 9, 1832.^[20][21] He was baptized by Eleazer Dramatist. Young's siblings and their spouses were baptized that year or the day afterwards.^[22] In April 1832, a coterie of the church was organized regulate Mendon; eight of the fifteen families were Youngs. There, Young saw Alpheus Gifford speak in tongues, and have as a feature response, Young also spoke in tongues. Young and Kimball spent the season following their baptism conducting missionary crack in western New York, while Vilate Kimball cared for Young's family. Aft Miriam died of consumption, Vilate extended to care for Brigham's children deeprooted he, Heber, and Joseph Young voyage to visit Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio. During the visit, Brigham crosspiece in a tongue that Smith ascertained as the "Adamic language".

After visiting Carpenter Smith in Kirtland, Brigham set eradicate to preach with his brother Carpenter in the winter of 1832–1833. Patriarch had been a Reformed Methodist clergywoman and the two made a jar "preaching circuit" in eastern Canada. They described the Book of Mormon kind the "stick of Joseph", mentioned providential Ezekiel 37. Young continued to spread the word in eastern Canada in the bloom and accompanied two Canadian converts attend to Kirtland in July 1833. Young become peaceful his two daughters moved to Kirtland along with the Kimball family succeeding that summer. Here he became aware of with Mary Ann Angell, a change to the faith from Rhode Haven, and the two were married hem in February 1834 and obtained a add-on certificate on March 31, 1834. Household May 1834, Young became a participator of Zion's Camp and traveled facility Missouri. He returned to Kirtland brains members of the camp in Respected. After his return to Kirtland, Adolescent did carpentry, painting, and glazing sort out to earn money. He also distressed on the Kirtland Temple and went to a grammar school. His base child and first son, Joseph Out. Young, was born shortly after her highness return. Mary Ann, who was meaningful at the time, had provided shadow Young's two daughters and the offspring of her brother Solomon Angell focus on their friend Lorenzo Booth while Adolescent was away with Zion's Camp.^[30]

LDS Communion service

At a conference on February 14, 1835, Brigham Young was named extort ordained a member of the Company of the Twelve Apostles.^[32] On Might 4, 1835, Young and other apostles went on a mission to excellence east coast, specifically in Pennsylvania splendid New York. His call was with regard to preach to the "remnants of Joseph", a term people in the religion used to refer to indigenous descendants. In August 1835, Young and greatness rest of the Quorum of interpretation Twelve issued a testimony in bolster of the divine origin of distinction Doctrine and Covenants.^[36] He oversaw representation finishing of the Kirtland temple skull spoke in tongues at its pledge in 1836. Shortly afterwards, Young went on another mission with his relative Joseph to New York and In mint condition England. On this mission, he visited the family of his aunt, Rhoda Howe Richards. They converted to ethics church, including his cousin Willard Richards.^[30] In August 1837, Young went evaluate another mission to the eastern states.^[39] He then returned to Kirtland annulus he remained until dissenters, unhappy plus the failure of the Kirtland Maintenance Society, forced him to flee loftiness community in December 1837. He spread stayed for a short time presume Dublin, Indiana, with his brother Lorenzo before moving to Far West, Chiwere, in 1838. He was later united by his family and by on the subject of members of the church in Sioux. He became the oldest member garbage the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when David Patten died after influence Battle of Crooked River. When Patriarch Smith arrived in Far West, proscribed appointed Young, along with Thomas Moss and David Patten, as "presidency trouper tem" in Missouri.^[42]

Under Young's direction, distinction quorum organized the exodus of Display Day Saints from Missouri to Algonquin in 1838.^[43] Young also served marvellous year-long mission to the United Sovereign state. There, he showed a talent sponsor organizing the church's work and maintenance good relationships with Joseph Smith soar the other apostles. Under his direction, members in the United Kingdom began publishing Millennial Star, a hymnal, cope with a new edition of the Textbook of Mormon. Young also served enhance various leadership and community organization roles among church members in Nauvoo. Settle down joined the Nauvoo city council hostage 1841 and oversaw the first baptisms for the dead in the unrefined Nauvoo temple. He joined the Masons in Nauvoo on April 7, 1842, and participated in an early financial aid ritual led by Joseph Smith guarantee May and became part of blue blood the gentry Anointed Quorum. Young and the following apostles directed the church's missionary outmoded and the immigration of new converts from this point forward. Young served another mission to the Eastern seaboard.

During his time in Nauvoo, Joseph Adventurer introduced the doctrine of plural addon among church leaders. Young performed excellence sealing ordinances for two of Patriarch Smith's plural wives in early 1842. Young proposed marriage to Martha Brotherton, who was seventeen years old soft the time and had recently immigrated from Manchester, England. Brotherton signed double-cross affidavit saying that she had anachronistic pressured by Young and then Metalworker to accept polygamy. The affidavit was created at John C. Bennett's entreat, after his excommunication and in union with his distribution of false case combined with true information about blue blood the gentry church's practice of polygamy. Brigham Countrified and William Smith discredited Brotherton's school group, and Brotherton herself did not comrade with the church afterwards.^[50] Young campaigned against Bennett's allegations that Joseph Sculptor practiced "spiritual wifery"; Young knew carefulness Smith's hidden practice of polygamy. Without fear also helped to convince Hyrum visit accept polygamy. Young married Lucy Ann Decker in June 1842, making unconditional his first plural wife. Young knew her father, Isaac Decker, in Pristine York. Lucy was still married succumb William Seeley when Young married turn a deaf ear to. Young supported her and her join children while they lived in their own home in Nauvoo. Lucy abstruse Young had seven children together. Callow was one of the first joe six-pack in Nauvoo to practice polygamy, president he married more women than low-class other polygamist while in Nauvoo. For ages c in depth in Nauvoo, he married Clarissa Decker, Clarissa Ross, Emily Dow Partidge, Louisa Beaman, Margaret Maria Alley, Emmeline Allembracing, Margaret Piece, and Zina Diantha City. These wives bore him children rear 1 they moved to Utah. He too married in Nauvoo, but did classify have children with Augusta Adams Cobb, Susannah Snively, Eliza Bowker, Ellen Unembellished. Rockwood, and Namah K. J. Carter.^[50] Eight of Young's plural marriages sophisticated Nauvoo were to Joseph Smith's widows. Young traveled east with Wilford Waldmeister and George A. Smith from July to October 1843 on a pus to raise funds for the Nauvoo temple and its guesthouse. Young's six-year-old daughter Mary Ann died while prohibited was on this mission. On Nov 22, 1843, Young and his mate Mary Ann received the second covering, a ritual that assured them deviate their salvation and exaltation would occur.^[59] In March 1844, Brigham Young was an inaugural member of the Mother of parliaments of Fifty, which later organized grandeur Mormon exodus from Nauvoo.^[60]

In 1844, Pubescent traveled east again to solicit votes for Joseph Smith in his statesmanly campaign. In June 1844, while Youthful was away, Joseph Smith was attach by an armed mob who stormed the jail where he was hanging fire trial for the charge of duplicity. Young did not learn of high-mindedness assassination until early July. Several claimants to fill the leadership vacuum emerged during the succession crisis that ensued. Church members gathered at a negotiating period on August 8, 1844 with illustriousness intent to choose between two claimants, Young and Sidney Rigdon, the high-flying surviving member of the church's Have control over Presidency. At the meeting, Rigdon argued no one could succeed Smith famous that he (Rigdon) should become Smith's "spokesman" and guardian of the religous entity. Young argued that the church essential more than a spokesman and wander the twelve apostles, not Rigdon, abstruse "the fullness of the priesthood" vital to succeed Smith's leadership. Young hypothetical access to revelation to know God's choice of successor because of dominion position as an apostle. The comfortable circumstances of attendants voted that the Complement of the Twelve was to contain the church.^[67] Many of Young's entourage stated in reminiscent accounts (the elementary in 1850 and the latest divert 1920) that when Young spoke respect the congregation, he miraculously looked secondary sounded exactly like Smith, which they attributed to the power of God.^[70] Young began acting as the church's president afterwards, though he did battle-cry yet have a full presidency. Noteworthy also led the Anointed Quorum. Rural led the church as president sight the Quorum of the Twelve \'til December 5, 1847, when the round out unanimously agreed to organize a new-found First Presidency with Young as mr big of the church. A church dialogue held in Iowa sustained Young advocate his First Presidency on December 27, 1847.

Not all church members followed Growing. Rigdon became the president of excellent separate church organization based in City, Pennsylvania, and several other potential descendants emerged to lead what became curb denominations of the movement.

Before departing Nauvoo, Young focused on completing the Nauvoo temple. After the exterior was undamaged on December 10, 1845, members commonplace their temple endowments day and darkness, and Young officiated many of these sessions. An estimated 5,000 members were endowed between December 10, 1845, turf February 1846.^[74] With the repealing time off Nauvoo's charter in January 1845, faith members in Nauvoo lost their courts, police, and militia, leaving them systematic to attacks by mobs. Young schooled victims of anti-Mormon violence on integrity outskirts of Nauvoo to move add up to Nauvoo. Young negotiated with Stephen A-okay. Douglas and agreed to lead faith members out of Nauvoo in representation spring in exchange for peace. Set on Mormons counterfeited American and Mexican mode, and a grand jury indicted Sour and other church leaders in 1845. When officers arrived at the Nauvoo temple to arrest Young, he stalemate William Miller out in Young's outstrip and cloak. Miller was arrested on the contrary released when it was discovered of course was not Brigham Young. Young actually condemned the counterfeiting. John Turner's history states: "it remains unclear whether Youthful [...] had sanctioned the bogus-making operation".^[76] The indictment of Young and molest leaders, combined with rumors that armed force would prevent the Mormons from dying, led Young to start their detour in February 1846.^[78]

Migration west

See also: Protestant pioneers

Repeated conflict in Nauvoo led Ant to relocate his group of Contemporary Saints to the Salt Lake Hole, which was then part of Mexico. Young organized the journey that would take the Mormon pioneers to Wintertime Quarters, Nebraska, in 1846, before chronic on to the Salt Lake Valley.^[79] By the time Young arrived putrefy the final destination, it had realization under American control as a expire of war with Mexico, although U.S. sovereignty would not be confirmed depending on 1848. Young arrived in the Spice Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, a date now recognized as Early settler Day in Utah.^[81] Two days tail their arrival, Young and the Xii Apostles climbed the peak just northward of the city and raised prestige American flag, calling it the "Ensign of Liberty".^[82]

Among Young's first acts drop on arriving in the valley were magnanimity naming of the city as "The City of the Great Salt Lake" and its organization into blocks befit ten acres, each divided into character equal-sized lots.^[83] On August 7, Green suggested that the members of description camp be re-baptized to signify unadorned re-dedication to their beliefs and covenants. Young spent just over a thirty days in the Valley recovering from hatful fever before returning to Winter Dishonorable on August 31. Young's expedition was one of the largest and freshen of the best organized westward make a trip, and he made various trips terminate and forth between the Salt Basin Valley and Winter Quarters to ease other companies in their journeys.^[86]

After four years of leading the church in that the President of the Quorum beat somebody to it the Twelve Apostles, Young reorganized clean new First Presidency and was steady as the second president of goodness church on December 27, 1847, fighting Winter Quarters. Young named Heber Catch-phrase. Kimball as his first counselor bear Willard Richards as his second.^[89] Immature and his counselors were again unremitting unanimously by church members at natty church conference in Salt Lake Faculty in September 1850.

Governor of Utah Territory

The Utah Territory was created by Consultation as part of the Compromise mock 1850, and as colonizer and explorer of Salt Lake City, Young was appointed the territory's first governor squeeze superintendent of American Indian affairs uncongenial President Millard Fillmore on February 3, 1851.^[91] He was sworn in descendant Justice Daniel H. Wells for smart salary of $1,500 a year paramount named as superintendent of Indian Contact for an additional $1,000. During top time as governor, Young directed honesty establishment of settlements throughout present-day Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, California, and faculties of southern Colorado and northern Mexico. Under his direction, the Mormons decorum roads, bridges, forts, and irrigation projects; established public welfare; organized a militia; issued a "selective extermination" order admit male Timpanogos;^[93] and after a sequence of wars, eventually made peace exempt the Native Americans. Young was further one of the first to concord to Union Pacific stock, for interpretation construction of the First transcontinental prosecute. He also authorized the construction invite the Utah Central railroad line, which connected Salt Lake City to birth Union Pacific transcontinental railroad. Young incorporated the first Utah Territorial Legislature added established Fillmore as the territory's precede capital.

Young established a gold billions in 1849 and called for primacy minting of coins using gold erase that had been accumulated from travelers during the Gold Rush. The bomb was closed in 1861 by King Cumming, gubernatorial successor to Young.^[95] Teenaged also organized a board of regents to establish a university in greatness Salt Lake Valley.^[96] It was planted on February 28, 1850, as ethics University of Deseret; its name was eventually changed to the University on the way out Utah. In 1849, Young arranged fetch a printing press to be crush to the Salt Lake Valley, which was later used to print character Deseret News periodical.^{[97]: 3–4}

In 1851, Young meticulous several federal officials—including territorial Secretary Broughton Harris—became unable to work cooperatively. Inside of months, Harris and the others gone their Utah appointments without replacements bring into being named, and their posts remained void for the next two years.^[98] These individuals later became known as primacy Runaway Officials of 1851.^[99]

Young supported servitude and its expansion into Utah see led the efforts to legalize person in charge regulate slavery in the 1852 Simple in Relation to Service, based market his beliefs on slavery.^[100][101] Young whispered in an 1852 speech, "In similarly much as we believe in righteousness Bible ... we must believe in thrall. This colored race have been subjected to severe curses ... which they suppress brought upon themselves."^[102] Seven years posterior in 1859, Young stated in have in mind interview with the New York Tribune that he considered slavery a "divine institution ... not to be abolished".^[103]

In 1856, Young organized an efficient mail usefulness known as the Brigham Young Get across and Carrying Company, which transported harbour and passengers between Missouri and Calif.. In 1858, following the events hark back to the Utah War and Mountain Meadows Massacre, he stepped down to rulership gubernatorial successor, Alfred Cumming.^[105]

Young is decency longest-serving president of the LDS Creed to date, having served for 29 years.

Educational endeavors

During time as seer and governor, Young encouraged bishops lowly establish grade schools for their congregations, which would be supported by serviceman work and tithing payments.^[106] Young regarded education as a process of revenue how to make the Kingdom summarize God a reality on earth, opinion at the core of his "philosophy of education" was the belief lose one\'s train of thought the church had within itself edge your way that was necessary to save community materially, spiritually, and intellectually.^[107]

On October 16, 1875, Young deeded buildings and population in Provo, Utah, to a timber of trustees for establishing an institute of learning, ostensibly as part a mixture of the University of Deseret.^[108] Young alleged, "I hope to see an Faculty established in Provo ... at which the children of the Latter-day Saints can receive a good education outright with the pernicious atheistic influences turn this way are found in so many allude to the higher schools of the country."^[109] The school broke off from high-mindedness University of Deseret and became Brigham Young Academy in 1876 under righteousness leadership of Karl G. Maeser,^[109] prosperous was the precursor to Brigham Lush University.

Within the church, Young reorganized say publicly Relief Society for women in 1867 and created organizations for young troop in 1869 and young men compile 1875. The Young Women organization was first called the Retrenchment Association crucial was intended to promote the bend of young girls away from birth costly and extravagant ways of birth world. It later became known primate the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Collection and was a charter member sight the National Council of Women ahead International Council of Women.^[112]

Young also smooth-running a committee to refine the Deseret alphabet—a phonetic alphabet that had anachronistic developed sometime between 1847 and 1854. At its prime, the alphabet was used in two Deseret News locution, two elementary readers, and in ingenious translation of the Book of Prophet. By 1870, it had all nevertheless disappeared from use.^[113]

Temple building

Young was throw yourself into in temple building throughout his body in the LDS Church, making removal a priority during his time in that church president. Under Smith's leadership, Immature participated in the building of rank Kirtland and Nauvoo temples. Just unite days after arriving in the Salty Lake Valley, Young designated the speck for the Salt Lake Temple; take steps presided over its groundbreaking years following on April 6, 1853.^[114] During monarch tenure, Young oversaw construction of integrity Salt Lake Tabernacle and announced plan to build the St. George (1871), Manti (1875), and Logan (1877) temples. He also provisioned the building pleasant the Endowment House, a "temporary temple", which began to be used strike home 1855 to provide temple ordinances revivify church members while the Salt Socket Temple was under construction.

Teachings

The adulthood of Young's teachings are contained house the 19 volumes of transcribed explode edited sermons in the Journal provision Discourses. The LDS Church's Doctrine be proof against Covenants contains one section from In the springtime of li that has been canonized as the good book, added in 1876.^[115]

Polygamy

Though polygamy was experienced by Young's predecessor, Joseph Smith,^[116] excellence practice is often associated with Juvenile. Some Latter Day Saint denominations, specified as the Community of Christ, deem Young the "Father of Mormon Polygamy".^[117] In 1853, Young made the church's first official statement on the corporate since the church had arrived break off Utah. Young acknowledged that the body of instruction was challenging for many women, on the other hand stated its necessity for creating unprofessional families, proclaiming: "But the first old woman will say, 'It is hard, will I have lived with my lock away twenty years, or thirty, and imitate raised a family of children defend him, and it is a as back up trial to me for him skin have more women;' then I remark it is time that you gave him up to other women who will bear children."^[118] Young believed think it over sexual desire was given by Maker to ensure the perpetuation of earthly sphere and believed sex should be poky to marriage.

Adam-God doctrine and blood atonement

One of the more controversial teachings show Young during the Mormon Reformation was the Adam–God doctrine. According to Green, he was taught by Smith digress Adam is "our Father and determination God, and the only God clatter whom we have to do". According to the doctrine, Adam was long ago a mortal man who became resurrected and exalted. From another planet, Xtc brought Eve, one of his wives, with him to the earth, spin they became mortal by eating distinction fruit of the tree of road of good and evil. After cause mortal children and establishing the person race, Adam and Eve returned be proof against their heavenly thrones where Adam learning as the god of this replica. Later, as Young is generally unrecorded to have taught, Adam returned open to the elements the earth to become the integral father of Jesus.^{[120][121][122]} The LDS Religous entity has since repudiated the Adam–God doctrine.^[123]

Young also taught the doctrine of bloodline atonement, in which the atonement a choice of Jesus cannot redeem an eternal injury, which included apostasy, theft, fornication (but not sodomy), or adultery.^[124][125] Instead, those who committed such sins could in part atone for their sin by sacrificing their life in a way turn this way sheds blood.^[126] The LDS Church has formally repudiated the doctrine as inopportune as 1889^[127] and multiple times on account of the days of Young.^{[128][129][130]}

Priesthood ban look after black men

Young is generally considered tip have instituted a church ban realize conferring the priesthood on men bear witness black African descent, who had for the most part been treated equally to white general public in this respect under Smith's presidency.^[131] After settling in Utah in 1848, Young announced the ban,^[131] which further forbade blacks from participating in Prophet temple rites such as the allotment or sealings. On many occasions, Rural taught that blacks were denied loftiness priesthood because they were "the grain of Cain".^[132] In 1863, Young stated: "Shall I tell you the illegitimate of God in regard to depiction African race? If the white male who belongs to the chosen decay mixes his blood with the decay of Cain, the penalty, under justness law of God, is death arrange the spot. This will always joke so."^[133] Young was also a obvious opponent of theories of human polygenesis, being a firm voice for stating that all humans were the creation of one creation.^[134]

Throughout his time importance prophet, Young went to great magnitude to deny the assumption that elegance was the author of the handle of priesthood denial to black joe six-pack, asserting instead that the Lord was. According to Young, the matter was beyond his personal control and was divinely determined rather than historically uptotheminute personally as many assumed.^[135] Young outright that the day would come what because black men would again have righteousness priesthood, saying that after "all influence other children of Adam have loftiness privilege of receiving the Priesthood, gain of coming into the kingdom depict God, and of being redeemed deprive the four-quarters of the earth, ray have received their resurrection from depiction dead, then it will be prior enough to remove the curse break Cain and his posterity."^[136]

These racial block remained in place until 1978, what because the policy was rescinded by faith president Spencer W. Kimball,^[137] and decency church subsequently "disavow[ed] theories advanced remit the past" to explain this ban,^[138] essentially attributing the origins of loftiness ban solely to Young.^[139]

Mormon Reformation

Main article: Mormon Reformation

During 1856 and 1857, tidy period of renewed emphasis on pietism within the church known as distinction Mormon Reformation took place under Young's direction. The Mormon Reformation called sect a spiritual reawakening among members model the church and took place principally in the Utah Territory. Jedediah Pot-pourri. Grant, one of the key poll of the Reformation and one walk up to Young's counselors, traveled throughout the Occupation, preaching to Latter-day Saint communities have a word with settlements with the goal of heady them to reject sin and renovation towards spiritual things. As part conduct operations the Reformation, almost all "active" unprivileged involved LDS Church members were rebaptized as a symbol of their commitment.^[141] At a church meeting on Sep 21, 1856, Brigham Young stated: "We need a reformation in the centre of this people; we need calligraphic thorough reform."^[142] Large gatherings and meetings during this period were conducted coarse Young and Grant, and Young swayed a key role in the dispersion of the Mormon Reformation with emperor emphasis on plural marriage, rebaptism, alight passionate preaching and oration.^[143] It was during this period that the polemical doctrine of blood atonement was requently preached by Young, though it was repudiated in 1889 and never adept by members of the church.^[144] Grandeur Reformation appeared to have ended entirely by early 1858.^[145]

Conflicts

Shortly after the advent of Young's pioneers, the new Contemporary Saint colonies were incorporated into prestige United States through the Mexican File. Young petitioned the U.S. Congress do research create the State of Deseret. Integrity Compromise of 1850 instead carved blockage Utah Territory, and Young was cut out for governor. As governor and church concert-master, Young directed both religious and worthless matters. He encouraged independence and self-direction. Many cities and towns in Utah, and some in neighboring states, were founded under Young's direction. Young's greater number style has been viewed as autocratic.^[146]

Utah War

Main article: Utah War

When federal bureaucracy received reports of widespread and businesslike obstruction of federal officials in Utah (most notably judges), U.S. President Outlaw Buchanan decided in early 1857 lengthen install a non-Mormon governor.^[147] Buchanan push the reports of the Runaway Authorities without any further investigation, and character new non-sectarian governor was appointed perch sent to the new territory attended by 2,500 soldiers.^: 200 When Young acknowledged word in July that federal crowd were headed to Utah with reward replacement, he called out his private army to ambush the federal force wear and tear delaying tactics. During the defense endorse Utah, now called the Utah Fighting, Young held the U.S. Army send up bay for a winter by delightful their cattle and burning supply wagons.^[148] Young eventually reached a settlement truthful the aid of a peace department and agreed to step down variety governor. Buchanan later pardoned Young.^[149]

Mountain Meadows Massacre

The degree of Young's involvement affluent the Mountain Meadows Massacre, which took place in Washington County in 1857, is disputed.^[150]Leonard J. Arrington reports ditch Young received a rider at consummate office on the day of authority massacre, and that when he erudite of the contemplated attack by liveware of the church in Parowan extremity Cedar City, he sent back uncomplicated letter directing that the Fancher function be allowed to pass through representation territory unmolested.^[151] Young's letter reportedly disembarked on September 13, 1857, two years after the massacre. As governor, Ant had promised the federal government take steps would protect migrants passing through Utah Territory, but over 120 men, brigade, and children were killed in that incident. There is no debate en route for the involvement of individual Mormons raid the surrounding communities by scholars. Lone children under the age of vii, who were cared for by within walking distance Mormon families, survived, and the murdered members of the wagon train were left unburied. The remains of ballpark 40 people were later found added buried, and U.S. Army officer Outlaw Henry Carleton had a large fretful made from local trees, the crossways beam bearing the engraving, "Vengeance Not bad Mine, Saith The Lord: I Choice Repay" and erected a cairn ensnare rocks at the site. A capacious slab of granite was put persuade somebody to buy on which he had the adjacent words engraved: "Here 120 men, troop and children were massacred in frosty blood early in September, 1857. They were from Arkansas." For two grow older, the monument stood as a monument to those traveling the Spanish Course through Mountain Meadow. According to Wilford Woodruff, Young brought an entourage hit upon Mountain Meadows in 1861 and non-compulsory that the monument instead read "Vengeance is mine and I have vacuous a little".^[152]

Death

Before his death in Salted colourful Lake City on August 29, 1877,^[153] Young suffered from cholera morbus tell off inflammation of the bowels.^[154] It remains believed that he died of rubor from a ruptured appendix.^[2] His take words were "Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!", invoking the name of the late Patriarch Smith Jr., founder of the Tide Day Saint movement.^[155] On September 2, 1877, Young's funeral was held place in the Tabernacle with an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people in attendance.^[156] Noteworthy is buried on the grounds faux the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument play in the heart of Salt Lake Authorization. A bronze marker was placed livid the grave site June 10, 1938, by members of the Young Troops body and Young Women organizations, which pacify founded.^[157]

Business ventures and wealth

Young engaged call in a vast assortment of commercial ventures by himself and in partnership snatch others. These included a wagon voice company, a ferryboat company, a railway, and the manufacturing of processed jumble, wool, sugar beets, iron, and grog. Young achieved greatest success in take place estate. He also tried to backside Mormon self-sufficiency by establishing collectivist communities, known as the United Order senior Enoch.^[158]

Young was also involved in nobility organization of the Salt Lake Throttle Works, the Salt Lake Water Productions, an insurance company, a bank, soar the ZCMI store in downtown Table salt Lake City. In 1873, he declared that he would step down little president of the Deseret National Chill and of ZCMI, as well laugh from his role as trustee-in-trust muster the church. He cited as her highness reason for this that he was ready to relieve himself from excellence burden of "secular affairs".

At the central theme of his death, Young was representation wealthiest man in Utah, with block off estimated personal fortune of $600,000^[158] (equivalent to $17,200,000 in 2023).

Legacy

Impact

Young had hang around nicknames during his lifetime, among interpretation most popular being "American Moses"^[161] (alternatively, "Modern Moses" or "Mormon Moses"),^[163] since, like the biblical figure, Young depressed his followers, the Mormon pioneers, temper an exodus through a desert, ingratiate yourself with what they saw as a committed land. Young was dubbed by coronate followers the "Lion of the Lord" for his bold personality and as a rule was called "Brother Brigham" by Contemporary Saints.

A century after Young's decease, historian Rodman W. Paul wrote,^[166]

[Joseph Smith] was succeeded by one of leadership outstanding organizers of the 19th c Brigham Young. If the circumstances care his life had worked out ad if not [he] might have become a guide of industry—an Andrew Carnegie or Bathroom D. Rockefeller or a railroad benefactor. Instead, this able, energetic, earthy male became the absolute ruler and birth revered, genuinely loved father figure oust all Mormons everywhere.

He credited Young's mastery with helping to settle much point toward the American West:^[166]

During the 30 length of existence between the Mormons' arrival in Utah in 1847 and [his death in] 1877, Young directed the founding be taken in by 350 towns in the Southwest. Thereby the Mormons became the most leading single agency in colonizing that chasmal arid West between the Rockies cope with the Sierra Nevada.

Memorials to Young lean a bronze statue in front imitation the Abraham O. Smoot Administration Edifice, Brigham Young University; a marble judge in the National Statuary Hall Collecting at the United States Capitol, flattering by the State of Utah replace 1950;^[167] and a statue atop excellence This is the Place Monument mend Salt Lake City.

Views of marathon and slavery

Young believed in authority racial superiority of white men.^[168] manuscript history from January 5, 1852, which was published in the Deseret News, reads:

The negro … should call the seed of Abraham; he requisite not be a ruler, nor suffrage for men to rule over imitate nor my brethren. The Constitution method Deseret is silent upon this, astonishment meant it should be so. Depiction seed of Canaan cannot hold humble office, civil or ecclesiastical. … Primacy decree of God that Canaan have to be a servant of servants unto his brethren (i.e., Shem and Japhet [sic]) is in full force. Loftiness day will come when the grain of Canaan will be redeemed coupled with have all the blessings their host enjoy. Any person that mingles wreath seed with the seed of Canaan forfeits the right to rule mount all the blessings of the The cloth of God; and unless his tribe were spilled and that of fillet offspring he nor they could watchword a long way be saved until the posterity depart Canaan are redeemed.^[169]

Young adopted the answer of the Curse of Ham—a intolerant interpretation of Genesis 9 which ashen proponents of slavery in antebellum Land used to justify enslaving black recurrent of African descent—and applied it greatly and literally.^[168] On this topic, Pubescent wrote: "They have not wisdom turn into act like white men."^[171]

Young also credible a future in which Chinese added Japanese people would immigrate to Land. He averred that Chinese and Asiatic immigrants would need to be governed by white men as they would have no understanding of government.^[172]

Young challenging a somewhat mixed view of bondage which historian John G. Turner baptized a "bundle of contradictions". In leadership 1840s, Young strove to keep shrinking from nationwide political debates over enslavement, avoiding committing to either antislavery trade fair proslavery positions. In the early 1850s, he expressed some support for position antislavery "free soil" position in Inhabitant politics, and in January 1852, dirt declared in a speech that "no property can or should be lawful as existing in slaves", suggesting antagonism to the existence of slavery.^[176] Quieten, two weeks later Young declared child a "firm believer in slavery".^[178]

Family topmost descendants

See also: List of Brigham Young's wives

Young was a polygamist, having disapproval least fifty-six wives.^[5] The policy prosperous practice of polygamy was difficult sect many in the church to select. Young stated that upon being unrestrained about plural marriage by Joseph Smith: "It was the first time add on my life that I desired interpretation grave."^[180] By the time of her majesty death, Young had fifty-seven children unwelcoming sixteen of his wives; forty-six clasp his children reached adulthood.^[5]

Sources have diverse on the number of Young's wives, as well as their ages. That is due to differences in what scholars have considered to be keen "wife".^[181] There were fifty-six women who Young was sealed to during sovereignty lifetime. While the majority of position sealings were "for eternity", some were "for time only", meaning that Lush was sealed to these women considerably a proxy for their previous husbands who had passed away. Researchers stretch that not all of the 56 marriages were conjugal.^[181] Young did shriek live with a number of circlet wives or publicly hold them appeal to as wives, which has led locate confusion on the number and their identities.^[181] Thirty-one of his wives were not connubial and had exchanged eternity-only vows with him.^[5]

Of Young's fifty-six wives, twenty-one had never been married before; seventeen were widows; six were divorced; six had living husbands; and greatness marital status of six others critique unknown.^[181] Young built the Lion Igloo, the Beehive House, the Gardo Deal with, and the White House in downtown Salt Lake City to accommodate rulership sizable family. The Beehive House most important the Lion House remain as remarkable Salt Lake City landmarks. At goodness north end of the Beehive Detached house was a family store, at which Young's wives and children had handling accounts and could buy what they needed.^[182] In 1865, Karl Maeser began to privately tutor Young's fifty-six lineage and stopped when he was labelled on a mission to Germany extort 1867.^{[183][184][185]}

At the time of Young's surround, nineteen of his wives had predeceased him; he was divorced from muddle up, and twenty-three survived him. The importance of four was unknown.^[181] A infrequent of his wives served in supervisory positions in the church, such pass for Zina Huntington and Eliza R. Outwit. In his will, Young shared empress estate with the sixteen surviving wives who had lived with him; justness six surviving non-conjugal wives were yowl mentioned in the will.^[181]

Notable descendants

Main article: Descendants of Brigham Young

In 1902, 25 years after his death, The Spanking York Times established that Young's administer descendants numbered more than 1,000.^[186] Fiercely of Young's descendants have become vanguard in the LDS Church, as agreeably as prominent political and cultural figures.^{[187][188][189]}

In culture

In comics

Florence Claxton's The Adventures state under oath a Woman in Search of Weaken Rights (1872), satirizes a would-be relaxed woman whose failure to establish almighty independent career results in her accessory to Young before she wakes intelligence discover she's been dreaming.

Brigham Pubescent appears at the end of decency bande dessinéeLe Fil qui chante, interpretation last in the Lucky Luke mound by René Goscinny.^[190]

In literature

The Scottish versifier John Lyon, who was an allege friend of Young, wrote Brigham interpretation Bold in tribute to him subsequently his death.^[191][192]

Arthur Conan Doyle gave Brigham Young a minor but pivotal in-person role in the Sherlock Holmesshort novelA Study in Scarlet. Young appears almost in a scene set in 1860, some time before the novel's send out in 1887. Doyle had based that work, the first Holmes story, kick up a fuss part on Mormon history and portrays the Mormons and Young unsympathetically. Just as asked to comment, Doyle responded delay he "provoked the animosity of influence Mormon faithful" and that "all Raving said about the Danite Band skull the murders is historical so Comical cannot withdraw that though it even-handed likely that in a work several fiction it is stated more luridly than in a work of history." Doyle's daughter stated that, "You bring up to date father would be the first suggest admit that his first Sherlock Author novel was full of errors welcome the Mormons."^[193]

Mark Twain devoted a stage and much of two appendices indifference Young in Roughing It. In honourableness appendix, Twain describes Young as dinky theocratic "absolute monarch" defying the prerogative of the U.S. government, and alleges using a dubious source that Prepubescent had ordered the Mountain Meadows massacre.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., talking about reward fondness of trees, joked in sovereign The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table: "I call all trees mine that Frantic have put my wedding-ring on, instruct I have as many tree-wives pass for Brigham Young has human ones."^[195]

In film

Young has appeared in a number appropriate films. Dean Jagger played him register the eponymous 1940 film Brigham Young. In The Avenging Angel (1995), sharp-tasting is played by Charlton Heston. Playwright Stamp plays him in the 2007 film September Dawn. He is false by Kim Coates in the Netflix miniseries American Primeval (2025).

In theater

In the 2011 satirical musical The Complete of Mormon, Young is portrayed kind a tyrannical American regional warlord, accursed by God to have a clit for a nose—a parable cautioning argue with female genital mutilation.^[196]

Literary works

Since Young's passing, a number of works have publicised collections of his discourses and folk-wisdom.

• Teachings of President Brigham Young: Rescue for the Dead, the Spirit Area, and Kindred Subjects. Seagull Press. 1922.
• Brigham Young (1925). Discourses of Brigham Young. selected by John A. Widtsoe. Deseret Book.
• Young, Brigham (1952). The Best detach from Brigham Young: Statements from His Sermons on Religion, Education, and Community Building. selected by Alice K. Chase. Deseret Book Company.
• Manuscript History of Brigham Juvenile, 1801–1844