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Show 47 Because the entire Utah legislature was Mormon in the days before the Utah War, Young's influence in the legislative arm of government was undeniable. The legislature (mostly prominent church men) tended to rubber-stamp all of the prophet-governor's wishes. This is not to suggest that Brigham Young abused his office or used his influence for the sake of personal gain. Young used his position to do what he thought was best for the people. But Young openly admitted his belief in theocratic government: "I believe in a true republican theocracy," he declared. "One in which all laws are enacted in righteousness, and whose officers possess that power which proceedeth from the Almighty [the priesthood} . That is what I mean by a theocratic government. "4 The people, themselves, were content with the power structure in their Territory and had little use for dissenters. After all, who could dispute the word of God. The big problem with government in Utah for the Mormons was the judiciary. The Territorial justices appointed by the president were usually not church members and were often adverse to the church and its hold on Utah politics. It was the judiciary that was about to fan anti-Mormon sentiment to the flashpoint. In 1857 Brigham Young was riding the crest of power. The recent Reformation had weeded out dissenters and solidified his power as never before. The belief in the imminence of the millennium and the rumblings of anti-Mormonism in the East kept Mormons in Utah sharply atune to the leadership of the church. As the historian Tullidge recalled: "Great as Brigham Young was in the exodus of this people from their Egypt, his power seems to have found its culmination in the Utah War. "5 This was the man who was about to lead the Saints through their most trying ordeal since Nauvoo. Upon the shoulders of Brigham Young rested the future of the kingdom and, perhaps, the life or death of its citizens. |