Saints Mountain Meadows Massacre Part 6

When one examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective view .1 limited sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism. So glad you could be with us for this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism.

I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry at with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we continue looking at the book Saints. No unhallowed hand, a book that was released by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in early 2020. It covers the dates from 1846 to 1893. Last week we were talking about a tragic event in LDS history known as the Mountain Meadows massacre and as I mentioned, I am pleased to a certain extent that the Mormon church included that story in this book. I think the church does owe somewhat of an explanation as to what took place. However, as I mentioned last week, the Mormon church is never really apologized for this event. They've always seem to want to protect Brigham Young and any alleged involvement. He may have had not personally but certainly in perhaps giving permission for things to be put into place, which ultimately led to the demise of over 120 immigrants traveling from Arkansas to California now and Friday show. We were talking about what it actually happened on September 11, 1857, but the book goes on to explain what happens after that time, but let me turn to page 267 to read to you what it has to say about John Higbee's responsibility in this massacre and the aftermath following the massacre it says on page 267 when the militiamen heard Higbee's signal, and from what we gather his signal was halt because the Mormons were walking side-by-side by the immigrants who had left their arms behind.

They had left the protection of their wagons on a promise by the Mormons under a white flag of truce that they would be led to safety. The men are going out in single file, as are some of the women. The wounded are in a wagon and then there's a point where John Higbee says halt some accounts say that he also said do your duty and at that point, the man who had the guns walking along the column of immigrants open fires on them and kills them. It says in the book on page 267 that John D. Leave now. Remember I said last week John delete would be the only one who would be executed for this crime he really was the scapegoat in this horrible atrocity, but John delete says saw to it that no one survived. You could tell the tale. Afterward, the stench of blood and gunpowder home over Mountain Meadows. More than 120 immigrants had been killed since the first attack four days earlier that would be on Monday, September 7 but then you turn the page on 268 it talks about a visit to the site by Isaac Heydt who was a stake president in Cedar City.

He was also the mayor of Cedar City and a man named William Dame William Dame was a commander in the Nauvoo Legion, which was a Mormon militia, but he was also the stake president of Pero on a town north of Cedar City. He was also the mayor of peril and so what we have here are two local Mormon leaders and this is how they were affected by the cited Mountain Meadows on the next morning, early the next morning Isaac Heydt and William Dame arrived at the Hamlin Ranch.

It was the first time either of them had visited Mountain Meadows since the siege began when he learned how many people had been killed. William was shocked quote I must report this matter to the authorities." And implicate yourself with the rest that Isaac, nothing has been done except by your orders, let me stop you there Eric because here's how it unfolds. The Mormons decide after the immigrants leave Cedar City after this encounter with a Miller this is Philip Kling and Smith who was a local bishop, remember I was explaining that there was an altercation that took place because in order to grind some grain that the settlers had he wanted to charge them a whole cow which of course insulted the immigrants angered the immigrants because they felt that that was totally exorbitant. We are led to believe by the book written by the three Mormon historians massacre at Mountain Meadows. This was really the cause for the Mountain Meadows massacre. I find that very hard to believe but that's the answer that the Mormon historians give us. We get to this part where William Dame sees what it actually happened as a result of an order that she gave to Isaac Heydt and Isaac Heydt passed on to the militia members. The Mormons who are involved in the killing and notice what's happening now they are starting to bicker and point fingers at each other knowing that if anybody talks, everyone is going to go down and that's where we are on this page 268, where Isaac says to William Dame that if he reports this matter to the authorities he would implicate himself with the rest and then Isaac says nothing has been done except by your orders, meaning William Dame's orders continues.

Later John delete led both men to the massacre site signs of the carnage were everywhere and some men were bearing the bodies in shallow graves.

Quote I did not think that there were so many women and children." William said, his face pale Col. Dame counseled and ordered me to do this saying and now he wants to back out and go back on me. Isaac said to John, his voice filling with rage.

He has got to stand up to what he did like a little man.

Isaac William said I did not know there were so many of them it makes no difference. Isaac said okay let me stop you there. Are we really to believe that William Dame did not know how many people were involved in this we know that when they stopped in Cedar City. They camped right outside the four walls at that time he had to have known that this was a large wagon train.

It was discussed by the locals so I have a real hard time with this statement that William says in the end it probably really set it but I don't think it's true he had to have known it was a large wagon train of many, many people, but whether it was one family or whether it was 30 families doesn't really matter. And that's exactly what Isaac Kate says that makes no difference. The book goes on and says later after the dead were buried Philip Kling and Smith, and Isaac told the militiamen to keep their role in the massacre a secret.

Let me ask Eric do you really think with so many people involved. And let's not forget they also involve the local Native Americans.

The local pilots. They were the first to attack when it became apparent that the Indians would not be able to wipe out this wagon train. The Mormons knew they had to get involved. Some of them dressed up as Indians in order to disguise themselves. We know this from the testimony of some of the children that survive some of the smaller children. One young child said that the Indians had killed his father but when he washed his face.

He became a white man and remember the whole plot focus was to blame the local Indians for this atrocity. And that was the story that many of those involved stuck to. And we know that there's no way when that many people are involved in some estimate there were probably about 100 Mormons involved in the massacre and we don't know how many Indians were involved in the massacre. Do you think the Indians would keep their mouth shut if they knew that they were blamed for the entire atrocity. Of course, not in some of the Indians did say that they were involved, but so were the white man or the Mormons were involved this as well. Last Friday show. I introduced them the name of James Henry Carlton. He was a major in the Army. He was stationed in California major Carlton is going to go to southern Utah and do an investigation on the Mountain Meadows when he gets there he is met by Dr. Brewer from the United States Army with Capt. Campbell's command that Capt. Campbell is coming south from Camp Floyd after the contingent of soldiers arrives in the Salt Lake Valley. They set up a camp notice Camp Floyd that name would be changed after the Civil War begins to Camp Crittenden because Floyd would later join the Confederate Army, but these two groups meet. In fact, Capt. Campbell gets to the area a week before Carlton arrives Carlton is told that he is to do an investigation. So he starts interviewing a lot of the locals and is noticing that a lot of the Mormons are sticking pretty much with the same story that is the Indians fault that he doesn't by this story. He gives a detailed account of what he sees when he arrives on the scene and it's terrible about this is he's writing this report on May 25, 1859. Folks, that's all.

About a year and 1/2 after the massacre takes place by should mention you can find this report on the Internet.

All you need to is type in your search box major James Carlton and that spell CA RLET0 and and then the word report and you will see several links to this report that we are citing here today if you're interested in the subject. I would strongly encourage you to read what major Carlton said based on what he saw very quickly. Eric, let's just talk about what he saw when he finally gets to the site and remember this is in 1859 when he is writing this report, I took a wagon and a party of men, and made a thorough search for others amongst the sagebrush is a goes on and says I gathered many of the disjointed bones of 34 persons. The number could easily be told by the number of pairs of shoulder blades and by lower jaws's goals and parts of schools etc. these with the remains of two others gotten in a ravine to the east of the spring where they had been interred at but little depth 34 and all I buried in a grave on the northern side of the ditch around and above this grave I caused to be built of loose granite stones hauled from the neighboring hills a rude monument conical in form and 50 feet in circumference at the base and 12 feet in height. This is surmounted by a cross hewn from red cedar wood from the ground the top of cross is 24 feet, transverse part of the cross, facing toward the north is an inscription carved in the wood quote. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord," and that comes from Deuteronomy 32, 35, and on a rude slab of granite set in the earth and leaning against the northern base of the monument. There are cut the following words quote here 120 men women and children were massacred in cold blood early in September 1857. They were from Arkansas." This is a description of the rock.

Karen that major Carlton had set up to honor those who were murdered as I mentioned on Friday when Brigham Young goes to the area after this he sees this rock Karen. He sees that Bible verse and he has the men that were with him tear down the monument. Why would he do that but Carlton goes on to explain, I observed that nearly every skull I saw had been shot through with rifle or revolver bullets. I did not see one that had been quote broken in with stones. Dr. Brewer showed me one that probably of a boy of 18, which had been fractured and slipped doubtless by two blows of a Bowie knife or other instrument of that character. This is the gruesome sight that Dr. Carlton saw after the massacre took place to keep it a secret was impossible, and now we have evidence to show that the story was hardly an attack by an Indian tribe on a group of immigrants.

This is why theology matters. Bad theology can lead to bad actions in the Mountain Meadows massacre is certainly a case like that. Thank you for listening. If you would like more information regarding this research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint is