What Is Brigham Young Best Known For?

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Brigham Young is one of the most influential figures in the history of the American West. As the prophetic successor to Joseph Smith, Young engineered a westward exodus of tens of thousands of pioneer Latter-day Saints, earning the nickname “American Moses.” His subsequent leadership in Utah evoked both praise and scorn. Young founded 350+ settlements, built the Salt Lake Temple, and testified of Christ. He also said polygamy was a requirement for heaven, taught that Black people were cursed descendants of Cain, and used violent rhetoric that sparked the Mountain Meadows Massacre. In the end, he was a complex man who could inspire both love and fear. This article highlights the life, teachings, and legacy of the “Lion of the Lord.”

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Overview
Early Life and Conversion
Wives and Children
Character and Personality
Leadership and the Pioneer Trek
Utah Governor
Teachings and Theology
Controversies
Popular Culture
Death and Burial
Legacy
Recent News
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions

Overview of His Life and Role

— Brigham Young converted to Mormonism in the 1830s, led a westward exodus in the 1840s, and cemented a controversial legacy in the following decades that included polygamy, city-building, and theocratic leadership.

An old photograph of Brigham Young — Brigham Young established more than 350 settlements in the American West and leveraged his autocratic leadership style to ensure The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints survived the death of its charismatic founder.

Brigham Young (1801–1877) was a carpenter’s son from Vermont who rose to become one of the most influential—and controversial—religious leaders in American history. After joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1830s, he quickly became a trusted lieutenant of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Young emerged victorious from a leadership succession crisis following Smith’s death in 1844, eventually becoming the church’s leader and serving as president for nearly 30 years before dying at 76 in 1877.

He is best remembered as an “American Moses.”

He is best remembered as an “American Moses” who led the Mormon pioneers across the Great Plains to the Salt Lake Valley, where he founded new settlements, organized church administration, and served as the first governor of Utah Territory.

Young’s numerous accomplishments were also checkered by controversy. The pioneer prophet had more than 50 wives, promoted doctrines that later leaders walked back, and sometimes used harsh rhetoric that both fueled loyalty and heightened tensions.

The mix of extremes is central to understanding the man known both as “Brother Brigham” and the “Lion of the Lord.” He was neither wholly villain nor saint, but a complicated blend of both.

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Why He Matters in American and Religious History

Brigham Young has a lasting place in the larger American story of frontier expansion, religion, and nation-building. He turned a persecuted early “Mormon” movement into an established religious community, directed one of the largest migrations in U.S. history, and established hundreds of settlements.

Today, different groups remember him in different ways:

Latter-day Saints often recall him as Joseph Smith’s successor who stabilized the Church and fostered its early theology.

Critics see no shortage of material for attack, from polygamy to fiery sermons that set the stage for the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Popular culture often takes a sensational approach, sometimes reflecting history accurately, other times leaning into cartoonish depictions.

Historians interpret him as a complex leader at the crossroads of religion, politics, and frontier expansion in 19th-century America.

Other faith traditions sometimes cast Brigham as a theological liability, linking him to discarded doctrinal ideas such as blood atonement or the “Adam-God Theory.”

Utahns live with his legacy imprinted in city grids, institutions, cultural memory, and a state holiday (July 24th).

Early Life and Conversion

— Brigham had a tense relationship with his father and left home as a teenager, later studying the Book of Mormon for two years before converting to the religion founded by Joseph Smith.

Childhood in Vermont and New York

Brigham Young was born on June 1, 1801, in Whitingham, Vermont, the ninth of eleven children in a working-class family. His parents, John Young and Abigail Howe, moved often, eventually settling in upstate New York. Like many frontier families, they faced hardship: limited schooling, constant labor, and a steady need to adapt to new environments.

Young had minimal formal education—reportedly fewer than a dozen days of classroom instruction—but he developed practical skills as a carpenter, painter, and glazier.

Early exposure to folk religion and revival culture in New England also sparked a spiritual yearning that made him receptive to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

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Conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ

In 1830, Brigham Young first encountered the newly published Book of Mormon. He was cautious, studying it carefully for nearly two years before joining the fledgling movement. He was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then known informally as the “Mormon” church, in 1832.

Young’s conversion was decisive. He soon became a missionary, preaching in New England and gathering other converts—including most of his siblings.

By 1835, he had risen to prominence as one of the original Twelve Apostles, admired for his tireless energy and loyalty to Joseph Smith.

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Brigham Young and Joseph Smith

Close-up of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young’s handshake, with calloused hands and an axe resting on a stump in the background, symbolizing prophetic connection and shared labor. — The two prophets first met in 1832 when Joseph Smith asked newly-converted Brigham Young for help chopping wood.

Brigham Young first met Joseph Smith in the fall of 1832, a few months after his baptism. On the way to Kirtland, Ohio, he stopped at a minister’s home and heard a familiar charge: Joseph Smith was a fraud who acted “by the power of the devil.”

Young later recalled his response:

Joseph Smith I have never seen, to my knowledge…But the doctrine that has been revealed through him, I do know to be the plan of salvation according to the New and Old Testaments. He may act like the devil, for aught I care—I didn’t call him to be a prophet, deliver the plates, or send Moroni to administer to him.
“Brigham Young, 7 April 1859,” 16 (Shorthand Transcription)

Historians like John Turner have noted that this emphasis on testing doctrine for himself rather than relying on hearsay would later define his leadership after Joseph’s death.

When the two men finally met, the scene was mundane: Joseph was chopping wood. He paused, shook Young’s hand, and invited him to help.

So began a lifelong friendship that would shape Brigham’s leadership and the foundations of the modern Church.

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Brigham Young’s Wives and Children

— Brigham Young was both a practitioner and defender of polygamy, marrying more than 50 women and having dozens of children.

A black-and-white photograph of eight of Brigham Young's wives and sixteen of his daughters, circa 1893. — Brigham Young was a public advocate of polygamy. This photograph (circa 1893) features 8 of his 50+ wives and 16 of his 57 children. Credit: Church History Library

Family Background and Spouses

Brigham Young married at least 55 women during his lifetime, though not all of the relationships involved sex.

Sir Francis Burton, author of the sensual Kama Sutra, remarked in The City of the Saints that polygamy seemed more functional than lustful during his visit to Utah, and other prominent visitors expressed similar thoughts.

Despite these innocent observations, polygamy also had a dark side that included the abuse of young girls. The overall national sentiment was so negative that the 1856 Republican Party platform identified polygamy alongside slavery as one of the “Twin Relics of Barbarism.”

Latter-day Saint Polygamy: A Comprehensive Guide

List of Brigham Young’s Most Prominent Wives

Mary Ann Angell – Brigham’s second legal wife after Miriam Works’s death who helped raise many of his children.

Lucy Ann Decker – His first plural wife.

Zina D. H. Young – A prominent Relief Society leader and advocate for women’s rights.

Eliza R. Snow – The famed poet who wrote “O My Father,” gave more than 1,300 discourses in Territorial Utah, and was previously married to Joseph Smith.

Harriet Amelia Folsom – Often seen with him in public, Brigham’s “favorite” wife married the 59-year-old church president when she was 22.

Ann Eliza Webb Young – His 19th wife famously divorced him, creating an international scandal.

These prominent marriages illustrate the diversity of polygamy: some wives were beloved companions, others cultural icons, and still others critics who shaped his legacy in unexpected ways.

Theology of Polygamy

For Brigham Young, plural marriage was more than a domestic arrangement—it was a religious principle.

He taught that:

Polygamy restored Old Testament practices, following patriarchs like Abraham and Jacob.

It was a test of obedience, demanding sacrifice from both men and women.

The marriages ensured eternal increase, tying exaltation to posterity in the life to come.

Historians like Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Brian Hales note that these ideals were lived in very different ways: some marriages were affectionate, while others were strained or pragmatic.

“Celestial Marriage” would go on to impact virtually every major doctrine in the Latter-day Saint faith and become one of the most controversial features of Brigham Young’s leadership.

George Q. Cannon As Politician, Publisher, and Apostle of Polygamy

Recommended Resources: Brigham Young’s Polygamy

Latter-day Saint Polygamy: A Comprehensive Guide
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and ‘A House Full of Females’
D&C 132: The Plural Marriage Revelation

Children, Descendants, and Family Life

A black-and-white photograph of the Beehive House in Salt Lake City, where many of Brigham Young's wives lived. — Brigham Young housed many of his families in the Beehive House (left) and the Lion House (right).

Brigham Young fathered 57 children, with approximately 46 surviving to adulthood. The size of his family made him one of the most prolific patriarchs in American history and created an extended network that influenced both church and state in Utah.

He had several homes. These included the Lion House, which provided living quarters for many wives and children, and the Beehive House, which served as both a residence and a seat of government.

Prominent Relatives (Then and Now)

Notable children and descendants include:

Susa Young Gates (Daughter): A writer, feminist, and geneaologist who became one of the most influential women in Latter-day Saint history.

Tracy Cannon (Grandson): A musician who professionalized the Church’s musical identity and was instrumental in the development of the Latter-day Saint hymnal.

Steve Young (Great-Great-Great-Grandson): The NFL Hall of Fame quarterback is both a direct descendant and “great nephew” of Brigham due to the prophet’s complex genealogy.

Orson Scott Card (Great-Great-Great-Grandson): The award-winning science fiction author of Ender’s Game is directly descended through Brigham’s daughter Zina Young Card.

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Brigham Young’s Character and Personality

— The pioneer prophet was a man of paradox: he could inspire love and preach independence, yet also encourage violence and demand obedience.

The earliest known portrait of Brigham Young, featuring the prophet circa 1845 wearing a top hat and holding a cane. — The earliest-known daguerreotype of Brigham Young (circa 1845) bears hints of the prophet’s multifaceted personality, with his clothing and expressions evoking both formality and playfulness. Credit: Church History Library.

Brigham Young’s personality defies simple description. Historians consistently portray him as a man of paradoxes—at once pragmatic and visionary, warm and authoritarian, generous and severe.

Public Persona and Leadership Style

Young’s leadership style combined charisma with iron discipline. He demanded obedience, yet he also inspired devotion through his humor and plainspoken style.

His early loyalty to Joseph Smith taught him that unwavering allegiance to the prophet was the foundation of authority—a principle he later embodied as Smith’s successor.

Historian John Turner said that Brigham’s personality included a “sharp wit and sense of humor,” “intense spiritual fire,” “adaptability,” and “combativeness.”

Brigham’s visions inspired spiritual commitment in followers. His raw personality can be seen in this word-for-word transcript from the 1853 groundbreaking of the Salt Lake Temple: “[A vision of the temple] is before me all the time . . . Almost five years ago when we was on this ground [that we?] called Zion looking for locations sending our parties all over the country . . . I knew then just as well as I now know this is the ground for the temple.”

Followers admired his decisiveness, but his insistence on absolute economic and spiritual unity—dictating everything from where people shopped to whom they sometimes married—ensured that individual success was often inseparable from his personal approval.

Independent films like “Becoming Brigham” and “Six Days in August” present the human side of the prophet, drawing upon the historical record to reveal a more loving leader than is typically depicted in media.

Personal Habits, Humor, and Private Life

In private, Young showed a lighter, more human side. He enjoyed dancing, music, and joking with his children, even as his stern sermons stressed thrift and obedience. Family members recalled a father who could be playful, yet also distant, in a household that eventually included more than 50 wives and 50 children.

The shorthand transcripts of his discourses reveal a nuanced picture of a prophet who conveyed inspirational teachings with animated hand gestures—while also employing disturbing rhetoric.

This mixture of confidence, severity, and humor made him a leader who could both inspire and intimidate.

Recommended Resources: Character and Personality

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Leadership and the Mormon Pioneer Trek

— Forced to leave Illinois after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young became an “American Moses” who led roughly 70,000 pioneers to Utah, promoting travel by handcart both to provide affordable access and to refine faith through hardship.

A photograph of Brigham Young taken between 1847 and 1850 - the same time period in which he led a mass exodus of religious Latter-day Saint refugees to Utah. — This photograph was taken between 1847 and 1850—the same period in which Brigham Young first led a mass exodus of Latter-day Saint refugees to Utah Territory, earning the nickname “American Moses.”

Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska (1846-47)

In the wake of Joseph Smith’s death, Brigham Young assumed the task of leading thousands of displaced Latter-day Saints westward. Between 1846 and 1869, an estimated 70,000 pioneers made the journey, organized into companies that reflected Young’s unique ability to blend faith and logistics.

Leadership Style of the “American Moses”

The trek west depended on Brigham’s leadership style, which was heavily influenced by his experiences with Joseph Smith—especially the Zion’s Camp march of 1834. Young had watched Joseph enforce daily routines, organize companies, and inspire loyalty through hardship. Those same practices resurfaced along the trail.

Brigham also consulted mountain men like Jim Bridger for geographic insight, enforced daily schedules on the trail, and insisted that faith be matched with sweat.

Hundreds of people starved to death or succumbed to the elements.

Latter-day Saints paused their exodus in Winter Quarters, Nebraska, after making a difficult crossing of Iowa in 1846.

Thousands of people set up temporary shelters, living in tents, wagons, and cabins. The temporary settlement survived for two years, but claimed the lives of hundreds of people who starved to death or succumbed to the elements.

“‘And should we die before our journey’s through’ became a chilling prophecy,” noted historian Richard E. Bennett.

Lyrics from the pioneer hymn “Come, Come Ye Saints” imagining possible deaths along the trail to Utah proved prophetic. Although the vast majority of pioneers survived, historians estimate that roughly 3% of emigrants died, primarily due to sickness and accidents.

Entering the Salt Lake Valley (1847)

In 1847, Young organized a vanguard company to enter the Salt Lake Valley, planting crops and building shelters for those who would follow.

According to tradition, on July 24, 1847, Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley and declared, “This is the right place. Drive on.”

More than a symbolic statement, it marked the beginning of a colonization project that would eventually produce over 350 settlements across the American West.

Today, the 24th of July, is an official holiday in the State of Utah.

A black-and-white historical photograph from circa 1887 showing a crowded Pioneer Day Parade on a main street in Salt Lake City, Utah. The scene features multiple horse-drawn floats, including one with a striped tent-like canopy. Large crowds of people in Victorian-era church attire—men in suits and hats, women in long dresses—line the dirt street and balconies. Buildings are heavily decorated with American flags and bunting, and utility poles with numerous crossarms are visible in the background. — Modern Utahs celebrate the 24th of July honoring Brigham Young’s 1847 entrance into the Salt Lake Valley with the same fanfare as Utahns enjoying a Pioneer Day parade in this photograph by Charles W. Carter (circa 1887). Credit: Church History Library

Recommended Resources: Pioneer Trek

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American Moses: The Story of Leonard Arrington’s Brigham Young Biography
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Governance in Territorial Utah

— Young’s accomplishments as the governor of Territorial Utah are virtually unparalleled in American history, and include establishing settlements, building temples, negotiating with Indians, and creating a phonetic “Deseret Alphabet.”

In 1851, Young became the first governor of the Utah Territory and superintendent of Indian Affairs. In classic “Brigham Young” style, he blended religious authority with his territorial governance, resulting in largely unchecked power that enabled the settlement of hundreds of cities—and caused national alarm.

The dual role made him both admired and feared. Supporters saw a leader who made the desert “blossom like a rose,” while opponents accused him of being a theocrat.

The handcart tragedies of the 1850s further heightened tensions, sharpening debates about whether Young’s strict timelines and colonial zeal sometimes outpaced caution.

Who Was Responsible for the 1856 Handcart Tragedy?

Colonization of the American West

Brigham’s accomplishments during his gubernatorial tenure are extraordinary in both scale and scope.

Infrastructure and Expansion

350+ Settlements: Brigham colonized hundreds of settlements, stretching from Idaho to Mexico—including modern-day Las Vegas, San Bernardino, and St. George.

The First Pony Express: He established a “Swift Pony Express” that predated the legendary Pony Express by several years.

Grid System: Salt Lake City’s modern street numbering system traces back to Brigham’s original design that was famously “wide enough for a wagon team to turn around ‘without resorting to profanity.’”

Railroad and Transit: He supported the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, committing thousands of men to create more than 350 miles of track.

Massive Building Projects: Young supervised the building of temples while simultaneously pursuing ambitious public works projects, filling a constant labor shortage with emigrant converts.

Who Built the Salt Lake Temple?

Social and Economic Innovation

Department Store: Brigham founded the first department store in America, ZCMI (Zion’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution).

Perpetual Emigration Fund: He created a sophisticated revolving loan system that enabled tens of thousands of poor European converts to emigrate to Utah, and inspired the Church’s contemporary “Perpetual Education Fund.”

Communal Experiments: The church president implemented “The United Order of Enoch,” a social experiment in communal living modeled on the Law of Consecration, designed to eliminate poverty.

Educational Legacy: He established the institutions that became Brigham Young University (Brigham Young Academy) and the University of Utah (University of Deseret).

The Deseret Alphabet: Young championed the creation of a phonetic alphabet to simplify literacy for European converts.

The cover of the Deseret First book, featuring sketches of Latter-day Saint icons like the Salt Lake Temple alongside the book title spelled phonetically in the Deseret Alphabet established by Brigham Young. — Brigham Young published several books in the phonetic Deseret Alphabet, including the Deseret First Book seen here.

Strategic Leadership and Diplomacy

The Handcart Rescue: In 1856, upon learning of hundreds of converts stranded in Wyoming snowstorms, Young famously suspended the Church’s General Conference to mobilize a massive civilian rescue mission. This logistical feat saved hundreds of lives and remains a defining example of his “command and control” leadership style.

War Diplomacy: In 1857, when the U.S. Army was sent to replace him, Brigham Young successfully threatened to deploy “scorched earth tactics” and negotiated a peaceful resolution that allowed him to remain the de facto leader of the people.

Native Relations: He negotiated peace (and sometimes conflict) with Native tribes.

Who Was Chief Wakara?

Recommended Resources: Brigham as Utah Territory Governor

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Why Did Brigham Young Almost Suspend Tithing?
How Important Was ZCMI to Utah Pioneers?
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Teachings and Theology of Brigham Young

— Brigham Young built upon Joseph Smith’s unique views of the nature of God, refining concepts of priesthood authority and temple ordinances while also sparking doctrinal controversy through speculative teachings.

Brigham shaped Latter-day Saint religious doctrine through sermons, prophecies, and teachings. Historians note a paradox in his teachings: he pushed boundaries with bold doctrinal speculations, even as later leaders carefully distanced themselves—and the Church—from some of his ideas.

Notable Doctrinal Teachings of Brigham Young

1. Priesthood, Temple, and Zion

Brigham Young oversaw the completion of the temple endowment, which remained unfinished at the time of Joseph Smith’s death, and preached an inseparable connection between a theology of Zion and the day-to-day realities of pioneer life.

People do you see the hand of God in our deliverance in leading us can you see what the holy priesthood is . . .

Let me tell you what it is which is a text to you all your life it is a fair system of government that governs all God’s angels and heavenly beings and that government has been reached down to man a little portion of it enough for the salvation of men.
Brigham Young, Sermon in Honor of Joseph Smith, 1854 June 27 (Shorthand Transcript)

How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?

2. Becoming Like God

Young heavily emphasized the doctrine that humans are “gods in embryo.” He expanded on the ancient Christian concept of theosis, teaching that men and women could become like God through obedience to gospel laws and temple ordinances.

3. The Law of Adoption

In early Utah, Young practiced and taught the “Law of Adoption,” where men were sealed to prominent priesthood leaders as “sons.” This was intended to create a vast, interconnected dynastic family of God, but Wilford Woodruff later discontinued it in favor of sealing children to their biological ancestors.

4. Plural Marriage as a Requirement

Brigham expanded and publicized the practice of polygamy established by Joseph Smith, marrying more than 50 women. For a time, plural marriage was so central to Latter-day Saint doctrine that it was considered essential for exaltation (this is no longer the case for the modern Church).

5. Blood Atonement

During an intense period of religious retrenchment known as the “Mormon Reformation” (1856-57), Brigham and his counselor Jedediah M. Grant taught that some sins were so grievous that repentance required the sinner’s life to be taken.

“[A man would shudder to hear us] talk about killing folk,” he said in an 1852 speech to the Utah Legislature. “But it is one of the greatest blessings to some to kill them.”

Although largely rhetorical, it contributed to homicides such as:

Parish-Potter Murders
Mountain Meadows Massacre
Aiken Party Executions
Thomas Coleman Killing

What Was Latter-day Saint Rebaptism?

6. Adam-God Theory

Brigham Young’s Adam-God Doctrine speculated that Adam was an exalted being from another planet who became the God of this earth. The teaching was never canonized, and later leaders rejected it, but the speculative teaching fueled decades of debate and “anti-Mormon” literature.

7. The Priesthood Ban

While initially tolerant of Black ordination, Young articulated racist teachings that formed the basis of a priesthood and temple ban. He never claimed that his beliefs were God-given, setting the stage for decades of debate about whether the resulting restriction was a “policy” or a “revelation.”

The ban became a religious boundary marker for future generations, and church members who questioned it could be labeled as unfaithful. More than a century later, President Spencer W. Kimball spent years working to resolve the concerns of most of the apostles, culminating in a 1978 revelation that lifted the ban.

The modern Church of Jesus Christ has walked a careful line, disavowing Brigham Young’s teachings while not repudiating the ban itself.

Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood

Recommend Resources: Doctrinal Teachings

How Did President Kimball Receive the 1978 Priesthood Revelation?
What’s Really in the Journal of Discourses?
How Did Latter-day Saint Doctrine of the Holy Ghost Develop?
Why Did Eerdmans Publish a Book on Latter-day Saint Theology?
How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?

Controversies and Debates

— Although Brigham Young achieved breathtaking accomplishments and could be a loving figure, he also fueled controversy through graphic racism, prolific polygamy, doctrinal speculation, and violent rhetoric.

A photograph of a stern-looking Brigham Young near the time of his controversial 1852 speech on slavery to the Utah Territorial Legislature. — “The Lion of the Lord” sometimes expressed controversial views with passionate rhetoric, creating rifts that inflamed his contemporaries and are still debated today. Credit: Church History Library.

Brigham Young’s presidency was marked by significant controversy. Some of his teachings and policies remain debated—both within and outside the Church. Others were shaped by the turbulent frontier context in which he led.

Chad Orton Looks at Brigham Young in 40 Different Ways

1. Slavery and Race Teachings

Brigham Young’s racial teachings and policies remain among the most difficult aspects of his legacy. Prejudice toward Blacks was a common attribute of his time, but Brigham’s evolving racism was articulated in ways that even startled in 19th-century America.

Priesthood Ban: Brigham Young taught that Black people were descendants of Cain and cursed to be deprived of priesthood and temple blessings. Holding 19th- and 20th-century individuals accountable for a murder committed in the Old Testament violated the faith’s second Article of Faith, creating what scholar W. Paul Reeve calls “a theological conundrum.” Young’s teachings inspired church leaders like George Q. Cannon and Joseph Fielding Smith, who resolved the dilemma by portraying Brigham’s racist views as fixed doctrine that could be changed only by God.

Utah Slavery: Brigham told legislators that “I am [as] much opposed to the principle of slavery as any man because it is an abuse.” Yet he also argued for regulated “servitude” as a middle ground between slavery and immediate emancipation.

Orson Pratt’s Dissent: Fellow apostle Orson Pratt denounced the laws as “enough to cause the angels in heaven to blush,” and advocated Black male voting rights, which Young rejected outright.

Native American Children: Young sanctioned the purchase of Native American children with mixed motives that included rescuing them, “redeeming” them, and using them as a source of labor.

Was Slavery Practiced in Utah Territory?

2. Polygamy and Its Challenges

Brigham Young became the most prominent public defender of plural marriage after Joseph Smith’s death. When the issue became a matter of national importance, he openly acknowledged the practice, declaring it a divine commandment.

Religious Commitment: Brigham resorted to retrenchment when he sensed that a growing “Gentile” population was causing church members to lose their faith. He defiantly publicized polygamy and tied personal faithfulness to its practice.

Required for Salvation: Plural marriage wasn’t just important: it was now a requirement for getting into heaven.

Sexual Abuse and National Outrage: Historian Brittany Chapman Nash said this period of mandatory polygamy is often seen as “more fanaticism than Mormonism,” noting that it led to sexual abuse that violated laws of chastity and incensed the nation.

Public Backlash: Polygamy became a lightning rod for federal opposition, culminating in laws like the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act (1862) and the Edmunds-Tucker Act (1887).

For Young, plural marriage was both a spiritual test and a defining marker of Mormon identity, though it placed the Saints on a collision course with American law and public opinion.

Latter-day Saint Polygamy: A Comprehensive Guide

3. Speculative Theology

Young’s fiery rhetoric during the “Mormon Reformation” also gave rise to two of his most controversial theological legacies:

Blood Atonement: In the 1850s, he preached that some violations of God’s laws required the sinner’s death to satisfy justice.

Adam–God Theory: He taught that Adam was God the Father, an exalted man who had come to earth from another world. This teaching fueled decades of debate that still cause confusion about Latter-day Saint theology.

Both ideas illustrate how Young blurred the line between sermon, speculation, and doctrine—leaving legacies that later leaders sometimes had to clarify or repudiate.

What Did Brigham Young Teach About Adam and God?

4. Federal Defiance and Violent Rhetoric

Relations with the U.S. Government: The Utah War

Brigham Young’s autocratic leanings and violent rhetoric nearly led to disaster. Responding to false reports of a Mormon rebellion, President James Buchanan dispatched federal troops to install a new governor during the Utah War of 1857–58.

Young’s response was aggressive. Portraying the conflict as a battle for survival between Zion and Babylon, he declared martial law, burned foliage to starve out the impending troops, and urged settlers to prepare for a scorched-earth defense.

Although the conflict ended peacefully (almost no one fired a shot), the Utah War remains a controversial event in the history of the American West.

William Clark’s Firsthand Account of the Utah War

Violent Rhetoric and the Mountain Meadows Massacre

In 1857, church leaders in Southern Utah orchestrated the cold-blooded murders of approximately 120 California-bound emigrants in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, including women and children. While modern scholarship such as Massacre at Mountain Meadows (Oxford, 2011) and Vengeance Is Mine (Oxford, 2023) concludes Young did not order the attack, his rhetoric is seen as a key reason the attack took place.

He spent decades managing the fallout, trying to help the government bring the perpetrators to justice while prosecutors ironically slowed his cooperation by using the courts “not for the purpose of convicting the prisoner, but to fix the odium of the Mountain Meadow butchery upon the Mormon Church.”

In the end, only one criminal—John D. Lee—was executed for the vicious attacks. The massacre remains the darkest legacy of the Utah War, forever complicating Young’s image as a religious leader, despite his lack of direct involvement.

Was John D. Lee a Scapegoat for the Mountain Meadows Massacre?

Brigham Young in Popular Culture

— First portrayed as a devilish figure before receiving saintly treatment, modern depictions of Brigham Young now tend to emphasize fictional sensationalism or historical humanity.

Brigham Young has long been more than a historical figure—he has been a cultural symbol. Writers, filmmakers, and artists have repeatedly reshaped his image in ways that capture the imagination (if not always the truth).

Artistic triptych illustrating Brigham Young’s evolving depictions in popular culture—from 19th-century villain to Hollywood ‘American Moses’ to modern portrayals such as Under the Banner of Heaven. — Brigham Young’s place in popular culture is long established, beginning with the first Sherlock Holmes novel in 1887 and continuing through modern depictions such as American Primeval and Six Days in August.

The 19th-Century Tyrant

Brigham Young’s first global “popular culture” appearance came through Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet (1887), the debut of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle depicted him as a ruthless despot ruling Utah with an iron hand, complete with “Avenging Angels” who kidnapped and murdered dissenters.

Though wildly inaccurate, the novel cemented Young in the public imagination as the archetypal religious tyrant.

Hollywood’s American Moses

By 1940, Hollywood reversed the image. The film Brigham Young portrayed him as an “American Moses” guiding his people to religious freedom. Producer Darryl F. Zanuck explicitly linked Mormon persecution with the plight of Jews in Nazi Germany, reframing Young as a champion of liberty and family values.

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Villain, Politician, Patriarch

Later depictions swung back toward darker portrayals. Charlton Heston’s The Avenging Angel (1995) painted Young as an authoritarian patriarch, while September Dawn (2007) controversially blamed him for the Mountain Meadows Massacre, using his image as an allegory for modern terrorism.

AMC’s Hell on Wheels (2011–16) took a different approach, casting Brigham Young as a shrewd politician negotiating with railroad tycoons—a pragmatic, secular leader more than a prophet.

Fundamentalist Forefather

Recent depictions often link Young to modern fundamentalism using long-disproved caricatures. Under the Banner of Heaven (2022) frames his teachings as the roots of extremist violence, while the Netflix series American Primeval has drawn protest from the Church for being “dangerously misleading.”

What Really Happened Between Jim Bridger and Brigham Young?

The Historical “Human”

Independent media has notably attempted to peel back the layers of caricature to find the human beneath the icon. The 2024 film Six Days in August explores the chaotic period following Joseph Smith’s death, portraying Young as a weary, practical stabilizer during the succession crisis.

Building on this approach, the 2026 documentary series Becoming Brigham addresses the “hard questions” and historical “warts” to debunk long-standing fictions from an apologetic standpoint.

The 40+ episodes in “Becoming Brigham” seek to portray the prophet’s human complexities through contributions from scholars such as Daniel C. Peterson, Gerritt Dirkmaat, Reid L. Nielson, Lisa Olsen Tait, Ronald K. Esplin, and LaJean Purcell Carruth.

Patron of the Arts

Less remembered, but historically grounded, is Young’s love of theater. He built the Salt Lake Theatre, sometimes called the “Cathedral in the Desert,” and declared that if tasked with civilizing a people, he would start by building a theatre. This little-known aspect of his life complicates the one-dimensional portraits often found in popular culture.

Recommended Resources: Brigham Young in Popular Culture

What Really Happened Between Brigham Young and Jim Bridger?
13 Things You Should Know About ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’
What Did Buffalo Bill Think of the Mormons?
How Many F-Bombs Are in the Book of Mormon Musical?

Death and Burial

— Brigham Young died in his home in 1877 at the age of 76 and was buried in a family cemetery near the Salt Lake Temple.

A black-and-white historical photograph of Brigham Young’s gravesite in Salt Lake City, Utah, taken in the late 19th century. The grave is covered by a large, flat, rectangular light-colored stone slab, surrounded by a decorative black wrought-iron fence with pointed finials. A low stone wall and a second, simpler iron fence run along the background. The site is shaded by several large deciduous trees with full foliage, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting soft shadows across the dirt and grass ground. — Brigham Young’s gravesite is located at 140 E. First Avenue in Salt Lake City, less than two blocks east of Temple Square. Credit: University of Southern California and California Historical Society, digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Final Years

In his final years, Brigham Young was an active administrator, presiding over Utah’s territorial affairs and the expanding Church. He oversaw the completion of the St. George Temple—the first dedicated in Utah—and continued to preach regularly, though declining health increasingly limited his activity.

Despite occasional controversy and ongoing disputes with federal authorities, Young was revered by many of his followers as a prophet who had led them safely to Zion and enabled exaltation through temple ordinances.

What Is the Latter-day Saint Temple Endowment?

Death, Funeral, and Burial Site

Brigham Young died on August 29, 1877, at his home in Salt Lake City, following a brief illness likely related to peritonitis. His passing marked the end of an era: for the first time since Joseph Smith’s death in 1844, Latter-day Saints faced the challenge of continuing without the constant presence of a commanding prophet-leader.

His funeral, held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, drew thousands of mourners. Reports described the service as both solemn and celebratory, reflecting his towering role in shaping Latter-day Saint identity and the Utah settlement. Unlike many contemporaries who were buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, Young was interned on the grounds of his estate in downtown Salt Lake City, where a modest monument still marks his grave today.

Over time, his burial site at the Brigham Young Family Cemetery has become a quiet memorial in the heart of the city he helped build, offering a symbolic reminder of his enduring influence on both the Church and the American West.

Legacy and Contributions

— Brigham Young colonized the American West, ensured the survival of his religion, and sparked controversy through speculative teachings and authoritarian leadership.

Brigham Young left an indelible mark on history. His attention to record-keeping produced countless primary sources that provide scholars, theologians, church members, and media with a near-endless supply of material.

The Current Consensus

When all is said and done, discussion of his legacy tends to focus on a few key areas:

Colonization and Leadership: Known as the “American Moses,” Young shepherded tens of thousands of refugees across the heartland of America, established hundreds of settlements, and founded educational institutions known today as the University of Utah and Brigham Young University.

Expansion of the Latter-day Saint Faith: His leadership, though controversial, was essential to ensuring the Church didn’t fade away after the death of its charismatic founder, Joseph Smith. It has since burgeoned into a global faith with more than 30,000 congregations and 17 million members.

Industrial and Civil Growth: Brigham founded hundreds of settlements, established America’s first department store, aided railroad construction—and much more.

Controversies: He practiced polygamy, speculated theology, stoked extremism, and institutionalized racism.

Conflicts: Young’s violent rhetoric and autocratic leadership style paved the way for both the Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

A Contradictory Legacy That Calls for Nuance

Despite being a polarizing figure, Brigham Young’s legacy is deeply contradictory:

He built and destroyed.
He liberated and controlled.
He inspired and debased.

In short, he was complex.

Fair or not, Richard Bushman remarked that Young’s sensational shortcomings make it easy to scapegoat him for uncomfortable aspects of the Church’s history. “He’s becoming the fall guy,” the Columbia University historian told the Salt Lake Tribune. “We really need someone to go through his biography and treat the latter half of his life empathetically.”

Conclusion

The Final Word: Brigham Young’s greatness and flaws are inseparable, making his legacy one of the most enduring and paradoxical in American religious history.

Forthcoming — Untitled Brigham Young Biography by Matthew J. Grow
2019 — Brigham Young and the Expansion of the Mormon Faith, by Thomas G. Alexander (University of Oklahoma Press)
2012 — Pioneer Prophet, by John G. Turner (Belknap Press)
2008 — 40 Ways to Look at Brigham Young: A New Approach to a Remarkable Man, by Chad M. Orton and William W. Slaughter (Deseret Book)
1986 — American Moses, by Leonard Arrington (University of Illinois Press)
1982 — The New York Years, by Richard F. Palmer and Karl D. Butler (Signature Books)
1969 — The Lion of the Lord, by Stanley P. Hirshon (Knopf)

Official Church Resources

Find primary sources and modern commentary in these publications by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Second President of the Church (Prophets of the Restoration)
Preached vs. Published: Shorthand Record Discrepancies (Church History Library)
Historical Biography (Joseph Smith Papers)
Race and the Priesthood (Gospel Topics Essays)
Reformation of 1856-57 (Church History Topics)

Frequently Asked Questions About Brigham Young

How many wives did Brigham Young have?

Brigham Young was sealed to 56 women over his lifetime, though not all were conjugal marriages. Some unions were for support, protection, or symbolic purposes. Sixteen wives bore him children.

What was Brigham Young most known for?

Brigham Young is most remembered as the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the leader of the Mormon pioneer trek. He oversaw the migration to Utah, founded Salt Lake City, and shaped church governance for decades.

Did Brigham Young know Joseph Smith?

Yes. Brigham Young became one of Joseph Smith’s closest followers. His loyalty during crises like Zion’s Camp and his organizational abilities positioned him as Smith’s natural successor after the prophet’s death in 1844.

How did Brigham Young die?

Brigham Young died on August 29, 1877, at age 76. He had suffered from peritonitis and other health complications. His funeral was held in Salt Lake City, and he was buried on the grounds near his Lion House residence.

Who was Brigham Young’s youngest wife?

His youngest wife was Clarissa Ross, who was in her late teens when she married Brigham Young in 1869. This marriage reflects the wide age range among his plural wives, which later fueled criticism of polygamy.

How many children did Brigham Young have?

Brigham Young fathered 57 children with 16 of his wives. Forty-six of those children lived to adulthood, and many became prominent in Utah’s early history. His descendants today likely number more than 30,000.

Who was Brigham Young’s first wife?

Before joining the church, Brigham Young married Miriam Works in 1824. She died in 1832, and Young was later sealed to Mary Ann Angell, who became his second monogamous wife and stood by him as he rose in church leadership.

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