Brigham Young, the well-known Mormon leader and founder of Salt Lake City, was born on this day 208 years ago. He read the Book of Mormon after its publication in 1830 and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints in 1832. He was subsequently ordained an apostle and became one of the inaugural members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He travelled to various places including Canada and England as a missionary.
When Joseph Smith, president of the church, was killed by a mob in 1844, a succession crisis ensued, with Brigham Young eventually prevailing. Following repeated conflicts, he led a group of followers on an Exodus-like journey through the desert to establish a new settlement in Salt Lake Valley. The new settlement became known as Salt Lake City, and the US president appointed Young as the first governor of Utah.
Brigham Young was a polygamist, with 55 wives giving birth to 57 children. Conflict with the US government led to a war between the US army and the Mormons which was resolved when Young agreed to step down as governor of Utah. In 1857 a wagon train passing through Utah en route to California was ambushed by a Mormon militia, and after surrendering to the Mormons more than 120 unarmed people were executed; the event became known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Young died in 1877.