Providential Timing of Brigham Young Jr.'s Mission
Published October 13, 2026 at 5:31 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
In 1863, while in Philadelphia, Brigham Young Jr. received a call to go on a mission to England. His friend, Colonel Thomas L. Kane, desired him to stay and observe military operations during the Civil War. They agreed to let God decide: if the Colonel's commission as a brigadier-general arrived before the ship sailed, Brigham would stay; otherwise, he would go. The commission arrived the day after the ship sailed, confirming he should go on the mission.
In Their Own Words
“At length the Colonel said: 'Brigham, I have prayed about this matter, for my heart is set upon it, but I am willing to let God decide. I am expecting my commission as a brigadier-general every day, as you know. Now, if my appointment comes before your ship sails, we will take it that it is right for you to stay with me. If it does not come I will let you go with willing consent.' Brigham agreed, saying, 'All right, Colonel, I think we are both safe to leave it with God.' The commission arrived the day after sailing, and Brother Brigham filled a mission to England. — Millennial Star 65:16”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 16 April 1903 (Vol. 65, No. 16). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1903-04-16_65_16 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high)
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