Wilford Woodruff’s Diary, June 2, 1857, vol. 5 pp 54-55* “June 2, 1857: I spent the day in the office. President Young called in the afternoon also George A. Smith. We conversed upon various subjects…Bishop Blackburn was present—the subject came up of some persons leaving Provo who had apostatized. Some thought that Bishop Blackburn and President Snow were to blame. Brother Joseph Young presented the thing to President Young. But when the circumstances were told, President Brigham Young sustained the brethren who presided at Provo. He said they had done (right). The subject of eunuchs came up and Joseph said that he would rather die than to be made a eunuch. Brigham said the day would come when thousands would be made eunochs in order for them to be saved in the Kingdom of God.” – Wilford Woodruff [sic]
1 John 2:18-19 “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
The LDS reference today is in regards to the vicious attacks perpetrated against anyone who thought about leaving Utah, or those who had committed adultery.
Wilford Woodruff was one of a select few who was assigned the task of Church Historian at the time and he recorded many of the meetings that took place between Brigham Young, and other leaders of the Church. Young ordered the mutilation of countless men who misbehaved, and the example today was in reference to such a case.
While not recorded in any account in Journal of Discourses or other Church History documents, this was found in Woodruff’s diary. It was also preached in the pulpit by Brigham on or near the day, Woodruff recorded it in his diary.
Two questions. Does God condone such behavior and if so, where in the Bible might we find this?
Although blood atonement isn’t practiced by the Church today, many members of the Church still carry a sense of fear if they leave. Those who are active polygamists live this way even today.
Please, pray for those in mainstream Mormonism, and those in the polygamous clans as well!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
*My reference came from the site of Ogden Kraut. Kraut was ex-communicated from the Church for practicing polygamy in 1972. He wrote and self published many books about the doctrines of the Church and was a hardcore believer in Joseph Smith’s Mormonism. He felt the mainstream church had sinned and wasn’t practicing true Mormonism.
Wow…..those boys had too much time on their hands! OTOH, when Joe was ‘spending time with women other than Emma” and before he received the polygamy revelation, wasn’t that adultry? This church is so bad.
FWIW, it’s exactly what I was thinking when I wrote the post.