Brother Brigham

Brigham Young comes to life in this superlative biography that presents him as a Mormon leader, a business genius, a family man, a political organizer, and a pioneer of the West. Drawing on a vast range of sources, including documents, personal diaries, and private correspondence, Leonard J. Arrington brings Young to life as a towering yet fully human figure, the remarkable captain of his people and his church for thirty years, who combined piety and the pursuit of power to leave an indelible stamp on Mormon society and the culture of the Western frontier. From polygamy to the Mountain Meadows Massacre to the attempted preservation of Young’s Great Basin Kingdom, we are given a fresh understanding of the controversies that plagued Young in his contentious relations with the federal government. Brigham Young draws its subject out of the marginal place in history to which the conventional wisdom has assigned him, and sets him squarely in the American mainstream, a figure of abiding influence in our society to this day.

Like many young boys, Cory Young grew up with an imaginary friend. In Cory's case, it was his ancestor Brigham Young--or rather, "Brother Brigham," as Cory knew him. During Cory's formative years, Brother Brigham filled the boy's head with grand expectations of an important mission in life. Now grown up with a wife and two young sons, Cory has sacrificed his dreams to earn a living for his family. Brother Brigham is just a distant memory-until one day he returns in a most unexpected way. As Brother Brigham's appearances and instructions grow increasingly bold, Cory struggles to hold together his faith, his marriage, and his sanity.