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Show 598 WESTERN WILDS. ham County, Vermont. His father was an old Revolutionary soldier, of Massachusetts, the parent of six sons and five daughters. This whole family embraced Mormonism soon after Brigham did. The father died in one of the early migrations of the Mormons in Mis-souri ; the sons and daughters lived to go into polygamy in Utah, and become the parents of large families. None of Brigham's brothers ever evinced any special talent for any thing. Phinehas and Lorenzo Dow Young were barely mediocre; " Uncle John " Young for many years was Patriarch of the Church, but was a mere puppet as pulled by Brigham; Joseph sometimes preached, but with no particular force, and the fifth brottfer was of so little consequence that his name is scarcely known ki Utah. Nor did any of them acquire property to any great extent ; at least two were so poor they had to accept assist-ance it might be called charity from Brigham. The sisters are equally obscure. Whatever Brigham's talent was, he alone of the family possessed it. I have repeatedly talked with his nephews and grandchildren concerning him ; but his career was as much a mystery to them as to the Gentile world. Oscar Young, Brigham's oldest child in polygamy, is now a thorough- going Gentile, and a frank, outspoken gentleman; " but to him, as to strangers, his father's real nature was a sealed book. Early in life Brigham married, and was e/ irly left a widower with two daughters, both now living in polygamy in Utah. Mormonism first took form as a religion in 1830, and among the first preachers sent out was Samuel H. Smith, youngest brother of the Prophet Jo-seph. He met and exhorted Brigham, and almost " converted " him. A little later, in 1832, he gave in his adhesion to the new faith, and was baptized by Elder Eleazar Miller. He at once set out for Kirtland, whither the young church was gathering ; came upon Joe Smith while the latter was chopping in the woods, and, according to their mutual account, was at once blessed exceedingly. Joseph pro-nounced him a man of wonderful powers, gifted of God for the furtherance of the faith, and added that he would " one day lead the Church." The anti- Brighamite Mormon sects add that Joseph also said: " And. he will lead it to hell." He should have said so if he did not, for it has proved very near the truth. Brigham had previously quit farm life to become a painter and glazier, and he now exercised his trade upon the Temple at Kirt-laud, glazing the windows with his own hands. It was soon discov-ered by Joseph that Brigham was the most practical of all his con-verts; and, as that sort of a man was badly needed, he advanced rap- |
