The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-10-04
Brigham Young.

Revolution. In early life Brigham
learned the trade of painter and glaz-
Ter. He was of rowing disposition and
travelled from place to place at his trade.
He was religio1sly inclined, and when a
young man Joined the Baptist Church,
and it is said occasionally preached. In
1882 he was converted to Mormonism.
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 body of II apostles was institute
ed to preach the new doctrine among
the Gentiles, he was chosen one of the
number, and was sent to New England,
where he made many converts to the
strange faith. The Mormon settlement
at Kirkland fiourished, and in 1886 a
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 numer-
Gus accesionS to the new sect. In Janu-
ary, 1888, the bank at Kirkland failed,
and Smith and Rigdon, the Mormon
leaders, to avoid arrest for fraud, fled
in the night, hotly pursued by their
creditors, and took refuge in Missouri.
Smith pretended that he had a g revela-
tom to 90 to Missouri, where there was
already large number of Mormons.
These were continually embroiled in
quarrels with the people, and were sue
cessively driven from place to place.
They had settled in the Town of Far
West, in Caldwell County, where Smith
ho fatt
full 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
$4,000, quilted Missouri and took
refuge in Illinois, where they were again
joined by Smith and Rigdon, the former
having escaped from prison and the lat
ter having been released on habeas cor
puS In Illinois the Mormons obtained
a grant of land in the vicinity Of the lit
tie Town of Commerce, a name which
the Mormons, in obedience to a "reve-
lation" given by Smith, changed to
Nauvoo. For some years they pros
pered here, but troubles arose over an
other revelation" of Smith authorizing
polygamy. Smith and his brother Hy-
ramwere thrown into prison at Car
thage, and on the 9th of June, 1914,
they were killed by mob Smiths
death created great agitation and com
passion among his followers. Rigdon
and others aspired to succeed him, but
the Council of the Twelve Apostles I'M
,animously elected Brigham Young, who
from that time until the day of his death
was President of the Mormon Church,
and for greater part of the time prac-
tically omnipotent in the direction of its
affairs.
In 1S45 the Legislature of Illinois re-
voked the charter given to the City of
Nauvoo, and, the hostility of their neigh
bors not abating, the Mormons resolved
to emigrate to the far West, where they
would be unmolested. Brigham sent
out explorers, and they brought back
favorable report of the Great Salt Lake
Valley. In February, 1916, the first
emigrants crossed the Mississippi, set
tied for year in Iowa, and then march
ed under the strictest discipline across
the great wilderness. They began ac-
tive operations almost the moment they
arrived at the shores of the Salt Lake.
Young arrived in the Valley in the sum-
mer of 1847, and the main body of the
Mormons in the autumn of the follow
ing year. Large numbers of Mormons
from Europe arrived shortly afterward.
In March, 1S49, a convention was held
at Salt Lake City and State organized
underline name of Deseret, Legisla-
ture was elected, and Constitution
framed and Washington Congress
refused to recognize the new State.
however, and in September, 1S49, or
gained the country occupied by the
Mormons into the Territory of Utah, of
which Brigham Young was appointed
Governor by President Fillmore. The
following year the Federal Judges Of
the Territory were forced, by threats of
violence from Brigham Young, to quit
Utah, and the laws of the United States
were openly defied and subverted. In
consequence of this Young was removed
from the Office of Governor, and
Colonel Steptoe, of the United States
Army, was appointed his successor.
Steptoe arrived in Utah in 1854 but
deemed it prudent after some time to
withdraw from the country. In a SER
mon preached at the Tabernacle in Salt
r Lake City the Sunday after Colonel
steptoe's departure, Brigham said. 81
am and will be Governor, and no power
can hinder it, until the Lord Almighty
says, Brigham you need not be Gov
ernor any longer"
From 1854 to 1856 the Mormons were
constantly committing outrages upon
the civil officers of the United States.
finally driving them all out of the coun-