Mountain Meadows Massacre
If you’ve never seen the movie September Dawn I highly encourage you to go out and rent the DVD to see a true story of what happened on the original September 11th tragedy of this nation.
On September 11, 1857 a group of pioneers were crossing the lower regions of Utah when all hell broke loose. As they were peacefully rolling along in their wagon train and minding their own business from Arkansas to California, a group of Mormons dressed up to look like wild American Indians viciously pounced upon the unsuspecting men, women and children.
One hundred and twenty adults and older children were slaughtered after being tricked by the Mormons to give up their weapons. After being encircled by men hiding in the bushes and even those right in front of them, these poor Christians were gunned down.
If that doesn’t sound evil enough the Mormons didn’t kill those who were 7 years old and under because they hadn’t reached the year of accountability in the Mormon teaching of when kids can sin. These older people had made decisions in their lives to follow a different God than the god Mormons worshipped. They took the younger kids (14 of them), the clothing, weapons, jewelry, animals and other goods of the wagon train and dispersed them amongst those who participated in the nefarious deed.
The Mormon Church would have you believe Brigham Young had nothing to do with it, but don’t believe it. He actually ordered the raid himself. Eventually the younger children were given to the relatives.
This week the state of Utah FINALLY unveiled an historical marker “commemorating” the event after years of begging on the part of the descendants of those who were murdered. Now the Church is coming out and saying they’re happy about the markers and proud to take part in showing their respect to those who died. Yeah, okay…
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52107971-78/site-meadows-mountain-church.html.csp
I hate to say it, but it isn’t just “the church” who says Brigham Young was not involved, but every reputable scholar who has studied the event will tell you that he wasn’t.
As to peacefully minding their business, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that they were harassing the local Indian tribes, who were friend to the saints in the area. By other accounts they were also bragging about the murder of Parley P. Pratt some months earlier.
I am not trying to say that the massacre was in anyway justified, and those involved should have been executed for the act (though only one was). However, the pioneer group was not as rosy as is being portrayed.
Shematwater, I find it dishonest the way some people repeat Mountain Meadows Massacre over and over again and again trying to make you think that this one bad act was the normal way Mormons treated other pioneers.
fred
Of course it’s dishonest, but being truthful doesn’t drive the agenda quite as well. The same people that verbally attack Mormons for the Mountain Meadows Massacre conveniently turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed against Mormons in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. The Haun’s Mill Massacre is suspiciously overlooked as is the Missouri Extermination Order, the martyrdom of early church leaders including Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Parley P. Pratt…to say nothing of all those that died making the overland trek to Utah after being driven from their home in Illinois. But yeah, the same people that want you to believe Mountain Meadows was par for the course also will tell you Mormons have a persecution complex.
So if the mormons were attacked it makes sense they should kill when they get the chance.
Randy – I would hardly call it martyrdom… Christian Martyrs die for their faith willingly… not in a hail of return fire from their gun. But I could go on and on about the events surrounding the death of JS… Let’s talk about True Christianity.
Never in my life or on this website has the killing or persecution of LDS members ever been condoned or ignored. I have relatives that were persecuted and thankfully survived the trek across to SLC from the East coast. The persons that inflicted those things you talk about in your posting, do not reflect Biblical Chrisitanity as found in the New Testament. We are to pray for and love our enemies.
We are also not to stand by while heresies and false doctrines are preached to the world. With that said, we do not turn a blind eye to the events that plaqued the early church. We only seek first to bring everyone to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, and secondly respond to Joseph Smith’s initial assertion and subsequent leaders’ accusations that we as non-Mormons are devoid of any truth or authority.
Besides Smith’s 1st vision account (depending on which one you have read or believe) where he is told all the Christian churches were apostate and only offered “lip service” in their devotion, here are some other quotes…
“all other churches are entirely destitute of all authority from God; and any person who receives Baptism or the Lord’s supper from their hands will highly offend God. Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the “whore of Babylon” whom the Lord denounces”. (The Seer, Orson Pratt – Page 255).
“The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon. God is not the founder of them”.
(Gospel Truth – Page 324). Christendom, (according to the Mormons), is that portion of the world in which “so-called” Christianity prevails. It also applies to the whole body of supposed Christian believers which are apostate.
(Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie – Page 131).
“There is no salvation outside of this one true Church, the Church of Jesus Christ”. (Mormon Doctrine – Page 138).
“And virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal, uncreated, immaterial, and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit”. (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie – Page 269).
“In large part the worship of apostate Christendom is performed in ignorance, as much so as was the worship of the Athenians who bowed before the Unknown God”. (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie – Pages 374-375).
“the Deity of the sectarian Christians is an Unknown God, who does not appear to men, though in some vague way he is supposed to have done so anciently… apostate Christendom says-officially and formally in the accepted and approved creeds-that God is immaterial, uncreated, and incomprehensible”. (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie – Page 815).
“Divisions and dissension, contention, confusion, and discord – these are among the prevailing characteristics of the sects of Christendom. These various sects of denominations – all holding to their particular creeds and practices – will never unite, except on one point: all will join hands to fight the truth and stand in opposition to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. (Joseph Smith, 2:20-25, as quoted from Mormon Doctrine – Page 699)