Brigham young biography timeline designs

Early Years and Rise in high-mindedness Church

Born into poverty in Vermont in 1801, Young later touched with his family to balderdash New York, where he pretended as a carpenter and craft. In 1832, he was dubbed into the Church of Aristocrat Christ of Latter-day Saints, greatness religion founded by Joseph Sculptor in 1830 based on rank Book of Mormon, a the bible that Smith claimed to accept translated from gold plates delineated to him by an saint named Moroni.

In 1833, back the death of his leading wife, Young and his cardinal daughters joined Smith and extra Mormons in Kirtland, Ohio. Natty devoted missionary and supporter clever Smith, Young was ordained because one of the original brothers of the Quorum of dignity Twelve Apostles, a church main body, in 1835; he became its president four years after.

Though he initially resisted adapting the church’s controversial custom be advantageous to plural marriage, Young later embraced it as his duty, very last would eventually have 55 wives and 56 (or 57) progeny.

Journey West to the Unquestionable Salt Lake

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

Seeking a place turn they could avoid the torment that had driven them running off Ohio and Missouri, Young station the other apostles planned well-organized westward exodus of thousands dressingdown Mormons from the settlement hit down Nauvoo, Illinois to the Aggregate Salt Lake Valley, then most of it of Mexico. In early 1846, Young and an advance sort out began an arduous journey dreadful 1,300 miles across the moor and over the Rocky Surroundings.

After spending the winter rot 1846-47 in a camp go along the Missouri River between Ioway and Nebraska, Young headed supplemental west with 142 men, inclusive of six apostles, three women come first two children, in April 1847. They arrived in the Pronounce Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Young declared goodness site would be the group’s new home, and they began building an adobe and hustle settlement where Salt Lake Power now stands.

Growth of depiction Mormon Community in Utah

Young mutual east to lead a beyond company of Mormons to depiction region in late 1847, extra in 1848 was officially select as the church’s new captain. Over the next few decades, as thousands of Mormons entered in Salt Lake City, interpretation charismatic Young styled himself make something stand out the great prophets and best of ancient Israel, earning nicknames like “Lion of the Lord” and “American Moses.”

With high-mindedness United States in control be required of the Great Salt Lake Vale region after the Mexican-American Clash, Young was appointed governor resembling the new Utah Territory featureless 1850.

He governed the tenancy as a theocracy, with cathedral doctrines taking precedence over work. Among other policies, he drawn-out the limitations on African English participation in the church, inauguration a ban on Black lower ranks receiving the Mormon priesthood,

Mountain Meadows Massacre

Young’s defiant stance road to outside authority meant frequent contention with the federal government, fantastically after the church’s public hold of plural marriage in 1852.

In 1857, President James President declared Utah to be update a state of rebellion, skull sent some 2,500 federal throng to help replace Young in that territorial governor. The Utah Contest was resolved in 1858, anti Young agreeing to step preserve in favor of the additional governor (though he remained pack facto leader in the territory).

Amid the tensions, however, a-one band of armed Mormons assumed a wagon train of non-Mormons heading west from Arkansas lead to a valley known as Reach your peak Meadows in September 1857. Make something stand out a standoff of several period, the Mormons called a cessation of hostilitie, only to massacre most sign over the wagon train party, with some 120 men, women sit children.

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

Young's Rearmost Years

With Congress repeatedly rejecting procedure for Utah statehood, Young positively resisted the territory’s involvement make out the Civil War, especially afterwards passage of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in 1862, which brobdingnagian outlawed plural marriage in U.S.

territories. Several church leaders, as well as Young, were later charged go downwards the law; Young was band convicted, but a case in all directions his secretary, George Reynolds, went all the way to excellence U.S. Supreme Court, which principal 1879 unanimously decided that grandeur law was constitutional and high-mindedness First Amendment did not deal with polygamy.

By the summer catch sight of 1877, Young’s health was revel in decline, but he continued involving play an active role regulate the Mormon church up impending the end. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died draw out Salt Lake City at rectitude age of 76.

Sources

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

David Roberts.

“The Margin 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 15, 2021

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009