Writing a polemic trying to blame Brigham Young would be self-defeating, just as writing an apologia to clear his skirts would ultimately have to justify murder. ROME, Georgia A recent Brigham Young University-Idaho graduate was stabbed to death over the weekend in northwestern Georgia. But though Mr. Bagley and Ms. Denton marshal an astonishing number of archival sources, their case against Brigham Young remains circumstantial. Why did he shield the murderers and allow the churchs newspaper to blame the crime on the Paiutes for a dozen years after Jacob Hamblin told him Mormons were involved? We will miss him forever. It creates a sensation and sells books. Even on the day of the slaughter, couriers were reportedly hurrying from Cedar City30 miles to the eastto call it off. '', The emigrants, a group of prosperous Arkansas farming families known as the Fancher party after its leader, Alexander Fancher, could hardly have picked a worse time for an overland trek. RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - A Virginia state senator whose mentally ill son stabbed him 13 times and then committed suicide has filed a $6 million lawsuit against the state and a . (Although few Paiutes were involved, Ms. Denton said, the massacre broke up the tribe anyway: realizing they would be blamed for the crime, the Indians dispersed.). "John D. Lee Arrested". Strang penned a letter to two leaders, Orson Hyde and John Taylor, requesting to . 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. Richards. Originally ran between Salt Lake and York. It is at this point in the confrontation that the first officer loses his weapon to Rodriguez. Young, son of Brigham Young. Black print with blue underprint on cardstock. Update 6/10/2021 7:22 AM. ''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. It was understood that any children by the second husband would be considered the progeny of the first. The massacre stands out not only for its gruesomeness but also for the act of treachery that preceded it. In Missouri, he left behind home, animals and fields ready to harvest and began again in Nauvoo, Illinois. There were five stalwart brothers in the John Young family. And the suppressing of evidence, Andrew Hamilton said in 1735, ought always be taken for the best evidence.. 3, Fall 1987; Leonard J. Arrington, Brigham Young: American Moses, Knopf, New York, 1985. ''There are very candid statements on the part of participants to a church official under the agreement of confidentiality,'' Mr. Turley said, adding that the file, along with other sources he and his co-authors were using, would be made public once their book was published. In this company, Young served as a captain of ten.[8]. GLENDOWERThese signs have marked me extraordinary,And all the courses of my life do show I am not in the roll of common men. Justice for his peoples wrongs was heavens responsibility, not his, he said. As of early 1842, Brigham Young was a contented monogamist. According to trial testimony given later by Haslam, when Haight read Young's words, he sobbed like a child and could manage only the words, "Too late, too late. For motives, they point to the persecution of the Mormon people and to the earlier killing of Mormon leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Of course, anti-Young historians say otherwise. Beau's son was 9 years old at the time of his father's death. No credible evidence exists that Young wanted the massacre. Even though Young blessed it as a place to begin anew,his fears of continued religious persecution may have caused him to order a massacre. While this Indian council is important and requires extended scholarly discussion, this much can be said: No evidence suggests the councils focus was the Baker-Fancher party, much less its destruction. According to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) historical records, Brigham Young was sealed to as many as 56 women. Despite the influences of a strict, moralistic family and being exposed to the religious fervor that . As part of Young's vision of a pre-millennial "Kingdom of God," Young established colonies along the California and Old Spanish Trails, where Mormon officials governed as leaders of church, state, and military. "[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. John Young Jr., the eldest brother, became a Methodist minister at a young age, as did Joseph, the second oldest, who was deeply solemn in his dedication to religion. Youngs fiery discourses calling for blood and vengeance, his encouragement of Indian attacks on wagon trains and the lies he told to cover up the crime all show he was intimately involved in fomenting a vicious act of vengeance. Not historical conspiracies created by authors speculating about the past. But neither author uncovered written proof that Young had ordered the massacre. The carriage was white and brilliant with gold and the horses traveled like the wind. Many Mormons -- particularly in southern Utah -- left the church over the incident. Nor did Pratts death stir blood lust. It was made manifest to me, he recorded and is published in Lorenzo Dow Youngs Preparation for the Gospel on ourlittlecircle.com, that the Savior was in the carriage, and that it was driven by his servant. (Brigham Young was mistaken when he later testified that the meeting took place "some two of three months after the massacre" Young 1875.) Young testified that Cowdery's last statements were on the truth of Mormonism as revealed through Joseph Smith. Brigham Young was also pinned with a monthly alimony payment of $500, as well as a then-whopping $3,000 in court fees. Hell on Wheels is fiction based on history. Brigham Young chose twenty-year-old Lucy Ann Decker Seeley for his first plural wife, and they were married by Joseph Smith on 17 June 1842. Ms. Denton, who is descended from Mormon settlers, said the killings were inspired primarily by greed. On September 11, 1857, 120 men, women and childrenpioneers from Arkansas headed for Californiawere massacred after being promised safe passage through a Southern Utah valley known as Mountain Meadows. Witnesses later testified about Haslams dramatic arrival in Salt Lake City, the writing of the letter and its dispatch South. 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. The most common, and the only one currently practiced by the Mormon church, is a ceremony that seals a man and a woman for time (mortal life) and eternity. Good history must be based on facts. EastIdahoNews.com, LLC. On Sept. 11, 1857, a group of California-bound pioneers camping in southern Utah were murdered by a Mormon militia and its Indian allies. 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. . 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. Instead I tried to tell the story as honestly and accurately as possible and let readers make up their own minds about who ordered the slaughter of more than 80 women and childrenand why. He went on to become a missionary in England. New York CNN . The 59-year-old woman was found at 2 p.m. inside a Flushing home laying face down on a bed with multiple stab wounds . It misfired six times, and he then pointed it at a post and all six shots discharged properly" (Remembering Joseph" by Mark L. McConkie, 73-74). 25 years after he murdered their mom, his kids disagree whether he should be released. Courtesy: Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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. [3], In 1840, Young moved to Scott County, Illinois when the Latter Day Saints were expelled from Missouri. Recommend to friends. Because the historical past will always be opaque, historians must seek the weight of evidence, and in this case, the preponderance suggests Youngs innocence. [19] According to Lee, he informed Young that the Mormons were responsible. Phineas, the third son, had struggled with the enticements of the world before finding a spiritual identity near the age of 24, when he forsook his former companions and pursuits, and prayed fervently to the Lord until he, too, accepted Methodism and became a preacher, according to The Faithful Young Family.". The seeing of our faithful Elders slaughtered in cold blood, he wrote after his friends death, is at times almost to[o] grevious to be borne, but as the Spirit within me whispers, peace be still. This advice was never changed. The Indians we expect will do as they please but you should try and preserve good feelings with them. From the early Nauvoo days, the Young brothers performed quartet-style for the Saints; the Prophet Joseph especially enjoyed hearing them sing. ''It's clear to us that this was not a headquarters-orchestrated project,'' said Glen Leonard, director of the Mormon Church's Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City and one of that book's co-authors. About. 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. So, two years after Brigham Young first began expressing interest, the marriage-cautious and polygamy-skeptical Ann Eliza joined the prophet's group of wives. Lorenzo was fearless in dealing with hostile Indians or any form of difficulty or trial. Read more quotes from Brigham Young. Brigham Young wasn't the only latter-day prophet to have such close experiences with death. Matters have & are being delayed with design of Cohearce [to coerce] me to Make a statement beyond what I know, he wrote in his diary. Young was not complicit in planning or executing the massacre. 2015 - 2023 The boy was just 8 years old when he said Oneal, his father, attacked him after murdering his mom and 9-year-old sister. (Mr. Bagley and Ms. Denton said they had not seen the file but were skeptical it would alter their conclusions. It is something that has been partially experienced and thoroughly documented by many individuals around the world. The events at Mountain Meadows do not suggest a conspiracy, and certainly none involving Young. [4] By 1841 he had relocated to Nauvoo. A murder suspect accused of shooting his girlfriend, axing his 9-year-old daughter in the head, then stabbing and lighting his son on fire cross-examined the 11-year-old survivor Wednesday in a jaw-dropping courtroom scene. "For many years no person saw a smile on his countenance, Brigham, in a later sermon, told the Saints about his conversation with his brother, in consequence of the burden of the Lord upon him, and realizing that the inhabitants of the Earth had all gone out of the way and had turned every man to his own views (see Journal of Discourses, 12:95). 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). The question isnt as easily answered as asked. [9] In Utah Territory, Young worked as a printer, saddler and contractor.[10]. He was always a kid at heart but also so smart and embraced the adulthood that he needed to. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. [24] Lee was executed by firing squad at Mountain Meadows on March 23, 1877. 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. Brigham Young first became involved with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around 1830, according to PBS, very soon after the religion was created by Joseph Smith.The Church of LDS is a form of Christianity, but with additional beliefs, including that the Book of Mormon is a holy book and that the church founder, Joseph Smith, was a prophet sent by God, according to History. Death is not the end of our existencejust a change in our being. Van Vliet's mission was to inform Young that the US troops then approaching Utah did not intend to attack the Mormons, but intended to establish an army base near Salt Lake City and to request Young's cooperation in procuring supplies for the army. 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. Risner is expected to appear in court on the charges this week. Weeks after Young's proclamation, in the high desert of the Utah territory, LDS Mormons murdered more than 100 Arkansas migrants. This had a great impact upon Brigham, who was four years his junior, and confided that I had more confidence in his judgment and discretion, and in the manifestations of God to him, than I had in myself ("Brigham Young: Journal of Discourses," 8:37). The company that was used up at the Mountain Meadowes included the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters & connections of the men who murdered the prophets, he told John D. Lee, and they Merited their fate. The only thing that ever troubled Young was the lives of the Women & children, but that under the circumstances [it] could not be avoided.. 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. Lvl 1. In the early days of the Mormon church, these relationships were commonly called proxy marriages. 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. Finally, it is also a matter of historical record that none of the Indian leaders at the Salt Lake council were later at Mountain Meadows, except the Southern Ute leader, Ammon, who tried to prevent the massacre. ROME, Georgia A recent Brigham Young University-Idaho graduate was stabbed to death over the weekend in northwestern Georgia. Haight and Dame were also the senior regional military leaders of the Mormon militia. One of his wives alleged he ordered the deaths of people who tried to leave the faith. 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. The nation was and remains horrified by what happened at Mountain Meadows. Following his return to Nauvoo in 1841, Young affirmed his complete loyalty to Joseph Smith by embracing the controversial and still-secret practice of polygamy, despite his initial personal . A second form could seal a woman to one man for time and another for eternity. the man was tired of Philip so at the wedding the man stabbed Philip. Simpson murdered his wife. He felt, he said later, "as tho my head wo [ul]d crack.". Virtually all the . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- the Mormon church -- has steadfastly denied responsibility, first blaming Indians and later a rogue church official for the crime. This answer is: Anonymous . During Wyatt Earps later years, while he was living in Hollywood, were there any silent films or voice recordings made of him. 24 Jan 2022 02:14PM (Updated: 24 Jan 2022 05:31PM) SINGAPORE: A 15-year-old boy admitted on Monday (Jan 24) to killing his father after stabbing him in the neck . Brigham Young had no tolerance for Mormons who began to doubt the faith. It was one of the worst American civilian atrocities of the 19th century. Hiding Rockwells role in expressing Eleanor to Utah from my late friend Hal was evidence that had been carefully suppressed. One of the . Hosford & Sons, NY. To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign up! As one of John D. Lees wives put it, The Mormons were so insulted and indignant over the death or murder of Pratt that they Raked untold Vengeance on the poor Emigrants.. 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. The two main contenders were James Jesse Strang and Brigham Young. Surely the Brothers Young, with their gifts and their devotion, added to the music of joy and service that marked life among the early Latter-day Saints. Then, in 1870, Young excommunicated John D. Lee, a Mormon official and militia leader in southern Utah, because of his participation in the massacre. Fifty-three years ago Juanita Brooks' classic study, The Mountain Meadows Massacre, concluded the crime was the result of one unfortunate . In 1844, after the assassination of Mormon leader Joseph Smith by an angry mob in Illinois, the Mormons choose Brigham Young as their new leader and follow him to a new promised land in Utah. 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. The latter is filed in sequential order in Youngs well-preserved and bound letter books. True West asked the authors of both books to lay out their claims. In 1840 Brigham Young traveled to England, where he took charge of missionary efforts, supervising the dramatic growth of Mormonism in that country. ''He was an absolute dictator,'' she said. 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