The machine-readable finding aid for this collection was created by the
with financial assistance from an LSTA grant provided by the
Copyright Utah State Historical Society. All
rights reserved.
Reproduction, storage or transmittal of this work, or any
part of it, in any form or by any means, for commercial purposes, is prohibited
without prior authorization of the Utah State Historical Society. This work may
be used for scholarly and other non-commercial use provided that the Utah State
Historical Society is acknowledged as the creator and copyright holder.
Levi Edgar Young was born to Seymour B. and Elizabeth Riter Young on 7 February 1874 in Salt Lake City, the fourth of twelve children. His grandfather was Joseph Young, brother to Brigham. His mother was a Utah pioneer of 1847. In a letter to Richard R. Lyman in 1952, Young recalled:
My father and mother maintained a beautiful old home where there was the spirit of God and where I know their ten children grew up. My father and mother taught me how to read books, and that is why I think I have today one of the finest . . . historical libraries in the state. (Young to Lyman, 7 January 1952)
After graduating from the University of Utah in 1895 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Young taught at Lowell School for a year. He followed this experience by teaching English for two years at LDS University in Salt Lake City. Feeling the need for more education, Young left Salt Lake City in 1898 to attend Harvard. He apparently did not receive a degree there, but returned to Utah in 1900 to become an instructor in history at the University of Utah.
In 1901, Young was called by the LDS Church on a mission to Germany where he lived until 1904, serving part of that time as president of the LDS Swiss-Austrian Mission. At the completion of his mission, he returned to Salt Lake City and the University of Utah. In 1907 he married Valeria Brinton in Salt Lake City. They had three daughters--Harriet, Jane, and Eleanor. Still pursuing a more comprehensive education, he left Utah once again to attend Columbia where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in 1910. Many years later he wrote, "I had the pleasure of studying among the famous men of the University of Utah, Harvard University, and Columbia University, . . .leaders of thought in their day." He was proud of his education and also pleased to act as mentor to his students: "It may be pleasant to you to know that during 1951 alone I was the means of helping twelve students of universities all over the country write their theses. . . . But I must not continue because it will sound boastful." (Young to Richard R. Lyman, 7 January 1952)
In 1910, Young was called also to be a member of the First Council of Seventy of the LDS Church. In this position, which he held until his death fifty-three years later, Young followed a family tradition. His grandfather Joseph Young was a member of the first First Council of Seventy in 1835 and his father Seymour, a physician, was appointed in 1882. The main emphasis of the Seventies, then as now, was missionary work, and Young accepted this responsibility completely. The history of the Seventies and missionary work are two of the larger subject areas covered in this collection.
Along with his work for the Church, Young continued teaching history at the University of Utah. In 1920 he was appointed head of the Department of Western History and in 1937 became head of the newly created Department of History and Political Science. He retired from the University in 1939. In 1960 the University awarded Young an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree for his efforts over forty years at the school.
After his retirement Young was appointed president of the New England LDS Mission. He served in that capacity until 1942. He had earlier served as president of the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission (1924-1932) in which position he apparently met many of the people he later corresponded with, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Allen White being two more prominent examples. In 1941 Young became the senior president of the First Council of Seventy. From 1944 to 1947 he wrote "The Seventy's Column" for the
Young joined the Utah State Historical Society sometime before 1909 and held several positions in the Society over the years. In 1923-1924 and again in 1945-1949 he served as president of the organization. He also served on the Board of Control and was awarded an honorary life membership on the Board of Trustees in 1959.
Besides those institutions already mentioned, Levi Young was active in the Sons of the American Revolution (president of the Utah branch), Authors' Club (London), National Advisory Council of the American Palestine Committee, Utah Association for the United Nations, Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts, and the Salt Lake Conference of Religious Groups (president).
He wrote frequently. Along with the "Seventy's Column," he composed articles on Utah and Mormon history and missionary work for the LDS magazines, historical treatments for the
Levi Edgar Young died at home in Salt Lake City on 13 December 1963. He was eighty-nine.
The Levi Edgar Young Collection consists of material donated to the Utah State Historical Society by Young and his wife in 1963. It can be roughly divided into four sections: diaries, correspondence, manuscripts and research, and scrapbooks. Young was quite relaxed about his personal filing system. His scrapbooks not only contained clippings, pamphlets, and postcards, but also letters and research notes. In the same way, his diaries contain mostly personal entries but also some clippings and correspondence. In organizing the collection, therefore, each bound volume has been placed in whichever category the majority of the material appeared to fall. For example, a scrapbook of letters will go with the correspondence because there is more of it in that volume.
The diaries of Levi Edgar Young cover the period from September 1898 through June 1904. There is also a volume covering most of 1934 and two more covering 1940-1941. These diaries are generally concerned with Young's missions for the LDS Church--in 1898 to Germany and in 1940 to New England. They are, including the non-mission 1934 volume, primarily concerned with matters pertaining to his religious responsibilities.
Correspondence:
Young's correspondence is divided between his general correspondence, ca. 1929-1931 and 1950, and the formally bound volumes of his correspondence from the office of the First Council of Seventies (1947-1953). There are also some scattered letters from the years 1909-1963, both professional and private.
The letters from the Seventies' office are carbon copies bound together. They cover a broad range of topics: acknowledging the appointments of church mission presidents, thank you notes to those who entertained him on church visits, letters of condolence, and letters of regret. Included, too, are letters to friends and family. He sent a lot of books to his grandchildren and arranged to buy a Dodge for one of his daughters.
He also answered reference questions and gave advice. In 1950, in response to a person with an unnamed problem, he wrote, "Make it a matter of prayer, and ask God to direct you, and in whatever you do you will be blessed." (31 January 1950) In a slightly more acerbic vein, he commented on a memorial statue to Marcus Whitman by Avard Fairbanks, "While Mr. Fairbanks is a Utah man, he is not a great artist. There is never any soul in anything he creates. . . . Let me say again, I am so sorry that a real artist never executed the work." (Young to Helen Whitman, 29 April 1953)
Probably the largest amount of material in this portion of the collection is concerned with the history and function of the Seventies. Included is the manuscript written by Young on the history of the group, as well as a history (copy) by his grandfather Joseph Young, and some copies of other early records, including transcripts from the
Young also wrote on general religious issues, mostly concerning the New Testament period. The collection contains these short manuscripts, as well as some notes. His specific work on Utah history occupies only one box of the collection and is arranged alphabetically by title. Contemporary material on the Seventies and missionary work deserve mention, as do a body of miscellaneous notes, manuscripts, and fragments.
Young's scrapbooks are divided according to amount of handwritten material contained in each. However, no matter where they are placed, the notebooks and scrapbooks, which are arranged chronologically, are an eclectic bunch. They are, generally speaking, a combination of notes from books, original thoughts, clippings, pamphlets, and important letters. There is a flower pressed inside one and in another is Young's report card from the 12th District School for 1888 ("Average in Studies--97X"). Calling cards are another significant group of items. Here are found most of the valuable items in the collection, for example, Deseret University banknotes from 1868, an 1846 proclamation by Brigham Young (holograph), and a letter from Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle (1932). These were either filed loose in the books or glued in. These items have been removed from the body of the collection and placed in the vault. Copies remain with the collection.
Levi Edgar Young Papers, 1898-1959, Utah State Historical Society.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Levi Edgar Young.
The Levi Edgar Young Papers are the physical property of the Utah Historical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah. Literary rights, including copyright, may belong to the authors or their heirs and assigns. Please contact the Historical Society for information regarding specific use of this collection.
Photographs have been removed and filed as