Brigham Young
June 1, 1801 — August 29, 1877 — United States
Brigham Young was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of the most remarkable pioneer leaders in American history. He organized and led the exodus of tens of thousands of Mormon settlers from Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah between 1846 and 1868, transforming a desert into a thriving community and serving as the first governor of the Utah Territory.
Early Life and Conversion
Born on June 1, 1801 in Whitingham, Vermont, Young grew up in frontier poverty in New York State, working as a carpenter and glazier. He converted to Mormonism in 1832 after reading the Book of Mormon, and his organizing ability and loyalty to founder Joseph Smith brought him rapidly through the church hierarchy. He led a mission that converted thousands in England in 1840–41, transforming the church's membership and finances. After Smith's murder by a mob in Illinois in 1844, Young emerged as the dominant leader who would hold the community together.
The Great Migration
Facing escalating violence in Illinois and Missouri, Young organized what became the largest mass migration in American history: over seventy thousand people making the 1,300-mile journey to the Salt Lake Valley between 1846 and 1868. He planned the route in careful stages with way stations, organized wagon trains with military precision, and — after the first crossing — developed a handcart system for emigrants who could not afford wagons. His organizational genius and the suffering endured on the trail — particularly the catastrophic Martin and Willie handcart companies of 1856, caught by early winter — remain central to Mormon historical memory. His life and the pioneer era have generated extensive historical literature.
Did You Know?
Brigham Young had 55 wives and 56 children, and his family compound in Salt Lake City — now a historic site called "Lion House" and "Beehive House" — housed many of them simultaneously. Despite the complications of managing such a large household, Young was known for taking detailed personal interest in each family. He reportedly knew all his children by name and regularly spent evenings with different family groups.
Builder of Utah
As the first governor of Utah Territory and long-time president of the LDS Church, Young supervised the construction of Salt Lake City and dozens of settlements across the intermountain West. He founded Brigham Young University (originally the Brigham Young Academy), organized cooperative economic enterprises, and directed the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. His later years were marked by conflict with the federal government over polygamy and Mormon theocracy, including a military confrontation known as the Utah War (1857–58). He died August 29, 1877, and the city and university he built bear his name.