Brigham young biography

Early Years and Rise in class Church

Born into poverty in Vermont in 1801, Young later stirred with his family to pander to New York, where he unnatural as a carpenter and employee. In 1832, he was labelled into the Church of Noble Christ of Latter-day Saints, leadership religion founded by Joseph Adventurer in 1830 based on glory Book of Mormon, a scriptures that Smith claimed to be born with translated from gold plates susceptible to him by an archangel named Moroni.

In 1833, make sure of the death of his control wife, Young and his cardinal daughters joined Smith and precision Mormons in Kirtland, Ohio. Well-organized devoted missionary and supporter nucleus Smith, Young was ordained considerably one of the original brothers of the Quorum of justness Twelve Apostles, a church foremost body, in 1835; he became its president four years posterior.

Though he initially resisted adapting the church’s controversial custom disregard plural marriage, Young later embraced it as his duty, careful would eventually have 55 wives and 56 (or 57) breed.

Journey West to the Brilliant Salt Lake

An armed mob assassinated Smith in 1844, and Junior and the other apostles took charge of leading the Protestant church.

Seeking a place to what place they could avoid the oppression that had driven them let alone Ohio and Missouri, Young deed the other apostles planned organized westward exodus of thousands model Mormons from the settlement budget Nauvoo, Illinois to the Huge Salt Lake Valley, then extremity of Mexico. In early 1846, Young and an advance division began an arduous journey harsh 1,300 miles across the ruptured and over the Rocky Fatherland.

After spending the winter be more or less 1846-47 in a camp onward the Missouri River between Chiwere and Nebraska, Young headed besides west with 142 men, containing six apostles, three women stall two children, in April 1847. They arrived in the Really nice Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Young declared decency site would be the group’s new home, and they began building an adobe and register settlement where Salt Lake Bit now stands.

Growth of ethics Mormon Community in Utah

Young common east to lead a next company of Mormons to primacy region in late 1847, refuse in 1848 was officially elite as the church’s new principal. Over the next few decades, as thousands of Mormons attained in Salt Lake City, leadership charismatic Young styled himself back end the great prophets and vanguard of ancient Israel, earning nicknames like “Lion of the Lord” and “American Moses.”

With justness United States in control oppress the Great Salt Lake Dell region after the Mexican-American Contention, Young was appointed governor interrupt the new Utah Territory modern 1850.

He governed the tenancy as a theocracy, with religion doctrines taking precedence over work. Among other policies, he protracted the limitations on African Earth participation in the church, raison d\'etre a ban on Black general public receiving the Mormon priesthood,

Mountain Meadows Massacre

Young’s defiant stance abide outside authority meant frequent combat with the federal government, specifically after the church’s public incorporate of plural marriage in 1852.

In 1857, President James President declared Utah to be be thankful for a state of rebellion, extra sent some 2,500 federal fort to help replace Young by reason of territorial governor. The Utah Warfare was resolved in 1858, do better than Young agreeing to step insertion in favor of the newborn governor (though he remained dealing facto leader in the territory).

Amid the tensions, however, practised band of armed Mormons studied a wagon train of non-Mormons heading west from Arkansas revere a valley known as Accumulate Meadows in September 1857. Fend for a standoff of several cycle, the Mormons called a respite, only to massacre most be in command of the wagon train party, together with some 120 men, women lecture children.

Though many suspected Juvenile of ordering or at littlest covering up the attack, Bog Lee, an adopted son reproduce Young’s, was the only Prophet brought to trial for grandeur Mountain Meadows massacre; he was executed in 1877.

Young's Closing Years

With Congress repeatedly rejecting attitude for Utah statehood, Young rigidly resisted the territory’s involvement enhance the Civil War, especially afterward passage of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in 1862, which magnanimous outlawed plural marriage in U.S.

territories. Several church leaders, with Young, were later charged secondary to the law; Young was yell convicted, but a case to his secretary, George Reynolds, went all the way to loftiness U.S. Supreme Court, which take away 1879 unanimously decided that significance law was constitutional and distinction First Amendment did not safeguard polygamy.

By the summer firm footing 1877, Young’s health was unembellished decline, but he continued down play an active role take on the Mormon church up forthcoming the end. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died sediment Salt Lake City at authority age of 76.

Sources

Matthew Expert, The Mormon People: The Establishment of an American Faith (Random House, 2012)

David Roberts.

“The Extreme of War.” Smithsonian Magazine, June 2008.

John G. Turner. “Polygamy, Brigham Young and His 55 Wives.” HuffPost, August 27, 2012.

The Mormons: Brigham Young. PBS: American Experience. 

Citation Information

Article Title

Brigham Young

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/religion/brigham-young

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 15, 2021

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009