Connecticut western news., 1873-04-25
The Mormon Prophet.
Brigham Young and What He Has Done
 for His People.

AOr kAAS EoOpAcs
 After twenty-nine years active service as President and Prophet of the Nor mons, Brigham Young has resigned his position to make room for younger and more active man. He was born at Whittingham, ill the State of Vermont, on June 1, 1901. His father was far mer, as was also Brigham until he was thirty-two years old, when the spirit of prophecy began to trickle into him, and, forsaking the plough and harrow, he shortly afterwards united his fortunes with those of the Latter Day Saints, and, in his own expressive words, "walked for four years in the desert with his shoes filled with blood" The Ncrmon Church, unoer Joseph Smith, had been regularly organized two or three years previously, at Manchester, New York State, and many converts had been made. Brigham Young was made an elder soon after his conversion. He was made one of hetwelve apostles who were appointed in 1885 to spread the new doctrines among the Gentiles. He labored in the Eastern States, where he was signally successful in making con- verts. Soon afterwards the Mormons got into extremely bad odor with the people, especially when their bank failed at Kirkland, and the leaders were forced to flee for their lives before en- ragged creditors, not exactly into the mountains of Hepsidam, but into Mis- souri, place at that time about as wild and full of files and defiles. Here, &C., cused of plundering, arson, and assassi- nation, they fought with mobs andwere hunted from place to place like wild beasts. Internal dissensions began and heresies showed their horrid fronts ]; their difficulties with the people of Mis- souri assumed the proportions of civil war, the militia of the State was called out, and some of the Mormon leaders were arrested and charged with treason, murder, and felony. They agreed to leave the State, and went to Illinois, where they settled at Nauvoo, which soon grew to be hourishing city and received charter. Charges of immoral conduct and polygamy brought against Smith caused him to be lodged in jail at Carthage, when, on June 27, 1844, 8 mob took him and shot him to death in the jail-yard.
 Sidney Rigdon, an old Mormon, and Brigham Young, now about forty-two years old, and vigorous both mentally and physically, were the most promi- nent candidates for the leadership of the sect. Young was elected, and i'm mediately communicated Rigdon, whom he gave over "to be buffeted by the devil for thousand years." Like a wise man he did not, as he was urged to do, seek to avenge the death of Smith, but Cleft to God " the punish ment of the guilty, hoping by this act of moderation to soften gentle hearts towards the new church.
 Hostilities were renewed, the charter of Nauvoo was revoked, and in 1846 the Mormons sorrowfully left Nauvoo and their beautiful temple, on the top of which stood a statue of the angel Ga briel, and then they went into the wilds of Iowa, gathering at Council Bluffs. In this exodus Brigam Young led them thence to Salt Lake Valley in Utah, where he founded Salt Lake City, and speedily brought large area of land under cultivation. Missionaries were sent to all quarters of the globe, and converts, especially from England and Wales, began to turn their faces toward the new Mecca, city flowing with milk, honey, and carnal delights. From Sweden and Norway they came from Germany, Switzerland, and France, and ranged themselves beneath the banner of Brigham Young, their prophet, priest, and king. When the Mexican war broke out the Mormons furnished their con- tingent of battalion to the army. In March, 1949, @ convention was held at Salt Lake City, and the State of Deseret -" the land of the honey-bee "-was organized, but Congress refused to recognize it, and made a Territory of the land occupied by the Mormons, of which Brigham Young was appointed Governor by President Fillmore. It was stipulated that all laws opposed to those of the United States should be annulled, and this was looked upon not unnaturally by Brigham as a menace to polygamy, which, at first a heresy oi | Orson Pratt's, had now become the well settled custom of the Latter Day Saints. Brigham was determined to make fol himself and his people 8 recognized DO. sition of power in the land; among his people, although he was not formally invested with absolute power, his all. thority was practically without bounds, Only he had interviews with angels, and knew the divine will, and only he could exceed the number of wives seven-prescribed to each of the faith ful, and he even made bold to say: " ] defy any one to prove from the Bible that have not the right to thousand wives." By assumptions at variance with the law of the land he got into difficulties with the Federal judges O. the Territory, who, in 1850, were forced by threats of violence to leave Utah and then the laws of the United State. were openly deied and subverted. Tn, Government refused any longer tt recognize Brigham Young as Governor of the Territory, and appointed Colone Steptoe in his place. In 1854the Colone entered Utah with battalion of sold iers, but found it so difficult to occup, the position to which he had been ap pointed, that he resigned it and tool his force to California. Brigham deal with the high hand and outstretchet arm of one who feels that his commis sion is not from man. On the Sunda, after Colonel Steptoe's departure h. preached in the Tabernacle and sad "I am and will be Governor, and Il, power can hinder it, until the Lord Al mighty says: Brigham, you need no be. Governor any longer The civi officers appointed along with Colone Steptoe were driven from the Territory and Judge Drummond was forced at tn
 point of the bowie-knife to adjourn hi court sine die. In 1857 Presiden
 Buchanan appointed Alfred Cummin
 Governor, and sent 2,50O soldiers t
 Utah to protect him in the discharge c
 his duties. The excited Mormops denour
 ced the army as mob and forbade it
 entrance into their land they attacke the supply trains and cut them off fror
 the army, which, without reaching Sa
 Lake Valley, went Into winter quarter
 on Blacks Fork. -near Fort Bridpe1