Settling the Valley, Proclaiming the Gospel

After the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844, Mormon leaders organized a massive exodus of church members from the plains of Illinois to the safety of Utah. In their first decade in the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young and his counselors in the church's First Presidency produced the fourteen "general epistles." These letters, collected here, provide invaluable perspectives on the events of Mormon history as they unfolded during this complex transitional time.