Joseph Young (1797-1881) was the son of John Young and Nabbie Howe, and the elder brother of Brigham Young. He first saw the Book of Mormon in 1830 and was baptized in 1832 into the Church of Christ. He preached in New York before going on a mission to Canada with his brother, Phineas. When he returned he married Jane Adeline Bicknell in 1834. He was ordained by Joseph Smith as president of the Quorum of the Seventies in 1835 while in Kirtland, Ohio. In 1838 he left Kirtland with many other members of the LDS Church and went to Missouri, arriving at Haun's Mill on October 28, he stayed until October 30th and was present to witness and survive the massacre that occurred. He left Missouri with members of the LDS Church under orders of Governor Boggs in 1838 and traveled to Illinois. In Illinois he settled in the city of Commerce, which was later called Nauvoo. Young was a farmer who also earned money painting and glazing. After the death of Joseph Smith, he crossed the plains and settled in Salt Lake City, where he remained until his death.
The Joseph Young papers (1859-1881) consist of a photocopy of Young's autobiographical sketch; an account of Young's funeral written by his son, Seymour B. Young; and a letter dated 1860. The autobiographical sketch details Young's conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1832 and the reactions of his family members.
Arranged to the folder level.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
An original letter has been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the item if being used. A photocopy is available in the collection for research use.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Folders 1 and 2 were donated in 1999.
Folder 3 was donated by David Freed in 1975.
Processed by Della Dye and Karen Carver in 2003.
This folder contains a photocopied version for access purposes. The original item has been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the item if being used.