Does anyone have the facts about the genocide on Mountain Meadow by Mormons?

Question

I was just read about an x-Mormon speaking about uncovering the truth about this. I was blown away by his investigation.

Anyone have a view on this subject?

Answer 1

I read about this quite some time ago. This is what I remember.

A group of westward travelers were nearing the Mountain Meadow settlement. Tensions were running high amongst the church members in the area due to fear and rumors of an attack coming. When the travelers arrived, they initially thought it may be an attack. They realized that it was not and sent a rider to ask Brigham Young what to do. Before the rider returned, the members of the church in the area, for reasons unknown, killed all of the traveling party (men, women and children) with the exception of some children. The rider was bringing word from Brigham Young that they were not to attack. Unfortunately, the message arrived after the massacre had occurred.

Why did they massacre the people? We do not know. Perhaps it was anger from having been driven from their homes so many times. Perhaps it was revenge. It was certainly against the teachings of the Savior.

There is, however, no uncovering of truth about this as you imply. While all of the facts may never be revealed because it happened so long ago, it is not a secret or a cover up. There is no need for you to be blown away by this. President Hinckley dedicated a memorial there several years back. He expressed regret for the deaths. While nothing can bring back the loss of life, the church also made efforts towards restitution despite the fact that the attack was not a church sanctioned event.

I am not sure why this event interests you. I am assuming that you are not a member of the church. Perhaps this is not the case for you, but I find it interesting that so many other christians look for things like this to tarnish the church somehow. Yet, seldom are these same christians ever concerned with the fact that so many members of our church were denied religious freedom, were persecuted, mobbed, abused, robbed, forced from their homes time after time, forced out of the country and killed. It never seems to be an issue for them that hundreds of members of our church lost their lives crossing the plains to seek religious freedom outside of the borders of a country founded upon freedom of religion. It is never a problem that the prophet Joseph Smith was repeatedly beaten, imprisoned, tarred and feathered, and eventually murdered. I do not condone the behavior of those who were involved in the mountain meadow massacre nor does any member of the church. The deaths of so many innocent people is always tragic. However, if you are going to be upset about it, be upset for all those who have lost their lives unjustly. Do not single out one group or another.

I have posted a link to some more information about it.

Answer 2

I don't believe that we will ever know the true facts of why what happened at Mountain Meadows really happened. We don't know for sure if it was the Indians who forced teh Mormons to participate; the Mormons who forced the Indians to particiate. or both equal. Or if some of the Fancher party caused the Mormons/Indians to do what they did. Too many people want t blame it on THE CHURCH, but Brigham Young specifically told everyone in the church to leave all non-MOrmon pioneers alone, and don't have anything to do with them. I also think that there were some descendants of the Fancher party that wanted the church to pay, even tho it had been over 100 years since it happened.

Answer 3

I don't know the facts on this. I believe that if all this happened and Mormons murdered anyone (anyone!) then they were truly not Mormons. Mormons do not murder people. That calls for excommunication. That is a sin in LDS religion, an extremely serious sin. Anyone can claim to be any religion but if they are not following the religion that maybe other people should take that into consideration.

Answer 4

Mountain Meadows Massacre was a sad event that has absolutely no bearing on the Mormon church today.

Like all other hidden parts of its past, it is of no business of yours or mine, what a church may have done on its way to present grandeur.

If a man were a fantastic husband, but 40 years earlier had been a wife beater...would you hold it against him?

Is repentance of no value?

Let the sordid past disappear.

Let all churches be left to their current goodness, and forget the skulls crushed as they learned from their mistakes.

Please.
.

Answer 5

I agree with homeward... there are good and bad people in every religion, some people make good choices and some make bad ones. Tthe only one who truly knows what happened there is the Lord - so let's LET Him be the judge.