Brigham Young doesn’t deserve his online criticism

[drumdude]

It’s become fashionable in recent years to demonize Brigham Young as a racist, even a vicious one — and, in some cases, essentially to forget that there was anything else to the man.

I resist this.

He wasn’t perfect, of course. Nor has any subsequent apostle or president of the Church been perfect. Nor am I. Nor are his critics.

In racial matters, Brigham Young said some things that jar us today, and that we cannot endorse. There’s no denying this. He was, as we all are — even the prophets among us — a man of his time and culture and background.

But he was a good man, a remarkable man, indeed a great man, a sincere disciple of the Lord and a prophet who sought to do God’s will.

I choose to stand with him. “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes.” And, on the specific racial issue described above, President Brigham Young was — notwithstanding the dismissive stereotype of him that’s currently in vogue — on the side of the angels.

I agree with Dan. Why isn’t anyone talking about Brigham’s love of the arts?

“If I were placed on a cannibal island and given a task of civilizing its people,” Brigham is said to have remarked, “I should straightway build a theatre.”

How about Brigham’s love of magical baking?

I suppose you are ready to ask Brother Brigham if he thinks the power of the Devil could make the vase dance. Yes, and could take it up and carry it out doors, just as easy as to turn up a table and move it here and there, or to cause a rap, rap, rap, or to bake and pass around pancakes or to get hold of a person's hand, and make him write in every style you can think of, imitating George Washington's, Benjamin Franklin's, Joseph Smith's, and other autographs. Can you tell whether that is by the power of God or by the power of the Devil? No, unless you have the revelations of Jesus Christ."

Can’t you awful critics see past the racism and misogyny and celebrate the real man, lover of the Devil’s unholy pancakes?

[huckelberry]

I agree with Dan. Why isn’t anyone talking about Brigham’s love of the arts?

“If I were placed on a cannibal island and given a task of civilizing its people,” Brigham is said to have remarked, “I should straightway build a theatre.”

How about Brigham’s love of magical baking?

I suppose you are ready to ask Brother Brigham if he thinks the power of the Devil could make the vase dance. Yes, and could take it up and carry it out doors, just as easy as to turn up a table and move it here and there, or to cause a rap, rap, rap, or to bake and pass around pancakes or to get hold of a person's hand, and make him write in every style you can think of, imitating George Washington's, Benjamin Franklin's, Joseph Smith's, and other autographs. Can you tell whether that is by the power of God or by the power of the Devil? No, unless you have the revelations of Jesus Christ."

Can’t you awful critics see past the racism and misogyny and celebrate the real man, lover of the Devil’s unholy pancakes?

drumdude, I like Brighams love of theater. I think you misunderstand (perhaps purposely for fun) the comments about possible tricks by the devil and what might be necessary to distinguish them. He is clearly not expressing a love of the devils pancakes though perhaps a love of colorful sermon illustrations.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Is it any wonder DCP is enamored with Brigham "Kill Them All" Young? In addition to legalizing slavery and instituting racist policies that lasted over 100 years, Brigham Young was also responsible for some of the most brutal massacres in recorded U.S. history.

Nobody disputes that Brigham Young solely ordered an extermination campaign against the Timpanogos, and ordered church members to organize and kill all the Timpanogos men, but to spare the women and children if they behaved. The bodies of up to 50 Timpanogos men were beheaded and their heads put on display at the fort as a warning to the mostly women and children prisoners inside.

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 4d5553/0/7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_at ... te_note-20

[Kishkumen]

Criticism of historical figures is a practically irresistible pastime. Brigham can take it, I’d wager. He’s tough.

[yellowstone123]

Lots of great information out there on men and women like Abraham Lincoln - 1809; Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1803; Harriet Beecher Stowe - 1811; William H. Seward - 1801; Elijah Parish Lovejoy -1803; James Polk - 1795 and on and on and on... all a product of their time. And then we have Joseph Smith Jr. - 1805 and Brigham Young - 1801. And then we have agency.

[drumdude]

Lots of great information out there on men and women like Abraham Lincoln - 1809; Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1803; Harriet Beecher Stowe - 1811; William H. Seward - 1801; Elijah Parish Lovejoy -1803; James Polk - 1795 and on and on and on... all a product of their time. And then we have Joseph Smith Jr. - 1805 and Brigham Young - 1801. And then we have agency.

Yes, it should be remembered that although Abraham Lincoln gets a lot of praise, he was really just a product of his time.

[toon]

"He wasn't perfect" has to be among the most meaningless arguments you could make in defense of someone, especially since no one has perfection as a standard.

But I guess this puts Brigham Young in the same group as Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, DP, and believe or not, me, as well as the countless others who weren't perfect.

To paraphrase or steal from Louis C.K., Brigham Young has at least killed way fewer people than Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin. Don't know about the Clintons, as I understand they have quite the kill list. Maybe ahead of DP and me; if so, perhaps only slightly. But I really can't speak for Dan.

[toon]

Lots of great information out there on men and women like Abraham Lincoln - 1809; Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1803; Harriet Beecher Stowe - 1811; William H. Seward - 1801; Elijah Parish Lovejoy -1803; James Polk - 1795 and on and on and on... all a product of their time. And then we have Joseph Smith Jr. - 1805 and Brigham Young - 1801. And then we have agency.

Yes, it should be remembered that although Abraham Lincoln gets a lot of praise, he was really just a product of his time.

And these products of their times weren't prophets, seers, or revelators. They didn't have access to the divine when making moral judgments and proclamations. One might hope that such a person might be at least a bit ahead of his time.

[drumdude]

"He wasn't perfect" has to be among the most meaningless arguments you could make in defense of someone, especially since no one has perfection as a standard.

But I guess this puts Brigham Young in the same group as Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, DP, and believe or not, me, as well as the countless others who weren't perfect.

To paraphrase or steal from Louis C.K., Brigham Young has at least killed way fewer people than Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin. Don't know about the Clintons, as I understand they have quite the kill list. Maybe ahead of DP and me; if so, perhaps only slightly. But I really can't speak for Dan.

I don’t recall the Clintons ordering the massacre of 120 men, women, and children, but then I haven’t been listening to enough Trump Truth lately. I’m sure he will lock ’er up during his next term, God willing.

[honorentheos]

I suppose you are ready to ask Brother Brigham if he thinks the power of the Devil could ..
get hold of a person's hand, and make him write in every style you can think of, imitating George Washington's, Benjamin Franklin's, Joseph Smith's, and other autographs. Can you tell whether that is by the power of God or by the power of the Devil? No, unless you have the revelations of Jesus Christ."

Maybe Brigham was a prophet after all.