Southern Utah Vacation Part 1: Mountain Meadows

Our First Stop On Our Summer Vacation Was The Mountain Meadows Memorial Site

David explained the attrocity and helped the family understand what happens when people do not live what they profess. (His notes below came from the Walker/Turley book and the Seminary & Institute curriculum). This is his summary of those sources for those not aware of the sad circumstance:

      u  On the 10^th anniversary of their arrival in Salt Lake Valley the Latter-day Saints held a celebration.

u  At this celebration Brigham Young received confirmation that an army was coming to Salt Lake City.

u  Disagreements and miscommunication created tension between the Latter-day Saints and officials of the United States government.

u  The Saints wanted to be governed by their own leaders and had rejected federal appointees who did not share their values. These rejected leaders considered the Saints to be in open rebellion against the U.S. Government.

u  Without the approval of Congress, U.S. President James Buchanan sent 1500 troops to Salt Lake City to force Utahans under the rule of appointed officials. These troops were led by Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston

u  In sermons to the Saints, President Young and other Church leaders described the coming troops as enemies. President Young, who for years had asked the Saints to save grain, renewed his instructions so they would have food to eat if they needed to flee from the troops. As governor of Utah Territory, he also directed the territory’s militia to prepare to defend the territory.

u  An emigrant wagon train traveling on this route from Arkansas to California entered Utah just as Latter-day Saints were preparing to defend the territory against the coming United States troops.

u  Members of the wagon train became frustrated because they had a difficult time purchasing much-needed grain from the Saints, who had been instructed to save their grain. They also conflicted with Saints who did not want the wagon train’s animals to consume the fields and water needed for the Saints' animals.

u  Tensions erupted in Cedar City, the last settlement in Utah on the route to California. Confrontations led some of the members of the wagon train to threaten to join the government troops against the saints. Rumors spread that some of those in the wagon train had also been at Carthage and responsible for the martyrdom. Even though leaders on both sides rebuked their companions for these threats, some still desired conflict after the wagon train moved on.

u  If these Saints had lived their religion, they could have avoided further conflict. “The phrase ‘agree with thine adversary quickly’ means to resolve our differences early on, lest the passions of the moment escalate into physical or emotional cruelty, and we fall captive to our anger.” (David E. Sorenson, Forgiveness will change Bitterness to Love” Ensign, May 2003,11)

u  Isaac Haight, the Cedar City mayor, militia major, and stake president, ß requested permission from the militia commander, William Dame for permission to confront the offenders from the wagon train. Permission was denied, and he was told to ignore the emigrants’ threats. 

u  Instead of yielding to this counsel, Haight asked John D. Lee to recruit some local Native Americans and lead an attack on the emigrants, and steal their cattle as punishment. The two planned to blame the Indians for the deed.

u  Isaac Haight presented the plan to attack the wagon train to a council of local leaders in the Church, community, and militia. Some council members strongly disagreed with the plan and asked Haight if he had consulted with President Brigham Young about the matter. Saying he had not, Haight agreed to send a messenger, James Haslam, to Salt Lake City with a letter explaining the situation and asking what should be done. However, because Salt Lake City is approximately 250 miles from Cedar City, it would require about a week of hard riding on horseback for the messenger to reach Salt Lake City and return to Cedar City with President Young’s instructions.

u  Shortly before Isaac Haight sent his letter with the messenger, John D. Lee and a group of Native Americans attacked the emigrant camp at a place called the Mountain Meadows. Lee led the attack but concealed his identity so that it would appear that only the Native Americans were involved. Some of the emigrants were killed or wounded, and the remainder fought off their attackers, forcing Lee and the Native Americans to retreat. The emigrants quickly pulled their wagons into a tight circle, or corral, for protection. Two additional attacks followed during a five-day siege on the wagon train.

u  At one point, Cedar City militiamen became aware of two emigrant men who were outside the wagon corral. The militiamen fired on them, killing one. The other man escaped and brought news to the wagon camp that white men were involved in the attacks against them. Those who planned the attacks were now caught in their deception. If the emigrants were allowed to go on to California, news would spread that Latter-day Saints were responsible for the attack on the wagon train. The conspirators feared this news would bring negative consequences upon themselves and their people.

u  In an attempt to cover their sins, Isaac Haight, John D. Lee, and other Church and militia leaders hatched an evil plan.

u  They approached under a flag of truce, promised that the militia would protect them from further attacks, and guide them safely back to Cedar City.

u  On the journey, the Militia turned their guns on the emigrants, and with the help of Native Americans, slaughtered all of the 140 individuals except 17 small children.

u  The leaders received Brigham Young’s command to let the emigrant train go in peace.

u  When Haight read President Young’s words, he sobbed like a child and could manage only the words, “Too late, too late.” 

u   President Eyring taught, "The gospel of Jesus Christ that we espouse, abhors the cold-blooded killing of men, women, and children. Indeed, it advocates peace and forgiveness. What was done [at the Mountain Meadows] long ago by members of our Church represents a terrible and inexcusable departure from Christian teaching and conduct”

u  How would you react if you found out that you, a Latter-day Saint, were a descendant of those murdered at Mountain Meadows?   “James Sanders is the great-grandson of . . . one of the children who survived the massacre [and is also a member of the Church]. . . . Brother Sanders . . . said that learning his ancestor had been killed in the massacre ‘didn’t affect my faith because it’s based on Jesus Christ, not on any person in the Church’” (Richard E. Turley Jr., “The Mountain Meadows Massacre,” 21).

u  Fortunately, the Saints avoided open battles in the Utah War. They relied on harassment strategies to make it difficult for the army to arrive in Utah while working for a diplomatic solution.

u  They blocked the army’s entrance into Salt Lake Valley, burned supplies, and made things difficult for the army. They also informed the army that they would burn everything and leave before submitting.

u  Eventually, President Buchanan came under pressure to end the crisis. He was criticized for not contacting Governor Young about his replacement, and he therefore offered complete pardons to all those involved in the Utah War.