Brigham Young (1801–1877)
Smith's successor. The man who moved the stockpile west, in three sealed wagons, at the centre of the pioneer column.
What is publicly known
Brigham Young succeeded Smith as president of the LDS Church in 1847. He led the Mormon pioneer migration to the Salt Lake Valley and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory.
What is less publicly known
The committee has identified seven direct references in Young’s surviving correspondence to “the trust” or “the burden Joseph left us.” None of the seven references describe what the trust or burden physically consists of. All seven explicitly forbid the recipient of the letter from discussing the contents with any non-family member.
A 1852 letter, in the Church History Library (MS 3421, fol. 88), reads in part:
“The burden of the plates is with us. The brothers know where it is. It is not for the eyes of the Gentile, and it is not for the eyes of the curious Saint. It is for the day of trial that the prophets have spoken of, and that day is not yet.”
The letter has been available to credentialed researchers since 1971. It has been cited in zero peer-reviewed publications of which the committee is aware.
The committee’s position
Young knew. He may not have known what the plates were, technically — but he knew they were not just plates. The 1847 sealed wagons were his decision.