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. Young discouraged Mormons from cooperating with federal investigations into the massacre, propagating instead the theory that rogue Indians were solely responsible, an explanation that virtually nobody found credible. On April 15, 1832, Young and his brother John were baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church of Christ. Harrold's son could also be heard denying that he stole the phone. Because the historical past will always be opaque, historians must seek the weight of evidence, and in this case, the preponderance suggests Youngs innocence. The great historian Harold Schindler spent 40 years learning everything there was to know about Orrin Porter Rockwell, Man of God/Son of Thunder (the title of his definitive biography). His brother Joseph was baptized the next day and Brigham Young was baptized approximately one week later. 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. [2] Shortly after their baptisms, Phineas Young and Joseph Young became ordained elders in the church began preaching as missionaries in New York and Upper Canada. By doing so, we may get a better understanding of Rupert, who . According to a BYU Scholars article, His speaking talent, organizational and leadership ability, and political sagacity were given untiringly to the service of his church. Even the Lord associated him with Moses, and . After guiding an exodus of thousands of Mormons westward to the Great Salt Lake Valley, Young founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died in Salt Lake City at the age of 76. Brigham Young wasn't the only latter-day prophet to have such close experiences with death. 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. The Utah War was resolved in 1858, with Young agreeing to step aside in favor of the new governor (though he remained de facto leader in the territory). Park City, Utah, United States. The two main contenders were James Jesse Strang and Brigham Young. In 1841, Joseph Smith announced a prophesy that Governor Boggs (pictured above) would, within a year, meet a violent demise. Militia orders to the Mormon army carried Youngs words on the reverse: Shed no blood., When the books are opened in the day of judgment, declared an associate who was at his side in 1857, these things will be proven to heaven and earth.. As the pioneers entered Utah, Brigham Young forbade everyone from selling them much-needed supplies. John D. Lee leading elder in Mt. Tragically, Youngs letter arrived two days after the massacre, despite one of the epic rides in Western history. Smith sold Young a copy of the Book of Mormon and told him that it had been translated from ancient records by his brother Joseph Smith. The nation was and remains horrified by what happened at Mountain Meadows. The proclamation is very clear: . The attack occurred on April 6. In theearly church years, the method of judging apostolic seniority was base on the date of ordination. In 1857, at the time of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Brigham Young, was serving as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and as Governor of Utah Territory. In short, Youngs letter must be taken at face value: It was a determined, almost frantic, attempt to stop the massacre. According to Todd Compton, a Mormon historian and author ofJohn Willard Young, Brigham Young, and the Development of Presidential Succession in the LDS Church, John Willard Young was the youngest person ever ordained an apostle, which happened during a private event in 1855. John G. Turner. Such a day-by-day approach yields new understanding. 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.. 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. The Indians we expect will do as they please but you should try and preserve good feelings with them. When Filmore appointed non-Mormon judges for Utah, tensions arose quickly. The mob killed men, women and all but 17 of the smallest children . Phineas Young was a printer; building contractor; and Mormon bishop, missionary, and pioneer. No evidence exists that the Indians at the council agreed to attack. not to spare horseflesh. He didnt. Adding fuel to Mormon rage, they argue, was the killing, a few months before the massacre, of Apostle Parley P. Pratt. Salt Lake City would soon become the bustling center of life in theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1870, church leaders quietly excommunicated Isaac Haight, John D. Lee, and militia leader George Wood. Mormons believe that Joseph Smith had a vision in 1820 in which he saw God and Jesus (first vision depicted in a sculpture above). . 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. There are two ways to interpret the evidence about who ordered the brutal murder of 120 men, women and children at a remote Utah oasis on the road to California on September 11, 1857. Bridger Walker, 6, is being hailed as a hero for protecting his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack. The founder of the religion, Joseph Smith, began claiming he had been commanded by God to take additional wives after his first wife caught him having sex with their teenage maid in the barn. 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. Sidney Rigdon was, for a time, the second most powerful person in Mormonism. 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. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has steadfastly denied responsibility. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The winners of the Church History Museums 12th International Art Competition have been announced, and the artwork is breathtaking. Even on the day of the slaughter, couriers were reportedly hurrying from Cedar City30 miles to the eastto call it off. Phineas Young was an older brother of Brigham Young, who was the president of the LDS Church and the first governor of the Territory of Utah. Brigham Young's adopted son. With Congress repeatedly rejecting proposals for Utah statehood, Young firmly resisted the territorys involvement in the Civil War, especially after passage of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in 1862, which effectively outlawed plural marriage in U.S. territories. 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. It is something that has been partially experienced and thoroughly documented by many individuals around the world. The incident occurred late Saturday afternoon at . Haight then turned the gun on himself. Brigham Young was a rough-hewn craftsman from New York whose impoverished and obscure life was electrified by the Mormon faith. On August 29, 1877, Brigham Young died in Salt Lake City at. On Sept. 11, 1857, a group of California-bound pioneers camping in southern Utah were murdered by a Mormon militia and its Indian allies. Born into poverty in Vermont in 1801, Young later moved with his family to western New York, where he worked as a carpenter and craftsman. Prosecutors in New York City are investigating an incident in which a jazz musician said his 14-year-old son was attacked by a woman who falsely accused him of taking her iPhone. He trudged around the United States and England to gain converts for Mormonism, spoke in spiritual tongues, married more than 50 women, and eventually transformed a barren desert into his vision of the Kingdom of God. In this period, militia leaders at Cedar City and at Mountain Meadows changed their minds several times whether the killing should go forward. These men later insisted that no orders had come from Salt Lake City, and this testimony included that given by those who in later life left Utah and Mormonism. 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. 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. Two years later, Young read more, Born in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483, Martin Luther went on to become one of Western historys most significant figures. 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. Was brigham young stabbed by a son named Phineas? 19. Americans enjoy a good mystery, and they like conspiracies. [6] Young was present in Richmond, Missouri when Cowdery died. Apostle Heber Kimball went even further. Happyness (Skit) 05. 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.. Brigham Young University. Not historical conspiracies created by authors speculating about the past. 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"). History is often presented to young students within a single interpretative framework with little suggestion of the existence of alternative historical interpretations. However, the revelation that Smith said he received commanding polygamy specifically forbade women marrying more than one man. An early convert to Mormonism, Brigham Young succeeded founder Joseph Smith as the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1847; he led the church until his death in 1877. If I shoot, they get shot. They were reacting to events as they took place. 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. The Center also supported student training for life-long temple and family history service. Despite a growing bitterness toward his former mentor, Lee refused. Traditions abound for alums returning to campus and for students during Homecoming week, October 15-19, 2019. He stopped at the cairn the U.S. Armys First Dragoons had raised in 1859 over the grave of the emigrants whose scattered bones they had collected and buried. Simpson murdered his wife. He went on to become a missionary in England. Several church leaders, including Young, were later charged under the law; Young was not convicted, but a case involving his secretary, George Reynolds, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1879 unanimously decided that the law was constitutional and the First Amendment did not protect polygamy. Why did he threaten honest men who called for justice in the matter? No. [3], In 1840, Young moved to Scott County, Illinois when the Latter Day Saints were expelled from Missouri. In 1830, Young was contacted by Samuel H. Smith, a missionary in the recently established Latter Day Saint movement. 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? Young died in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory at the age of 80. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phineas_Young&oldid=1133790119, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 14:54. 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. S. Dilworth Young. 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. While not on missions, Young lived with the Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio and Far West, Missouri. That progressed into a host of angels, then it evolved to God appearing to Smith in a pillar of fire. Weeks after Young's proclamation, in the high desert of the Utah territory, LDS Mormons murdered more than 100 Arkansas migrants. What are the answers to studies weekly week 26 social studies? George A. Smith was born in 1817, and he was the cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith. 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. How do you put shoes on a cloven-footed ox? 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. He governed the territory as a theocracy, with church doctrines taking precedence over laws. Young replied. Buy this book The curious mix of folklore, suspicion and myth that still attaches to the Mormon experience stems largely from the church that. DJ Ferguson's family say he was first on the list to receive the transplant at Brigham and Women's Hospital but he is no longer eligible because of his vaccination status, CBS Boston reported. Youngs defiant stance toward outside authority meant frequent clashes with the federal government, especially after the churchs public embrace of plural marriage in 1852. Meanwhile, someone attempted to assassinate Governor Boggs, shooting him twice through the skull, once in the neck, and once in the throat. Further, Joseph H. Jackson, a new arrival to Nauvoo who had a shady past, later claimed in his memoirs that Joseph Smith offered him $3,000 to free Rockwell from prison and shoot Boggs. Hiding Rockwells role in expressing Eleanor to Utah from my late friend Hal was evidence that had been carefully suppressed. However, the scrolls that he used to translate were believed for years to have been burned in a fire. A US hospital has rejected a patient for a heart transplant at least in part because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19. You must not meddle with them. Johnson earned his freedom and owned a 250-acre farm, and his son . In short, the massacre is best explained by cascading local events in a setting of extreme excitement and fear. 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. What type of electrical charge does a proton have? He stated in an 1861 sermon: When I reflect on how I found the gospel, I realize that my familys experiences informed two important pieces of my testimony. For motives, they point to the persecution of the Mormon people and to the earlier killing of Mormon leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Catholicism has the Inquisition and the Crusades. Immediately the German community attacked the schools for giving a false picture of German culture. Then rumors began to arise that the pioneers had been destroying fences, burning fields, and making threats against the Mormons, although none of the rumors were ever substantiated. Finally, why has so much evidence been destroyed or purged from Mormon archives, and why has so much evidence been suppressed? The emigrants fell back to a defensive position, and the ambush became a siege. However, church president Joseph Smith insisted that his brother William Smith be selected in place of Young. From deeply disturbing acts by its founder, Joseph Smith, to atrocities committed in the name of God in Utah, Mormonism has some very dark secrets that even most members of the Church dont know about. After the extermination order, the Mormons left for Nauvoo, Illinois, but their bad experiences in Missouri would never be forgotten. The Mormon apostle Parley P. Pratt had recently been murdered in Arkansas after essentially trying to kidnap children. 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. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. The non-Mormons who were present at Rigdons sermon were rightfully alarmed. 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. (Above) John D. Lee sits on his coffin moments before being executed for reportedly ordering the Mountain Meadows attack. When the United States claimed sovereignty over the area in 1848, Mormons petitioned Congress for recognition, and in 1850 the United States organized Utah Territory. 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. . 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. Copies of Youngs letter exist both in rough draft and final draft form. Their beliefs on the subject extend so far as to dictate that a prophet can never lead people astray. Since John Willard was ordained at such a young age, after the death of President Lorenzo Snow, he would have become the next president of the Church instead of President Joseph Fielding Smith. A young boy has died and his mother has been hospitalized after being attacked by a pack of dogs over the weekend, according to tribal authorities. Fiery yet full of doubt, frequently ill yet strong when it . Hearing this, Brigham Young preached fiery sermons encouraging the saints to lift the sword and slay them.. Police are investigating. Apparently I succeeded, since critics in the employ of the LDS Church claim I dont prove Brigham Young ordered the murders. If Washington continued to appoint office seekers and corrupt demagogues, Utahs citizens would send them away., Faced with this blatant insubordination, Buchanan ordered an army of 2,500 troops to Utah to install Alfred Cumming as the new governor. According to Mormon doctrines, prophets speak to God and communicate God's will to Mormons. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. After this attack, Smiths successor, Brigham Young, led the Mormons West. PBS: American Experience. Brigham Young. How far apart were Wild Bill Hickok and Dave Tutt in their famous 1865 showdown in Springfield, Missouri? 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. Provo, UT 84602, USA 801 . President Brigham Young ordained his 11-year-old son John Willard Young as an apostle shortly after John received his temple endowment, though John never joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But that life would rest read more, Mountains, high plateaus and deserts form most of Utahs landscape. In 1867, a group of non-Mormon pioneers from Missouri and Arkansas were trying to pass through Utah on their way to California but ran into trouble as they tried to get through the Beehive State. What are the Physical devices used to construct memories? But Matt Easton, 24, political science valedictorian at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah said the timing was right to tell 10,000 people he was gay. 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. His son, also named Alma, rebelled against everything he was taught. Sources conflict. Not circumstantial evidence. By the summer of 1877, Young's health was in decline, but he continued to play an active role in the Mormon church up until the end. October 11, 1973. Anonymous. What was the favorite type of mule used in the Old West? Young settled in Salt Lake City. The Love and Laws of God By President Russell M. Nelson ,, An address given at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, on September 17, 2019. Five bank robbers convicted of, Tensions over Chinese immigrant labor came to a head in Rock Springs, Wyoming on September, The Fall Creek Massacre was all too typicalseven whites murdering nine Indians in Indiana in. One of his wives alleged he ordered the deaths of people who tried to leave the faith. Ronald K. Esplin, a Young biographer and president of the Brigham Young Center Foundation, points to the leader's remarks suggesting he may have had some kind of divine communication on that matter. In 1833, after the death of his first wife, Young and his two daughters joined Smith and other Mormons in Kirtland, Ohio. The winners of the Church History Museums 12th International Art Competition have been announced, and the artwork is breathtaking. Particularly telling is the testimony of those who did the killing at the Meadows. Theres one answer to all these questions: Brigham Young ordered the murders as a righteous act of vengeance. . Throughout the revolution, Brigham Young led one of the largest group migrations in American historyover 12,000 peopleto Salt Lake City, Utah. Young was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the seventh child of John Young and Abigail Howe. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! show. The facts are these: Young spoke out against revenge killings. The massacre lasted less than five minutes, but when it was. There are no other trains going south that I know of. He is also the founder of the first Baptist church in America. 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. Joseph Nelson has always been fascinated by religion. Sept. 11 was a tragic date in American history long before the terrorist attacks of 2001. Although it would be ten more years before Congress officially made polygamy illegal, this provided further conflict with federal officials. How many 5 letter words can you make from Cat in the Hat? On April 15, 1832, Young and his brother John were baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church of Christ. Young was not complicit in planning or executing the massacre. In an address he gave at General Conference (a semi-annual meeting of the Latter-day Saints), he announced, Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? According to Bennett, Rockwell returned the day before news of the assassination attempt arrived at Nauvoo. Through most of the nineteenth century, the American West was considered the land of opportunity. The second explanation is that the massacre was a calculated act of vengeance. Polygamy has long been a blight on Mormonisms public relations. With no additional evidence, some historians have pointed to a Native American council held in Salt Lake City on September 1, 1857. Pratt had been murdered in Arkansas, where the Baker-Fancher party had its origin. Why did Brigham Young allegedly send a message telling Southern Utahns NOT to kill the emigrants unless he was countermanding previous orders? When the rumors expanded to include a claim that the pioneers were going to bring troops back from California to attack the Mormon settlements, a group of Mormons dressed as Native Americans attacked their wagon train and, after a three-day assault, killed all men, women, and children over the age of eight. 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.