He was a carpenter. A visionary. A governor. A prophet. A pioneer. A preacher. A businessman. A temple-builder.

Brigham Young loomed large in a tumultuous time. He helped found the state of Utah in the era of American Manifest Destiny. He rallied thousands around Mormonism, a new faith with powerful detractors who tried to stamp it out in the towns and villages where its communities sprang up. With barely a dozen days of formal education under his belt, he left a legacy of writings, letters and sermons that continue to enrich the study of the Mormon Church and the era of American Western expansion.

In Brigham Young, Ed Breslin distills Young's larger-than-life story into a concise, readable biography that focuses on his most critical moments and achievements. Unlike other biographies, Breslin's account neither whitewashes nor sensationalizes Brigham Young's controversial life. Brigham Young is the perfect primer on Young's vast and complicated legacy.