Brigham Young

1801–1877 (76 years)

Hometown: Whittingham, Vermont

Biography

Brigham Young was the second President of the LDS Church, serving from 1847 until his death in 1877. A skilled carpenter and craftsman from Vermont, Young converted to Mormonism in 1832 after reading the Book of Mormon. He rose quickly in church leadership, becoming one of the original Twelve Apostles in 1835.

After Joseph Smith’s death, Young led the largest faction of Mormons westward to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, organizing one of the most significant mass migrations in American history. As both church president and territorial governor of Utah, he established over 350 settlements throughout the American West and founded Brigham Young University.

Young was an outspoken advocate of polygamy, publicly announcing the practice in 1852. He married approximately 55 women and fathered 56 children. He taught the controversial Adam-God doctrine (that Adam was God the Father) and blood atonement. His presidency was marked by the Utah War with the federal government and the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, where Mormon militiamen killed approximately 120 emigrants—an event that remains controversial regarding Young’s knowledge and involvement.

He led the church through its most dramatic period of growth and consolidation, transforming a persecuted sect into a thriving religious civilization in the American West.

Served Under

Church presidents during this leader's apostolic service:

Joseph Smith

Apostles Who Served During This Presidency

Apostles who served under this leader during their presidency:

Sidney Rigdon 1793–1876 (83 years)

Heber C. Kimball 1801–1868 (67 years)

Lyman E. Johnson 1811–1859 (48 years)

John F. Boynton 1811–1890 (79 years)

Luke S. Johnson 1807–1861 (54 years)

Orson Hyde 1805–1878 (73 years)

William E. McLellin 1806–1883 (77 years)

William Smith 1811–1893 (82 years)

Parley P. Pratt 1807–1857 (50 years)

Thomas B. Marsh 1800–1866 (65 years)

Orson Pratt 1811–1881 (70 years)

John Taylor 1808–1887 (78 years)

John E. Page 1799–1867 (68 years)

Wilford Woodruff 1807–1898 (91 years)

George A. Smith 1817–1875 (58 years)

Willard Richards 1804–1854 (49 years)

Lyman Wight 1796–1858 (61 years)

Amasa Lyman 1813–1877 (63 years)

Ezra T. Benson 1811–1869 (58 years)

Lorenzo Snow 1814–1901 (87 years)

Charles C. Rich 1809–1883 (74 years)

Erastus Snow 1818–1888 (69 years)

Franklin D. Richards 1821–1899 (78 years)

Jedediah M. Grant 1816–1856 (40 years)

John Willard Young 1844–1924 (79 years)

Daniel H. Wells 1814–1891 (76 years)

George Q. Cannon 1827–1901 (74 years)

Brigham Young Jr. 1836–1903 (66 years)

Joseph Angell Young 1834–1875 (40 years)

Joseph F. Smith 1838–1918 (80 years)

Albert Carrington 1813–1889 (76 years)

Wives (54)

Brigham Young was a polygamist with 54 wives. Note these are simultaneous marriages — married to multiple living spouses at the same time. 5 of these wives were a teenager (18 or less) at the time of marriage.

54 wives · Lifespan: 1801–1877

1824–1832 (8 yrs)

1834–1877 (43 yrs)

1842–1877 (35 yrs)

1843–1877 (34 yrs)

Harriett Elizabeth Cook

1843–1877 (34 yrs)

Clarissa Caroline Decker

1844–1877 (33 yrs)

1844–1857 (13 yrs)

1844–1850 (6 yrs)

1844–1877 (33 yrs)

1844–1877 (33 yrs)

1844–1863 (19 yrs)

Rebecca Greenleaf Holman

1844–1849 (5 yrs)

1844–1877 (33 yrs)

1844–1877 (33 yrs)

1844–1877 (33 yrs)

1844–1845 (1 yrs)

1845–1877 (32 yrs)

1845–1877 (32 yrs)

1845–1847 (2 yrs)

1845–1875 (30 yrs)

Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner

1845–1877 (32 yrs)

1846–1852 (6 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1866 (20 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1846 (0 yrs)

1846–1861 (15 yrs)

1846–1869 (23 yrs)

1846–1854 (8 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

Zina Diantha Huntington

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1849 (3 yrs)

1846–1852 (6 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

Mary Ellen de la Montaigne

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1877 (31 yrs)

1846–1871 (25 yrs)

1847–1847 (0 yrs)

1847–1877 (30 yrs)

1847–1868 (21 yrs)

1848–1858 (10 yrs)

1852–1877 (25 yrs)

1852–1875 (23 yrs)

1855–1860 (5 yrs)

1856–1877 (21 yrs)

Harriet Amelia Folsom

1863–1877 (14 yrs)

1868–1877 (9 yrs)

1868–1877 (9 yrs)

1869–1877 (8 yrs)

1870–1877 (7 yrs)

1872–1877 (5 yrs)

1801 (born) 1820 1839 1858 1877 (died)

Wife

59 children from 18 wives · Lifespan: 1801–1877

Miriam Works

2 children

Mary Ann Angell

6 children

Lucy Ann Decker

7 children

Harriett Elizabeth Cook

1 child

Clarissa Caroline Decker

5 children

4 children

5 children

1 child

7 children

1 child

10 children

2 children

1 child

Zina Diantha Huntington

1 child

3 children

1 child

1 child

1 child

1801 (born) 1820 1839 1858 1877 (died)

Wife Child born

54 wives · Ages at marriage

Her age His age Teenage bride (<18)

#	Name	Born	Died	Married	Her Age	His Age	Age Diff	Children
1	Miriam Works	Jun 7, 1806	Sep 8, 1832	Oct 8, 1824	18	23	5	2
2	Mary Ann Angell	Jun 8, 1803	Jun 27, 1882	Mar 31, 1834	30	32	2	6
3	Lucy Ann Decker	May 17, 1822	Jan 24, 1891	Jun 14, 1842	20	41	21	7
4	Augusta Adams	Dec 7, 1802	Feb 3, 1886	Nov 2, 1843	40	42	2	0
5	Harriett Elizabeth Cook	Nov 7, 1824	Nov 5, 1898	Nov 2, 1843	18	42	24	1
6	Clarissa Caroline Decker ⚠	Jul 22, 1828	Jan 5, 1889	May 8, 1844	15	42	27	5
7	Clarissa Ross	Jun 16, 1814	Oct 10, 1857	Sep 10, 1844	30	43	13	4
8	Louisa Beaman	Feb 7, 1815	May 15, 1850	Sep 19, 1844	29	43	14	5
9	Eliza R. Snow	Jan 21, 1804	Dec 5, 1887	Oct 3, 1844	40	43	3	0
10	Elizabeth Fairchild ⚠	Mar 28, 1828	Jun 26, 1910	Oct 3, 1844	16	43	27	0
11	Clarissa Blake	Oct 28, 1796	Mar 13, 1863	Oct 8, 1844	47	43	4	0
12	Rebecca Greenleaf Holman	Feb 20, 1824	Jul 11, 1849	Oct 9, 1844	20	43	23	0
13	Diana Chase ⚠	Jul 25, 1827	Sep 6, 1886	Oct 10, 1844	17	43	26	0
14	Susannah Snively	Oct 30, 1815	Nov 20, 1892	Oct 31, 1844	29	43	14	1
15	Emily Dow Partridge	Feb 28, 1824	Dec 9, 1899	c. Nov 1, 1844	c. 20	43	23	7
16	Olive Grey Frost	Jul 24, 1816	Oct 8, 1845	Nov 7, 1844	28	43	15	0
17	Mary Ann Clark	Dec 28, 1816	Mar 22, 1881	Jan 15, 1845	28	43	15	0
18	Margaret Pierce	Apr 19, 1823	Jan 16, 1907	Jan 16, 1845	21	43	22	1
19	Mary Harvey Pierce	Nov 29, 1821	Mar 16, 1847	Jan 16, 1845	23	43	20	0
20	Emmeline Free	Apr 28, 1826	Jul 17, 1875	Apr 30, 1845	19	43	24	10
21	Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner	Apr 9, 1818	Dec 17, 1913	May 22, 1845	27	43	16	0
22	Margaret Maria Alley	Dec 19, 1825	Nov 5, 1852	Jan 14, 1846	20	44	24	2
23	Emily Haws	Jan 1, 1823	Aug 11, 1902	Jan 15, 1846	c. 23	44	21	0
24	Olive Andrews	Sep 24, 1817	Nov 1, 1879	Jan 15, 1846	28	44	16	0
25	Ellen Rockwood ⚠	Mar 23, 1829	Jan 6, 1866	Jan 21, 1846	16	44	28	0
26	Martha Bowker	Jan 24, 1822	Sep 26, 1890	Jan 21, 1846	23	44	21	1
27	Abigail Marks	Nov 6, 1781	Jul 14, 1846	Jan 28, 1846	64	44	20	0
28	Cynthia Porter	Feb 2, 1783	Jan 4, 1861	Jan 28, 1846	62	44	18	0
29	Jemima Angell	Oct 4, 1804	Jul 1, 1869	Jan 28, 1846	41	44	3	0
30	Phoebe Ann Morton	Mar 28, 1786	Nov 16, 1854	Jan 28, 1846	59	44	15	0
31	Mary Eliza Nelson	Nov 24, 1812	Dec 29, 1885	Jan 31, 1846	33	44	11	0
32	Rhoda Richards	Aug 8, 1784	Jan 17, 1879	Jan 31, 1846	61	44	17	0
33	Zina Diantha Huntington	Jan 31, 1821	Aug 28, 1901	Feb 2, 1846	25	44	19	1
34	Abigail Harbach	Sep 20, 1790	Mar 25, 1849	Feb 3, 1846	55	44	11	0
35	Amey Cecilia Cooper	Jun 30, 1804	Jul 13, 1852	Feb 3, 1846	41	44	3	0
36	Julia Foster	Nov 18, 1811	Jan 17, 1891	Feb 3, 1846	34	44	10	0
37	Mary Ann Turley	Jul 13, 1827	Dec 24, 1904	Feb 3, 1846	18	44	26	0
38	Mary Ellen de la Montaigne	May 2, 1803	Aug 3, 1894	Feb 3, 1846	42	44	2	0
39	Naamah Carter	Mar 20, 1821	Aug 5, 1909	Feb 6, 1846	24	44	20	0
40	Nancy Cressy	Jan 20, 1780	Dec 17, 1871	Feb 6, 1846	66	44	22	0
41	Jane Terry	May 21, 1819	Feb 14, 1847	Feb 10, 1847	27	45	18	0
42	Lucy Bigelow ⚠	Oct 3, 1830	Feb 3, 1905	Mar 20, 1847	16	45	29	3
43	Mary Jane Bigelow	Oct 15, 1827	Sep 26, 1868	Mar 20, 1847	19	45	26	0
44	Sarah Malin	Jan 10, 1804	Mar 20, 1858	Apr 18, 1848	44	46	2	0
45	Eliza Burgess	Dec 8, 1827	Aug 20, 1915	Oct 3, 1852	24	51	27	1
46	Mary Oldfield	Jun 28, 1791	Sep 24, 1875	Dec 16, 1852	61	51	10	0
47	Catherine Reese	Jan 27, 1804	Nov 8, 1860	Jun 10, 1855	51	54	3	0
48	Harriet Barney	Oct 13, 1830	Feb 14, 1911	Mar 14, 1856	25	54	29	1
49	Harriet Amelia Folsom	Aug 23, 1838	Dec 11, 1910	Jan 24, 1863	24	61	37	0
50	Ann Eliza Webb	Sep 13, 1844	Dec 7, 1917	Apr 7, 1868	23	66	43	0
51	Mary Van Cott	Feb 2, 1844	Jan 5, 1884	Jun 8, 1868	24	67	43	1
52	Elizabeth Jones	Apr 2, 1812	May 6, 1895	Jul 3, 1869	57	68	11	0
53	Lydia Farnsworth	Feb 5, 1808	Feb 5, 1897	May 8, 1870	62	68	6	0
54	Hannah Tapfield	Jan 1, 1807	Jan 1, 1886	Dec 8, 1872	c. 65	71	6	0