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Show IIi Brigham Young built this house in Nauvoo, The prophet in his early days, above, and in costume of the Nauvoo III. Legion. anniversary nan am s ath offered a different view of President Young and the situation. . . .the work of the Lord, in the founding, establishing and building up of which he had the privilege of taking so active, prominent and glorious a part, will continue to progress, and . . . though he is invisible to the natural eye that same work is not shorn of his future labors. It is but a change of spheres so far as he is concerned, his connection with the work of redemption being eternal. As a prophet, leader, governor, planner, innovator and builder, President Young was perceived by the public at large as an absolute monarch, dominating a submissive and docile JOHN A. FORSTER Church News staff writer BY shocked world paused momentarily at the death of President Brigham Young 100 years ago Aug. 29. For his enemies it was a moment of relief, for his friends, a moment of silence. For both, it was a moment of disbelief. President Young had supplied vigorous and powerful leadership to the Church for 23 years. The absence of his personality was seen by many as the beginning of the collapse of the Church. The editors of the New York Herald, in analyzing his death, wrote, The decline and fall of Mormonism will probably date from the death of Brigham Young, who does not leave an equal nor a second in spiritual craft or administrative energy. Reactions like these were not unex A people. pected by members of the Church, long the victims of editorial lambasting and sarcasm. The Deseret News, in contrast, Leading the saints from Nauvoo on their great migration across the plains and supervising their subsequent success in coaxing a generous living from the waste places of the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young appeared to be the i i Earl J Olson of the Church Historical Department wallet and drill of Brigham Young. Matthew Young Clark wears hat of his 9reat grandfather, Brigham Young. great-great-examin- es pivotal point from which the Church moved and the end of his life seemed also to be the logical end of his empire. Even the death of President Lincoln, wrote the editor of the New York Herald, did not produce so deep an impression of grief among us as the decease of Brigham Young will cause throughout the small but peculiar community which has so long venerated him as a prophet and obeyed him as a spiritual father. When the announcement was made that President Young had died in Salt Lake City of an illness described as cholera morbus complicated by bowel inflam ation, members of the Church reacted as expected, although not to the degree anticipated by their detractors. Flags were lowered to half staff, Salt Lake Citys downtown street lamps were draped in black crepe and businesses closed or shortened hours. Trains and stage coaches enroute to Salt Lake City began to swell with mourners. Wilford Woodruff, president of the St. George Temple and a member of the Council of the Twelve, made the trip to Salt Lake City and wrote in his journal: On my arrival in the city I went into the Tabernacle and found the body of President Young lying in state and already viewed by 10,000 people today. He later recorded, It is estimated that 25,000 people took their last farewell to the honored dead. Though 25,000 people converged on Salt Lake City to witness the funeral of President Young, the scene was not one of despair and demoralizing grief as expected by critics of the Church. Telegrams from various parts of the state support that statement. From Spnngville, Utah, William Bringhearst wrote to John W. Young, "The news of the death of your father just received. We as a branch deeply console with yourself, the family and the Church in the sad bereavement the demise of President Brigham Young. Continued on page 14 ' - WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 3, 1977 CHURCH 5 |