What Manner of Man Was This Brigham Young?

Research by Kerry A. Shirts

The vast majority of discourses made by Brigham Young are collected in the "Journal of Discourses, hereafter cited as JD. As Dean Jesse noted with Joseph Smith, "The real importance of Joseph Smith's holographic writings (the writings he produced with his own hand) lies in their being his expression of his own thoughts and attitudes, his own contemplations and reflections...they provide a framework for judging his religious claims."1 Likewise we think this is also the way to get at Brigham Young, so to speak. No man ever spoke more frankly about what was on his mind. He made little effort to please those who he spoke to, but always had their eternal salvation in mind. When we read him saying "I am going to work now to get something for me and my family," we are near appalled at such a worldly remark from the great leader. Yet when we note the framework of his discussion we see it only as Brigham could have. To him laboring in the Gospel was what mattered the most. The one sure way to labor for oneself is to labor "in the kingdom of God," any other course is, "Folly in the extreme."2 Brigham asks us "Do you want riches pertaining to this world? Yes, we acknowledge we do!" How worldly can he get? Until we read on that is.... "I merely use the term 'riches' to lead the mind along, until we obtain eternal riches in the Celestial Kingdom of God."3 "If we possessed mountains of gold, should we not perish without bread, without something to feed the body?...though an individual, or a nation of people, could command their millions of millions of gold and silver, houses, lands, goods, and chattels...the possession of these things is not wealth to me."4 So what was Brigham's view on riches? "I will tell you when you and I may consider ourselves truly rich - when we can speak to the earth - to the native elements in boundless space, and say to them - 'Be ye organized, and planted here, or there, and stay until I command you hence; when at our command the gold is hid so that no man can find it..."5

When we read Brigham saying something so bold and ambitious as "We are organized for the express purpose of controlling the elements, of organizing and disorganizing, of ruling over kingdoms, principalities, and powers", we nod and say "Aha! we *knew* he was greedy!" But reading on shows us how incorrectly we have judged Brigham from this partial statement. "And yet our affections are too often highly placed upon paltry, perishable objects. We love houses, gold, silver, and various kinds of property, and all who unduly prize any object there is beneath the celestial world are idolaters."6 In fact, to Brigham Young, people who piously and systematically horde the world's goodies to themselves for personal aggrandizement and ambition are living the very essence of idolatry.7 So one the one hand while Brigham seems like a materialistic, selfish bully, full of greedy avarice and cunning, on further reading, we see his only serious interest is in the enduring substance of eternity. It is quite clear that there is no questionable paradox when Brigham says "Then let us seek to extend the present life to the uttermost... and thus prepare for a better life," because he is thinking of this life in terms of the next life, for he also says in full context, "Prepare to die is not the exhortation in this church and kingdom; but prepare to live is the word with us, and improve all we can in this life that we may be the better prepared to enjoy a better life hereafter, wherein we may enjoy a more exalted condition of intelligence, wisdom, light, knowledge, glory, and exaltation."8

Yet Brigham amassed great wealth and power in this life! His thrift became legendary ("I never suffered a peach pit to be thrown away, nor ate an apple without saving the seeds to plant"9). His thriftiness is what saved the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley! "Build fences, have good gardens, and make yourselves comfortable and happy, serving God; let that be first continually, so that you may have consciences void of offence towards God and man."10

Leonard Arrington has shown that Brigham was more practical than stringent when it came to the Word of Wisdom. Which was more important to him, the Saints remaining alive in the Salt Lake Valley, or living stringently the Word of Wisdom? For Brigham, it was more important in the long run to remain alive and vital so as to be able to continue building up the Kingdom of God, than get stuck on details:

Brigham Young's sermons in the 1860's and '70's give clear indication that Mormon leaders were worried over the economic waste resulting from importation of the products prohibited in the Word of Wisdom. In a letter of instructions to all the settlements south of Great Salt Lake City, President Young wrote:

This community has not yet concluded to entirely dispense with the use of tobacco, and great quantities have been imported into our Territory. The silver and gold which we have paid out for this article alone, since we first came into Utah, would have built several extensive cotton and woolen factories, and filled them with machinery. I know of no better climate and soil than are here for the successful culture of tobacco. Instead of buying it in a foreign market and importing it over a thousand miles, why not raise it in our own country or do without it? True principles of domestic and political economy would suggest the production at home of every article of home consumption, for herein lies the basis of wealth and independence for any people . . .

Tea is in great demand in Utah, and anything under that name sells readily at an extravagant price. This article opens a wide drain for the escape of much of our circulating medium. . . . Tea can be produced in this Territory in sufficient quantities for home consumption, and if we raise it ourselves we know that we have the pure article. If we do not raise it, I would suggest that we do without it.

An added indication of the thinking of Latter-day Saint leadership is gleaned from the remarks of Brigham Young at one of the sessions of the general conference of the church, held in Salt Lake City in 1867, at which he strongly urged the women of the church to refrain from the use of tea and coffee. By this abstinence, and by teaching their families to do likewise, he stated, means could be saved and devoted to emigration, the construction of temples, and the support of Gospel and economic missionaries. On the tobacco question, he gave explicit expression of the economic loss to the Saints of importing that article:

You know that we all profess to believe the "Word of Wisdom." There has been a great deal said about it, more in former than in latter years. We, as Latter-day Saints, care but little about tobacco; but, as "Mormons," we use vast quantity of it . . . How much do you suppose goes annually from this Territory, and has for ten or twelve years past, in gold and silver, to supply the people with tobacco? I will say $60,000. Brother William H. Hooper, our Delegate in Congress, came here in 1849, and during about eight years he was selling goods his sales for tobacco alone amounted to over $28,000 a year. At the same time there were other stores that sold their share and drew their share of the money expended yearly, besides what has been brought in by the keg and by the half keg. The traders and passing emigration have sold tons of tobacco, besides what is sold here regularly. I say that $60,000 annually is the smallest figure I can estimate the sales at. Tobacco can be raised here as well as it can be raised in any other place. It wants attention and care. If we use it, let us raise it here. I recommend for some man to go to raising tobacco. One man, who came here last fall, is going to do so; and if he is diligent, he will raise quite a quantity. I want to see some man go to and make a business of raising tobacco and stop sending money out of the Territory for that article.11

Do we subscribe wickedness to Brigham then? His vision was usually broader and more lengthy than his fellow brethren, and even those of us today! It was serious wisdom in the long run for money to come into the valley, not go out of it for using tobacco, tea, etc., Brigham knew this and acted on it. Just as when Brigham admonished the Saints to wear overcoats one day, and the next day advize short sleeves, rather than the element of scandal and confusion we get the main idea that it is not the rule-book or the administration, but the weather that determines what it is best to wear one any given day.12 It is not a case, in Brigham's view of things, of physical verses spiritual values, but of eternal things, physical or not, verses things we know to be passing and therefore unworthy of our ultimate dedication. "What is this earth in its present condition? Nothing but a place in which we may learn the first lesson towards exaltation, and that is obedience to the Gospel of the Son of God.13"

"This people have to learn that the Lord is God, that He rules among the armies of heaven, and does His pleasure among the inhabitants of the earth. They have to be brought to the test, as much so as were the children of Israel when the Egyptians were in their rear, when mountains were on either side, and the Red Sea was before them, with no human prospect for avoiding destruction, yet the Lord brought them salvation. This people have got to trust in Him, and learn that He will be with His people, and provide for His Saints, and defend them against their enemies, and watch over them as a mother watches over her tender infant. We have got to learn the ways of the Lord. If it is necessary for the Lord to rain down manna from heaven, He has the same power to do it, the same power to feed His people, in the latter days, that He had in former days. It is far easier for Him to feed the Saints from heaven, than it is for them to raise grain in the common way. Still it is our duty to be active and diligent in doing everything we can to sustain ourselves, to build up His kingdom, to defend ourselves against our enemies, to lay our plans wisely, and to prosecute every method that can be devised to establish the kingdom of God on the earth, and to sanctify and prepare ourselves to dwell in His presence. Yet, after all this, if the Lord should not help--if He should not lend His aid to our endeavors, all our labors will prove in vain. This the great majority of mankind do not understand. He has made it obligatory upon them to act, to do their part; yet if He was to neglect His part, or withhold His assistance, our labors would prove abortive. We must learn that it is God who gives the increase, or rather, it is His mercy over the people, whether Saints or sinners, that sustains them in life. All Latter-day Saints have got to learn these facts, and it matters but little how we learn them."14

This little essay is to show that Brigham, of all Mormon Leaders, is perhaps the easiest to misunderstand and misapply his words when it comes to trying to figure him out. Yet there never was a man who went so undeviatingly through this life looking for the eternal life. His goal he well knew, was in the next life, yet he had to make the best of it here, and try to learn how to get to eternal life, which, for Brigham was only though the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all else being secondary.

Endnotes

1. Dean Jesse, "The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith," Deseret Book, 1984, p. xviii.

2. JD, 14:101.

3. JD, 15: 35, 37.

4. JD, 1:265, 266.

5. JD, 1:269.

6. JD, 3:357.

7. JD, 5:353, notice how he is lambasting the Saints themselves in his own day here.

8. JD, 11:132.

9. JD, 10:335.

10. JD, 10:335.

11. "An Economic Interpretation of the "Word of Wisdom", Leonard J. Arrington, BYU Studies, 1959, Vol. 1, #1, pp. 45f.

12. Hugh Nibley, "Educating the Saints," in "Nibley on the Timely and Timeless," Religious Studies Center, BYU, 1978, Truman Madsen, Ed., p. 230f.

13. JD, 14:232.

14. JD, 2,:279f.