Brigham Young was born in Vermont in 1801 as the ninth of 11 siblings. He grew up in a family that relocated multiple times searching for a stable living. His parents insisted on strict obedience to the Bible and individual industriousness in each of their children. Brigham left home at the age of 16, two years after his mother’s death from tuberculosis. He was introduced to the Book of Mormon soon after the book’s 1830 publication but studied the gospel for two years before accepting baptism. He learned quickly to support the prophet in “patience and faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:5) after hearing of Joseph Smith’s vision of the degrees of glory, which seemed to run contrary to Brigham’s view of the resurrection. He embraced the revelation and encouraged others to do the same.
Under Brigham Young’s administration, the Saints worked together to build settlements in the unfamiliar Great Basin landscape. In adapting to their environment, the Saints deepened their commitment to a distinctive, communal culture, endured a famine, and founded many communities along a corridor stretching from Mexico and southern California to Idaho and Canada. Brigham displayed an unprecedented vision for organizing communities, sustaining ever-changing frontier economies, and accommodating a constant stream of immigrants. Through it all, he maintained a focus on the unifying objective of building Zion. “I have Zion in my view constantly,” he said. “We are not going to wait for angels, or for Enoch and his company to come and build up Zion, but we are going to build it.” While he could be outspoken and sharp at times, his fellow Saints remembered him as an attentive, beloved leader who cared for their interests.
“No matter what your circumstances are, whether you are in prosperity or in adversity, you can learn from every person, transaction, and circumstance around you.”
- Brigham Young
