He wasn't elected or picked to lead the Saints west, he was foreordained to lead them and gained their love and belief in his guidance. In 1857, President James Buchanan declared Utah to be in a state of rebellion, and sent some 2,500 federal troops to help replace Young as territorial governor. Such a day-by-day approach yields new understanding. 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.. Luther spent his early years in relative anonymity as a monk and scholar. Even on the day of the slaughter, couriers were reportedly hurrying from Cedar City30 miles to the eastto call it off. Brigham Young tried to stop the massacre. They looted and gutted shops and set fire to numerous homes, stores, and government buildings until nearly all homes in Daviess County not owned by Mormons were destroyed. Read a news summary of this talk. Early in his life, Phineas was a Methodist preacher.[1]. On the other hand, Mormons have insisted that the massacre was perpetrated by local members acting without sanction from headquarters. At first, it blamed Indians; later, it claimed a rogue church official was responsibleand after two trials, Mormon militia leader John Lee was hanged in 1877 for the killings. Despite the fact that the leader of the Mormon Church is supposed to relay Gods will to mankind, though, Brigham Young espoused some terrifyingly racist ideals. 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.. Buy this book The curious mix of folklore, suspicion and myth that still attaches to the Mormon experience stems largely from the church that. He and his men . Phineas Young was among the first Mormon pioneer company to reach the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. No other group of people [comes] close.. Brigham Young at Home is a valuable addition to the history of the home life of pioneer days. The five sons of John and Nabby Young From left to right: Lorenzo Dow, Brigham, Phineas H., Joseph, and John. Mormons responded to not being allowed to vote by forming a militia and attacking Gallatin as well as the nearby village of Millport (one militia battle is depicted in the painting above). 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. On April 15, 1832, Young and his brother John were baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church of Christ. 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. 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. 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. Anti-Mormons have long claimed that Mormon leader Brigham Young ordered the massacre. Fiery yet full of doubt, frequently ill yet strong when it . 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. Conditions Governing Access Open for public research. However, the scrolls that he used to translate were believed for years to have been burned in a fire. According to this story, they told him that all religions existing at the time were abominations. No. Life After Death: 6 Insights into the Spirit World. He is called the "American Moses" because of his leadership of the "Mormon Exodus" to the western territories. For instance, during his time with Zion's Camp, cholera swept among the men and he watched "other men die like flies, but his own life was spared" ("Brigham Young on Life and Death"). His translation retells some Biblical stories as well as adding to the lore of the father of Judaism and Islam, and the translation was eventually canonized as scripture. When it was over, men quarreled over responsibility, and many vowed that no one should ever know of their deadly work, including, presumably, Brigham Young. Within five minutes, recalled massacre participant Dudley Leavitt, not one stone stood upon another., A few days later Young justified the massacre as a necessary act of righteous vengeance. But lets back up a little farther to see why. She has been placed on indefinite suspension for her actions, which include punching another . He went on to become a missionary in England. Stubborn facts. Every religion has less-than-savory moments hidden in its history. He promised they wouldnt stop until the last drop of blood was spilled. S. Dilworth Young. Recent studies, including my own, have found 55 well-documented marriages. But we only make the tragedy worse by saying that it was something other than what it wasby trying to fit events into a pre-conceived theory of conspiracy. There is a logic to this. Brigham Young clearly wasn't free of his ex-wife just yet. Young, himself, was subjected to house arrest for several weeks in 1872 and jailed briefly in March 1875. 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. Brigham Young later privately set apart three other sons and Joseph F. Smith as apostles who served as "assistant Counselors to the First Presidency.". The Latter-day Saint community [in Las Vegas is] vibrant across every facetpolitically, public service, charitable. Their beliefs on the subject extend so far as to dictate that a prophet can never lead people astray. Brigham Young (pictured) is revered by Mormons as the second prophet of modern times. 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. Hiding Rockwells role in expressing Eleanor to Utah from my late friend Hal was evidence that had been carefully suppressed. Brigham Young was probably the most oft-married man in 19th-century America. In 1841, Joseph Smith announced a prophesy that Governor Boggs (pictured above) would, within a year, meet a violent demise. As Compton explains of Joseph F. Smith's ordination, which would later have a significant impact on Church history: Though John Willard "was publicly sustained as an assistant counselor to Brigham," he focused most of his time on business endeavors and lived most of his life in New York, according to Compton. Immediately the German community attacked the schools for giving a false picture of German culture. They are also among a cadre of doctors across the country who are confronting mounting intimidation on social media, and threats of violence. Hes still alive, isnt he?. Church descriptions of the massacre typically begin by pointing out that it took place as the United States was sending a small army to impose the Federal will on Utah Territory. 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. Utah became the 45th member of the union on Jan. 4, 1896, with Salt read more, In 1844, reeling from the murder of their founder and prophet, Joseph Smith, and facing continued mob violence in their settlement in Illinois, thousands of Latter Day Saints (better known as Mormons) threw their support behind a new leader, Brigham Young. On Sept. 11, 1857, a group of California-bound pioneers camping in southern Utah were murdered by a Mormon militia and its Indian allies. Fears of Mormon aggression, as well as Mormons taking control of the county government, led to anti-Mormon sentiments among the residents of Gallatin, the seat of Daviess County. Women in Utah were treated like a commodity, with Church apostle Heber C. Kimball once observing, I would think nothing more of taking a wife than of buying a cow. Men married additional women to show their status as righteous men who were devoted to their faith and would often marry more women than they could afford to support, keeping the less-liked wives in other towns and forcing them to earn their own living. 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. Justice John F. Kinney was appointed in 1854, and quickly fought with Young over statutes designed to protect polygamists. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Letters of Brigham Young to His Sons Dean C. Jessee Stanford J. Layton Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Layton, Stanford J. Ann Eliza Young was not acting in a vacuum, however. Though he initially resisted adapting the churchs controversial custom of plural marriage, Young later embraced it as his duty, and would eventually have 55 wives and 56 (or 57) children. The events at Mountain Meadows do not suggest a conspiracy, and certainly none involving Young. In theearly church years, the method of judging apostolic seniority was base on the date of ordination. Provo, UT 84602, USA 801 . Why do people say that forever is not altogether real in love and relationship. Published Aug. 16, 2021 Updated Aug. 17, 2021 At Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, beards have been banned on campus since the rise of the counterculture movement, when they were thought. On the 7th, Lee attacked with militia men and some Paiute Indians he had recruited. Fifty-three years ago Juanita Brooks classic study, The Mountain Meadows Massacre, concluded the crime was the result of one unfortunate circumstance after another. Illustrated with Photographs. The former BYU student (in the 1960s) and president (1980-1989) expressed his deep love for the university, noted the blessings of a school focused on . Ron Walker is one of the three Mormon historians writing the upcoming rebuttal to be published by Oxford University Press. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died in Salt Lake City at. Even in households where the men could afford their wives and offered them full financial support, sometimes jealousy and spite divided wives to the point that some would kill themselves to avoid having to live in heaven with their husbands and their sister wives. In early September, they stopped to rest at Mountain Meadows. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. Brigham Young had six sisters and four brothers. In short, the massacre is best explained by cascading local events in a setting of extreme excitement and fear. That question stumped me for years, and like many other Mormon mysteries the clues have been carefully purged from the records of Utahs past. As the emigrants began to leave, Lee and the militia butchered the men, women, and most of the children. 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. College volleyball's opening weekend ended with a fan banned from Brigham Young University's athletic facilities and statements expressing regret from two universities and the governor of Utah. While looking at a Tombstone photo, I saw a sign that says mule and ox shoes to order. Not theories. Young replied. Johnson earned his freedom and owned a 250-acre farm, and his son . Bridger Walker, 6, is being hailed as a hero for protecting his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack. The Center for Family History and Genealogy was established at Brigham Young University in order to utilize BYU resources to simplify the process of finding of ancestors and the discovery of the world in which they lived. Ann Eliza Webb, after she decided to divorce Young in 1873, published an expos entitled Wife No. Weeks after Young's proclamation, in the high desert of the Utah territory, LDS Mormons murdered more than 100 Arkansas migrants. What are the 4 major sources of law in Zimbabwe? What type of electrical charge does a proton have? After this attack, Smiths successor, Brigham Young, led the Mormons West. Despite a growing bitterness toward his former mentor, Lee refused. 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. She believed Gods legions would hunt them down in every land & place. With help from Mormon apostles in Missouri, Eleanor arrived in Utah on July 23, 1857, where she allegedly charged that men in the Fancher party had helped her first husband murder Apostle Pratt. Finally, why has so much evidence been destroyed or purged from Mormon archives, and why has so much evidence been suppressed? 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. For motives, they point to the persecution of the Mormon people and to the earlier killing of Mormon leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith. The second explanation is that the massacre was a calculated act of vengeance. According to lds.org, George A. Smith was deeply committed to the Church since his baptism in 1832. When Filmore appointed non-Mormon judges for Utah, tensions arose quickly. No credible evidence exists that Young wanted the massacre. Young unambiguously condoned the attack afterwards. October 11, 1973. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death. Brigham Young's adopted son. Sept. 11 was a tragic date in American history long before the terrorist attacks of 2001. On September 4, Mormon stake president and major in the Nauvoo Legion Isaac Haight ordered Legion member John D. Lee to lead an attack on the company. In a speech he gave as governor of Utah to the state legislature, he announced that Utah should have the right to practice slavery. How do you put shoes on a cloven-footed ox? After Cowdery was excommunicated from the church in 1838, Young wrote him several letters pleading with him to come back into the church. However, he was not the youngest apostle ever ordained. 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. The council sought to create a Mormon-Indian alliance, and to make such an arrangement attractive to the Indians, Young allegedly told them that he would no longer stop them from stealing emigrant cattle on the California Trail. According to Mormon doctrines, prophets speak to God and communicate God's will to Mormons. Copies of Youngs letter exist both in rough draft and final draft form. (1975) "Letters of Brigham Young to His Sons Dean C. Jessee," BYU Studies Quarterly: 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? Jun 2021 - Present1 year 10 months. By John G. Turner. Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of Christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, Joseph Smith. The Christian faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then, his relationship with Joseph Smith (depicted above in a statue at the Temple Squares North Visitors Center) suffered due to a number of factors that strained the friendship including when Smith tried to marry Rigdons daughter (while Smith was already married) and his refusal to support polygamy. Some Mormons say that some of the scrolls must still be missing, but Smith included facsimiles of the scrolls in his translation and they are clearly misinterpreted, with female figures listed as male, canopic jars indicated to be idolatrous gods, and the Egyptian fertility god, Min (depicted in a painted relief above), labeled God, sitting on his throne. The image of Min in the facsimile included in Mormon scriptures is sporting a comically exaggerated erection. This will always be so.. Five days later the church president spoke to a congregation filled with many of the participants in the massacre. Because the historical past will always be opaque, historians must seek the weight of evidence, and in this case, the preponderance suggests Youngs innocence. It turns out that she was actually wife No. He was removed from his post but, when Rigdon was still Smiths second-in-command, his input helped shape much of Mormon theology and he also gave the majority of important sermons to the earliest Mormon congregations. However, church president Joseph Smith insisted that his brother William Smith be selected in place of Young. Sometimes, he would send the husbands on missions in foreign countries and marry their wives while they were away and unable to object. Brigham Young wasn't the only latter-day prophet to have such close experiences with death. DJ Ferguson, 31, is in dire need of a new heart, but Brigham and. Likewise, John D. Lee, the only man convicted of the murders, was repeatedly offered leniency in exchange for incriminating Youngthe last offer was made just moments before his execution. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke Monday to staff at Brigham Young University (BYU) during the first day of the institution's 2021 University Conference.. Join the celebration! From 1864 through 1871 Young served as the bishop of the Salt Lake City 2nd Ward. The sheer variety of Brigham Young's marriages makes it difficult to make sense of them. In 1853, he became the second counselor to David Fullmer in the presidency of the Salt Lake Stake of the church. With the United States in control of the Great Salt Lake Valley region after the Mexican-American War, Young was appointed governor of the new Utah Territory in 1850. https://www.history.com/topics/religion/brigham-young. Those allegations have never been proven, but Young did indicate that he supported the sentiment even if he never ordered a murder. Appointed governor by President Millard Fillmore, Brigham Young was able to continue imposing his will on the territory politically as well as ecclesiastically. He said, I was always Josephs friend; his enemies are my enemies.. . Western Pride Enterprise. The Latter-day Saint community [in Las Vegas is] vibrant across every facetpolitically, public service, charitable. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877. 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. After the extermination order, the Mormons left for Nauvoo, Illinois, but their bad experiences in Missouri would never be forgotten. The following are a few facts necessary for an understanding of this terrible event in Western and Mormon history. 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. When Mormons turned up to vote on election day that year, a drunken brawl broke out that resulted in Mormons being blocked from accessing the polls. Brigham Young was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from 1847 until his death in 1877. Its no coincidence, then, that pulp fiction and Hollywood have used these ingredientsmystery, conspiracy and mass murderfor years. 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.