Just got it out of the library and am immersed in it. It’s about the 1857 massacre of 140 westbound settlers, by a group of Mormons, at Brigham Young’s orders—something the Mormon Church still denies. It’s very well-written and researched, a fascinating read! Makes me want to go out and find more on the subject.
Happy 10K posts Eve!
Is the book written as a straight investigation or is it a straight out attack on the Mormans?
I mean do the authors seem to have drawn a conclusion from evidence or did they find a conclusion and then draw evidence that supported the conclusion.
No, the author seems (to this “gentile”) to be pretty fair, given the facts. She’s from a Mormon family herself—though whether that would make her more or less even-handed is up for grabs. I’d be very interested to hear Mormon perspective on the book! It’s undeniable that the killings were done by Mormons at the order of Brigham Young: but how this reflects on the origins of the church and its present day status, I don’t know.
Oh, she also goes into great detail on the first 20 years of the Mormon church, all of which was newsboys to *me. *
Just now finished the book–highly recommend it, one of the best-written and thought-provoking history books I’ve read in ages.
The Mormon church still denies any culpability, though just about all evidence points to the massacre (the worst on American soil till the Oklahoma City bombing) having been ordered by Brigham Young and carried out by his top aides. In 1999, excavation turned up a number of remains, but before they could be examined, the governor of Utah demanded they be reburied.
A lot of reasons, I guess, why Mormons in 2003 are still antsy about this 1857 massacre: it was not only ordered by the church’s hugely famous and revered leader, but it reflects right back on founder Joseph Smith’s “blood atonement” teachings.
I’d love to hear from any LDS’s about this book.
I have a grandfather, born in Utah (of Mormon parents, though he personally is an Anglican) who was nearly thrown out of college in Utah in the late 1940’s because he had brought up Mountain Meadows during a history class. Indeed, we believe that the only reason that he wasn’t thrown out was because of his GI status.
So, yes, they are sensitive about it.
You guys are going to LOVE Jon Krakauer’s new book “Under the Mantle of Heaven, A Story of Violent Faith.” It’s a well-researched book about fundamentalist Mormons (and a lot about the mainstream LDS, too). There is quite a bit about the Mountain Meadows massacre in there, too.
Um, Eve: Soon a poster or two will be along to tell you that that book is a Dirty Lie**[sup]TM**[/sup] because nobody of that particular faith can possibly do anything wrong.
I didn’t say you had to believe them, as I don’t believe them myself, but I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re going to be told.
Thanks for the tip about the book.
Jon Krakauer is the guy who wrote “Into Thin Air” about the Everest climb and several other great books. I envy those of you who have not yet read Under The Mantle of Heaven. It is immensely readable and based on years of research and personal interviews. He refers to other books about the Mountain Meadows massacre and I want to read those, too.