Brigham Young doesn’t deserve his online criticism

[Fence Sitter]

Wild how people who have direct access to eternal truths, and divine morals and ethics tend to reliably just end up being products of their time.

Current prophetic leadership is the exception. Amiright?

[Tom]

Proprietor:

In 1859, Horace Greeley, the famous editor of the New York Daily Tribune, visited Utah Territory and interviewed Brigham Young. In the course of the interview, Greeley asked whether Utah planned to be a slave state. “No,” Brigham replied, “she will be a Free State.” He proceeded to explain that “Slavery here would prove useless and unprofitable. I regard it generally as a curse to the masters. . . . Utah is not adapted to Slave Labor.” (26)

A fuller excerpt from the interview (see column on far right) is worth providing:

Horace Greeley (H.G.)—What is the position of your Church with respect to slavery?

Brigham Young (B.Y.)—We consider it of Divine institution, and not to be abolished until the curse pronounced on Ham shall have been removed from his descendants.

H.G.—Are any slaves now held in this Territory?

B.Y.—There are.

H.G.—Do your Territorial laws uphold Slavery?

B.Y.—Those laws are printed—you can read for yourself. If slaves are brought here by those who owned them in the States, we do not favor their escape from the service of those owners.

H.G.—Am I to infer that Utah, if admitted as a member of the Federal Union, will be a Slave State?

B.Y.—No; she will be a Free State. Slavery here would prove useless and unprofitable. I regard it generally as a curse to the masters. I myself hire many laborers, and pay them fair wages; I could not afford to own them. I can do better than subject myself to an obligation to feed and clothe their families, to provide and care for them in sickness and health. Utah is not adapted to Slave Labor.

[Dr. Shades]

Criticism of historical figures is a practically irresistible pastime.

In your opinion, is it ever justified? If so, who?

[Doctor Steuss]

Proprietor:

In 1859, Horace Greeley, the famous editor of the New York Daily Tribune, visited Utah Territory and interviewed Brigham Young. In the course of the interview, Greeley asked whether Utah planned to be a slave state. “No,” Brigham replied, “she will be a Free State.” He proceeded to explain that “Slavery here would prove useless and unprofitable. I regard it generally as a curse to the masters. . . . Utah is not adapted to Slave Labor.” (26)

A fuller excerpt from the interview (see column on far right) is worth providing:

Horace Greeley (H.G.)—What is the position of your Church with respect to slavery?

Brigham Young (B.Y.)—We consider it of Divine institution, and not to be abolished until the curse pronounced on Ham shall have been removed from his descendants.

H.G.—Are any slaves now held in this Territory?

B.Y.—There are.

H.G.—Do your Territorial laws uphold Slavery?

B.Y.—Those laws are printed—you can read for yourself. If slaves are brought here by those who owned them in the States, we do not favor their escape from the service of those owners.

H.G.—Am I to infer that Utah, if admitted as a member of the Federal Union, will be a Slave State?

B.Y.—No; she will be a Free State. Slavery here would prove useless and unprofitable. I regard it generally as a curse to the masters. I myself hire many laborers, and pay them fair wages; I could not afford to own them. I can do better than subject myself to an obligation to feed and clothe their families, to provide and care for them in sickness and health. Utah is not adapted to Slave Labor.

That's some interesting selective quoting.

It's good to know that Brigham's thoughts on why chattel slavery was a curse on the masters was because he thought it was more expensive than just paying someone a wage. Not because it was morally repugnant to keep a human being as personal property.

[drumdude]

Daniel is a very amateur historian, we should give him a break for unknowingly selectively quoting that passage. It’s not like he is a PhD scholar or anything. He probably had no idea the full context.

[Doctor Steuss]

It's good to know that Brigham's thoughts on why chattel slavery was a curse on the masters was because he thought it was more expensive than just paying someone a wage. Not because it was morally repugnant to keep a human being as personal property.

Incidentally, this incredibly enlightened moral view of Brigham Young's, that he espoused to Greeley, was after he had kept and used the enslaved Green Flake for several years.

This little light of mine...

[toon]

Wild how people who have direct access to eternal truths, and divine morals and ethics tend to reliably just end up being products of their time.

Current prophetic leadership is the exception. Amiright?

We'll only know in 100 years, give or take. Until then ... follow the Prophet.

[toon]

Criticism of historical figures is a practically irresistible pastime.

In your opinion, is it ever justified? If so, who?

Seems justified at least when and to the extent that those historical figures are still being held up as authoritative.

[Kishkumen]

Criticism of historical figures is a practically irresistible pastime.

In your opinion, is it ever justified? If so, who?

Ever justified? The act of critiquing historical figures is ALWAYS justified.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

In your opinion, is it ever justified? If so, who?

Ever justified? The act of critiquing historical figures is ALWAYS justified.

I remember the first time I learned about the *Battle of Fort Utah.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_at_Fort_Utah

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Creek_massacre

- Doc

* that’s when BY ordered the massacre of the Timpanogos.