View source for Brigham Young, Jr.

'''Brigham Young, Jr.''' ([[December 18]], [[1836]]&ndash;[[April 11]], [[1903]]) served as [[President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles|president]] of the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]]  from 1899 until his own death. His tenure was interrupted for one week in 1901 when [[Joseph F. Smith]] was the president of the Quorum.

==Early life==
Brother Young was born in [[Kirtland]], Ohio, the son of [[Brigham Young]] and [[Mary Ann Angell]]. Young's twin sister Mary died at age seven from the effects of injuries received at age two in a wagon accident.  This wagon accident occured during the forced exodus from Missouri in the winter of 1838-1839.<ref name = Jenson>[[Andrew Jenson|Jenson, Andrew]]. ''Biographical Encyclopedia of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Deseret Book]] and A. Jenson Historical Co., 1901–1936) '''1''':121.</ref> At age twelve Brother Young drove an ox cart across the plains, reaching [[Salt Lake City]] in 1848.<ref name = Jenson/> Brother Young served as a guard and scout in the following years operating in [[Salt Lake Valley]] and the surrounding canyons.<ref name = Jenson/>

Brother Young married Catherine Curtis Spencer, a daughter of [[Orson Spencer]] with the exact same name as her mother, on [[15 November]] [[1855]].<ref name = Jenson/>

In Utah Territory, Young became a member of the reconstituted [[Nauvoo Legion]].  He was involved in the rescue of the Willie and Martin Companies of [[Mormon pioneers|Mormon handcart pioneers]]. He also served in the [[Utah War]] with the troops that worked to halt the advance of [[Johnston's Army]].<ref name = Flake>Flake, Lawrence R. "Brigham Young, Jr." in Garr, Arnolds K., [[Donald Q. Cannon]] and [[Richard O. Cowan]], ed., ''Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Deseret Book]], 2000) p. 1379–1380.</ref>

n 1861, Young was made a member of the Salt Lake [[Stake (Latter Day Saints)|Stake]] [[High council (Latter Day Saints)|high council]].<ref name = Jenson/>

==Early years as a general authority==
Brigham Young ordained Young an apostle at the young age of 27 in 1864. However, he was not placed in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until four years later in 1868. Young Jr. also served as a counselor to his father in the [[First Presidency]] of the Church from [[April 8]], [[1873]] until his father's death on [[August 29]], [[1877]].

==Missions to Europe==
From 1862 to 1863 Young served as a [[Mormon Missionaries|church missionary]] in [[England]], spending most of the time in [[London]].<ref name = Jenson/>  During this time he also accompanied [[Joseph F. Smith]] on a trip to [[Paris]], [[France]].<ref>Jenson. ''Biographical Encyclopedia''. '''1''':66.</ref>

In 1864, Young returned to Europe, this time with his wife Catherine as his companion. He was an assistant to mission president [[Daniel H. Wells]]. In 1865, when Wells left for Utah, Young succeeded him as president of the European Mission.<ref name = Jenson/>

As [[Mission president|president]] of the [[Europe]]an [[Mission (LDS Church)|Mission]] of the Church in 1866 and 1867, Young preached in [[France]], [[Switzerland]], [[Germany]], [[Denmark]], [[Sweden]], [[Norway]], [[Russia]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Ireland]].  Young also oversaw the emigration of British [[Latter-day Saints]] to Utah Territory.<ref>[[George Q. Cannon|Cannon, George Q.]] and [[Wilford Woodruff]], ''Faith Promoting Series: Gems For the Young Folks'', p. 19.</ref>  It was from a conversation as Young was about to return to Utah at the end of his time as mission president that [[Charles W. Penrose]] wrote the hymn "Beautiful Zion For Me".<ref>[[Heber J. Grant]], [http://search.ldslibrary.com/article/view/236250 ''Conference Report'', April 1926, p. 147].</ref>

From October 1890 until February 1893 Young served for a second time as the president of the European Mission.<ref>[[B. H. Roberts|Roberts, B. H.]] ''[[Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]'' (Provo, Utah: [[Brigham Young University Press]], 1965) p. 89</ref>  The mission was headquartered in [[Liverpool]], England and Young directly supervised missionary work in the [[British Isles]] while also serving as a leader over the mission presidents of the various missions on the [[European continent]].

==Colonization and church assignment in America==
In the western [[United States]], Young was involved in the colonization of [[Cache Valley]], southern Utah and the extension of Mormon settlements into [[New Mexico]] and [[Arizona]].  Young was also involved at times with the LDS settlements in the Mexican state of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]].<ref name = Flake/>

In 1867, Young was involved with the formation of the [[Deseret Sunday School Union]] to provide centralized direction to the [[Sunday school]]s of the Church.<ref>Poleman, B. Lloyd. "Sunday School" in Ludlow, Daniel H., ed., ''[[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]]'' (New York: MacMillan, 1992) p. 1425.</ref>

During 1868, Young acted as his father's agent in finding workers for the Utah portion of the [[First Transcontinental Railroad]].<ref name = Jenson/>

From 1869 until 1877, Elder Young presided over the Latter-day Saints in Cache Valley, closely assisted by [[William B. Preston]] who was serving as the regional presiding bishop.<ref>[[Andrew Jenson|Jenson, Andrew]]. ''Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Deseret News Press]], 1941, p. 105.</ref>  Elder Young was essentially functioning as a stake president, and he ended his term of directy presiding over the area when a formal stake was organized with a full stake presidency.  During this time Young co-owned a feed and livery stable in [[Soda Springs, Idaho]] with Solomon Hale.<ref>Jenson. ''Biographical Dictionary''. Vol. 2, p. 168.</ref> 

In 1877, Elder Young, [[Erastus Snow]], and [[Wilford Woodruff]] dedicated parts of the [[St. George Utah Temple|St. George Temple]] under the general direction of Brigham Young.<ref>Woodruff, Wilford. "Living By the Spirit" in Stuy, H. Bryan, ed., ''Collected Discourses, 1888–1898'' (Glendale, California and Woodland Hills, Utah: B. H. S. Publishing, 1987–1992) Vol. 5.</ref>

From 1877 to 1880 Young served as an editor of the ''[[Deseret News]]'' along with [[George Q. Cannon]].<ref>Jenson. ''Encyclopedic History''. p. 187.</ref>
 
In 1878, Young and [[Moses Thatcher]] selected the site for the Latter-day Saint settlement in the [[Star Valley]] of [[Wyoming]].  In August 1878, Young dedicated the valley as a place for the gathering of the Latter-day Saints.<ref>''[[Church News]]'', [[1992-08-08]], p. Z5.</ref>

In February 1883, Young went on a tour among the [[Navajo]] and [[Hopi]] peoples with many other church leaders, including [[Heber J. Grant]].<ref>Grant, [http://search.ldslibrary.com/article/view/191814 ''Conference Report'', Oct. 1942, p. 25].</ref>

In 1883, Young convinced the residents of Jonesville, Arizona, to rename it Lehi.<ref>Jenson. ''Encyclopedic History''. p. 426</ref>  It is today part of [[Mesa, Arizona]].

==Family==
Young practiced [[plural marriage]]. His fist wife was Catherine Curtis Spencer. Among their children was Brigham Spencer Young, who would later serve as president of the Northwestern States Mission of the church.<ref>[http://search.ldslibrary.com/article/view/234151 ''Conference Report'', Oct. 1926, p. 2].</ref>

In 1857 Young married his second wife, Jane Carrington, a daughter of [[Albert Carrington]].<ref name = Jenson/>

Young's wife Abigail Stevens was one of his younger wives. Their daughter Klara Young Cheney, born in [[Fruitland, New Mexico]] in 1894, turned 100 years old in 1994.<ref>''[[Church News]]'', [[1994-12-24]].</ref> Abigail and Brigham Jr.'s last daughter, Marian Young, was also born at Fruitland on [[15 January]] [[1899]].  She died on [[22 November]] [[2004]], less than two months short of her 106th birthday.  She was the last grandchild of Brigham Young to die.<ref>''[[Church News]]'', [[2004-12-04]], p. Z12.</ref>

==Politics==
Young served several terms in the [[Utah Territorial Legislature]].<ref name = Jenson/>

==President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles==
Elder Young was ordained an apostle before [[Joseph F. Smith]], but was not placed in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until after Joseph F. Smith. However, It was not until 1900 that a clear decision was made giving Joseph F. Smith seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, since he had been a member of the First Presidency since becoming an apostle.<ref>Cowan, Richard O. ''The Church in the 20th Century''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1985) p. 14</ref> Young had served as the [[president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]] since the previous president, [[Franklin D. Richards (Mormon apostle)|Franklin D. Richards]], had died on [[1899-12-09]]. When church president [[Lorenzo Snow]] died on [[1901-10-10]], Joseph F. Smith served as president of the Quorum until he was made church president on [[1901-10-17]]. When Smith became president, Young again assumed the position of president of the Quorum of the Twelve. Young is the only person to have served two non-consecutive terms as president of the Quorum.

==Death==
President Young died in [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]] at age 66.

==References==
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