Brigham Young
Family History Page

Last Updated 31 December 2005
(Maintenance Update 19 July 2011)

Brigham Young was born June 1, 1801, in Whitingham, Vermont. A painter and glazier by trade, he became an early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served numerous mission. He participated in Zion's Camp, and soon after was called to be one of the original Twelve Apostles. When the Saints were driven from Missouri and the Prophet Joseph Smith imprisoned, he led the evacuation, vowing not to leave any of the widows or poor behind who wished to go. When Joseph Smith was murdered, Brigham Young as President of the Twelve addressed a conference of the Church. He pointed out that the Prophet, prior to his death, had given the keys of the kingdom to the Twelve. The great majority of the Saints accepted Brigham as their new leader, and many testified they saw him transformed as he spoke so that he looked and sounded like Joseph. Brigham completed the Nauvoo Temple in the face of mob violence and then led the exodus to Utah, again making efforts to ensure that the poor and widows were not left behind. As President of the Church he directed the influx of tens of thousands of emigrants and established hundreds of settlements throughout the western United States, teaching them in conferences and regularly touring the Territory to preach to them and encouage them. He served as governor of the Territory for several years. A practitioner of Joseph Smith's doctrine of plural marriage, he had many wives and children and took great pains to provide for them and teach them--his children remembered him as a kind and loving father. He died August 29, 1877, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Note: This is a subpage of the John Young Family History Page, found at http://young.parkinsonfamily.org/john. These pages are intended as a resource for family historians working on the families of Brigham and his brothers. Because of the wealth of material on Brigham and a (hopefully temporary) shortage of helpers, we haven't been able to be as comprehensive on this page as the others. We do have quite a bit gathered on Brigham's family life and his wives and children. Contact Ben Parkinson, webmaster, at "feedback at parkinsonfamily.org" (replace "at" with "@").

Photos

Five sons of of John and Nabby Young Lorenzo Dow, Brigham, Phinehas, Joseph, John Jr. Original carte de visite from S. Dilworth Young	A second version From Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum

A third version Copy print from S. Dilworth Young	Closeup of Brigham

Note: The images below that come from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Brigham Young University are used with their permission.

Brigham Young about 1845 Daguerreotype by Lucian Foster; from lds.org.	Brigham Young about 1851–52 Daguerreotype by Marsena Cannon; from lds.org	Brigham Young about 1850 from lds.org

Brigham Young Engraving; from Forest Farmhouse, This Is the Place Heritage Park.	Brigham Young 1853 Engraving by Frederick Piercy; from LDS Museum.	Brigham Young Ambrotype, from lds.org

Brigham Young about 1862 Savage & Ottinger, carte de visite; from BYU	Brigham Young about 1862 Savage & Ottinger, carte de visite; from BYU	Brigham Young Dudensing, engraving; from Beehive House

Brigham Young about 1871 Carte de visite from Dorothy Jean Godfrey	Brigham Young Albumen print from Mary Morrison

Brigham Young Cabinet card from S. Dilworth Young	Brigham Young about 1875–1877 C.R. Savage, cabinet card; from BYU	Brigham Young 1876 From BYU

Brigham Young 1876 H. B. Hall & Sons, engraving, Tullidge's Histories (1889), 2:530	Brigham Young E.G. Williams & Bros., engraving, in Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah (1892), 1:frontispiece	Brigham Young Engraving, from Franklin Relic Hall

Back, L-R: Naamah Carter Young, Lucy B. Young, Amelia Folsom Young Front: Margaret Pierce Young, Zina D. H. Young, Emily Dow Partridge Young, Harriet Barney Young From BYU Archives

Daughters of Brigham Young: Zina, Emily, Maria, Carlie, Ella, Phebe, Dora	The Big Ten (the ten older daughters of Brigham Young): Top L-R: Zina (Card), Evie (Davis), Jeanette (Easton), Mary (Croxall), Maria (Dougal); Bottom: Rinda (Conrad), Carlie (Cannon), Ellie (Empey), Emily A. (Clawson), Fanny (Thatcher) From BYU Archives

Daughters of Brigham Young. Emily A. is 2nd row 2nd from left. From BYU Archives

Histories

• Brigham Young, Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801–1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968). Note: There is a second volume as well, which I think just goes to 1845
• Leonard J. Arrington, Brigham Young: American Moses (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985)
• Larry C. Porter, "Brigham Young: 'The Man for the Hour Will Be Ready Whenever the Hour Strikes,'" BYU forum, 27 Jan. 1998
• Ronald K. Esplin, The Emergence of Brigham Young and the Twelve to Mormon Leadership, 1830—1841" (Ph.D. diss., Brigham Young University, 1981)
• Brigham Young, Speeches, in Journal of Discourses; or John A. Widtsoe, comp., Discourses of Brigham Young (Deseret Book, 1946).
• Preston Nibley, Brigham Young: The Man and His Works, 4th ed. (Deseret Book Co., 1960)
• Clarissa Young Spencer with Mabel Harmer, Brigham Young at Home (Deseret Book, 1940)
• Susa Young Gates and Leah D. Widtsoe, The Life Story of Brigham Young (New York: Macmillan, 1930)
• S. Dilworth Young, Young Brigham Young (for children, Bookcraft, 1962)
• ———, "Here Is Brigham . . .": Brigham Young—the Years to 1844 (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, Inc., 1964)
• ———, “Brigham Young, 1844–1847,” narrative poem, in Thoughts of Heart and Hand (self‑published, 1976).
• ———, “Here is Brigham, Volume 2,” 124 typescript pages covering 1844–46, unpublished.
• ———, “Brigham Young—His Life (First Half),” (BYU Speeches of the Year, March 17, 1964); available on audiotape from the BYU library and in Covenant Communications' S. Dilworth Young: Recorded Live on Cassettes (1979).
• ———, “The Early Years of Brigham Young,” (BYU Speeches of the Year, October 11, 1973); available on audiotape from BYU audiovisual services.
• Brigham Young, The Journal of Brigham: Brigham Young's Own Story in His Own Words, comp. Leland R. Nelson (a.k.a. Lee Nelson), Provo, Council Press, 1980
• Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and R. Q. Shupe, My Servant Brigham: Portrait of a Prophet (Bookcraft, 1997);
• Francis M. Gibbons, Brigham Young: Modern Moses, Prophet of God (Deseret Book, 1981)
• Susan Easton Black and Larry C. Porter, eds.,  Lion of the Lord: Essays on the Life and Service of Brigham Young (Deseret Book, 1995)
• Susan Evans McCloud, Brigham Young: An Inspiring Personal Biography (Covenant, 1996)
• Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 1997, used as the 1998—Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society manual; his basic gospel teachings–probably an important corrective to works that emphasize his more esoteric ideas.
• Richard F. Burton, "Personal Description of Brigham Young," The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, vol. 11, no. 2 (Apr. 1920), pp. 56–57; excerpted from The City of the Saints (Harper and Brothers, 1862).
• Edward H. Anderson, "Personal Characteristics of Brigham Young," The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, vol. 11, no. 2 (Apr. 1920), pp. 79–81; excerpted from The Life of Brigham Young.

Call to Family Members

Please share your histories and photos. Our goal is to gather transcripts and high-resolution scans on Joseph, his wives, all their children, and all their spouses, and make them available to all family members. Contact Benson Young Parkinson, webmaster, at "feedback at parkinsonfamily.org" (replace "at" with "@").

Links

• John Young Family History Page, Brigham's father.
• Brigham Young Family Association
• Partridge-Young Family History Resource Page

What's New Since the Last Update

Contact

Contact Benson Young Parkinson, webmaster, at "feedback at parkinsonfamily.org" (replace "at" with "@").