utah war and mountain meadows massacre

We also talk about the Utah beer moving off shelves as we prepare for bigger and better beer… or something like that.. We haven’t talked about it before, but the wild horse population in Utah is massive. When the US Army came there a few years later and saw all the bones, for no one had been buried (if I remember right), they were very angry and determined to kill ALL of the Mormons. These heightened tensions contributed to Mormons in Utah committing the worst war atrocity in U.S. history up to that time in 1857. Choosing to hide our sins can bring regret and suffering.). This atrocity is now known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The Mountain Meadows Massacre summary: A series of attacks was staged on the Baker-Fancher wagon train around Mountain Meadows in Utah. The shirts showed grasping hands between a black and white person with the words: “You don’t fight racism with racism. See https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2826169-look-donovan-mitchell-jazz-and-nets-players-wear-t-shirts-denouncing-racism. Spain took that approach with its Amnesty Law two years after Franco’s death. In September 1857, some Latter-day Saints in southern Utah Territory and members of an emigrant wagon train on their way to California came into conflict, and the Latter-day Saints, motivated by anger and fear, planned and carried out the massacre of about 120 emigrants. Merely saying that, of course, doesn’t solve the problem of psychopaths who already believe it, but I think we can catch ourselves falling into these traps of bad thinking. Salt Lake City: Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, 2002. ( Log Out /  (After students respond, write the following principle on the board: If we ignore counsel to do what is right, then we become more susceptible to making poor and even sinful choices. I am the host of Gospel Tangents Podcast, a resource to learn Mormon History. In September 1857, some Latter-day Saints in southern Utah Territory and members of an emigrant wagon train on their way to California came into conflict, and the Latter-day Saints, motivated by anger and fear, planned and carried out the massacre of about 120 emigrants. The Mountain Meadows massacre was a mass slaughter of the Fancher-Baker emigrant wagon train at Mountain Meadows, Utah Territory, by the local Mormon militia on 11 September 1857. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Novak, Shannon A., and Derinna Kopp. 2 quibbles/curiosities: (1) I’m no historian, but I think there would be a number of Native Americans who would disagree that Mountain Meadows was ” the greatest atrocity in American history up to that point in 1857″ even if it were reduced to the “greatest war atrocity”. “In 1874 a territorial grand jury indicted nine men for their role in the massacre. Invite a student to read aloud the handout section titled “Conflict with the Emigrant Wagon Train.”. Mike, for being a worn-out topic, you left an awfully long comment! Most of them were eventually arrested, though only Lee was tried, convicted, and executed for the crime. This is the scene of the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857. Isaac Haight, the Cedar City mayor, militia major, and stake president, requested permission from the militia commander, who lived in the nearby settlement of Parowan, to call out the militia to confront the offenders from the wagon train. Driving them out (as from Missouri) wasn’t sufficient. When you are so blinded by seeing power in terms of groups who have it and don’t have it, you can’t imagine a functioning pluralistic society. Utah History. First is the tendency to group people by shared characteristics, and then make every member of that group responsible or accountable for the actions of any other member of that group. At one point, Cedar City militiamen became aware of two emigrant men who were outside the wagon corral. House of Mourning: A Biocultural History of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, by Shannon A. Novak. You might also point out that there is great wisdom in the system of councils by which the Church is governed.). In 1859 they released from their callings stake president Isaac Haight and other prominent Church leaders in Cedar City who had a role in the massacre. In 1857, when the Mountain Meadows massacre occurred, Utah and the United States were on the brink of war. So there’s these kinds of stories, these kind of rumors, some based in fact, some exaggerated that reach Washington. But when I looked at it, I don’t think that was the motive. Paiute Indians also suffered from being unjustly blamed for the crime. To bring a modern note up that relates to mass killings, I am also saddened by the horrible mass killing in the New Zealand mosques. Barbara Jones Brown tells about these events that led to the greatest atrocity in American history up to that point in … Please choose appointees that are from among us and represent our values.” Basically one legislator said it was practically a declaration of independence. What do you do that helps you build your faith on the foundation of Jesus Christ? Yes Indians have been massacred, and historians only seem to care about white Americans, and my wording does not include Indians killed by whites. What resulted from the Cedar City leaders’ decision to disobey the counsel of William Dame, the militia commander? Indeed, it advocates peace and forgiveness. You fight racism with solidarity.” It was truly a classy gesture by the 2nd year player, and a wonderful lesson to all of us. As governor of the Utah Territory, he also directed the territory’s militia to prepare to defend the territory. If the emigrants were allowed to go on to California, news would spread that Latter-day Saints were responsible for the attack on the wagon train. I hope you’ll give us a brief report on the whole slew of reasons and motives proposed by participants. In an attempt to prevent news from spreading that Latter-day Saints were involved in the attacks on the wagon train, Isaac Haight, John D. Lee, and other local Church and militia leaders made a plan to kill all the remaining emigrants except for small children. We focus on the only person that took the fall for the Mountain Meadows Massacre, John D Lee. While that’s in the past, new situations will arise that are similar, so it is worthy in my opinion to study this event carefully and decide in advance in what circumstances I would take up arms against other humans. He did preside over the development of the fanatical toxic atmosphere that made the massacre possible and he did lie about it extensively, becoming an accomplice after the fact. Testify of the importance of living the Savior’s teachings and basing our faith on Him and His gospel. Explain that because a number of local Latter-day Saints were responsible for planning and carrying out the Mountain Meadows Massacre, some people have allowed this event to negatively affect their view of the entire Church. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2008. Novak, Shannon A. Travelers in southern Utah will find two memorials just west of Utah State Route 18, between the towns of Enterprise and Veyo. Do you confess what you have done wrong and receive the consequences, or do you try to hide the sin through deception? What I *do* know is that the forces that led to the MMM are still active in that area and it wouldn’t take a very big spark to light a new flame of war. The Mountain Meadows Massacre. Remember, this was the richest Wagon train to ever cross the plains. Saying he had not, Haight agreed to send a messenger, James Haslam, to Salt Lake City with a letter explaining the situation and asking what should be done. Approximately 100 settlers from Arkansas were killed. Whether the connection is Arkansas or loyalty to the federal government, the perpetrators of the Mountain Meadows massacre saw the wagon train as worthy of retribution for things that they had no part of. (After students respond, you may want to write the following principle on the board: We can develop strong testimonies by building our faith on the foundation of Jesus Christ.). racial epithets hurled by fans against Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2826169-look-donovan-mitchell-jazz-and-nets-players-wear-t-shirts-denouncing-racism, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre, https://www.lds.org/study/ensign/2007/09/the-mountain-meadows-massacre?lang=eng. Shortly before Isaac Haight sent his letter with the messenger, John D. Lee and a group of Indians attacked the emigrant camp at a place called the Mountain Meadows. I’ll take the blame for poor wording of the post, but Barbara made no such statement, so don’t put words in her mouth that she didn’t say. The sign on the cross the U.S. Army put up over the remains of the stripped corpses and bodies of those left in Mountain Meadows“Vengeance is Mine sayeth the Lord” was torn down by orders of Brigham Young. Did not hear about MMM until the internet. That makes it okay to massacre, lie, rape and steal?..then blame the injuns? According to Helaman 5:12, what can we do to develop and maintain our testimonies? A good start is the wiki article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre. The Utah War. Native Americans in Great Basin. Display a map similar to the one shown here, or draw one on the board. The monument was found destroyed and the structure was replaced by the U.S. Army in 1864. (As students respond, write a principle similar to the following on the board: If we resolve conflict with others in the Lord’s way, then we can avoid the harmful effects of contention.). Why is it important to realize that the wrong actions of some Church members do not determine the truthfulness of the gospel? Not surprised as to Haun’s Mill and Pratt, but not seeking revenge for those events is a far cry from those events being a part (with many others) of the background of suspicion that led credence to then current rumors about the Arkansas travelers. The Mountain Meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah. Anyone. The emigrants also came into conflict with Saints who did not want the wagon train’s large numbers of horses and cattle to consume food and water resources the Saints needed for their own animals. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. What no ones knows or has discovered is that Parley Pratt was befriended by men who were directly related to the wagon train through the Baker family. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Barbara Jones Brown says the Pratt murder and Haun's Mill Massacre played virtually no role in Mountain Meadows Massacre. Mountain Meadows Massacre: A Story of Allred Descendants Who Survived by Linda Allred Cooper Allred Lineage for Emberson and William Tackitt: Armilda Miller, Sarah Allred, John Allred, Solomon Allred, Solomon Allred About 35 miles southwest of Cedar City, Utah, is … Assure students that if they have started down a path of mistakes and sin, they can prevent future heartache and regret by turning to the Lord and repenting of their sins. And just four months earlier, Parley P. Pratt, a beloved Mormon apostle was killed May 13, 1857 in Arkansas. But I was heartened by Donovan Mitchell’s amazing gesture. (They could confess what they had done and receive the consequences, or they could try to hide their crimes and sins.). Pretty ethnocentric of host and interviewee. “When Haight read Young’s words, he sobbed like a child and could manage only the words, ‘Too late, too late’” (Richard E. Turley Jr., “The Mountain Meadows Massacre,” Ensign, Sept. 2007, 20). Invite a student to read 3 Nephi 12:25 aloud. The Aftermath of Mountain Meadows The massacre almost brought the United States to war against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, … The horrific crime, which spared only 17 children age six and under, occurred in a highland valley called the Mountain Meadows, roughly 35 miles southwest of Cedar City. On September 11, 1857, some 50 to 60 local militiamen in southern Utah, aided by American Indian allies, massacred about 120 emigrants who were traveling by wagon to California. Yes, Brigham Young directed it. Invite students to think of times when they have experienced conflict with another person or a group of people. September Dawn a film by Christopher Cain (2007) Check out those other links and notes below while you’re at it, and have a great day! The Mountain Meadows Massacre not only resulted in the deaths of about 120 victims, but it also caused great suffering to the surviving children and other relatives of the victims. I had a professor at BYU who often mentioned that we are kinder when we see the “truth” about people, tying the definition of truth to the way things really are, and the things they really will be. The Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Foundations of the Restoration—Lesson 25. By Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley Jr., and Glen M. Leonard. So the new president concludes that he needs to send a whole new set of territorial appointees to Utah, including one to replace Brigham Young as governor and that he’s going to send federal troops with them to ensure that they are placed successfully and with no resistance from local Utahns. Yes Ji, we can choose to let go of the offense as grandchildren perhaps, but opportunist politicians often dog whistle the past to create a power base. Another indicted man turned state’s evidence [voluntarily testified and gave evidence against the other defendants], and others spent many years running from the law. I like to think of virtue signals but I wasn’t there so I don’t know. So you see, one atrocity leads to another, and to another, and to another, and it never ends until enough people say “enough” and the past is the past; just stop keeping score. © 2015 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to mention the jewelry, racehorses, buggies and clothes. How would you summarize the Savior’s teaching in 3 Nephi 12:25? Learn how your comment data is processed. Joseph Smith was no pacifist, and he preached an aggressive self-defense against the Mormon Church's many enemies. Mountain Meadows Massacre, (September 1857), in U.S. history, slaughter of a band of Arkansas emigrants passing through Utah on their way to California. The one point that Turley and the defenders are unwilling to concede is whether Brigham Young was largely responsible. (Students may identify various principles, including the following: Choosing to hide our sins can lead us to commit further sins. And the general references in that article . But the famous Pony Haslam letter, saves the day. I don’t know any easy answers, but I do think that learning to see people as individuals instead of members of a group can help. (2) I’m no legal expert, so I’ll take your word for it. United States President James Buchanan sent approximately 2,500 troops to Salt Lake City to accompany a new governor safely to Utah and to put down what he thought was a rebellion among the Saints. Some council members strongly disagreed with the plan and asked Haight if he had consulted with President Brigham Young about the matter. GT: So, do you think that’s overplayed then? This thinking turns all immigration into an invasion, and when immigration is viewed as an invasion, the threat of extremist behavior looms large. ), Invite a student to read aloud the handout section titled “Preparing to Defend the Territory.”. In contrast, Church and territory leaders in Salt Lake City resolved the conflict with the United States government through peace talks and negotiations in 1858. I thought this topic was pretty much worn out. It was sad to see Utahns react poorly to Westbrook. We can’t read people’s minds and know what is in their hearts, so the only thing we know for sure about a person is that they really are a child of God. Even though the captain of the wagon train rebuked his companions for making these threats, some Cedar City leaders and settlers viewed the emigrants as enemies. Our SP said in conference we should only put positive stuff on social media, which is very gentle, very subtle, and can be used against someone questioning muslim hate, as much as those spreading it. Some members of the wagon train became frustrated because they had a difficult time purchasing much-needed grain from the Saints, who had been instructed to save their grain. The men who killed Pratt were not even from that part of the country. ”. The conspirators feared this news would bring negative consequences upon themselves and their people. Or they try and make excuses of why they attacked the wagon train, like saying they poisoned a water hole, or yelled profanity or made remarks about Parley Pratt. Second, the consequence of losing that objective was exaggerated. I think these other things that I’ve been talking about were the motive. Being anti gay marriage has this consequence in Aus. Anyone. Mountain Meadows will forever be remembered as a place where something dark and evil happened. Ask the class to follow along, looking for a principle Jesus Christ taught that can guide us when we experience tension with others. Chompers, yes children of survivors do feel pain, anger and sadness. 20 years before the Mountain Meadows Massacre, 17 Mormons were killed in Haun’s Mill, Missouri. One can look not only at the question of reparations for slavery here in the USA to see that systemic racism not only bothers them, but has caused tremendous harm to their descendants. One can also look at the centuries-long Arab-Israeli conflict, or Northern-Ireland/Great Britain conflict, or Chinese-Japanese historic warring to see that lots of descendants feel their ancestors were wronged and feel pain for these injustices. It's called Massacre at Mountain Meadows. Some of the federal officials believed that the Saints’ actions and attitudes meant that they were in rebellion against the United States government. ( Log Out /  I have wondered what I would have done in those days. The Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre Growing Tension Led to the Utah War Three years after the first Latter-day Saint pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley, the United States government organized the Utah Territory and appointed Brigham Young as the first governor over the territory. This massive slaughter claimed nearly everyone in the party from Arkansas and is the event referred to as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Three years after the first Latter-day Saint pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley, the United States government organized the Utah Territory and appointed Brigham Young as the first governor over the territory. What can we do to build solidarity in our communities? Two additional attacks followed during a five-day siege on the wagon train. News of the approaching army caused some Saints to worry that such events might also occur in Utah. … No doubt Divine Justice will impose appropriate punishment upon those responsible for the massacre. …. Because these Saints did not resolve their conflict with the emigrants in the Lord’s way, the situation became much more serious. Invite a student to read the statement by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency found in the handout section titled “150th Anniversary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.”. September Dawn had the potential of blowing the lid off this event and making it a household word for the American public the year Mitt Romney first ran for POTUS and lost to Jon McCain. We seem to never internalize the essential lessons of this chapter of our history. Have a student read aloud the handout section titled “Escalating the Confrontation.”, What should the Cedar City Church leaders have done when William Dame counseled them not to use the militia? Barbara Jones-Brown tells about these events that led to the greatest atrocity in American history up to that point in 1857. Likewise, the perpetrator of the Christchurch terrorist attack appears to have been obsessed with attacks by Islamist militants. To illustrate this principle, display the following and invite a student to read it aloud: “James Sanders is the great-grandson of … one of the children who survived the massacre [and is also a member of the Church]. I regret that I do not know for sure what I would have done. Osteological Analysis of Human Remains from the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I think we can also attempt to find what we have in common with each other by actually meeting people who you might tend to view as “other”. The four Mountain Meadows Massacre sites are along Highway 18 about 30 miles north of St. George, Utah. Those who planned the attacks were now caught in their deception. Reach out to me if you'd like to learn more about a Mormon history topic! How could those who plotted to harm the members of the wagon train have applied this principle? .Walker-Turley-Leonard are impossible for orthodox Mormons to ignore because of their role as semi-official advocates for the church. In 1870 they excommunicated Isaac Haight and John D. Lee from the Church. But the short answer is that the death of the many may have been to cover the death of one (which is a despicable justification, but may be the best explanation of why they were all killed.). The Utah War (1857–1858), also known as the Utah Expedition, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government.The confrontation lasted from May 1857 to July 1858. This war footing led to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the lowest point in Mormon history. Tensions erupted in Cedar City, the last settlement in Utah on the route to California. I visited the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre a few years ago. There were some casualties, mostly non-Mormon civilians. First is the actual probability of immigration by outside groups threatening the control of dominant groups. (2008). I felt that my feelings would be incomplete without going there to see what there is to see and perhaps let any spiritual feeling impinge upon my soul. The only group that we need to associate people with is as a member of the human family. This one we managed to blame on the Federal troops (California volunteers) even though Mormon settlers in Cache Valley created the “need’ for it, provided the scouts and intelligence, and other support. Once that episode is up we’ll link it in the description. The Christchurch shooter believed that immigration threatened the purity of his race and the control of his own group. Some Indians recruited by the settlers rushed from hiding places to join the attack. If you didn’t grow up in Utah, you’ve probably never heard of the Utah War. Other militiamen who carried out the massacre labored the rest of their lives under a horrible sense of guilt and recurring nightmares of what they had done and seen” (Richard E. Turley Jr., “The Mountain Meadows Massacre,” Ensign, Sept. 2007, 20). How can our faith in Jesus Christ strengthen us when we learn of instances when Church members have failed to live according to the Savior’s teachings? Barbara: Yeah. It began as an attack, quickly turned into a siege, and eventually culminated in the execution of the unarmed emigrants after their surrender. They are burning their supply wagons, doing everything they can to try and get the troops to be stopped on the plains that year. As preemptive damage control, they (Turley) published a short summary of the massacre in the Ensign, retreating back from so many hard fought positions over the years that had occupied my interest., it was an amazing article. (Students might mention that the Saints had been violently driven from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois; many had lost valued possessions and land; and some had been killed or had died during these persecutions. This decision was made without accurate information about the situation in Utah (see Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manual, 2nd ed. Yep. Not one of them ever said that Parley P. Pratt’s murder was a motive. Osprey will be working from home from Tuesday 17th March. What was done [at the Mountain Meadows] long ago by members of our Church represents a terrible and inexcusable departure from Christian teaching and conduct.

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