Letters of Brigham Young to His Sons

by Brigham Young, Dean C. Jessee (Compiler)

The archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a rich collection of papers related to the life and activities of Brigham Young. A member of the Church since 1832 and an apostle after 1835, Brigham Young served as president of the Council of Twelve Apostles after the death of Joseph Smith in 1844 and in January 1848 was sustained as president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brigham Young served as president until his death on August 29, 1877.

The Church Archives has approximately 150 boxes of Brigham Young materials, including a 50,000-page manuscript history of Brigham Young, four diaries written in Brigham Young's own hand during the years 1837 to 1844, and thousands of pages of office journals, correspondence, speeches, and other material of like nature.

Acknowledged to be one of America's great colonizers, Brigham Young was also governor of Utah Territory from 1850 to 1858, superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1851 to 1858, a founder of about 350 communities in the Far West, and founder of several score business enterprises.

A believer in the principle of plural marriage practiced by the Mormons during his lifetime, Brigham Young was the head of one of America's largest families. Sixteen of his wives bore him fifty-seven children. Of these children, forty-six grew to maturity, including seventeen sons and twenty-nine daughters. The Church Archives has more than one hundred letters written by Brigham Young to his children, including letters written to sons while they were away on proselyting missions for the Church, others written to sons who studied in eastern universities, still others written to sons away on business trips, and letters to two sons who were in the military service. The importance of Brigham Young as a letter writer has not previously been appreciated.

The Church Archives has the responsibility of collecting and preserving manuscript materials related to the history of the Mormon people. It also has the responsibility of making available materials in the archives that would be edifying and informative. Among the most interesting of these are Brigham Young's letters to his sons that are presented in this volume. Enjoying a warm relationship with his sons, Brigham Young gave them fatherly counsel through these letters. Much of this advice is as relevant today as it was when written a century ago.

Genres: Religion, Lds

375 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death. He was also the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of the Utah Territory, United States. Brigham Young University was named in his honor.

Young had a variety of nicknames, among the most popular being "American Moses," (alternatively the "Modern Moses" or the "Mormon Moses") because, like the Biblical figure, Young led his followers, the Mormon pioneers, in an exodus through a desert, to what they saw as a promised land. Young was also dubbed the "Lion of the Lord" for his bold personality, and was commonly called "Brother Brigham" by Latter-day Saints.

Reviews

[José Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelent historic material

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although there us nothing spectacularly new or fascinating, this book is heartwarming. A man giving chesed and gentle watch care over his sons.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Documents.