Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-09-07
DEATH OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.
HIS overwhelmingly THOUSAND PER-
SONS PREsENT-MosT OF HIS WIVES
AND CHILDREN THERE.

&C., &C., &C., &C.
Brigham Young the Mormon PropheJ
died on Wednesday of last week. lie was
rs years of age, and was born in Vermont.
He Joined the Mormons in 1882 in Ohio
and on the death of Joseph Smith twelve
years after was elected their President. 1t
was eight years after that that he promulga-
ted his new law of plurality of wives He was
most remarkable man, and while not the
originator of the Latter Day Saints, did
more than any other man to build up their
power. In the last year he has been great
ly harrassed by the belief that he would be
tried by the U, S. Government Tor thu
Mountain Meadow massacre for which
Elder Lee was shot some months ago. An
account of the funeral of the prophet,
says:
On Saturday morning the body was ia
ken from the Lion House to the new Ia
| bernacle, where it lay in state until noon
Sunday. Until after midnight on Satur-
| day there was constant stream OF people
| to see the body, and at daylight Sunday
| morning the rush began again, continuing
! until the beginning OF the funeral services.
| Nearly $4,000 persons saw the corpse,
which was arrayed in the sacred temple OF
endowment robes, consisting of the gar
ment, shirt, apron, robe, cap, and shoes, all
of line linen. The coffin was of Callfor-
MIA red wood, vanished, and without OF
nament. The lining was white satin. The
| CORPSE rested on d wool mattress. Ihe
ARRANGEMENTS were all in accordance with
written instructions given by Brigham
Young in 1873, which instructions were
read at the funeral. He desired that the
body be mate clean and kept from one to
four DAYS that the coffin be of redwood,
two inches longer than the body and three
inches wider, with a canopy top, giving the
appearance of his being able to turn over
! if he desired that he rest on cotton bed,
be dressed in the temple robes: that the
females of the family buy no black to wear
at the funeral, but they could wear such II
they had it, and that the males wear no
Grape; that the services consist OF singing
| and prayer, and if friends desired to speak
a few words they be at liberty to do So:
that the body be carried on a bier to the
southeast corner Of the private buryIng
ground on the hill east of the Lion House,
and deposited in a cut stone vault, covered
with slabs and earth, then rooted over, and
there he desired to rest until the resurrec-
ton. He desired no one to cry OF exhibit
signs of grief. If he lived until the saints
went to Jackson county, Missouri, he
wished to go with them and be buried
there otherwise. as above. These in
structions were signed, and ordered to be
read at the funeral.
The tabernacle was heavily draped, and
profusely decorated with flowers, the dome
being festooned with roses, bouquets, and
baskets of flowers, and wreaths were sus-
pended from the pillars and the gallery.
The coffin was placed in front OF the ele-
waited platform, resting on modest cata-
falque.' Two hours before the opening
of the services the gallery and about
half of the body of the building set
apart for the public were filled, and
thousands of persons were unable to
gain admittance to the tabernacle. len
tiers of seats in front of the stand
were occupied by the family and relatives
of the deceased prophet, numbering several
hundred. The arrangement was IN &C
cordance with the church rules. The stands
in front of the organ were occupied by
and Daniel H. Wells, counsellors to Brig
ham, and Brigham Young, Jr., and George
@. Cannon were in the upper stand. Ten
, of the apostles were next below, and the
High Council still lower. The bishops were
on the north platform and the City Coun-
Gil on the south. In front, behind the
family, were the quorums of seventies,
high priests, elders, teachers, deacons, NC
There were not less than $4,000 persons in
the building.
At If the family gathered around and
gazed for the last time on the corpse. All
his wives and children. with few eXcep-
tions, were present, and there were scores
of grandchildren and relatives more dis
tant. The demonstrations of grief were
few, although all seemed sad and full OF
mourning. Previous to the services, the
coffin was elevated in full view Of the entire
, assemblage. From 10o'clock the organ had
been playing appropriate pieces, "The
Dead March in SAUL MendelSsohn's flu
5 neral march, and q march composed for the
occasion by Mormon. George g. Cannon
, was master of ceremonies, and promptly q;
noon announced the beginning with the
hymn, ''Hark from Affair." which was sung
| by the Tabernacle choir of 22O voices The
, opening prayer was offered by Apostle
Franklin ID. Richards, who thanked God
that when he took Joseph Smith he gave
: the saints for a leader Brigham Young. one
of the noblest and purest of the royal fam
, lily of heaven. Then followed hymn, at
ter which brief addresses were delived by
ID. H. Wells and Apostles milford Wood
ruff, Erastus Trow, q. @. Cannon and Jno.
: Taylor. Contrary to expectation nothing
: was said in reference to The succession. The
speakers confined themselves to lauGations
of Brigham and eXhOrtations to the saints
to remember and obey his counsels and ad-
vice, to proceed with the erection OF
temples, the foundation of four of which
have been laid. All the elders expressed
> Joy that Brigham had defeated the pur-
[ poses of his enemies, and had died in his
own house, surrounded by his fam
lily and friends. Mr.. Cannon said
that, while Brigham Young had been
the brains, the Eastern star, and the tongue
of the saints for more than thirty
years, he was only the agent Of God, who
, would carry on the work OF Mormonlsm
always. 1t WAS d significant fact that john
w. Young and Brigham Young, Jr., both
aspirants for the Presidency of the Church,
occupied the seats of their father and his
counSellorS. Many people thought they
should have been with the family Or with
the apostles.
A hymn composed for the occasion and
the benedction by Apostle Orson Hyde
closed the services in the Tabernacle. The
procession then formed and marched eight
abreast to the cemetery, half a mile dis
l. tant.
Four thousand persons were in line,
marching with uncovered heads. The GER
emonies at the grave were brief, consisting
only of hymn sung by the Glee Club and
prayer by Apostle Woodruff, dedicating
the vault the coffin, and the body. The
coffin, enclosed in a rough box, was lower
ed into the vault, and the wives and chill
dren gathered around, but the lid was not
removed. Brigham's first wife stood by
the grave for a short time, leaning on the
arm of Amelia, the favorite. The specta-
tors were then allowed to pass by the tomb,
after which it was closed and sealed.
The vault is of cut sandstone, eight feet
long, four feet wide, and three feet high,
internal measurement. The stone blocks
are laid in cement and pinned toget her
with steel bars, sent through each block
horizontally and vertically. The cover is
of seven inches tagging.
Brigham Young was the father of fifty