# Brigham Young — A Study in Scarlet character guide

> Brigham Young in A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Young

**First appearance:** 0010-ii-the-flower-of-utah

## Snapshot

The Mormon prophet whose cold visit to John Ferrier turns gratitude into a test of faith, demanding a daughter's marriage as the price of belonging.

## Who they are

Brigham Young rules the Chosen Valley with a patriarch's calm and a ruler's reach, the man who lifted Ferrier from starvation and now expects absolute obedience in return. His visit is courteous and merciless: he recites past kindnesses, invokes the thirteenth rule, and offers Lucy a choice between the sons of Stangerson and Drebber. In one sitting-room conversation he converts protection into coercion, setting the quiet clock ticking toward everything that follows.

## Relationships

### [John Ferrier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/john_ferrier)

_rivalry_

Brigham Young, as the leader of the Mormon church, exerts oppressive control over John Ferrier, demanding he convert and marry his daughter into the faith, creating a hostile dynamic.

### [Lucy Ferrier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/lucy_ferrier)

_rivalry_

Brigham Young views Lucy Ferrier as a pawn to be forced into a Mormon marriage, opposing her freedom and happiness.

### [Jefferson Hope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/jefferson_hope)

_rivalry_

Brigham Young is the primary antagonist to Jefferson Hope, representing the oppressive Mormon hierarchy that destroys Hope's love.

### [John Ferrier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/john_ferrier)

_rivalry_

Brigham Young, as the leader of the Mormon church, exerts oppressive control over John Ferrier, demanding he convert and marry his daughter into the faith, creating a hostile dynamic.

### [Lucy Ferrier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/lucy_ferrier)

_rivalry_

Brigham Young views Lucy Ferrier as a pawn to be forced into a Mormon marriage, opposing her freedom and happiness.

### [John Ferrier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/john_ferrier)

_rivalry_

Brigham Young, as the leader of the Mormon church, exerts oppressive control over John Ferrier, demanding he convert and marry his daughter into the faith, creating a hostile dynamic.

## In the story

### [The Country of the Saints](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/chapters/part-ii-the-country-of-the-saints)

The Mormon leader who welcomes Ferrier and later demands that Lucy marry a Mormon, exerting religious and social control.

### [I: On the Great Alkali Plain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/chapters/i-on-the-great-alkali-plain)

The leader of the Mormon caravan, a stern and resolute man in his thirties. He dictates that Ferrier and Lucy may join only as believers in the Mormon creed, speaking with the authority of a prophet.

### [II: The Flower of Utah](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/chapters/ii-the-flower-of-utah)

Leader of the Mormons, depicted as a skilled administrator who maps out Salt Lake City and allocates land.

### [III: John Ferrier Talks with the Prophet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/chapters/iii-john-ferrier-talks-with-the-prophet)

Young confronts Ferrier, demands Lucy marry a son of Stangerson or Drebber within a month, and threatens dire consequences for disobedience.

### [IV: A Flight for Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/chapters/iv-a-flight-for-life)

Referenced as the Mormon Prophet whose authority Ferrier defies, setting the conflict in motion.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters/brigham_young
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_study_in_scarlet_se/characters