Dr. Shades wrote:It seems that many people are forgetting (or don't know) the true context under which the MMM was carried out.
First off, the Nehor: No LDS women were raped during either the Kirtland, Independence, Far West, or Nauvoo stages of Mormonism. "Mormon women were raped" is simply an urban legend that cropped up sometime during the early 20th Century after all the eyewitnesses were dead and gone. Quite simply, it never happened.
Second, the actual trigger-pullers of the MMM did so out of fear for their own lives, pure and simple. No, not out of fear of the Fancher party and the unarmed men, women, and children in it, but out of fear of the LDS heirarchy and "Brigham's Boys." Read any of the accounts from those days and it's ABUNDANTLY clear that disobeying the priesthood, on any level, was an automatic death sentence. To reject orders was to sign one's own death warrant, as it was only a matter of time before the Danites caught up with you back then.
One specific account of the MMM recalled a young man who tried to ride away from the scene before the carnage was carried out, but his father shot at him for doing so (and took off the tip of his ear, but that's probably an exaggeration, of course). According to the account, this was because the father knew that his son would himself be killed if he didn't stay and participate in the massacre.
So the perpetrators of the MMM did so to save their own lives.
Ok, I have to comment on this.
Two things.
First, there is a man in my ward who is a descendant of the boy who was shot by his own father during the MMM. The story handed down through his family was something like this: The father ordered the boy to shoot a child in the Francher Party. The boy refused. The father told him to shoot or he would shoot him (that is, shoot
his own son, not the Francher party boy). The boy again refused. The father shot at him and grazed him on the the temple. The boy managed to get out of shooting anyone during the massacre.
My friend (who is about 60 years old) remembers his grandfather describing his memory of his grandfather (I think, I don't know exactly how many generations ago this would have been). He apparently had a permanent gray streak in his hair due to the bullet grazing his head.
Second, I borrowed Juanita Brook's book about the MMM from this friend so I could educate myself about it and while I was reading, I recognized one of my own ancestors named in the book! I was quite surprised! I am relieved (proud!) to say that my ancestor tried to stop the MMM from occurring. I think it is funny that my mother never told me about her ancestor's involvement in the MMM. I guess she didn't like talking about such a black moment in the church's history, even if our own ancestor's actions were beyond reproach. She had never even heard of the MMM (it was never mentioned in her family) until she moved to Arkansas as an adult. You can bet that she found out about it then! People here have not completely forgotten about it.
My gggrandfather absolutely refused to be a part of it. I think that the local leaders probably knew his personality and had kept plans about the MMM away from him on purpose, knowing he would fight against it. Once he knew of it, he did everything in his power to talk them out of it. Our family stories say that there was an unsuccessful attempt on his life once he made his opposition known (I highlighted that part in his journal quote).
These are the words of Laban's (my great great grandfather) journal:
Laban Morrill wrote:"'During my sojourn in this part of the country I served as a member of the city council (of Cedar City) and the high council (stake) of the church. And it was during this time too, that happened the most horrible affair that occurred in the annals of our history, when the blackest of crimes known as the Mountain Meadow Massacre was perpetrated. It was perpetrated by some members of our church, whose pure principles teach that for him who kills there can be no forgiveness in this world or in the next. I knew when the horrifying deed was being discussed by the perpetrators and did all in my power to prevent it and save the lives of the 120 souls who perished there. My opponents claimed that there were among the emigrants men who had assisted in the crimes of murdering and openly boasted that he had helped to kill our prophet. Other claims brot against them by my opponents (among them were many red men) were that they had poisoned the springs of water, etc., as they passed through the territory, and had proclaimed that they would help to kill every damn Mormon off the earth. But do not our principles of right teach us to return good for evil and do good to those who despitefully use us? To fall upon them and destroy them was the work of savage monsters rather than that of civilized beings of our own enlightened time.
"After doing all in my power to dissuade them from their wicked course, but in vain, I persuaded them to wait till I could get a message to Governor Young, which they promised to do. The answer came in haste, commanding them to desist and allow the emigrants to pass unharmed. But before the word arrived, Lee had gathered together a posse of murderers like himself and the dastardly deed was done. God forbid the pages of my journal should be stained with the recital of a crime so foul. But I want my children's children to know that sin, like this is and ever has been, is loathed by me and is in direct opposition to the teachings of Father...'
"His daughter Sarah Morrill Sudweeks gives the following account of his story of the massacre.
"'It was while the family were living here (Johnson's Fort, 7 miles north of Cedar) that the Mountain Meadow massacre took place. In September 1857 Father related how a company of emigrants was passing through, going to California. They would tear down fences, anything they wanted, and brag how they had ravished their wives and daughters. The people stood so much they felt they could stand it no longer. A meeting was called which Father attended. They wanted to do away with the company. Father opposed it and finally got them to promise to wait till they could get word to President Young. Accordingly a messenger -- James Haslem -- was sent. President Young told him not to spare horse-flesh in returning word that the company must be saved. But before the messenger returned, the deed was done. Men and women perished. What a terrible tragedy it was. Years later John D. Lee paid the penalty with his life. I remember Mother and I, with some others, stood on the porch at the Fort and watched the white top buggy go by carrying Lee to Mountain Meadows to be executed.
'That night after the council meeting in Cedar (before the deed) Father felt impressed to go a different way home -- to Johnson's Fort. He did so, giving the horses the reins, and going in a hurry. Later he found that two men had been sent to waylay him. He said that he noticed the two men leave the meeting before it was out -- Dan McFarlane and Joseph Smith -- both good men. McFarlane was postmaster in Cedar for years when we lived there. I remember them both so well.'"