The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-09-05
brigham Young

brigham Young.
The death Of the head Of the Nor
mon Church and community IS an
event of great moment in the history
of the Latter Day Saints. Nominally
a religious republic, a colony OF
religionaries. the Mormon community
Of Utah tas been 10 reality an outoc-
racy. Brigham Young has held IN
the hollow Of bis hand the happiness,
fortunes and destinies Of his people.
While be was the Governor of the
Territory, under commission from TIE
1 President of tee United States, all
/ political power was added TO the
( immense influence which he posses.
ed as the head Of the spiritual or
ganization which Is known as the
Church of the Latter Day Saints.
When be ceased TO be an agent Of
the civil power Of the Repablic, be
addressed himself to sueh g separation
of bis people from "tbe ge~ltiles' os
was not thought necessary When be
ruled ell sects alike as Governor Of
Utah. Il was not until this crisis 10
;he history Of the Mormons was
reached that the influx Of non-Mor-
mons was considerable eDough to ex-
cite any Uneasiness among the coun-
selors Of the %taeocracy. With sds1
signal ability did Yong administer
the temporal affairs OF the Mormons
that the community has been irom
that day TO this as complete autono-
nous as it could have been if It bad
been isolated By wide sess from the
rest of mankind. Various secis aBd
interests have been acquired q frm
footing 10 salt Lake City ana 10 the
other towns Of Utah. The Nor
mons have been gradually surround
ed bv hostile Influences, and iDpi2-
cable fees have endangered 10 rend
tie mysterious bond which kept the
Mormon Church and State in compact,
Bat Young has preserved the indiFid-
ualitv Of the Mormon establishment
through all these years as perfect a.
was the Jewish oFgSDization in the
days OF the Judges.
IL is this work which seems 70 is
the great margel of Brigham Youug's
life. lie found a church ready to
his hand be has lsfC it 81 organized
ecclesiastical State. TO The aTtfel
decisions Of Smith ne added reVela-
ton after revelation, as be pretended,
anti! be was Prophet, Priest, King,
infallibie, 10 daily communication
with the will Of Heaven, and gifted
with wisdom above worldly wisdom.
There was no divine truth 40 lofty
that be did not dare to expo1nd 1t to
his followers. And in the multitld-
inous details Of their daily life there
was none SO trivial as to escape his
critical attention. He professed to
give account OF his observations in
the Seventh Heaven with the same
~particularitv with which he prescrib.
ed the domestic manners of his flock.
While be pretended to tell them Gods
will concerning their sacrifices for the
faith. be thought It not beneath him
to regulate their fashion 10 dress and
the character of their purchases at the
shops. BY the combination OF ya-i-
Gus extraordinary powers, Young.
gained an ascenaeney over bis people
which has scarcely q parallel in mod
err history. 1t is possible that come
Of them hated him it is certain that
they sll feared bim. His powerful
personality perEadeG the councils Of
Church and State, swayed tEe entire
mass of priesthood and people. regu-
lated the social, domestic, and Felig.
Gus polity. and made itself felt ia
every household 10 the Mormon CON-
munitv. There were others associ-
ated with Young in the sdmisis.ra-
ton ofaflairs, but his will and puF-
pose have dominated all the councils
of the ~theocracy from 1913 until
now.
It was Yoasgs ambitioa 20 found
in the heart Of the eoRtneEs q little
empire which should forever remain
TIE sacred home of MormoHism, an.
veEed by the foot of an alien The
discovery Of gold in California, and
the consequent rush across the con-
made the project futile. But
the establishment Of the Mormon
self-supportiag, frugal, pro
ductive, aud prosperous, as it soon
became, was an achievement Of
which the Prophet might well be
Fof : while he defed the
power of the Americsp republic: and,
up to the day Of his death. Re could
say that the religious establishment
OF Mormeujsm and its distinctive Pc
cnliaIities yer preserved intact.
Tks MeiEons have resisted legisla-
ton aud armies; they have ae6ed
alb judges sud public opinion, and
they have maintained their owG de-
vices until the ordinary course of
morality q emed bafled. This is all
Brighten Young's work
Cruel. bloody, and EiGdietiye though
his man doubtless was, be nust be
credited with the possession OF abil-
ola superior order. he seems
10 nave loved power for its own sake. |
lie lived frugaIly, even mesgerly, and
At no time ia his long career did he
ever manifest any love Of display or
any low ambition to lie sought after
and flattered. Unlearned, aud with
small knowledge Of the philosophy Of
nan, be contriyed and built Nv : sys-'
.em which must extort the admira-
Jon Of all who have studied Il. He
dead. The Mormon State faces
low the great problem of its exist
snce. 1t is difcEit 20 guess what
shall be the result Of his desth. But
seen that i viii be the anal
blow which shah SKATER The mon
strous fabric of Mormopism-N y.