Wild Bill Hickman, a famed gunslinger and friend of the Mormon leader, actually claimed that Young had ordered him to commit some of those murders. 1,204,523 People also liked Young extensively promoted his theology of blood atonement, which held that certain crimes and sins were so vile that they could not be forgiven until a debt had been paid in blood. Five days later the church president spoke to a congregation filled with many of the participants in the massacre. Catholicism has the Inquisition and the Crusades. Sept. 11 was a tragic date in American history long before the terrorist attacks of 2001. (Right) John D. Lee. Since John Willard was ordained at such a young age, after the death of President Lorenzo Snow, he would have become the next president of the Church instead of President Joseph Fielding Smith. Justice for his peoples wrongs was heavens responsibility, not his, he said. Park City, Utah, United States. (Above) John D. Lee sits on his coffin moments before being executed for reportedly ordering the Mountain Meadows attack. Youngs defiant stance toward outside authority meant frequent clashes with the federal government, especially after the churchs public embrace of plural marriage in 1852. Director Henry Hathaway Writers Louis Bromfield Lamar Trotti (screenplay) Stars Tyrone Power Linda Darnell Dean Jagger By John G. Turner. By the summer of 1877, Young's health was in decline, but he continued to play an active role in the Mormon church up until the end. Why? You must not meddle with them. Polygamy was utterly shocking to many non-Mormons and, as such, there was a. Despite the fact that the Book of Mormon (which Smith said he translated by the power of God) denounces polygamy, Smith didnt stop with two wives and, before he died, he had married close to 40 women and possibly many more. 10 Strange Beauty Secrets Of History's Most Beautiful Women, Top 10 Disturbingly Dark Moments In Spider-Man History, 10 Dark And Esoteric Occult Practices From History, 10 Bizarre Secrets Behind America's National Treasures, 10 Amazing Secrets Recently Revealed At Historical Landmarks, 10 Secrets Businesses Don't Want You To Know, Top 10 Secrets Of Iconic Hollywood Sounds, 10 Controversial Toys You Might Already Have in Your Home, Ten Absolutely Vicious Fights over Inherited Fortunes, 10 Female Film Pioneers Who Shaped the Movies, Ten True Tales from Americas Toughest Prison, 10 Times Members of Secretive Societies and Organizations Spilled the Beans, 10 Common Idioms with Unexpectedly Dark Origins, 10 North American Animals with Misplaced Reputations, Institute for the Study of the American World, Widtsoe Collection, Utah State Historical Society, 10 Dramatic Ways Major Religions Have Reversed Positions, 10 Religions In The Middle East You Have Never Heard Of, Top 10 Proposed Locations For The Garden Of Eden, 10 Archaeological Relics From The Life Of Jesus Christ. Young, himself, was subjected to house arrest for several weeks in 1872 and jailed briefly in March 1875. Sharon Smith & Mike Leach Were Friends at Brigham Young University; Mike Used to Visit Her Apartment to Watch Television Sharon Smith and Mike Leach both attended Brigham Young University. In 1867, a group of non-Mormon pioneers from Missouri and Arkansas were trying to pass through Utah on their way to California but ran into trouble as they tried to get through the Beehive State. Most recently, Will Bagley made this case in his 2002 book, Blood of the Prophets. No credible evidence exists that Young wanted the massacre. For instance, Joseph Smith was once attacked by an apostate from the Church, William Law, who "attempted to kill Joseph and fired a pistol at him six times at close range. Brigham Young tried to stop the massacre. According to lds.org, George A. Smith was deeply committed to the Church since his baptism in 1832. There is a logic to this. But Matt Easton, 24, political science valedictorian at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah said the timing was right to tell 10,000 people he was gay. Young was too cleverand too religiously devoutto have destroyed the emigrants and thus irreparably harm the reputation of his people. She has been placed on indefinite suspension for her actions, which include punching another . From Vailsburg To Vaudeville 04. The founder of the religion, Joseph Smith, began claiming he had been commanded by God to take additional wives after his first wife caught him having sex with their teenage maid in the barn. Brigham Young ( / brm /; June 1, 1801 - August 29, 1877) was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. If you happen to be named Brown or Jones or Spendlove or Lewis or Young or any name, it doesn't matter who your ancestors are. How do you put shoes on a cloven-footed ox? Not circumstantial evidence. He married single women and widows. Brigham Young had no tolerance for Mormons who began to doubt the faith. Over the next few decades, as thousands of Mormons arrived in Salt Lake City, the charismatic Young styled himself after the great prophets and leaders of ancient Israel, earning nicknames like Lion of the Lord and American Moses.. While it started with a small group of adherents, many historians regard read more, The political and religious leader Roger Williams (c. 1603?-1683) is best known for founding the state of Rhode Island and advocating separation of church and state in Colonial America. John G. Turner. But I am determined by the help of God never to bear false witness against My Neighbour. Later, he complained that those who questioned him wanted lies, not truth. There is room for my brown paper-doll family: 2 gospel truths I learned as a young girl that carry my faith, Bright lights in the desert: How Latter-day Saints have shaped Las Vegas culture, community, and politics, See the stunning winners of the Churchs International Art Competition. In regard to emigration trains passing through our settlements, we must not interfere with them until they are first notified to keep away. Just six years after the murder of Joseph Smith and five after the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Young was in no mood to accommodate outside interference with governing the Saints as he saw fit. When the rumors expanded to include a claim that the pioneers were going to bring troops back from California to attack the Mormon settlements, a group of Mormons dressed as Native Americans attacked their wagon train and, after a three-day assault, killed all men, women, and children over the age of eight. Sometimes, he would send the husbands on missions in foreign countries and marry their wives while they were away and unable to object. In this inspiring look at near-death experiences, authors Brent and Wendy Top illustrate how numerous recorded accounts of near-death experiences relate to Latter-day Saint teachings. The incident occurred late Saturday afternoon at . This week, as America mourned those lost in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, some Mormons quietly remembered another tragedy that took place on the same day 144 years earlier: the Mountain Meadows Massacre, in which a group of Mormons militia members killed about 120 men, women, and children in cold blood. Finally, why has so much evidence been destroyed or purged from Mormon archives, and why has so much evidence been suppressed? The alleged rape came in the context of the bloody Mormon War of 1838, which saw the massacre of eighteen unsuspecting Mormon men and boys during an attack on a settlement by Missouri non-Mormons . But, I can hear Mormon historians object, this is purely circumstantial evidence Young actually ordered the killings. Could be, but its no more circumstantial than the evidence O.J. Weeks after Young's proclamation, in the high desert of the Utah territory, LDS Mormons murdered more than 100 Arkansas migrants. But history is not assumption. Phineas Young was among the first Mormon pioneer company to reach the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. Read a news summary of this talk. The proclamation is very clear: . After Cowdery was excommunicated from the church in 1838, Young wrote him several letters pleading with him to come back into the church. The Latter-day Saint community [in Las Vegas is] vibrant across every facetpolitically, public service, charitable. These men later insisted that no orders had come from Salt Lake City, and this testimony included that given by those who in later life left Utah and Mormonism. Polygamy was far worse for the women of Utah in the mid- to late 1800s than even the staunchest of feminists would likely guess. Brigham Young University. On April 15, 1832, Young and his brother John were baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church of Christ. Western Pride Enterprise. In this period, militia leaders at Cedar City and at Mountain Meadows changed their minds several times whether the killing should go forward. not to spare horseflesh. He didnt. Brigham Young later privately set apart three other sons and Joseph F. Smith as apostles who served as "assistant Counselors to the First Presidency." Matthew Bowman, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (Random House, 2012). One wife of Apostle Orson Pratt actually died of neglect after getting sick while living in poverty because he wouldnt allocate enough money for her care. Because of this and the expulsion from Missouri, the Mormons at the time felt very strong prejudice against people from those two states. Are there books about other independent women of the early West? After the extermination order, the Mormons left for Nauvoo, Illinois, but their bad experiences in Missouri would never be forgotten. Brigham Young was a man well acquainted with life and death. As a church leader, Brigham Young stood in marked contrast to his predecessor, the charismatic, idealistic, and theologically innovative Joseph Smith. Ann Eliza Young was not acting in a vacuum, however. The emigrants passed through Salt Lake City in early August, and headed south. The Center also supported student training for life-long temple and family history service. Meadows, not big enough to be a settlement, he reports to Bishop Higbee in Cedar City. . The events at Mountain Meadows do not suggest a conspiracy, and certainly none involving Young. The Brink of War. Smithsonian Magazine, June 2008. The evidence has been so corruptedsuppressed, destroyed, and fabricatedits hard to determine the date the murders took place, let alone trace all the ins and outs of the conspiracy behind the crime. Their beliefs on the subject extend so far as to dictate that a prophet can never lead people astray. He was ordained king and priest by the Council of Fifty, and acted accordingly. It creates a sensation and sells books. According to Mormon doctrines, prophets speak to God and communicate Gods will to Mormons. [7], After Joseph Smith was killed in 1844, Young joined the majority of Latter Day Saints in accepting the leadership of Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Early in his life, Phineas was a Methodist preacher.[1]. Bridger Walker, 6, is being hailed as a hero for protecting his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack. Militia orders to the Mormon army carried Youngs words on the reverse: Shed no blood., When the books are opened in the day of judgment, declared an associate who was at his side in 1857, these things will be proven to heaven and earth.. In an address he gave at General Conference (a semi-annual meeting of the Latter-day Saints), he announced, Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? In return for surrendering their weapons, the emigrants would be allowed safe passage to Cedar City. What are the answers to studies weekly week 26 social studies? Stubborn facts. . Why did he threaten honest men who called for justice in the matter? Hearing this, Brigham Young preached fiery sermons encouraging the saints to lift the sword and slay them.. Those allegations have never been proven, but Young did indicate that he supported the sentiment even if he never ordered a murder. He is called the "American Moses" because of his leadership of the "Mormon Exodus" to the western territories. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. The Mountain Meadows Massacre was a horrible atrocity, and the conduct of some Mormons involved in it was deplorable: strong words from the Tabernacle pulpit, Saints seeking vengeance because of their past persecution, Youngs risky Native American alliance, senseless acts by some local Mormon leaders, Utahs troubling episodes of extralegal violence and most awful, the terrible killing at Mountain Meadows. March 28, 1884: Or was it March 8? Brigham Young, ca 1850 Brigham Young was born June 1, 1801 in Whittingham, Vermont. The Mormon apostle Parley P. Pratt had recently been murdered in Arkansas after essentially trying to kidnap children. This applied to countries as well as individuals. He declared that: "I will fight them and I will fight all hell!" The Church had been tense against the federal government ever since the murder of their founder and Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, at the hands of an Illinois lynch mob in 1844. [5], Young was married to Lucy, the half-sister of Oliver Cowdery. Of course, anti-Young historians say otherwise. Why was the decision Roe v. Wade important for feminists? Young undertook a careful study of the book and eventually passed it on to others in his family, including his brothers Brigham, Joseph and John. Good history must be based on facts. After a standoff of several days, the Mormons called a truce, only to massacre most of the wagon train party, including some 120 men, women and children. Anonymous. He promised they wouldnt stop until the last drop of blood was spilled. But now, a new book, which has been a bestseller in Utah since it appeared last summer, claims the massacre was ordered by Mormon Prophet Brigham Young. Will Bagley, a history columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune, is the author of Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows published by the University of Oklahoma Press. He was replaced as governor the following year by Alfred Cumming. Was brigham young stabbed by a son named Phineas? Polygamy, Brigham Young and His 55 Wives. HuffPost, August 27, 2012. Despite a growing bitterness toward his former mentor, Lee refused. When I began writing about the massacre, I realized trying to prove anything about this appalling crime would prove only that I was an idiot. Even on the day of the slaughter, couriers were reportedly hurrying from Cedar City30 miles to the eastto call it off. Copies of Youngs letter exist both in rough draft and final draft form. A final investigation ultimately resulted in Lees execution in 1877, and other conspirators successfully going into hiding. But in 1517 Luther penned a document attacking the Catholic Churchs corrupt practice read more, Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with more than 2 billion followers. And the suppressing of evidence, Andrew Hamilton said in 1735, ought always be taken for the best evidence.. Later in 1841, Young served a mission to Cincinnati and its environs with Franklin D. The great historian Harold Schindler spent 40 years learning everything there was to know about Orrin Porter Rockwell, Man of God/Son of Thunder (the title of his definitive biography). At Four Corners, in the southeast, Utah meets Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona at right angles, the only such meeting of states in the country. However, President Snow announced apostolic seniority should be gauged by the entry date into the Quorum of the Twelve, making Joseph Fielding Smith the next prophet. Jun 2021 - Present1 year 10 months. DJ Ferguson, 31, is in dire need of a new heart, but Brigham and. In 1833, after the death of his first wife, Young and his two daughters joined Smith and other Mormons in Kirtland, Ohio. He dedicated his whole life to church service and made a significant contribution in the early days of the Church. It is alarming to see how intensely and openly the family is under attack in contemporary society. Pissy Hastens 02. A devoted missionary and supporter of Smith, Young was ordained as one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a church governing body, in 1835; he became its president four years later. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death. After a 500 mile round trip journey, militiamen received this response on Sept 13, two days too late to prevent the massacre. Recent studies, including my own, have found 55 well-documented marriages. In the early days of the Church, it was common for members to be called to serve at young ages. According to Todd Compton, a Mormon historian and author ofJohn Willard Young, Brigham Young, and the Development of Presidential Succession in the LDS Church, John Willard Young was the youngest person ever ordained an apostle, which happened during a private event in 1855. Though many suspected Young of ordering or at least covering up the attack, John Lee, an adopted son of Youngs, was the only Mormon brought to trial for the Mountain Meadows massacre; he was executed in 1877. for construction and . Illustrated with Photographs. Polygamy has long been a blight on Mormonisms public relations. Seeking a place where they could avoid the persecution that had driven them from Ohio and Missouri, Young and the other apostles planned a westward exodus of thousands of Mormons from the settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois to the Great Salt Lake Valley, then part of Mexico. After guiding an exodus of thousands of Mormons westward to the Great Salt Lake Valley, Young founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. Fifty-three years ago Juanita Brooks classic study, The Mountain Meadows Massacre, concluded the crime was the result of one unfortunate circumstance after another. The following are a few facts necessary for an understanding of this terrible event in Western and Mormon history. Ann Eliza Webb, after she decided to divorce Young in 1873, published an expos entitled Wife No. Did Brigham Young Approve the Attack? Isaac Haight's stake high council opposed the attack, and sent a messenger to Salt . Sidney Rigdon was, for a time, the second most powerful person in Mormonism. [Young] is not only the president here but he is the president of the states and kingdoms of this world no matter if they have not elected him. In a very real sense, Brigham Young was the law. Young returned east to lead a second company of Mormons to the region in late 1847, and in 1848 was officially selected as the churchs new president. James Haslam, who rode the 500-mile circuit in six days, recalled, Young told me [when riding back south] . Particularly telling is the testimony of those who did the killing at the Meadows. Bad Hands 03. That admonition includes charging Brigham Young with crimes that he did not commit. Speaking of lineage, I should like to explain to you that whatever your great-grandparents or forebears did cannot be grafted into your own life. What are the 4 major sources of law in Zimbabwe? Witnesses later testified about Haslams dramatic arrival in Salt Lake City, the writing of the letter and its dispatch South. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? It is something that has been partially experienced and thoroughly documented by many individuals around the world. Seventeen children who were too young to remember the attack were spared. Luther spent his early years in relative anonymity as a monk and scholar. He later became a prominent pioneer in southern Utah, and St. George, Utah, may have been named after him. After the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, the mantle of leader of the church was up for grabs. True West asked the authors of both books to lay out their claims. Numerous records, including journal entries from those who experienced the attack and affidavits sworn against the Mormon mob, included allegations that the Mormon mob forced pregnant women and children out into the cold, stole livestock, and took prisoners for interrogation. Egyptologists (both Mormon and non-Mormon) were invited to view the scrolls and translate them, but they found that the scrolls were ordinary funerary texts that had nothing to do with Abraham. In early September, they stopped to rest at Mountain Meadows. Five bank robbers convicted of, Tensions over Chinese immigrant labor came to a head in Rock Springs, Wyoming on September, The Fall Creek Massacre was all too typicalseven whites murdering nine Indians in Indiana in. A wagon train of around 120 emigrants, mostly families from Arkansas, was bound for California. Why did Brigham Young allegedly send a message telling Southern Utahns NOT to kill the emigrants unless he was countermanding previous orders? Police are investigating. George A. Smith was born in 1817, and he was the cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith. While several reasons for this statement may be suggested, most persuasive is the ebb and flow of the local decision-making during the weeklong event. 19. Ted's son and Rupert were more prominently involved in Season 1 but weren't seen much the following season. Here's the account in his own words: Brigham Young wasn't the only latter-day prophet to have such close experiences with death. While the church leaders temper and strong words at the pulpit earned him a reputation for coercion, in truth, those who knew him best often spoke of his caution and his abhorrence of bloodshed. They were reacting to events as they took place. Hes still alive, isnt he?. On. DJ Ferguson, who . As she goes back in memory to the old home, she revives the scenes and varied events .