Brigham Young

Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 - August 29, 1877) was the second prophet and the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After Joseph Smith, the founder, was killed in 1844 by a lynch mob while awaiting trial for charges of treason in Nauvoo, Illinois, Young was appointed the faith's new leader.

Young led a group from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City in what is now Utah, where he established what the Mormons call New Zion. While in Salt Lake Brigham Young started a school (Brigham Young University) and a clothing store, ZCMI (Zion Cooperative Mercantile Exchange). ZCMI was later purchased by Meyer & Frank, and in 2006 was purchased by Macy's. Prior to the sale, ZCMI was solely owned an operated by the LDS church.

Interesting Facts and Contributions of Brigham Young

1. When Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844, Brigham's leadership kept the scattered and frightened Saints together.
2. He became President at the age of forty-six - the second youngest next to Joseph Smith,
3. His administration, which lasted thirty years, is the longest in Church history.
4. He organized the strategic evacuation of the Saints from Missouri into Hancock County, Illinois, where Nauvoo was established.
5. He directed the colonization of the Mountain West and brought thousands of colonists from all over the world to settle in the West. He directed the settlement of more than 200 villages, towns, and cities. "He was the prime mover in the great development of the West."

Significant Dates and Events in the Lifetime of Brigham Young

Church Membership 1844: 35,000 (est.) 1877: 155,000 (est.)
1877 - Stakes: 20 Missions: 9 Temples 1
U.S. Population, 1877: 48 million (est.)
World Population, 1877: 1.3 billion (est.)
US. Presidents (1844-77): John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant

1801 Brigham Young was born in Whittingham, Windham County, Vermont, June 1.

1815 Mother died; Brigham began to earn his own way in life, eventually becoming a carpenter.

1822 Joined the Methodist Church, September.

1824 Married Miriam Works, Aurelius, New York, October 8.

1829 Moved to Mendon, New York, where his father and most of his brothers and sisters lived.

1830 Samuel H. Smith, as a missionary, left a copy of the Book of Mormon at the home of Phineas Young, brother to Brigham; Phineas read the book and then Brigham read it.

1832 Baptized into the Church by Eleazar Miller, who ordained him an elder, April 14. Brigham converted all his brothers and sisters, his father, and his wife. Brigham arrived in Kirtland with his brother Joseph and Heber C. Kimball; they met with the Prophet Joseph Smith, September.

1832-33 Served mission to Canada and later led many converts to Kirtland.

1833 Moved to Kirtland with his two daughters.

1834 Married Mary Ann Angell, February; joined in march of Zion's Camp.

1834-35 Worked on Kirtland Temple, supervising carpentry work.

1835 Ordained an apostle by Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, February 15; was a member of the original Quorum of the Twelve (age 33).

1836 Helped complete the Kirtland Temple; did missionary work in Eastern States.

1837 Fled to Missouri with Joseph Smith due to persecution.

1838 Became senior member of the Council of the Twelve, directed the Church while Joseph Smith was in prison; led exodus from Missouri.

1839-41 Served mission to Great Britain.

1840 Was sustained as President of the Council of the Twelve, April 14, at age 38.

1843 Served short mission to Eastern States.

1844 Martyrdom of Prophet Joseph Smith. Brigham spoke to the Saints on August 4 and was transfigured before them; the Saints accepted him as their leader.

1844-77 Missions were opened in Wales, California, France, Scandinavia, Italy, Switzerland, the Sandwich Islands, Australia, India, Malta, Gibraltar, Germany, Europe, South Africa, Siam, the Netherlands, the Eastern and Southern States. and Indian Territory.

The following became states: Florida, Iowa, California, Oregon, West Virginia, Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Nevada, Colorado.

1846 Brigham directed exodus of Saints from Nauvoo, February. Nauvoo Temple was dedicated, May 1. Mormon Battalion organized, July 16. Nauvoo Temple captured by mob, September.

1846-47 Brigham formulated policy for treatment of Indians: "It is cheaper to feed the Indians than to fight them."

Donner Party, westbound settlers, suffered disaster in the Sierra Nevadas when caught by snow; 47 survived out of 487.

1846-48 United States at war with Mexico.

1847 Brigham received revelation giving instructions for westward exodus of the Saints, January 14. First pioneers left Winter Quarters April 5, arrived in Salt Lake Valley, July 24. Mormons began irrigation of land in Utah. Brigham selected site for Salt Lake Temple, July 28; organized Salt Lake Stake, October 3; was sustained President of Church at general conference on the Missouri River, December 27.

1847-69 85,000 pioneers made trek to Utah.

1848 Seagulls saved crops from destruction by crickets, June 5.

Mexico ceded Utah to U.S. in Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Communist Manifesto was written.

1848-49 Revolutions swept Europe.

1849 Church organized provisional State of Deseret and adopted first state constitution. First Sunday School in Rocky Mountains was started, December. Gold rush to California made Utah a national highway to gold fields, established a number of non-Mormon merchants in Salt Lake City.

1849-73 David Livingstone, African explorer, discovered source of Zambezi River, Victoria Falls, Lake Ngami.

1850 University of Deseret was established (now University of Utah). Perpetual Immigration Fund was incorporated to assist in gathering of Saints. Congress approved organizing Territory of Utah, and Brigham Young became governor. Deseret News was established. Sugar beet industry was started in Utah in 1850s.

Quotations from Brigham Young

America

To accuse us of being unfriendly to the government is to accuse us of hostility to our religion, for no item of inspiration is held more sacred with us than the Constitution under which America acts.

Apostasy

We may apostatize from the faith, and go out of the church and kingdom of God, and be lost; but this will have no effect upon the progress of the Lord's work, neither can all the powers of hell combined accomplish aught against it.

Book of Mormon

There is not another nation under heaven, in whose midst the Book of Mormon could have been brought forth. The Lord had been operating for centuries to prepare the way for the coming forth of the contents of that book from the bowels of the earth, to be published to the world, to show to the inhabitants thereof that he still lives, and that he will, in the latter days, gather his elect from the four corners of the earth.

Children

Teach your children from their youth, never to set their hearts immoderately upon any objects of this world. Bring them up in the love and fear of the Lord; study their dispositions and deal with them accordingly, never allowing yourself to correct them in the heat of passion; teach them to love you rather than to fear you, and let it be your constant care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught the importance of the oracles of God, and the beauty of the principles of our holy religion.

Christ

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, who came in the meridian of time, performed his work, suffered the penalty and paid the debt of man's original sin by offering up himself, was resurrected from the dead, and ascended to his Father. The Lord has revealed to us a plan by which we may be saved both here and hereafter. God has done everything we could ask, and more than we could ask. The errand of Jesus to earth was to bring his brethren and sisters back into the presence of the Father; he has done his part of the work, and it remains for us to do ours. There is not one thing that the Lord could do for the salvation of the human family that he has neglected to do; and it remains for the children of men to receive the truth or reject it; all that can be accomplished for their salvation, independent of them, has been accomplished in and by the Savior.

Drama

Upon the stage of a theatre can be represented in character, evil and its consequences, good and its happy results and rewards; the weakness and follies of man, the magnanimity of virtue and the greatness of truth. The stage can be made to aid the pulpit in impressing upon the minds of a community an enlightened sense of a virtuous life, also a proper horror of the enormity of sin with its thorns and pitfalls, its gins and snares can be revealed and how to shun it.

Education

Our education should be such as to improve our minds and fit us for increased usefulness; to make us of greater service to the human family; to enable us to stop our rude methods of living, speaking, and thinking.... I would advise you to read books that are worth reading, read relaible history, and search wisdom out of the best books you can procure.

Sources

• West, Emerson Roy. Profiles of the Presidents, Deseret Book Co: Utah (1972)