The Many Voices of Brigham Young Over the course of his long life, Brigham Young dictated many thousands of letters to statesmen and entrepreneurs, churchmen and soldiers, autograph seekers, fur trappers, widows, gamblers, Indians, and whiners. To some he was brotherly, gracious, pastoral and collegial; to others he could be sarcastic, bitter, paternalistic, or dismissive. No doubt to the surprise of some twenty-first century minds, he could also be funny, clever, tender, and supportive. He was a master at adapting the tone of his written communications to the recipient and the message. This paper explores some of the voices of Brigham Young, illustrated with excerpts from his correspondence.

Ardis E. Parshall, Newell G. Bringhurst