In september 1857 a group of mormons in southern utah killed all adult members of an arkansas wagon train that was headed for california. Ok fine, please read massacre at mountain meadows by r. There has been a movement towards openness, a movement towards a willingness within the church among historians in the church to grapple with. New graves discovered in connection with mountain meadows massacre archive photo. What amazes me most about the evolution of the story of the mountain meadows massacre is that 150 years it was about blood atonement, hatred of gentiles and robbery.
Anyone who reads it will be shaken up by the history of the mormon church and what it has sanitized. In 1945 the historian fawn brodie wrote a controversial biography of joseph smith, no man knows my history, for which she was excommunicated, and it encouraged juanita brooks to write her benchmark 1950 book, mountain meadows massacre. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. Mountain meadows massacre in 1857 an arkansas wagon train on its way through southern utah was attacked by mormon settlers. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre. As historian will bagley noted, lee reconstructed his chronology to distance himself from the initial attack and provided blistering attacks on the men who testified against him. Mountain meadows massacre books bookstore books for sale. Mountain meadows association mountain meadows monument foundation 1857 iron county militia gibbs, josiah f. The utah lighthouse ministry virtual bookstore, has the best selection of books on the mountain meadows massacre, and mormon history on the internet, please do your book shopping there. I read this as research for a paper i wrote on rene girards theory of ritual violence. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. The book covers the subject of mountain meadow massacre that took place in sept 1857 where 120 white settlers of a wagon train passing through utah were murdered by white mormons. Massacre at mountain meadows mountain meadows massacre. The first was the seminal work by juanita brooks the mountain meadows massacre in 2016.
An american legend and a monumental crime, on attack on wagon train by pahute indians and mormons. Juanita brooks book was objective on both sides, pointing out the atmosphere among the lds people at the time of the mountain meadows massacre while also showing the inconsistencies in some of the lds explanations. Relatives from those involved in the mountain meadows massacre discuss what should be done with the graves. Lees story, told by brooks, fits the girardian scapegoat very well. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at mountain. The ministry is a nonprofit very important christian mission that. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre juanita brooks, a mormon historian trained in historical methods, was discouraged from studying the incident, and she suffered some ostracism from fellow mormons after its publication. Massacre at mountain meadows free book with 30 day trial. A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. After finishing jon krakauers amazing under the banner of heaven, i turned to dentons book for a fuller account of the mountain meadows massacre. I think in recent years we have seen a very gradual process leading to what you are seeing today with the mountain meadows massacre book.
This book is written by three lds historians who claims that they had the full support of their church in writing about this incident. The mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks, paperback. Here are five facts surrounding the mountain meadows massacre we should all understand. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to read the true story on the event. Over a hundred people were murdered, with the exception of at least 17. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of john. This book tells the story of subotai the valiant, a warrior for genghis khan and one. A series of attacks was staged on the bakerfancher wagon train around mountain meadows in utah. Dec 26, 1976 rev of william wise book massacre at mountain meadows. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre copied to clipboard the new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford university press, is not a church production but was coauthored by mormon historians ronald w.
Goodreads members who liked the mountain meadows massacre al. Massacre at mountain meadows book whatcom county library. George utah has been denied and vilified by those who tried to keep it quiet. Massacre at mountain meadows this is the second book about moutain meadows massacre ive read. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at. A new book, massacre at mountain meadows, tries to explain what happened that day and why. In this book she exposed the killing of some 100 californiabound emigrants traveling through southern utah in 1856 as an atrocity carried out by a mormon militia with indian allies and not solely as an. Was the slaughter ordered by the churchs leader, brigham young, or was it the misguided action of his overzealous adherents. Neither a whitewash nor an expos, massacre at mountain meadows provides the clearest and most accurate account of a key event in american religious history. And if thats the case, then there must be in the story of the mountain meadows massacre, a lesson for all of us on how we should behave. Juanita brooks book, the mountain meadows massacre is an early historical attempt to explain why this horrible event happened. On september 11, 1857, a band of mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of a. Aug 08, 2000 mountain meadows massacre in 1857 an arkansas wagon train on its way through southern utah was attacked by mormon settlers.
Mountain meadows massacre utah, united states 1857. The book provided an important history of early mormonism as well as offering lees somewhat selfserving account of the events leading to the mountain meadows massacre. Massacre at mountain meadows audiobook by ronald w. Leonard this book covers what was going on in utah 3 mo. Critics charge that the massacre was typical of mormon culture of violence, and claim that church leaderspossibly as high as brigham youngapproved of, or even. The booty stolen from this train alone most likely built the temple in salt lake city. The men on the ground after the bloody deed took an oath that they would never mention the event again, either in public or in private. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. An early marriage suggested her future would follow a predictable course, but the death of her husband, the need to raise a young son, and a passion for knowledge led her along a different path, when at midlife she became a wellknown author after publishing the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre took place in southern utah nearly 150 years ago, but it touched southern californias history too, leading to the demise of a.
Throughout the book, the authors paint finely drawn portraits of the key players in the drama, their backgrounds, personalities, and roles in the unfolding story of misunderstanding, misinformation, indecision, and personal vendettas. The leaders of the mormon church also counseled silence. The mountain meadows massacre audiobook by juanita brooks. Awardwinning journalist sally denton leaves little doubt that it. Buy massacre at mountain meadows by walker, ronald w. Mountain meadows massacre books bookstore books for. The mountain meadows massacre audiobook by juanita. The mountain meadows massacre was a horrible atrocity, and the conduct of some mormons involved in it was deplorable. This book is less the story of the mountain meadows massacreending as it does, with the execution of john d lee two decades later, it is more his story. Massacre at mountain meadows is a book by latterday saint historian richard e. The ministry is a nonprofit very important christian mission that obtains its funds from book sales and donations. The aftermath of mountain meadows the massacre almost brought the united states to war against the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, but only one man was brought to trial. My husband and i just finished reading a book about the mountain meadows massacre and today we visited the sacred site.
The mormon war was just starting and buchanan had sent an army to quash the mormon rebellion. The mormons courageously performed their part of the blood bath, after which they took binding oaths to stand by eachother, and to always swear that the massacre was committed by indians alone. On september 11, 1857, a band of mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of an emigrant company from their fortified encampment and, with some paiute indians, killed them. Analysis indicates that edwardss signature may have been traced and that the typeset belonged to a typewriter manufactured in the 1950s. The mountain meadows massacre josiah francis gibbs. The mountain meadows massacre remains one of the most nettlesome events in the mormon churchs bloody history. In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigrants were killed in lonely mountain meadows in southern utah.
Interviews with authors of massacre at mountain meadows. In 1857 an army of roughly 1,500 united states troops was marching toward utah territory, with more expected to follow. So today, we at lds living seek both to memorialize the massacre s victims and provide our readers with a factual understanding of the tragedy. Mountain meadows massacre central, utah monument facebook. This massive slaughter claimed nearly everyone in the party from arkansas and is the event referred to as the mountain meadows massacre. The book covers the subject of mountain meadow massacre that took place in sept 1857 where 120 white settlers of a wagon train passing. Massacre at mountain meadows ebook written by ronald w. Find books like the mountain meadows massacre from the worlds largest community of readers.
That volume was an original attempt at exposing the massacre and its coverup and resulted in the 1961. Leonard was also the director of the museum of church history and art in salt lake city, utah. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read massacre at mountain meadows. The book concerns the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southern utah, and is the latest study of the subject. The mountain meadows massacre stands as one of the darkest events in mormon history. Rev of william wise book massacre at mountain meadows. A modern forensic assessment of a key affidavit, purportedly given by william edwards in 1924, has complicated the debate on complicity of senior mormon leadership in the mountain meadows massacre. There are several books written on this very subject but we recommend the book massacre at mountain meadows by ronald w. The mountain meadows massacre church of jesus christ. Turley and his coauthors confirm the storys basic framework. Produced in cooperation with the church of jesus christ of. There were a lot of things that happened that led to this horrible end. Revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows 3 that to have this history both advocate and defend this new dispensation, it must be kept honest and fearless and full as well when the tide of events were not favorable for the church and also when the tides seemed to run against it.
The actual events of that fateful day, however, remain relevant for church members around the world. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of. The mountain meadows massacre book by juanita brooks. If there is one clear point in the book it is that in times of prejudice and war, even good people will do horrific things.
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