Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1877-10-04
BRIGHAM YOUNG.


death at Salt Lake City occurred on
the 29th ult., was born at Whiting
ham, Vermont, June l, 1901. His
father was farmer who had been
soldier in the Revolution. In early
life Brigham learned the trade of
painter and glazier. He was of a
rowing disposition and travelled from
place to place at his trade. He was
religiously inclined, and when a
young man joined the Baptist Church,
and it is said occasionally preached.
In 1882 he was converted to Nor
monism, and in the fall of that year
he arrived at Kirkland, Ohio, where
| the prophet Smith had led the whole
body of believers. Brigham was
soon ordained an elder and began to
preach. In February, 1885, when a
body of II apostles was instituted to
preach the new doctrine among the
Gentiles, he was chosen one of the
number, and was sent to New Eng
land, where he made many converts
to the strange faith. The Mormon
settlement at Kirkland fiourished, and
in 1886 large and costly temple
which had been for three years in
process of building was consecrated
there. Missionaries were sent to
England, and there were numerous
occasions to the new sect. In Janu-
airy, 1888, the bank at Kirkland failed,
and Smith and Rigdon, the Mormon
leaders, to avoid arrest for fraud, fed
in the night, hotly pursued by their
creditors, and took refuge in Missou-
ri. Smith pretended that he had a
revelation" to go to Missouri, where
there was already large Number of
MorTons. These were continually
embroiled in quarrels with the people,
and were successfully driven from
place to place. They had settled in
the Town of Far West, in Caldwell
county, where Smith and Rigdon
Joined them, and the faithful were
soon nearly all assembled there. The
troubles with the Missourians grew
on apace, and finally assumed almost
the proportions of civil war. Smith
and Rigdon were thrown into prison,
and finally, toward the close of 1888,
the whole body of Saints, about h.
1000, quilted Missouri and took refuge
in Illinois, where they were again
Joined by Smith and Rigdon, the for
mer having escaped from prison and
the latter having been released on
habeas' corpus. In Illinois the Nor
mons obtained a grant of land i'm the
vicinity of the little Town of Com
merce, n name which the Mormons,
in obedience to revelation given
by Smith, changed to Nauvoo. For
some years they prospered here, but
troubles arose over another ''revala-
ton" of Smith authorizing polygamy.
Smith and his brother Hyram were
thrown into prison at Carthage, and
on the 9th of June, 1874, they were
killed by mob. Smiths death Gre
ated great agitation and compassion
among his followers. Rlgdon and
Others aspired to succeed him, but
the Council of the Twelve Apostles
unanimously elected Brigham Young,
who from that time until the day of
his death was President of the Nor
mon Church, and for a greater part
of the time practically omnipo-
tent in the direction of its affairs.
In 1916 the Legislature of Illinois
revoked the charter given to the CITY
of Nauvoo, and, the hostility of their
neighbors not abating, the Mormons
resolved to emigrate to the far West.
where they would be unmolested.
Brigham sent out explorers, and thev
brought back a favorable report of
the Great Salt Lake Valley. In
February, 1916, the first emigrants
crossed the Mississippi, settled for a
year in Iowa, and then marched un-
der the strictest discipline across the
great wilderness. They began active
operations almost the moment they
arrived at the shores of the Salt Lake.
Young arrived in the valley il. the
summer of lS47, and the main
body of the Mormons in the autumn
of the following year. Large num-
bers OF Mormons from Europe arriv-
ed shortly afterward. In March,
lS19, convention was held at Salt
Lake olty ana state organized UNI
der the name of Deseret, a Legisla-
ture was elected, and Constitution
framed and sent to Washington.
Congress refused to recognize the
new State. however, and in Septem-
Der, 1S49, organized the country oc-
cupied by the Mormons into the Ter
ritory of Utah, of which
Young was appointed
President Fillmore.
year T."
lte
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