CUL:The Mountian Meadows Massacre  by Walter Martin

from "The Kingdom of the Cults"

We cannot, of course, discuss the history of the Mormons under Brigham 
Young in great detail because that would easily necessitate a full 
volume by itself, but suffice it to say that Smith gave the movement
its initial thrust and Brigham Young supplied the needed momentum
necessary to establish it as a bona fide religion.  Young himself was 
a character of many facets, and one cannot understand the theology of 
Mormonism without understanding the tremendous influence exercised 
upon it by the person of "prophet" Young and his teachings.  Smith and 
Young, in company with the pronouncements of the succeeding 
presidents, have made Mormon theology what it is, and apart from 
Brigham Young, Mormonism cannot be thoroughly understood. 

Young was a man of indomitable courage, possessed of a canny nature, 
but given of fits of ruthlessness now conveniently forgotten by Mormon 
historians.  One such evidence of his determination to control Utah 
was the order which he gave to massacre over 100 non-Mormon immigrants 
in what has now become known as the infamous Mountain Meadows 
Massacre.  In this particular instance, for reasons known only to 
himself, Young entrusted to Bishop John D. Lee in 1857 the task of 
annihilating a wagon train of virtually helpless immigrants.  This, 
Bishop Lee did faithfully, and 20 years later he was imprisoned, 
tried, convicted and excuted by the government of the United States 
for this vicious, totalitarian action. 

In his momorable book, the confessions of John D. Lee, a consistent 
sore spot in the Mormon scheme of historical "reconstruction," Lee 
confessed to his part in the infamous doings, but he swore that he 
acted upon the order of Brigham Young.  However, the testimony of Lee 
and of some of his lieutenants and others connected with the massacre 
indicates beyond question that Young ordered and sanctioned the 
action.  As we further study Mormon theology, it will become apparent 
that this was not at all beyond the limits of Young's character; he 
was the law in Utah; and as it has been so wisely observed, "power 
corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." 

Mormonism today, then, is a far cry from quite a number of the 
principles and practices of its early founders.  To be sure, it 
remains faithful to their basic tenets, but, as in the case of 
polygamy, when those tenets come in conflict with government statutes 
or political influence, the latter-day saints have wisely chosen to 
ignore (the word commonly used is "re-interpret") the counsels of 
their two chief prophets.  The history of the mormons is a vast and 
complex subject; it is a veritable labyrinth of books, testimonies, 
affidavits, photographs, hearsay and opinions, and it is only after 
the most careful analysis of the contemporary evidence that a picture 
emerges consistent with verifiable facts.  For the average faithful 
Mormon, one can but have sympathy and regard.  He is, by and large, 
honest, industrious, thrifty and zealous in both the proclamation and 
promulgation of his beliefs.  One only regrets that he has accepted at 
face value a carefully edited "history" of the origin and doctrinal 
development of his religion instead of examining the excellent sources 
which not only contradict but irrefutably prove the falsity of what is 
most certainly a magnificent reconstructed history.  It is to be hoped 
that as we further study the unfolding drama of Mormon doctrine, and 
the Mormonism and the pitfalls which most certainly exist in taking at 
face value the gospel according to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.  
The verdict of history, then, is overwhelmingly against the Mormon 
version, particularly where Smith and Young are concerned; and there 
is a vast amount of documentation all but a few Mormons seem content 
to ignore, but the facts themselves remain too well verified to be 
ignored. 
