One of the most important initiatives using primary sources from the Church History Library has been LaJean Carruth’s efforts to transcribe George D. Watt’s shorthand records. Her work has elucidated insights into early Utah history and the speeches of Church leaders that were previously unavailable. Over the course of her work, LaJean Purcell Carruth has learned much about those leaders, particularly Brigham Young, and has worked to share what she has learned. One example is a recent post at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk on Brigham Young in his own words.

In the post, she shared some of her background and the development of the project:

I am a professional transcriber of nineteenth-­ and early twentieth-­century documents written in Pitman and Taylor shorthand at the Church History Library, Salt Lake City. I have spent much of my career—twenty-­five years—transcribing the words of Brigham Young.

Many of Brigham Young’s and others’ sermons were reported in Pitman shorthand but never transcribed until I transcribed them, many over 150 years after they were spoken.

These previously untranscribed sermons by Brigham Young include many statements that he made about himself, his life, his conversion, and his faith. All quotes in this paper are from my transcriptions of Brigham Young’s sermons from the original shorthand records, from previously untranscribed sermons, or in a very few cases, from sermons that were transcribed incorrectly.

When I was compiling Brigham Young Quotes last year, I made sure to check the quotes against her transcriptions and I was sometimes surprised at how different they were from the traditional versions of the quotes that have been published in the past. More often than not, I found that I liked the version that came out of George Watt’s editing better than the actual quote, but I still believe it is important to get as close to the original wording as possible for the sake of historical accuracy and I am grateful for LaJean’s efforts to bring those to light. I also have enjoyed reading accounts that were not transcribed in the past, such as Orson Pratt’s speeches in the Utah Legislature, Parley Pratt’s report from his mission to Chile, and John Taylor’s reminisces about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith for the insights they provide. 

Based on her extensive experience with Brigham Young’s words, LaJean cautioned readers to be careful in criticizing President Young:

Brigham bashing has become a sport for some people—criticizing him for his words or parts of his teachings, often without correct information or considering the times in which he lived.

Yes, he said things that I and many others wish he had not said. But I have said many things that I wish I had not said, and I suppose every person has.

We need to reexamine what we believe and say about Brigham Young, with a broader understanding based on correct sources.

He was a complex person and lived in complex times. He thought deeply and shared his thoughts. He led the Church through many perilous times. He organized the first migration to Salt Lake City and tried every means, including handcarts, to bring the Saints to Utah, even though he knew many, if not the majority, would not stay faithful. He was a brilliant organizer.

I don’t think I would have enjoyed being around Brigham Young, but bearing in mind context for the person is always incredibly important in understanding why they thought and said the things they did.

Now, there’s enough rich insight into the life of Brigham Young in his own words that I have had a hard time picking out what to share here. Instead, I’m just going to encourage folks to head on over and read the full piece by LaJean Purcell Carruth at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk. Enjoy!