The Brigham Young Center

Brigham Young, Sen., President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Whitingham, Windham County, Vermont, U.S. June 1, 1901; lived with his father, who was a farmer, until he was sixteen years old, then learned a trade and followed mechanical business, until he was baptised into said Church on the 14th of April, 1832. He was ordained into the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, February, 1835.

Upon the assassination of the Prophet and Patriarch Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage jail, Illinois, June 27; 1844, and in accordance with previous appointment by the Prophet Joseph and ordination under his hands, Brigham Young, then President of the Twelve, succeeded to the Presidency of the Church.

Mobocracy, on account of differences in religious belief, so increased in Illinois, that in February, 1846, President Young left Nauvoo with a large Company of Saints to seek a locality where they could worship Israel's God in peace. A prompt compliance with a requisition by the Government of the United States for 500 'Mormons' to serve in the war with Mexico, connected with other circumstances, caused the company to halt on the right bank of the Missouri River, at a point since called Florence, N.T. where they passed the winter of 1846-7

In the spring of 1847 President Young, with a pioneer company of 143 men, left Winter Quarters (Florence) in quest of the desired locality, and arrived in Great Salt Lake valley on the 24th of the following July. After selecting and having surveyed the site for Great Salt Lake City, and locating temporary forts for the safety of the companies following that season, he returned to Winter Quarters for his family with whom, and large additional numbers of Saints, he arrived in G.S.L. City in the Fall of 1848, where he has since resided.

President Brigham Young is endowed with great firmness and energy of character; is possessed of unswerving integrity and rectitude of conduct, and is blessed with a remarkable degree of sound, practical sense and good judgement, which, with his unusual kindliness and benevolence of disposition, admirably qualify him for the arduous and responsible position he occupies, giving him great administrative ability in the conduct of important affairs, and measurably accounting for the influence he enjoys with those who are striving for the true interests of the human family.

The above sent to Messrs Griffin