Must Get Forgiveness from Brigham
In 1852, Heber C. Kimball declared that sins against Brigham Young could not be forgiven by God - you had to get forgiveness from Brigham first. 'That is the law of Deseret, gentlemen.'
Audio coming soon
The Quote
“And when you sin against brother Brigham, will the Father forgive you? No: you have got to ask forgiveness of brother Brigham. And when you sin against me, you have got to seek forgiveness of me, before you get it from the Father.” — Heber C. Kimball, JoD 1:357 (November 14, 1852)
“As brother Brigham said here, if you sin against God, you have got to satisfy Him; and if you sin against Jesus Christ, you have got to make confession to Jesus, and He and the Father can forgive you; and if you sin against the Holy Ghost, you have got to satisfy the Holy Ghost, for neither the Father nor the Son can forgive that sin. Is not that good law? That is the law of Deseret, gentlemen.” — Heber C. Kimball, JoD 1:357 (November 14, 1852)
Lyrics
Coming Soon
Historical Context
The Setting: November 14, 1852 — The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City. Just three months after polygamy was publicly announced. The theocratic “State of Deseret” mindset was at its peak.
The Speaker: Heber C. Kimball — First Counselor in the First Presidency (1847-1868), one of the original Twelve Apostles, and Brigham Young’s closest associate. Known for his blunt, earthy speaking style.
The Doctrine: Kimball teaches a hierarchy of forgiveness:
- Sins against God require God’s forgiveness
- Sins against Jesus require Jesus’s forgiveness
- Sins against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven
- Sins against Brigham require Brigham’s forgiveness — God cannot forgive you without it
The Implications: This places church leaders on the same plane as the Godhead in terms of authority over forgiveness. It creates a system where loyalty to leadership becomes a salvation requirement.
Lyric-to-Source Mapping
| Lyric | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Coming Soon |
Addressing Apologetic Responses
“He meant making amends to those you’ve wronged”
Kimball explicitly parallels it with sins against God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. He’s not talking about general reconciliation — he’s establishing a hierarchy where Brigham holds forgiveness power the Father cannot override.
“This was just Heber’s opinion”
Kimball was First Counselor in the First Presidency. He says “That is the law of Deseret” and presents it as doctrine established by Brigham himself: “As brother Brigham said here…”
“This isn’t taught today”
The abandonment of this teaching shows how dramatically early LDS authority claims have been moderated. Early members were taught their salvation depended on leader approval.
“He was speaking hyperbolically”
The specific structure (God/Jesus/Holy Ghost/Brigham) and the declaration “That is the law of Deseret” indicate this was meant literally. He even extends it: “when you sin against me, you have got to seek forgiveness of me.”
“Context of persecution required strong leadership”
This defense doesn’t address whether the doctrine was true — only that it was convenient. Should eternal salvation principles depend on social circumstances?
For all who were taught their salvation depended on pleasing a man.