Facts and life timeline — President Brigham Young
This timeline appeared in the Church News, October 21, 2023:
- June 1, 1801 — Born in Whittingham, Vermont.
- April 14, 1832 — Baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- February 14, 1835 — Called to serve as an apostle in the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
- April 14, 1840 — Sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve, following the excommunication of Thomas B. Marsh.
- August 8, 1844 — As senior Apostle, became leader of the Church after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.
- 1846 to 1847 — Led the exodus of Saints from Nauvoo to what is now Salt Lake City.
- December 27, 1847 — Sustained as President of the Church with the reorganization of the First Presidency.
- 1850 to 1857 — Served as the Territorial Governor of Utah.
- February 14, 1853 — Broke ground for the Salt Lake Temple.
- October 18, 1861 — Sent the first telegram from Utah over the just-completed overland telegraph line.
- November 28, 1869 — Organized the Young Ladies’ Retrenchment Association, forerunner to the current Young Women organization.
- August 29, 1877 — Died in Salt Lake City.
Here are some life facts about Brigham Young that were prepared by Trent Toone —
Remembered as the “Lion of the Lord” and the “great colonizer”, Brigham Young led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first during the apostolic interregnum following the 1844 martyrdom of Joseph Smith and then as the Church’s second President from 1847 to his death in 1877. Born on June 1, 1801 in Whittingham, Vermont, Brother Young converted to the Church in 1832 following a meticulous, two-year examination of the Book of Mormon. He and his family moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where he used his carpenter skills to help build the Kirtland Temple. When the Church faced persecution, economic problems and some apostasy, he never wavered in his loyalty to the Prophet Joseph. Three years after joining the Church, he participated in the Zion’s Camp march and was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He served multiple missions over many years, most notably in taking the gospel across the Atlantic Ocean to England. Facing persecution in Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1846, Elder Young assisted hundreds of saints in receiving their blessings in the Nauvoo Illinois Temple before orchestrating the historic westward migration of more than 60,000 saints to Salt Lake Valley. In Utah, he and the pioneering Saints transformed the barren desert into a thriving community, with a network of settlements throughout the American West. President Young also served as the territorial governor and was instrumental in bringing the telegraph and railroad to the region. Under his direction, the Church commenced construction on the Salt Lake, St. George, and Logan temples. In addition to his leadership, President Young was also known as a powerful orator and gospel teacher. “I believe that it was his profound faith that was at the very heart of his success as a leader,” President James E. Faust said at the 2001 BYU devotional.
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