Bra Roberts

Bra Roberts (1901)

Brigham Henry Roberts (born March 13, 1857 in Warrington , England , † September 27, 1933 in Salt Lake City , Utah ) was a Mormon church leader, historian and American politician . He was a Seventy of the Mormon Church and an elected MP for the US House of Representatives , but was refused his seat. He published a widespread series of history books on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was also the author of Studies of the Book of Mormon , a series of essays examining the validity of the genesis of the Book of Mormon.

Early years

Brigham Roberts' parents joined the Mormon Church the year he was born, and young Henry was raised there. By his own account, his youth in England was rather unhappy. In 1866 he emigrated to America with his sister. In the United States, he settled in Salt Lake City in 1867, where he met his mother, who had emigrated before him. In his new home he received a good education, among others at Deseret University . He worked intermittently as a teacher, in mining and in the newspaper business.

Church career

In his new home, Roberts made a career in both his church and political life. He was ordained a priest in the ecclesiastical field. From time to time he was on the road as a missionary and studied the history of his church, about which he published numerous books. He rose to the extended board of directors of the Church and was a supporter of polygamy . As a clergyman, he joined the US Army in 1917 when America entered the First World War and served in France with an American artillery regiment. Between 1922 and 1927 he led his church's mission in New York City .

Political career and further curriculum vitae

Brigham Roberts was a member of the Democratic Party . In 1894 he was a delegate to a meeting to revise the state constitution of Utah. There he appeared as an opponent of women's suffrage . In 1895 he ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives. His political activity, especially with the Democratic Party, was not without controversy in his church, which was closer to the Republicans . Nevertheless, Roberts initially remained loyal to politics. In the congressional elections of 1898 he was elected as his party's candidate for the US House of Representatives. There he should have taken his seat on March 4, 1899. He was refused this seat because he was practicing polygamy, which is prohibited by law, by being married to several women at the same time. This meant that he was not qualified for Congress under the amended federal legislation .

After the end of his political ambitions, Roberts returned to his church activities, which, as mentioned above, led him to head of mission in New York City during the First World War. He spent his old age back in Utah. He died of diabetes mellitus in 1933 .

Web links

Commons : BH Roberts  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• BH Roberts in the database of Find a Grave (English)