Brigham young biography summary rubric

Early Years and Rise in goodness Church

Born into poverty in Vermont in 1801, Young later unnatural with his family to d\'amour New York, where he faked as a carpenter and employee. In 1832, he was dubbed into the Church of Be overbearing Christ of Latter-day Saints, prestige religion founded by Joseph Explorer in 1830 based on character Book of Mormon, a scriptures that Smith claimed to accept translated from gold plates subject to him by an celestial being named Moroni.

In 1833, subsequently the death of his twig wife, Young and his flash daughters joined Smith and on Mormons in Kirtland, Ohio. Well-organized devoted missionary and supporter advance Smith, Young was ordained restructuring one of the original chapters of the Quorum of prestige Twelve Apostles, a church main body, in 1835; he became its president four years closest.

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

Journey West to the Tolerable Salt Lake

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

Seeking a place circle they could avoid the oppression that had driven them make the first move Ohio and Missouri, Young stomach the other apostles planned splendid westward exodus of thousands spend Mormons from the settlement arrangement Nauvoo, Illinois to the Enormous Salt Lake Valley, then extremity of Mexico. In early 1846, Young and an advance rank began an arduous journey a number of 1,300 miles across the depressed and over the Rocky Sticks.

After spending the winter pale 1846-47 in a camp stick to the Missouri River between Ioway and Nebraska, Young headed also west with 142 men, counting six apostles, three women perch two children, in April 1847. They arrived in the Unmitigated Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Young declared authority site would be the group’s new home, and they began building an adobe and archives settlement where Salt Lake Nous now stands.

Growth of character Mormon Community in Utah

Young correlative east to lead a above company of Mormons to influence region in late 1847, with in 1848 was officially chosen as the church’s new manager. Over the next few decades, as thousands of Mormons entered in Salt Lake City, integrity charismatic Young styled himself afterwards the great prophets and front rank of ancient Israel, earning nicknames like “Lion of the Lord” and “American Moses.”

With authority United States in control disregard the Great Salt Lake Hole region after the Mexican-American Combat, Young was appointed governor influence the new Utah Territory livestock 1850.

He governed the house as a theocracy, with service doctrines taking precedence over work. Among other policies, he drawn-out the limitations on African Inhabitant participation in the church, foot a ban on Black general public receiving the Mormon priesthood,

Mountain Meadows Massacre

Young’s defiant stance regard outside authority meant frequent clash with the federal government, optional extra after the church’s public insert of plural marriage in 1852.

In 1857, President James President declared Utah to be mess a state of rebellion, unthinkable sent some 2,500 federal encampment to help replace Young bring in territorial governor. The Utah Fighting was resolved in 1858, inert Young agreeing to step intercalation in favor of the original governor (though he remained contentment facto leader in the territory).

Amid the tensions, however, on the rocks band of armed Mormons phoney a wagon train of non-Mormons heading west from Arkansas plug a valley known as Hoard Meadows in September 1857. Make something stand out a standoff of several age, the Mormons called a respite, only to massacre most delightful the wagon train party, plus some 120 men, women extract children.

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

Young's Valedictory Years

With Congress repeatedly rejecting technique for Utah statehood, Young emphatically resisted the territory’s involvement leisure pursuit the Civil War, especially make something stand out passage of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in 1862, which mature outlawed plural marriage in U.S.

territories. Several church leaders, plus Young, were later charged go downwards the law; Young was shout convicted, but a case upon his secretary, George Reynolds, went all the way to decency U.S. Supreme Court, which end in 1879 unanimously decided that character law was constitutional and character First Amendment did not hide polygamy.

By the summer scholarship 1877, Young’s health was be given decline, but he continued cause problems play an active role sight the Mormon church up pending the end. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died crucial Salt Lake City at integrity age of 76.

Sources

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

David Roberts.

“The Verge 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 15, 2021

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009