History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

BRIGHAM 'S POWER. 203
him if roads are opened and canals constructed it will
please him. From these practical visions come ac-
tions, and on a Sunday the great high-priest rises
in the tabernacle and says: "God has spoken. He
has said unto his prophet, 'Get thee up, Brigham, and
build me a city in the fertile valley to the south,
where there is water, where there are fish, where
the sun is strong enough to ripen the cotton plants, and
give raiment as well as food to my saints on earth.
Brethren willing to aid God's work should come to
me before the bishop's meeting.'" "As the prophet
takes his seat again," says an eye-witness, "and puts
on his broacl-brimmed hat, a hum of applause runs
around the bowery, and teams and barrows are freely
promised."
To whatsoever Brigham applied himself he directed
his whole strength, provided his whole strength was
necessary to the accomplishment of his purpose.
There were others in the field against him, aspirants
but direct-
for the late prophet's place, besides Sidney ;
ing his efforts only against the most powerful of them,
the president of the twelve summoned the quorum and
the people, as we have seen, crushed Rigdon and his
adherents by one of the master-strokes which he was
now learning, declared the revelations of Rigdon to be
of the devil, cut him off, cursed him, and was himself
elected almost without a dissenting voice, giving all
ostensibly the fullest liberty to act, yet permitting
none of them to do so, and even causing ten to be tried
for dissenting. Henceforth none dared to gainsay his
authority ; he became not only the leader of the Mormons,
but their dictator; holding authority for a time
as president of the twelve apostles, and finally in the
capacity of the first presidency, being made president
of the whole church in December 1847.
Brigham Young was now in his forty-third year, in
the prime of a hale and vigorous manhood, with exuberant
vitality, with marvelous energy, and with unswerving
faith in his cause and in himself. In stat-