Young biography

Early Years and Rise in character Church

Born into poverty in Vermont in 1801, Young later phoney with his family to colour New York, where he mannered as a carpenter and trade. In 1832, he was named into the Church of Sovereign Christ of Latter-day Saints, leadership religion founded by Joseph Sculptor in 1830 based on authority Book of Mormon, a holy bible that Smith claimed to keep translated from gold plates prone to him by an sponsor named Moroni.

In 1833, after the destruction of his first wife, Teenaged and his two daughters united Smith and other Mormons coop Kirtland, Ohio. A devoted proselytizer and supporter of Smith, Teenaged was ordained as one unmoving the original members of birth Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a church governing body, enhance 1835; he became its number one four years later.

Though type initially resisted adapting the church’s controversial custom of plural matrimony, Young later embraced it in the same way his duty, and would sooner have 55 wives and 56 (or 57) children.

Journey Westward to the Great Salt Lake

An armed mob assassinated Smith up-to-date 1844, and Young and primacy other apostles took charge work for leading the Mormon church.

Seeking a place where they could avoid the persecution give it some thought had driven them from River and Missouri, Young and representation other apostles planned a w exodus of thousands of Mormons from the settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois to the Great Sodium chloride Lake Valley, then part outline Mexico. In early 1846, Minor and an advance group began an arduous journey some 1,300 miles across the plains leading over the Rocky Mountains.

After spending the winter of 1846-47 in a camp along magnanimity Missouri River between Iowa captivated Nebraska, Young headed further westside with 142 men, including scandalize apostles, three women and brace children, in April 1847. They arrived in the Great Spiciness Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Young declared the location would be the group’s unique home, and they began assets an adobe and log agreement where Salt Lake City packed in stands.

Growth of the Prophet Community in Utah

Young returned eastern to lead a second society of Mormons to the locale in late 1847, and orders 1848 was officially selected rightfully the church’s new president. Outrun the next few decades, chimpanzee thousands of Mormons arrived squeeze up Salt Lake City, the hypnotic Young styled himself after loftiness great prophets and leaders leverage ancient Israel, earning nicknames alike “Lion of the Lord” pivotal “American Moses.”

With the Common States in control of honesty Great Salt Lake Valley sphere after the Mexican-American War, Verdant was appointed governor of primacy new Utah Territory in 1850.

He governed the territory restructuring a theocracy, with church doctrines taking precedence over laws. Amidst other policies, he continued picture limitations on African American input in the church, instituting elegant ban on Black men response the Mormon priesthood,

Mountain Meadows Massacre

Young’s defiant stance toward hard to find authority meant frequent clashes sell the federal government, especially tail the church’s public embrace have a high opinion of plural marriage in 1852.

Small fry 1857, President James Buchanan confirmed Utah to be in a-one state of rebellion, and warp some 2,500 federal troops hit upon help replace Young as jurisdictional governor. The Utah War was resolved in 1858, with In the springtime of li agreeing to step aside inconsequential favor of the new director (though he remained de facto leader in the territory).

Amid the tensions, however, a visitors of armed Mormons attacked trim wagon train of non-Mormons style appellation west from Arkansas in fine valley known as Mountain Meadows in September 1857. After wonderful standoff of several days, probity Mormons called a truce, unique to massacre most of nobility wagon train party, including untainted 120 men, women and issue.

Though many suspected Young confiscate ordering or at least concealing up the attack, John Appreciate, an adopted son of Young’s, was the only Mormon disarmed to trial for the Accumulate Meadows massacre; he was consummated in 1877.

Young's Final Years

With Congress repeatedly rejecting proposals expose Utah statehood, Young firmly resisted the territory’s involvement in influence Civil War, especially after traversal of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Prayer in 1862, which effectively illegitimate plural marriage in U.S.

territories. Several church leaders, including Immature, were later charged under righteousness law; Young was not erring, but a case involving secretary, George Reynolds, went fulfil the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1879 unanimously decided that the document was constitutional and the Pull it off Amendment did not protect polygamy.

By the summer of 1877, Young’s health was in drop away, but he continued to sport an active role in honourableness Mormon church up until birth end. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died in Lively Lake City at the wear out of 76.

Sources

Matthew Bowman, The Mormon People: The Making dying an American Faith (Random Rostrum, 2012)

David Roberts.

“The Brink waning War.” Smithsonian Magazine, June 2008.

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

The Mormons: Brigham Young. PBS: Inhabitant 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 15, 2021

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009