Review
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Title: The Prophet and the Reformer: The Letters of Brigham Young and Thomas L. Kane
Editors: Matthew J. Grow and Ronald W. Walker
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Genre: History/Non-Fiction
Year: 2015
Pages: 545
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-539773-4
Price: $39.95
Reviewed by Greg Seppi for the Association for Mormon Letters
This collection of ninety-nine letters exchanged between Thomas L. Kane (1822-1883) and Brigham Young unveils the inner workings of their dynamic 19th century relationship. The letters are ably edited and each is introduced by Ron Walker and Matthew Grow, both noted scholars of Mormonism (Ronald W. Walker has served as the president of the Mormon History Association and is a noted scholar of the Godbeite movement and the Mountain Meadows Massacre; Grow’s biography of Parley P. Pratt, co-authored by Terryl Givens, is far and away the best work on an early LDS apostle who didn’t become an LDS Church President). Kane, certainly the best friend to the Mormons that one can imagine, maintained a strong relationship with the Saints from 1846 through his death in 1883. Kane’s friendship with Brigham Young was strong. Kane had special rings made for several Mormon leaders, including Young. He also sent him books and other items as gifts.
That Kane, who Grow and Walker describe as an atheist in the 1840s and 1850s, would or even could cultivate a relationship with the highly religious-oriented Mormons, and most especially with Brigham Young, is incredible. Moreover, their social backgrounds differed entirely. Kane described himself as being born with a “gold spoon” in his mouth, while Young endured a harsh childhood and uncertain prospects as a carpenter before encountering the Book of Mormon. (p. 3, 6-7; all references are to the text under review). For the sake of consistency with the text, I will use the term “Mormon” to refer strictly to those who looked to Brigham Young and the Twelve Apostles for leadership, though the term could also refer to other faith groups that put special emphasis on the teachings of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
For those who are unfamiliar with Thomas L. Kane, a short list of his accomplishments and importance to the history of the Mormons and the American West will hardly suffice as an introduction. However, such a list would include his assistance in the recruitment of men for the Mormon Battalion to serve in the Mexican-American War in 1846, providing the Mormons with a political lifeline to Washington, D. C. following their departure from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City in 1848-49, defending the Mormons from accusations from federal officials who had fled the state in 1852, negotiating the end of the Mormon War in 1857, and serving with distinction in the Civil War, even suffering a bullet wound to the face in 1861. Despite his wound, he recovered and would eventually be promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army in 1862. After the war, he invested wisely in lands in Western Pennsylvania, and built railroads and other improvements in that area of the state.
From the late 1840s until the time of his death, Kane acted in an advisory role regarding legal matters and working as a lobbyist for Mormon interests. Ultimately, he would fail to prevent laws prohibiting polygamy from being passed, but it is not impossible that his influence slowed the passage of such laws for decades. Kane is also remembered as an advocate for women, slaves and the poor (p. 9).
Kane was the “scion” of a family of Philadelphia lawyers and the son of an influential judge (p. 6). In 1846, Kane worked with Jesse C. Little to convince President James K. Polk to commission a battalion of Mormons to fight in the Mexican-American War—what would become the Mormon Battalion. Entrusted with a message from Polk to the Mormons and also thinking to write a book on the condition of the Latter-day Saints, Kane finally encountered them as they made a temporary home on the banks of the Missouri River in Iowa following their exodus from Nauvoo (p. 1).
Brigham Young, among others, cultivated a friendship with Kane, and when Kane took ill, the intervention and nursing of Mormons helped him survive (p. 27). Thereafter, Kane became attached to the Mormon cause, though he never actually joined the LDS Church. He returned to his home in Philadelphia, and after a short period of illness, began to communicate with Young via letters carried by Mormon missionaries and politicians such as Jedediah M. Grant and John Bernhisel. This correspondence continued for decades. Kane rarely actually visited his friend Brigham in Utah—one visit occurred when he negotiated the end of the Utah War (a visit cut short by the death of Kane’s father), and again in 1872-73, this time with his wife, Elizabeth, an excellent writer and photographer in her own right; and finally upon the death of Brigham Young in 1877.
As Brigham Young’s primary political adviser, Kane was an integral part of negotiations in the U.S. Senate regarding the proposed state of Deseret. He wrote numerous anonymous letters to newspaper editors around the country in an effort to turn public opinion in favor of the Mormons. Initially upset by the public revelation regarding polygamy in 1852, Kane managed to overlook this aspect of his friends’ religion, as they assured him that the practice was entered into freely, and that the women could depart at any time (p. 139).
In a letter dated 11 July 1850, Kane freely admitted to Brigham Young that his initial intentions were entirely self-interested: to secure a place for himself in the power structure of the west, and to further enhance his already considerable political influence (p. 75-76). In this same letter, Kane mentioned the love that he bore toward the Saints who nursed him to health after he nearly lost his life from what historians presume was a strain of malaria that led to the death of hundreds of Latter-day Saints. Moreover, the verbal assaults from Kane’s political enemies led the public to identify his cause with the Mormons’ (p. 73-74).
The ninety-nine letters are drawn from the American Philosophical Society, the office files of Brigham Young at the LDS Church History Library, and the Thomas L. and Elizabeth W. Kane Collection at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University. This volume demonstrates Oxford University Press’ capabilities as an excellent publisher of Mormon-related histories. Each letter is introduced and its context is described, often with quotes from journals regarding how the letters were received. The bulk of the letters were written in the 1850s and focus on politics and Kane’s attempts to prevent severe repercussions towards the Mormons during the build-up to and after the Utah War. The 1860s letters include only a few missives, as Kane’s time was likely otherwise occupied by the Civil War.
Appreciation for Kane among the Mormons during his lifetime was strong. One letter ends by thanking the “Dear Colonel” for his “untiring and efficient services in behalf of the rights of mankind are highly appreciated by your numerous warm friends in Utah” (p. 351).
Kane never officially joined the “Mormons.” He nevertheless committed his life to protecting the Mormons from persecution to the best of his abilities. Despite his resistance to joining the Saints and his feelings of betrayal when he learned that polygamy was being practiced, Kane proved to be an implacable ally for the Saints. Indeed, based on this text alone, the scope of Kane’s involvement in LDS affairs during the mid to late 19th century can hardly be overstated. While the authors recognize Kane’s contributions to the history of the West in glowing terms, Kane’s tendency to overstate his influence in political events, such as the election of Buchanan
Each letter is introduced by a description of its content and especially its historical content. The lengthiest chapter headings are found in association with the complicated political maneuvers of Brigham Young’s representatives in Washington, D. C. These letters give precious insight into the mindset of Mormon leaders in Utah and Kane himself as they attempted to gain statehood for Utah. Kane, a northern Democrat, associated closely with the Polk (1845-1849) and Buchanan administrations (1857-1861). Indeed, without his influence, Utah likely would have been denied territorial status in any form, and the Utah War (1857) would almost certainly have prompted much greater bloodshed than it did in practice. The most significant letters included in this collection are likely those dealing with polygamy in the early 1850s and the Utah War period (ca. 1856-1858), though the letters regarding life in the 1860s and 1870s were also interesting to me, as these years tend to receive significantly less coverage in the general history of Mormonism.
The book includes a table of contents and an index, and the letters are accompanied by valuable and extremely well-written footnotes. It will be required reading for those interested in the political and religious history of Utah and the West. The letters are highly readable, though Young’s letters are often marred by platitudes. Despite this, the letters will be valuable for those attempting to understand Brigham Young’s mindset, as they often include references to the end of the world, assail his earthly enemies, and yet exude kindness and appreciation towards Kane. The letters in the 1870s include numerous references to the legal troubles that were beginning to trouble the Church, such as William Hickman’s confession regarding the murder of Yates, which implicated Young (p. 427-431). Kane’s letters are generally well-written and straightforward. He is open and frank with Young, warning him from certain courses of action and telling him when he thinks Young has made a mistake, even towards the end of Young’s life.
While the text is generally sympathetic to the Church and to Young, I did not feel that this biased the text too far in one direction or the other. As a resource for those interested in Brigham Young as a prophet or as a governor, this book is essential. Because much of their correspondence was hand-carried by special couriers, both men felt free to openly discuss their problems and their feelings toward the world around them. Indeed, I can think of few, if any, works that reveal so much of the human side of an LDS prophet.