Brigham Young Loved Children

One day Brigham saw a group of boys playing marbles with small rocks. He asked his driver to stop the carriage. He reached into his travel bag and pulled out a set of real marbles and gave them to the boys.


Brigham delighted in little children, no matter what they said. Once when he was visiting the Saints, he stopped at the home of Anson Call. Brigham asked Anson’s little girl to sit on his knee. He took her head in his hands and turned her small face toward his so he could tell her how pretty she was. She stared up at him and said, “Your eyes look just like our sows!” Her father was embarrassed, but Brigham took her by the hand and led her outside. “Take me to the pig pen. I want to see this pig that has eyes just like mine.”

Kindness to Children

From his early days, Brigham Young was always kind to children. He enjoyed being with young people. He took time to listen to them, and he respected what they had to say. Brigham tried to set a righteous example for them to follow.


One winter when Heber J. Grant was about six years old, he jumped on the back of Brigham’s sleigh to go for a ride. The cutter was going so fast that, even though Heber was freezing, he was afraid to jump off. When the sleigh came to a stream, the driver slowed down, and Brigham noticed Heber. He stopped the sleigh, got out, and picked up the small boy who was shivering from cold and frost. Brigham snuggled him into a thick lap-robe, and soon got Heber warm.

Brigham took Heber on a long ride and told him that he loved Heber’s father, Jedediah M. Grant, former Mayor of Salt Lake City, Apostle, and Counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency. After the trip, Brigham took the young boy home and asked Heber’s mother to send Heber to his office in a few months for a visit. When Heber came to the office, Brigham talked with him and was interested in what he was doing. They became friends. Heber J. Grant became the seventh President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Heber J. Grand and Brigham Young

One winter when Heber J. Grant was about six years old, he jumped on the back of Brigham’s sleigh to go for a ride. The cutter was going so fast that, even though Heber was freezing, he was afraid to jump off. When the sleigh came to a stream, the driver slowed down, and Brigham noticed Heber. He stopped the sleigh, got out, and picked up the small boy who was shivering from cold and frost. Brigham snuggled him into a thick lap-robe, and soon got Heber warm.


Brigham took Heber on a long ride and told him that he loved Heber’s father, Jedediah M. Grant, former Mayor of Salt Lake City, Apostle, and Counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency. After the trip, Brigham took the young boy home and asked Heber’s mother to send Heber to his office in a few months for a visit. When Heber came to the office, Brigham talked with him and was interested in what he was doing, and they became friends.

Family Prayer at Brigham Young's Home

As the family grew older, there were times when his children, and even his wives, were out visiting with friends at prayer time. Brigham wrote a letter to his family, urging them to be home for family prayer. “When the time appointed for our family devotion and prayer comes, I am expected to be there; and no public business . . . has been able to influence me to forego the fulfillment of this sacred duty which I owe to you, to myself, and to God. . . .Your strict attendance to my wishes in this respect will give joy to the heart of your Husband and Father.”


After prayer, the family talked about their plans and activities. One night Brigham’s daughter Clarissa remembers he called all the children around and gave them each a brand new ten-cent bill. “It looked like a hundred dollars to me.” She was very excited because she didn’t often have money. From then on Clarissa tried never to miss family prayer.

Family devotion was important to Brigham. He taught that prayer should be a guide to our daily lives. He made it a priority to read the scriptures with his family and teach them to rely on Heavenly Father in all they did.

Family Prayer

I do not know any other way for the Latter-day Saints than for every breath to be . . . a prayer for God to guide and direct his people.



Brigham believed prayer would lead to inspiration from God to bless the Saints in their daily lives. Communication with Heavenly Father was important to Brigham all his life – even as a child at his mother’s knee.

At seven o’clock each evening in the Lion House (Brigham’s other home next to the Beehive House), Brigham lit a candle in a brass candlestick, and walked to the sitting room to tell everyone it was time for prayer. He then went down the hall to the parlor where the family would gather. He set the candle down, and the bright flame gave the room a golden glow. The glass cupboard in the parlor held the prayer bell, which he took out and rang three times. The smooth tones of the bell echoed throughout the house, calling everyone. The patter of children’s small feet, skipping and prancing down the hall could be heard, followed by the more dignified footsteps of their mothers. Soon everyone was quiet and seated in the parlor. Brigham sat on the west side of the room. Joseph Young and Lorenzo Young, Brigham’s brothers, often came for prayer. They were seated near Brigham in a place of honor. Each family had a designated spot around the room with the children gathering near their mothers.

Brigham discussed the topics of the day and read the scriptures. He taught his family: “Do you read them [the scriptures] as though you stood in the place of the men who wrote them?” “Be as familiar with the spirit and meaning of the written word of God as you are with your daily walk.”

The family sang a hymn, bringing peace and contentment to the room. Then everyone knelt as Brigham offered a prayer. One of his daughters remembered him saying “Bless the church and Thy people, the sick and the afflicted and comfort the hearts that mourn.”6 What a privilege for the Saints to have Brigham pray for them.

Brigham Young Loved a Party

On one tour to the southern settlements, Brigham took a large party with him, including several apostles, actors and actresses, musicians, and some of his family members. A parade led by a brass band welcomed them when they reached Nephi. After their visit, the traveling party “kidnapped” the brass band to go with them further south. When they got to Fillmore, the territorial capitol, there was a parade there also, where “anvils boomed, cows bellowed, horses bucked, donkeys brayed, women shouted, youngsters yelled, and dogs yelped.” The guests were served a delicious dinner; and afterwards, they were escorted to the Capitol Building where the musicians, including the brass band, played, and the community danced until daybreak.

Brigham Young and Higher Education

Brigham wanted the young people of Utah to have the opportunity to learn as much as possible so he started several schools of higher education. In 1850 Brigham organized the University of Deseret, now the University of Utah. Under the direction of Karl G. Maeser, he established an academy in Provo in 1875, which is now Brigham Young University. In 1877 he began the Brigham Young College in Logan, to educate teachers for schools in settlements throughout the west. It later became Utah State University.


Education was important to Brigham Young, whether it was for his own children, the children of the community, the women of the Church, or establishing institutions of higher education. “My policy is to keep everybody busy in building up the Kingdom; [including] building academies and other places of learning.”