Part 1: The Early Years Four years before the birth of Joseph
Smith, a son, Brigham, was born to John and Abigail Howe Young,
their ninth child. This son, born June 1, 1801, was a welcome
addition to their family in Whitingham, Vermont. John Young, a
veteran of the American Revolutionary War, would not have
imagined that one day a statue of this son would be placed in
Statuary Hall of the capitol building in Washington, D.C. Yet
less than fifty years after his birth, Brigham Young became the
political and spiritual leader of tens of thousands of
people—governor of the Utah Territory and prophet of the Lord.
However, to his parents, brothers, and sisters in 1801, Brigham
was simply the new baby. Events, Highlights, and Teachings
Brigham Young’s parents and ancestors gave him a strong
religious foundation. Ask students to discuss what good
qualities they have learned from their parents or grandparents.
Share the following tribute by President Brigham Young: “My
ancestors were some of the most strict religionist