RARE 1853 AUTOGRAPH LETTER WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN BRIGHAM YOUNG'S HAND AND SIGNED BY HIM

YOUNG, Brigham. Autograph letter signed. Great Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1, 1853. Single sheet of blue stationery, measuring 7-1/2 by 4-1/4 inches; p. 1. $3250.

Exceptional autograph letter written entirely in Brigham Young's hand agreeing to provide an admirer with an example of his signature, signed by him.

The letter, addressed to "Mr. Wm H. Sweetler , Charlestown Mass," reads: "G.S.L. City, Utah, June 1st, 1853. Sir, Being fond of obliging all persons, as far as consistant [sic], in compliance with your regard I furnish you these my autographs. Brigham Young." The year that this letter was written, 1853, was a pivotal year for Brigham Young and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Crucially, in April, the Church broke ground on what would become the magnificent Salt Lake Temple, still Salt Lake City's most recognizable landmark. In 1853, Young also made the Church's first statement on polygamy since the Church's move to Utah. Polygamy—controversial even then—remains one of the best known tenets of Mormonism, even a decade after its abolition within the Church. Thus, this letter was written at a time when the Mormon Church was truly beginning to shape its identity with Young at the very center of its transformation. True Brigham Young signatures—as opposed to those by his scribes—are rather rare and do not appear on the market as often as might be expected given their desirability.

Original foldlines and tiny circle stain, signature clear and legible. Fine condition.