Americans enjoy a good mystery, and they like conspiracies. (Above) John D. Lee sits on his coffin moments before being executed for reportedly ordering the Mountain Meadows attack. Brigham Young had no tolerance for Mormons who began to doubt the faith. You must not meddle with them. How did the widow Pratt cross 1,500 dusty miles in a mere 21 days? On his second day, traveling with copies of the Book of Mormon in his satchel and a prayer in his heart, the young man encountered John P. Greene, a Methodist minister, who kindly took some of his books to promote on a preaching tour of his own. The following are a few facts necessary for an understanding of this terrible event in Western and Mormon history. 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. 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. Beau's son was 9 years old at the time of his father's death. His brother Joseph was baptized the next day and Brigham Young was baptized approximately one week later. Despite a growing bitterness toward his former mentor, Lee refused. In an 1858 report to the federal Indian commissioner, Young blamed local Indians and, by implication, the United States government, whose ''fatal policy,'' he wrote, ''treats the Indians like the wolves, or other ferocious beasts.''. (Brigham Young was mistaken when he later testified that the meeting took place "some two of three months after the massacre" Young 1875.) '', That conclusion is vigorously disputed by three Mormon church historians, who vow their own history of the massacre, to be published by Oxford University Press in 2004, will exonerate Young. And why does the Deseret News continue lying about Mountain Meadows to this day? Brigham Young, who was born June 1, 1801, was the fourth son and eighth child, and he would . Brigham Young Did It. "[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. The religion had undergone a period of intense conflict with non-Mormons in the American midwest, and faithful Mormons made solemn oaths to pray for vengeance upon those who killed the "prophets" including founder Joseph Smith, and more recently apostle Parley P. Pratt, who was murdered in April 1857 while traveling as a missionary in Arkansas. See Page 1. Young was not complicit in planning or executing the massacre. (Young had at least 20 wives -- by some estimates as many as 56 -- and up to 57 children.). After enduring a four-day gun battle with their attackers, the pioneers accepted a truce that turned out to be a deadly ploy. Brigham Young to Isaac C. Haight, 10 September 1857, Letterpress Copybook 3:82728, Brigham Young Office Files, LDS Church Archives. Its no coincidence, then, that pulp fiction and Hollywood have used these ingredientsmystery, conspiracy and mass murderfor years. Simpson murdered his wife. Justice for his peoples wrongs was heavens responsibility, not his, he said. [5], Young was married to Lucy, the half-sister of Oliver Cowdery. The two main contenders were James Jesse Strang and Brigham Young. Not historical conspiracies created by authors speculating about the past. Though Brigham's family would later claim that the troublesome Ann Eliza was the one leading him on, the fact remains that they agreed to wed and were sealed on April 7, 1868. . 295 likes All Members Who Liked This Quote . not to spare horseflesh. He didnt. The carriage stopped near me, and the Savior inquired where my brother Brigham was. Why did he threaten honest men who called for justice in the matter? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has steadfastly denied responsibility. Brooks has argued the massacre was an overreaction by Mormon militia forces which resulted in the death of settlers and the tarnishing of the Church's reputation. Children who survived the massacre later described seeing their parents' clothes and jewelry on the bodies of local settlers. As Latter-day Saints, we know that death isn't the end. [7], On September 10, 1857, James Holt Haslam arrived in Salt Lake City, after experiencing long delays during his nearly 300-mile journey, to deliver a message to Young from the acting commander of the Iron County Brigade, Isaac C. Young read the Bible verse the soldiers had inscribed on a cedar cross atop the monument: Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord., It should read, he said, Vengeance is mine, and I have taken a little. Young then directed the desecration of the grave. Early in his life, Phineas was a Methodist preacher.[1]. The young boy testified against his father on Wednesday, saying, "You stabbed me." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. By early 1857 the Mormons were stockpiling weapons, and all but one of the federal judges and officers overseeing Indian affairs in the territory had fled, fearing for their safety. 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. Brigham Young: Directed by Henry Hathaway. Young Dolph was gunned down on November 17, 2021, Slim 400 was shot and killed on December 8, 2021, and Drakeo the Ruler was reportedly stabbed to death on December 18, 2021. . Richards. But despite two trials, one execution and many official investigations, the event -- known as the Mountain Meadows massacre -- remains shrouded in mystery and rumor. Their corpses, stripped of clothes and jewelry, were left to be picked apart by wolves and buzzards. Somehow he had the presence of mind to send this Brother Daniels to another, Brother Jeremy, who lived close by. To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign up! How this hostile atmosphere led to murder in a mountain valley 300 miles south of Salt Lake City, however, is fiercely contested. Phineas Young was a printer; building contractor; and Mormon bishop, missionary, and pioneer. Death is not the end of our existencejust a change in our being. Risner is expected to appear in court on the charges this week. They were clubbed, stabbed or shot at point-blank range, then stripped and left to be scavenged by wolves and buzzards. Savage. 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. On Sept. 11, 1857, a group of California-bound pioneers camping in southern Utah were murdered by a Mormon militia and its Indian allies. ), But even if Brigham Young's complicity were not at issue, Mr. Turley conceded, troubling questions about the massacre remain: ''It's an event that seems very incongruous with the people who did it. In 1828, after moving to New York, he read The Book of Mormon for the first time and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Brigham Young" Biography). The massacre lasted less than five minutes, but when it was over, 120 men, women and children had been clubbed, stabbed or shot at point-blank range. The rapper's . He relates that he was promoted to lay hands on the sufferer and rebuke the disease" and this action healed her. Phineas Young was an older brother of Brigham Young, who was the president of the LDS Church and the first governor of the Territory . Adding fuel to Mormon rage, they argue, was the killing, a few months before the massacre, of Apostle Parley P. Pratt. Virtually all the . Both authors quote a 5-year-old survivor who told a reporter two years after the event, ''My father was killed by Indians; when they washed their faces, they were white men.'' Two new books are reviving old accusations that Mormon leader Brigham Young masterminded massacre of 120 men, women and children who were slain at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah on Sept 11 . Brigham Young was a man well acquainted with life and death. And he learned from Joseph Smith how men . Brigham Young and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Young's belated message to Isaac C. Haight, acting commander of the Iron County Brigade. Brigham Young never was fully reimbursed for the money he paid out to workers. Brigham Young even served as president. 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. In a confession made just before he was executed, Lee, the only person ever tried for the crime, blamed the Paiute Indians. "We went west willingly--because we had to.". In such a framework, the message to "not interfere" would be subordinate to the main message: let nothing stand in the way of the Mormon-Paiute alliance. When asked by Horace Greeley in 1859, Brigham Young said that he had 15 wives, but some of those sealed to me are old ladies whom I regard rather as mothers than wives. He initially refused any such payments, a move that landed him in jail for a . While it's clear that the Lord's prophets have often been preserved to perform sacred works, it is also clear that these near-death experiences provided Brigham Young with unparalleled insight into the nature of the spirit world. Worcester also challenges Hotspur's temper, telling him You . He did not murder his own parents," she says. With Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Dean Jagger, Brian Donlevy. Strang penned a letter to two leaders, Orson Hyde and John Taylor, requesting to . John and Nabbie Young had 11 children, six daughters and five sons, beginning with Nancy in 1786 and ending with Lorenzo Dow in 1807 beginning in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and ending in Chenango County, New York not far from the village of Palmyra, New York. Brigham Young, who was born June 1, 1801, was the fourth son and eighth child, and he would later become the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? ''There is no evidence the Indians had weapons required for a slaughter of this magnitude,'' she said. They were reacting to events as they took place. [11] After his rest, Haslam picked up the reply from Young and was instructed to return to Cedar City with the letter quickly and not to "spare horseflesh."[11]. Not theories. EastIdahoNews.com, LLC. Anyone can read what you share. What was the favorite type of mule used in the Old West? Darriynn Brown has been charged with the murder of Cash Gernon. [19] According to Lee, he informed Young that the Mormons were responsible. Because the historical past will always be opaque, historians must seek the weight of evidence, and in this case, the preponderance suggests Youngs innocence. Like. As any attorney knows, the problem with a guilty client is he acts guilty, and after the massacre Brigham Young never behaved like an innocent man. He was a son by adoption of Brigham Young. Appointed governor by President Millard Fillmore seven years earlier, Young ran the territory as a Mormon theocracy, flouting federal jurisdiction over the courts and the local Indian population and, equally unnerving to East Coast politicians, practicing polygamy. March 28, 1884: Or was it March 8? He once said to his brother Brigham, "There is not a Bible Christian in the world; what will become of the people?". There is a logic to this. While not on missions, Young lived with the Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio and Far West, Missouri. The latter is filed in sequential order in Youngs well-preserved and bound letter books. On April 15, 1832, Young and his brother John were baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church of Christ. In this case, the "real message" would have been that the Indians should be left to "do as they please." Four days ago he posted a video of himself singing and playing the guitar. According to Mormon doctrine, he points out, murder in defense of the faith could be considered just. Lee was arrested on November 7, 1874. Hamblin said he was told by Young and Smith to keep quiet, but that "as soon as we can get a court of justice, we will ferret this thing out. Angela places the blame for his conviction in part on his wife, Jenny, saying her statements about events had . Three of them bore him children. ''The idea that this was an Indian massacre is just absurd,'' Ms. Denton said, citing a 1999 forensic analysis that found that many of the victims had died from gunshot wounds to the head. In 1853, he became the second counselor to David Fullmer in the presidency of the Salt Lake Stake of the church. UTAH STATE PRISON Emery Blanchard says she has seen a change in her father, and after 25 years in prison believes it's time to move on. When I learned that Orrin Porter Rockwell, the notorious Mormon lawman and Danite, had rushed Mrs. Pratt across the plains in record time, I knew what happened at Mountain Meadows. Dallas Police revealed that new lab evidence had come to light, allowing the charges to be upgraded almost . 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. Weeks after Young's proclamation, in the high desert of the Utah territory, LDS Mormons murdered more than 100 Arkansas migrants. Of the 23 who survived him, 17 received a share of his estate while the remaining 6 apparently had non conjugal roles. Wild Bill Hickman, a famed gunslinger and friend of the Mormon leader . Young believed that Lee's punishment was just but not a sufficient blood atonement, given the enormity of the crime, to allow Lee entrance into the celestial kingdom. Stubborn and determined, he kept riding until he reached the home of a friend. ''The party from Arkansas was probably doomed from the moment the Mormons learned of the death of Parley Pratt and the approach of the American army,'' he writes in his book. From 1864 through 1871 Young served as the bishop of the Salt Lake City 2nd Ward. Two of the southernmost establishments were Parowan and Cedar City, led respectively by stake presidents William H. Dame and Isaac C. Haight. (Mr. Bagley and Ms. Denton said they had not seen the file but were skeptical it would alter their conclusions. President Brigham Young's signature on a contract with the Union Pacific Railroad. His 11-year-old son answered questions about the day his mom and sister were killed. February 24, 2023 | 4:46pm. She demanded Mormon authorities listen to the cry of his blood and take swift vengeance against the Fancher train, which had left Arkansas long before Pratt was killed. BYU Mission Statement. Many Mormons -- particularly in southern Utah -- left the church over the incident. Brigham Young and His Wives. Strang attempted to bring followers to him and to do this he wanted to use logic and rhetoric. ROME, Georgia A recent Brigham Young University-Idaho graduate was stabbed to death over the weekend in northwestern Georgia. Risner allegedly killed Davis in another location before moving his body to where it was found, according to CoosaValleyNews.com. Here he was ordained a Seventy and received his endowment before traveling West in the first group of pioneers, led by his brother, Brigham Young. Lorenzos wife, Harriet, bore a baby son two months after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, the first pioneer male child to be born in that wilderness (see The Faithful Young Family"). Aaron William Davis, 21, of Cumming, Georgia, died from multiple . Police told the website Risner ran from officers while they were trying to take him into custody. They were murdered by a small Mormon militia and its Indian allies in a horrible ploy: after a four-day gun battle with their attackers, the pioneers accepted a truce that turned out to be a deadly lie. Glendower's troops are not ready. The main artery was cut above the elbow, and but for this timely relief I should have bled to death (see "History of Utah, Vol 4" by Orson Ferguson Whitney). 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. We trust through the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ that we will see him again and he will always be part of our eternal family, Randy Davis said. Source: Jeffery Ogden Johnson, "Determining and Defining `Wife': The . After five years researching and writing about this horrific atrocity, I doubted Id ever find a definitive answer to the question, Did Brigham Young order the murders at Mountain Meadows?, To my surprise, I found evidence that convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt that Brigham Young issued orders (probably verbal) to kill everyone in the Fancher party except those of innocent bloodchildren under eight years of ageto fulfill his sacred vow to avenge the blood of the prophets Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and more specifically, Apostle Parley P. Pratt. But Matthew's aunt, Angela, believes her nephew is innocent while the real killer remains free. A woman who stabbed her husband to death left a note saying she had "taken so much abuse over the years" and that she accepted "her punishment", a court has heard. 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. 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