Mary Ann Angell Young
- Mar 10, 2022
- 4 min read
Married at 31 to Brigham Young.
Background
Mary Ann Angell was born on June 8, 1803 in Seneca, New York. Shortly after, Mary Ann and her family moved to Rhode Island. There, she was a devout Baptist and taught Sunday School. It was here that she met a missionary named Thomas B. Marsh. She said that as soon as she held a copy of the Book of Mormon in her hands, the Spirit testified to her of its truth. She and her parents were baptized in 1832. She moved to Kirtland the following year alone, as her parents were not ready to move to Ohio. In Kirtland, she met and married Brigham Young. She died in the Salt Lake Valley on June 27, 1882, at the age of 79.
"Always [look] upward towards whence help [will] come." (1)
Accomplishments
Brigham Young had a passion for preaching the gospel, and as a consequence was often sent abroad on missions. This often left Mary Ann alone to provide for her children. On one such occasion, it was described that Brigham left her "destitute of means and without suitable habitations, in an ague climate, sickness weighing down [her] spirits" (3). In her first 5 years of marriage to Brigham, he was only home about half of that time. At one point, Mary Ann lived in 11 different homes within three months, all while she was pregnant (2).
"Go and fill your mission, and the Lord will bless you, and I will do the best I can for myself and the children." (1) - Mary Ann to Brigham as he left for a mission to England
Mary Ann was known for her skills as an herbalist and folk doctor. When Brigham Young was sick with the scarlet fever, he reached a point where he was unable to breathe. Mary Ann gave him mouth-to-mouth to resuscitate him. This practice, while commonly used now, was not known or practiced until the 1900's. Furthermore, during the Saints' stay in Winter Quarters, Nebraska, she spent her time tending to the sick and injured. She even earned the nickname "angel of mercy" for all the help she gave (1).
One of her greatest accomplishments, in my opinion, is her willingness to accept polygamy. Not much is known about her reaction to this revelation, but we do know she remained a faithful wife to Brigham until his death. Brigham Young married as many as 56 women. Many of these women were elderly widows, to whom he was only sealed in order to provide care and protection. He had children with 16 of the those wives (5). These justifications, however, do not diminish the pain Mary Ann most likely experienced with each new wife. It speaks volumes to her faith and testimony that she did not turn bitter.
Stories
Religion was always a strong part of Mary Ann's identity. She "resolved never to marry until she should 'meet a man of God'" (1). She held true to that promise. The year after being baptized, she moved to Kirtland. It was there that she met Brigham Young. After hearing him preach, she said she "instinctively felt drawn towards him, and ... admired him so much, that when ... he asked her to be his wife she unhesitatingly consented, feeling confident he was her true mate" (1). She married Brigham Young on February 18, 1834.
Only 4 short years into their marriage, Mary Ann faced what she later called "undoubtedly the severest trial of my life" (1). Tensions were high in Kirtland after Joseph Smith had excommunicated around 50 dissenters. Brigham is known for his outspoken, sometimes brash nature. This, combined with his staunch defense of Joseph, brought him under much persecution from the dissenters. For his safety, he fled Kirtland at the end of December and Mary Ann was left behind with their children. However, the persecutions didn't stop with Brigham's departure. Frequently, the dissenters ransacked Mary Ann's home, believing that Brigham might be hiding there. They continued to taunt, threaten, and curse Mary Ann. It was so unbearable, that by February, despite being sick with tuberculosis, Mary Ann left Kirtland. She brought her children and her few remaining possessions all the way to Missouri, where Brigham was waiting. The first thing Brigham said when she was arrived was, "You look as if you were almost in your grave" (1).
"It has been so differcult to obtain work that what I had done is not done as I wanted it. I've done the best I could, ... and I thank Heavenly Father for all the blessings I receive and pray the Lord to continue his mercies with us. It is a great thing, to trust the Lord." (4) - Mary Ann in a letter to Brigham Young
Another occasion in which Mary Ann was left alone came following the Saints' relocation to Nauvoo. Brigham and Mary Ann were living in old military barracks across the river from Nauvoo, in Montrose, Iowa. Only 10 days after giving birth to their newest daughter, Brigham was called to leave on a mission to England. He and the rest of their family, were still recovering from malaria. During this time, she often had to cross the Mississippi River "in storms that would have frightened women of ordinary courage" to "obtain the barest necessaries of life" (4). During this time, she was forced out of the military barracks, and moved into a horse stable. She began washing a sewing clothes to make money. She did receive some land from the church in Nauvoo, so she planted a garden and began building a log cabin. She would row across the river and back each day to tend to the garden and work on the home. She completed the home in September 1840, a year after Brigham Young had left. The home had only blankets for doors and windows. In a letter to Brigham, she said, "while I wish to have a better house to relieve you into, I am thankful for a comfortable shelter from the Storm" (4).
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