Brigham Young

by David Vaughn Mason

Brigham Young is one of the most important Mormon leaders in American religious history. He presided over the move of the Mormon people westward from Nauvoo, Illinois to their final home in the Utah Territory. He founded Salt Lake City, and built the Mormon Temple for his people. He served as the first governor of Utah, and was president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877.

He remains important to the Mormon practitioners around the world, but in a world where their religion is growing every more prominent, people outside the LDS Church are interested in finding out more. Brigham Young: American Sovereign tells the dynamic story of Brigham Young, and in the process, relates the history of the Mormons. In six short chapters, bolstered by primary sources and a companion website full of images and links, David Mason provides the first port of call for anyone interested in Mormon history and the development of the American West.

198 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2014

Reviews

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a proof of this book aloud to my 79 year old mother over the course of a few days while looking for typos. From the first sentence to the last I found this book not only easy and enjoyable to read, it was irresistible. Like a Ken Burns documentary set on a vaudeville stage. Mom was equally addicted to listening to each chapter, we laughed hard in several places and had to repeat portions and laugh again they were so good. We could not stop after one chapter but would go through three before my voice would give out or we were pulled away. I have heard stories about Brigham my whole life but never in this context. It was many of familiar stories I but with dimension now that reached off into the horizon in every direction, music of Brigham's time and place playing loudly in the background of my mind instead of the motab of the church publications. Much of the content I had never heard. It was as if I have always known a Flat Stanley version of Brigham and came out of reading this seeing the whole guy, 3D with wives and kids and church members, government employees and mobsters sitting in my front room. And maybe even Brigham's parents standing over my shoulder. If you have ever hated Brigham you might hate him more after reading this and if you have loved and admired him you will also find empathy and awe in these pages. More than a read, this book is an experience. A S T O N I S H I N G L Y readable, I was anxious to get to the next page and didn't want it to end.

[Brent Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on Amazon because I've followed Mason's blog posts on Patheos, and heard an interview on the book from a local radio station.

This is a short, fun intro to Brigham's full life. I've read all the major bios (Arrington, Turner etc.) but still learned a ton, especially about his motives and needs as a leader and human being. Mason draws out details that give fresh meaning to key events.

Mason's stance is candid, critical at times, but overall affectionate. the only quibble I had was - he described Brigham's speech as "colorful language" with "mild profanity." The profanity may be mild by 21st century standards, but I am pretty sure he shocked the sensibilities of many hearers at the time - those people didn't go around using the F-word like we do now!

I'm not a serious student of history really - so can't speak to any weaknesses particularly. Even so I'm confident in recommending this book to anyone hoping to understand the man better.

[Sophiam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brigham Young: Sovereign in America is a treat. Sweet, and bitter, and true, and heart-wrenching, and delightful, and cool. The biography begins swiftly and keeps up the pace, as Brigham wins over democratic hearts reading his tale. His character develops back and forth across the plains, and how his legacy shaped and continues to define Mormonism and America comes out as he digs his heels into the Deseret sod. This was a wonderful, flowery, visual read I would recommend to anyone with a sense of adventure, humor, and willingness to engage with new ideas.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humour! Affection! Love! Tragedy! All just a little over-done (A for effort!); yup, this is jazz hands history written by a theatre prof