Mormonism - Brigham Young

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Mormonism During the early to mid 1800s, Brigham Young was perhaps one of the most religiously influential men in America. From his birth in 1801, to his death in 1877, Brigham was a deeply spiritual man. He influenced thousands of people in America and in parts of England during his missionary work. The question probing minds of people today is - How? Or, why? Brigham Young contributed immensely in the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, beginning with his introduction to religion, followed by his involvement with the Church, and finally because of the social circumstances during the era in which he lived.

Brigham was born on June 1, 1801 to John Young and Abigail Howe. Ninth of eleven children, he was part of a commonly large family living in Whitingham, Vermont (Arrington 8). The Young family moved to New York, where Brigham spent most of his childhood, when he was only three years old.

His youth consisted mainly of helping clear land, trapping fur animals, fishing, building sheds and digging cellars, along with planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops (Biography n/p). When it became a necessity, he cared for his mother, who was seriously ill with tuberculosis. Sadly, she passed away in 1815 when Brigham was only fourteen years old. Two years after his mother's death, Young decided to leave home and stay with one of his sisters in Auburn. For five years, he practiced as an apprentice carpenter, and aided in building Auburn's first marketplace, the theological seminary, and even the town's prison (Arrington 13). In 1823, Brigham left Auburn as a master carpenter creating well-designed chairs, stylish desks, elegant staircases, sturdy doorways, and several ornate mantelpieces. On October 5, 1824, at the age of twenty-three, he married Miriam Works. Initially, they established a...