Every Act of Their Lives
In 1864, Brigham Young declared it was 'our duty to lead this people in every act of their lives' - a vision of total theocratic control that brooked no boundaries between church and personal freedom.
Audio coming soon
The Quote
“The Kingdom we are talking about, preaching about and trying to build up is the Kingdom of God on the earth… to which really and properly everything that pertains to men—their feelings, their faith, their affections, their desires, and every act of their lives—belong, that they may be ruled by it spiritually and temporally.” — Brigham Young, JoD 10:328 (June 1864)
“Is it our duty to preach to this people and plead with them, until we can govern and control them in all temporal affairs as much as in spiritual affairs. I answer, it is the absolute and imperative duty of the Elders of Israel to try and control themselves and their families and their brethren, until they can hold control over all things in righteousness.” — Brigham Young, JoD 10:336 (June 1864)
“We have declared that God has spoken from the heavens, when in such case He has not spoken. Our faith and labor are vain, and we are still in our sins, or else it is our duty to lead this people in every act of their lives, as much in their temporal as in their spiritual affairs, so far as pertains to building up the kingdom of God on the earth.” — Brigham Young, JoD 10:336 (June 1864)
Lyrics
Coming Soon
Historical Context
The Setting: June 22-29, 1864 — A series of addresses during Brigham Young’s visit to northern Utah settlements including Brigham City, Logan, and Ogden. The Civil War rages in the East.
The Speaker: Brigham Young — Second President of the LDS Church (1847-1877), Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. Governor of Utah Territory (1850-1858).
The Doctrine: Young presents a stark binary:
- Either God has spoken through prophets, OR
- The prophets must control “every act” of members’ lives
- There is no middle ground — total temporal and spiritual control is required
- Those who object to temporal direction “touch a string that does not belong” to them
The Tension: Young acknowledges members resist this: “In spiritual things you are my leader; I take you for my counsel in spiritual affairs; but if you dictate me in my temporal concerns, you touch a string that does not belong to you…”
His response: This resistance means “we have been mistaken all the day long” about having God’s kingdom.
Lyric-to-Source Mapping
| Lyric | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Coming Soon |
Addressing Apologetic Responses
“This was about building Zion, not control”
Young explicitly states members must be controlled “in all temporal affairs as much as in spiritual affairs.” He curses those who don’t comply with grain pricing: “I curse in the name of Jesus Christ, and they shall be cursed.”
“Members always had free agency”
Young frames it as binary: either prophets control everything, or “our faith and labor are vain.” He mocks those who say “if you dictate me in my temporal concerns, you touch a string that does not belong to you.”
“This was practical economic counsel”
Young goes far beyond economics: “everything that pertains to men—their feelings, their faith, their affections, their desires, and every act of their lives—belong” to the kingdom.
“The church doesn’t teach this today”
The historical teaching reveals what early LDS theocracy actually meant: total control over every aspect of life. The shift away from this undermines claims of consistent prophetic guidance.
For all who were told their every act belonged to someone else.