Catholicism has the Inquisition and the Crusades. Join the celebration! He governed the territory as a theocracy, with church doctrines taking precedence over laws. Phineas' wife Clarissa was also baptized about this same time. Sources conflict. The facts are these: Young spoke out against revenge killings. For motives, they point to the persecution of the Mormon people and to the earlier killing of Mormon leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith. How far apart were Wild Bill Hickok and Dave Tutt in their famous 1865 showdown in Springfield, Missouri? Matthew Bowman, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (Random House, 2012). Not circumstantial evidence. Theres one answer to all these questions: Brigham Young ordered the murders as a righteous act of vengeance. Learning how Eleanor McLean Pratt got to Salt Lake City convinced me Brigham Young did it. The 12th Mrs. Pratt had buried her polygamous husband Parley in Arkansas the previous May, and she was obsessed with exacting vengeance from his murderers. A flyer passed out by a neo-Nazi group outside Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston on January 22, 2022 targeting anti-racism physicians. He said, I was always Josephs friend; his enemies are my enemies.. Young said that the company that was used up at Mountain Meadows were the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and connections of those that murdered the prophets; they merited their fate, and the only thing that ever troubled him was the lives of the women and children, but that under the circumstances this could not be avoided. Among other policies, he continued the limitations on African American participation in the church, instituting a ban on Black men receiving the Mormon priesthood. He promised they wouldnt stop until the last drop of blood was spilled. Brigham Young led one of the largest group migrations in American historyover 12,000 peopleto Salt Lake City, Utah. Brigham Young later privately set apart three other sons and Joseph F. Smith as apostles who served as "assistant Counselors to the First Presidency.". 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. The family of a Boston man is speaking out after they say their 31-year-old son was struck from a waitlist for a heart transplant because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. His brother Joseph was baptized the next day and Brigham Young was baptized approximately one week later. [3], In 1840, Young moved to Scott County, Illinois when the Latter Day Saints were expelled from Missouri. 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. 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. Brigham Young (pictured) is revered by Mormons as the second prophet of modern times. 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. In 1830, Young was contacted by Samuel H. Smith, a missionary in the recently established Latter Day Saint movement. Did Brigham Young Approve the Attack? The sheer variety of Brigham Young's marriages makes it difficult to make sense of them. Bridger Walker, 6, is being hailed as a hero for protecting his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack. Brigham Young Pioneer Prophet. Brigham Young University was named in his honor. The massacre lasted less than five minutes, but when it was. Why didnt he use his powers as territorial governor to hunt down the men who committed this despicable crime? If you happen to be named Brown or Jones or Spendlove or Lewis or Young or any name, it doesn't matter who your ancestors are. 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. 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. In theearly church years, the method of judging apostolic seniority was base on the date of ordination. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing for hundreds of years, the Inquisition is infamous for the severity of its tortures and its read more. The second explanation is that the massacre was a calculated act of vengeance. Reared in the famous Beehive House, Mrs. Spencer has carried with her through life the patient, loving influence of her parents. According to this story, they told him that all religions existing at the time were abominations. Sometimes, he would send the husbands on missions in foreign countries and marry their wives while they were away and unable to object. It creates a sensation and sells books. Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content, 2022 LDS Living A Division of Deseret Book Company. 52 or thereabouts. In the video that Harrold recorded, the woman could be seen yelling at the teen and lunging at him during the Dec. 26 incident. In several speeches given to large gatherings of Latter-day Saints, he proclaimed that the only way a person could be absolved of the sin of leaving Mormonism would be for that person to have his or her blood spilled on the ground. 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. Young considered all of the United States culpable for the death of Joseph Smith, and added an oath of vengeance to the Mormon temple endowment: You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray and never cease to pray to Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, and that you will teach the same to your children and to your childrens children unto the third and fourth generation.. Brigham Young (pictured) is revered by Mormons as the second prophet of modern times. 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.. Why Lee was selected as scapegoat remains unclear. Happyness (Skit) 05. In regard to emigrating trains arriving and passing through our settlements, he wrote in a letter designed to restore calm in Southern Utah, We must not interfere with them. These clear and difficult-to-misread words were rushed to Cedar City after Young received an express from local setters there telling him of pending trouble. 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.. He was a model Latter-day Saint; a good man possessed in large measure with friendliness, integrity, optimism, and unswerving loyalty to his leaders., Smith had a strong relationship with both the Prophet Joseph Smith and President Brigham Young during his apostleship. On Sept. 11, 1857, a group of California-bound pioneers camping in southern Utah were murdered by a Mormon militia and its Indian allies. Witnesses later testified about Haslams dramatic arrival in Salt Lake City, the writing of the letter and its dispatch South. Americans enjoy a good mystery, and they like conspiracies. Finally, why has so much evidence been destroyed or purged from Mormon archives, and why has so much evidence been suppressed? Reading the September 2000 True West article by Glenn Shirley, titled, A Tireless Energy & Nerves of Steel, I was fascinated by Caroline Bonneville. A final investigation ultimately resulted in Lees execution in 1877, and other conspirators successfully going into hiding. Every religion has less-than-savory moments hidden in its history. Some testimony came in private interviews when there was no motive to lie. 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. 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. On April 15, 1832, Young and his brother John were baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church of Christ. Brigham Young had no tolerance for Mormons who began to doubt the faith. Bad Hands 03. 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. Good history must be based on facts. The other versions are never mentioned, though they are available on a Church-run website. 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? 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. Brigham Young chosen to lead Mormon Church After Joseph Smith, the founder and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormonism, and his brother, Hyrum, were murdered by. 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. Young testified that Cowdery's last statements were on the truth of Mormonism as revealed through Joseph Smith. 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. However, the revelation that Smith said he received commanding polygamy specifically forbade women marrying more than one man. Their beliefs on the subject extend so far as to dictate that a prophet can never lead people astray. In short, Youngs letter must be taken at face value: It was a determined, almost frantic, attempt to stop the massacre. Meadows, not big enough to be a settlement, he reports to Bishop Higbee in Cedar City. They are also among a cadre of doctors across the country who are confronting mounting intimidation on social media, and threats of violence. Buy this book The curious mix of folklore, suspicion and myth that still attaches to the Mormon experience stems largely from the church that. There is room for my brown paper-doll family: 2 gospel truths I learned as a young girl that carry my faith, Bright lights in the desert: How Latter-day Saints have shaped Las Vegas culture, community, and politics, See the stunning winners of the Churchs International Art Competition. His son, also named Alma, rebelled against everything he was taught. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. Traditions abound for alums returning to campus and for students during Homecoming week, October 15-19, 2019. As the pioneers entered Utah, Brigham Young forbade everyone from selling them much-needed supplies. 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. That progressed into a host of angels, then it evolved to God appearing to Smith in a pillar of fire. Was not referring to his death, just the stabbing. 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. Brigham Young, second President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church, ranks among the most influential and important historical figures not just in Mormon, but also in American history. Phineas Young was a printer; building contractor; and Mormon bishop, missionary, and pioneer. This video is private Watch on My dear brothers and sisters, Wendy and I have looked forward to being with you today. Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of Christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, Joseph Smith. Brigham Young at Home is a valuable addition to the history of the home life of pioneer days. By John G. Turner. This week, as America mourned those lost in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, some Mormons quietly remembered another tragedy that took place on the same day 144 years earlier: the Mountain Meadows Massacre, in which a group of Mormons militia members killed about 120 men, women, and children in cold blood. The little boy and his sister were at a friend's house in Wyoming earlier this month when a 1 . He was also the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of the Utah Territory, United States. George A. Smith was born in 1817, and he was the cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Brigham Young https://www.mormonnewsroom.org Thousands of exhausted, freezing pioneers marching across dozens of inches of snow in the dead of night, their end goal hundreds of miles away, all led by one man: Brigham Young. 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. An anti-Mormon mob killed Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage, Illinois. Rockwell never directly denied the crime, even when he was tried for it, insisting, Ive never shot at anybody. "I felt it was important to share. The non-Mormons who were present at Rigdons sermon were rightfully alarmed. 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. History is often presented to young students within a single interpretative framework with little suggestion of the existence of alternative historical interpretations. Those allegations have never been proven, but Young did indicate that he supported the sentiment even if he never ordered a murder. That admonition includes charging Brigham Young with crimes that he did not commit. 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. 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. 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. When Mormons were living in Daviess County, Missouri, he delivered a fiery oration on Independence Day of 1838 in which he promised that the Missourians who Mormons felt were persecuting them (the sentiments had some justification although Mormons did their fair share of antagonizing as well) would need to stop any disputes with the Mormons or face a war of extermination. Brigham Young neither ordered nor approved of the Mountain Meadows Massacre beforehand, but his unwillingness to cooperate with federal officials precipitated the crisis, and his subsequent actions and rhetoric inflamed tensions rather than calming them. Just six years after the murder of Joseph Smith and five after the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Young was in no mood to accommodate outside interference with governing the Saints as he saw fit. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has steadfastly denied responsibility. 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. Young unambiguously condoned the attack afterwards. According to Mormon doctrines, prophets speak to God and communicate God's will to Mormons. On September 11, 1857, 120 men, women and childrenpioneers from Arkansas headed for Californiawere massacred after being promised safe passage through a Southern Utah valley known as Mountain Meadows. Justice John F. Kinney was appointed in 1854, and quickly fought with Young over statutes designed to protect polygamists. Police are investigating. There were several times when Brigham Young's life was spared or his health inexplicably restored, according to BYU professor of Mormon History Donald Q. Cannon ("Brigham Young on Life and Death"). While looking at a Tombstone photo, I saw a sign that says mule and ox shoes to order. Its no coincidence, then, that pulp fiction and Hollywood have used these ingredientsmystery, conspiracy and mass murderfor years. 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. However, church president Joseph Smith insisted that his brother William Smith be selected in place of Young. They were reacting to events as they took place. True West asked the authors of both books to lay out their claims. 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. 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. Many American Protestant religions promoted slavery or the Ku Klux Klan. [6] Young was present in Richmond, Missouri when Cowdery died. There are no other trains going south that I know of. Jun 2021 - Present1 year 10 months. Ted's son and Rupert were more prominently involved in Season 1 but weren't seen much the following season. 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.. Brigham Young. He is also the founder of the first Baptist church in America. Brigham Young tried to stop the massacre. They primarily belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has more than 16 read more, When Brigham Young and his band of Mormon settlers marched into Utah in 1847, they saw a vast expanse of land they envisioned as a sanctuary. Of course, there's also the Opening Ceremony, the Cougar Run, a football game, and more. Ann Eliza Webb, after she decided to divorce Young in 1873, published an expos entitled Wife No. Not theories. 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. His grandson and namesake, George Albert Smith, later became an apostle and prophet of the Church. Brigham Young, ca 1850 Brigham Young was born June 1, 1801 in Whittingham, Vermont. This applied to countries as well as individuals. Brigham Young tried to stop the massacre. Hiding Rockwells role in expressing Eleanor to Utah from my late friend Hal was evidence that had been carefully suppressed. Five days later the church president spoke to a congregation filled with many of the participants in the massacre. 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. 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. By doing so, we may get a better understanding of Rupert, who . Tracklist: 01. In 1832, he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the religion founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 based on the Book of Mormon, a scripture that Smith claimed to have translated from gold plates given to him by an angel named Moroni. 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. There is a logic to this. Through most of the nineteenth century, the American West was considered the land of opportunity. Egyptologists (both Mormon and non-Mormon) were invited to view the scrolls and translate them, but they found that the scrolls were ordinary funerary texts that had nothing to do with Abraham. Brent L. Top,professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU, in an interview explained a little more about how these experiences influenced Brigham Young: In an article written by Top, he elaborates more on what Brigham Young taught about the life that awaits us after death: For more incredible insights into what prophets and apostles have taught about the spirit world, check out Life After Death: 6 Insights into the Spirit World. Simpson murdered his wife. Though many suspected Young of ordering or at least covering up the attack, John Lee, an adopted son of Youngs, was the only Mormon brought to trial for the Mountain Meadows massacre; he was executed in 1877. An armed mob assassinated Smith in 1844, and Young and the other apostles took charge of leading the Mormon church. Even on the day of the slaughter, couriers were reportedly hurrying from Cedar City30 miles to the eastto call it off. The winners of the Church History Museums 12th International Art Competition have been announced, and the artwork is breathtaking. (Right) John D. Lee. [Young] is not only the president here but he is the president of the states and kingdoms of this world no matter if they have not elected him. In a very real sense, Brigham Young was the law. He married -- was sealed to, in Mormon parlance -- young (Clarissa Decker, 15) and old (Hannah Tapfield King, 65).