I never realized there were so many children killed.
I'd be interested in hearing what overtures have been made through the decades from the descendents of perpetrators to the descendents of the victims.
From the article: Mountains Meadows marks a dark moment in the history of the Church -- one that has often been left out of history books.
Which textbooks and why? (Anybody know?)
From the article: On Sept. 11, 1857, the Baker-Fancher party was attacked by area church and militia leaders disguised as a local Indian tribe. After a five-day siege, the Arkansans forged what turned out to be a false truce with a local LDS church leader, laid down their weapons and were slaughtered as they were being led out of the meadow on foot.
Ah. Deception ("false truce") leads to mass death. Not unique for Utah or elsewhere.
From the article: The church had historically denied or downplayed its role in the killings, but in 2007 expressed its regret. Today, two monuments in the meadows memorialize the victims and the church is seeking National Historic Landmark status for the site.
OK, who can do the math of 1857 --> 2007? Did it really take the lds church 150 years to express regret, or is this AP reporter/KSL report -- which BTW -- is owned by the lds church -- missing something?
Why was the church engaged in ensuring it "denied and downplayed" its role for so long? And why even now do we still only know of a few of the perpetrator-agents of this slaughter? Is that not still yet another form of denial and downplaying?
Oh, come on, I mean really how many times on FR have we been told this massacre never happened.
You mean, like cards and flowers on major holidays?
Is this event considered so sinister just because they were whites murdering whites? What about all the massacres of Indians happening around the same time, by settlers and military who were not Mormon?
I’ve read two books on this massacre, one by a non Mormon and the other by Mormons. The basic difference is that the non Mormon claimed Brigham Young ordered the massacre, while the Mormons say wanted the settlers left alone.
The consensus, though, was that the bodies were buried in shallow graves and then dug up by coyotes, etc. The perpetrators were concerned about the other wagon trains that would soon pass through the meadows. They buried the dead because they wanted to cover their tracks. It is dishonest for the paper to report that the dead were not buried.
I’m not defending the massacre. It was wrong and terrible. I just find it ironic that we will trust every word of the press when they agree with our agenda, while cursing the same press when they report something we don’t agree with.
And thats descendents of Mormon shooters and the Arkansas shootees. Flipping burgers. Its idiotic to hote people today about it or require them to hate as ancestor.
It was a hard time, it made hard people.
I never realized there were so many children killed.
Considering the fact that it is far and away the worst atrocity ever committed by American whites against other American whites, it had a remarkably low profile until quite recently.
I grew up in Missouri, where considerable time was spent in state history class discussing the Mormon War and other atrocities against the Mormons. The atrocity with the greatest number of victims had 13 or 17 males killed, I forget which.
As far as I remember, there was absolutely no mention of MMM, which realistically turns the Mormon/gentile conflict into one with a great deal of fault on both sides, not the unprovoked persecution of innocent sectarians that was presented in class.
I can absolutely guarantee that if a similar atrocity had been committed by American whites against blacks or Mexican-Americans it would have received a great deal more publicity over the years. MMM doesn't fit into the generally accepted narrative of American history.
Oh??
There is a 'big gap' between what the LDS Organization® says the Book of Abraham of MORMONism says and what Egyptologists have translated the papyrus says as to it's meaning!
WORRY about THAT!
This is an OBVIOUS attempt by hateful bigots (probably Baptists did it) to discredit the Only True church of Christ!
They no doubt STOLE this skull long ago from a remote graveyard after seeing the date of death on the eroding tombstone; shot a hole in the back and then planted it in that SLC pawnshop some 3 decades ago.
The plotters (some who may have already died) have just been waiting: biding their time; until NOW!
Watch the accusations begin to fly!!
They were probably proxy baptized.