Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods/Chapter 11


Claims made in "Chapter 10: A New Beginning"
A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Richard Abanes
 Claims made in "Chapter 12: Wars and Rumors of Wars"

Claims made in "Chapter 11: Bloody Brigham"

Page Claim Response Author's sources

225 epigraph, 553-558n1 (PB)

 A lengthy letter is printed in its entirety in the endnotes. The author says that the letter from Aaron DeWitt was written to his sister Elizabeth Durrant on January 31, 1875 and slipped into a time capsule. The letter talks about murder and plunder in Utah.
  • Source for the letter is an online web address at Saint's Alive (Ed Decker's site): www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/murder.html.

226, n5

 "In the eyes of the Saints, America's doom had been determined the day Joseph died."
  • Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses 6:204..
  • Brigham Young, "Manuscript History of Brigham Young," under July 8, 1849 and August 26, 1849, reprinted in Williaj S. Harwell, ed., Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1847-1850, 221, 238.

227, 558n13

 Broughton D. Harris found that census results for the State of Deseret were "false and exaggerated."
  • David L. Bigler, Forgotten Kingdom: The Mormon Theocracy in the American West, 1847-1896, 57-58.

227-228

 Regarding Broughton D. Harris, Lemuel G. Brandebury and Justice Perry Brocchus: "Before the year ended, these officials fled Utah, believing that to stay would mean certain death….a total of sixteen federal officers would abandon their Utah posts and lodge similar complaints about Mormon threats, intimidation, and non-compliancy with federal laws and directives."
  • No source provided

228, 559n16-18

 David H. Burr reported that "Mr. Troskolowski," had been "assulted and severely beaten by three men under the direction of one Hickman, a noted member of the so-called 'Danite Band." The beating "apparently had been ordered by LDS leaders in response to Troskolowski's efforts to make sure twelve-year-old Emma Wheat escaped her impending marriage to a polygamist.
  • David H. Burr, letter to Thomas A. Hendricks, General Land Office, August 30, 1856, located in the annual land reports of the General Land Office for 1856 and 1857; cf. Nels Anderson, Desert Saints: The Mormon Frontier in Utah, 149.
  • Hirshon, 127

231

 The "infamous Reformation" was "a period of religious fanaticism, extreme spiritual subjugation of the masses, and brutal acts of violence to purge the church of its weak, faithless, or sinful members."
  • No source provided.

232, 559n32

 "Other men, Brigham's enforcers, would see to the more unpleasant tasks of the reformation. This collection of rogues, commonly known as Young's 'Destroying Angels," was comprised of long-time Danites, brutal gunslingers, and assorted desperadoes. The most notorious angels of destruction were Porter Rockwell and 'Wild' Bill Hickman (a.k.a. the 'Danite Chief of Utah)."
  • Jerald and Sandra Tanner, "Brigham Young and Wild Bill Hickman," Salt Lake City Messenger (#77), February 1991.
  • Hope A. Hilton, "Wild Bill" Hickman and the Mormon Frontier65, 113.

232, 559n33

 The author claims that Brigham "often commented on such individuals, favorably listing their unique qualities and extolling his gratitude for their presence in the territory." He then supports this with Young's quote: "We have the meanest devils on the earth in our midst, and we intend to keep them, for we have use for them; and if the Devil does not look sharp, we will cheat him out of them at the last, for they will reform and go to heaven with us."
  • No other references are provided to support the idea that Brigham "often commented" on this.
  • Additional context for Brigham's statement:

Can we feed and clothe ourselves? Yes, we can, as well as any people on the earth. We have a goodly share of the genius, talent, and ability of the world; it is combined in the Elders of this Church and in their families. And if the Gentiles wish to see a few tricks, we have "Mormons" that can perform them. We have the meanest devils on the earth in our midst, and we intend to keep them, for we have use for them; and if the Devil does not look sharp, we will cheat him out of them at the last, for they will reform and go to heaven with us.

We have already showed the invading army a few tricks; and I told Captain Van Vliet that if they persisted in making war upon us, I should share in their supplies. The boys would ride among the enemy's tents; and one of their captains ran into Colonel Alexander's tent one night, saying, "Why, Colonel, I'll be damned if the Mormons won't be riding into your tent, if you don't look out.

233, n36-39

 Brigham taught "blood atonement."

233-234, 560n40

 Jedediah Grant preached about "Blood Atonement"
  • Jedediah Grant, [ Journal of Discourses 4:49-50].

233, 560n37

 Brigham "confirmed that the term 'cutting off' from the earth had been previously used, and would continue to be used, as a euphemism for killing."
  • Brigham Young, [ Journal of Discourses 4:53].

234, 560n43

 Jedediah Grant "drew up a list of highly intrusive questions to be used for probing the personal lives of those dwelling within the boundaries of Brigham's empire."
  • The ""highly intrusive"" list of questions is listed in the endnote, and sounds very much like a temple recommend interview today:
    • Have you ever committed adultery?
    • Have you ever spoken evil of Authorities or anointed of the Lord?
    • Have you ever betrayed your brethren?
    • Have you ever stolen or taken anything that was not your own?
    • Have you ever took [sic] the name of God in vain?
    • Have you ever been drunk?
    • Do you pay all your Tithing?
    • Do you attend your Ward meetings?
    • Do you pray in your families night and morning?
    • Do you wash your bodies once a week?"
  • Diary of John Moon Clements, under November 4, 1856, as quoted in Gene A. Sessions, Mormon Thunder: A Documentary History of Jedediah Morgan Grant, 220-221.

234-235, 560n45-46

 Brigham "encouraged faithful Saints to murder, out of 'love,' all unfaithful Mormons so their sould might be saved."
  • Brigham Young, [ Journal of Discourses 4:219-220].
  • Heber C. Kimball, [ Journal of Discourses 4:173-174].

235, 560n47

 Heber C. Kimball claimed that the apostles killed Judas.
  • Heber C. Kimball, [ Journal of Discourses 6:125-126].

235, 560-561n50

 "In Utah, a host of sins, real and imagined, would bring the death penalty."
  • The author includes a long list of crimes that "called for death." This list is from the Tanners, although the Tanners are not credited for the entire list: They are cited once under the "Intermarriage" entry.

230

 "Blood began to flow profusely in Utah not long after the reformation was launched."
  • No source provided.

236, n52

 After "relating a dream wherein he had slit the throats of two men 'from ear to ear' with a bowie knife" Brigham said: "I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will unsheath my bowie knife, and conquer or die….Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be put on the line, and righteousness to the plummet."
  • Brigham Young, [ Journal of Discourses 1:83].

236-237, 563n53 (HB)

 "Apostates certainly were viewed as the worst of sinners, although every reprobate received the same penalty. As Brigham instructed his flock: 'If any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats.'" (HB)
∗       ∗       ∗

"Apostates certainly were viewed as the worst sinners, although every reprobate, risked similar justice. Young once said: "It was asked this morning how we could obtain redress for our wrongs; I will tell you how it could be done, we could take the same law they have taken...and if any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats." (PB)

237, 561n54 (PB)

 The author claims that "Young here may not have been explicitly condoning murder, but his words apparently were enough to move more than a few Saints to action. And the outside world's knowledge of Utah events seemed inconsequential."" He then quotes "Brigham's thoughts on that issue:"

What do you suppose they would say in old Massachusetts….What would they say in old Connecticut?"" They would raise a universal howl of, 'how wicked the Mormons are; they are killing the evil doers who are among them; why I hear that they kill the wicked away up yonder in Utah.'...What do I care for the wrath of man? No more than I do for the chickens that run in my dooryard.

  • Consider the full title of Brigham's discourse:FAITH—PRACTICAL RELIGION—CHASTISEMENT—NECESSITY OF DEVILS. The "necessity of devils" relates to the subject discussed here. Brigham actually said:

We must have those amongst us who will steal our fence poles, who will go and steal hay from their neighbor's hay stack, or go into his corn field to steal corn, and leave the fence down; nearly every ax that is dropped in the kanyon must be picked up by them, and the scores of lost watches, gold rings, breast pins, &c., must get into their hands, though they will not wear them in your sight. It is essentially necessary to have such characters here.

After we had given the brethren such a scouring two or three months ago, about returning lost property when found, one or two men brought in two or three rusty nails of no value, which they had picked up; this was tantamount to saying to brother Sprague, "If we had found your purse, or if we had found Brigham's purse, we would see you, in hell before we would return it." We wish to impress upon you the necessity of your bringing the ax you find, the hay fork, or any other lost property which you find, to the person who is appointed to take charge of such property, that the owners may again possess it. But if you should pick up a piece of rotten wood, and bring it to brother Brigham, or Dr. Sprague, with a show of honesty, and in derision of the counsel you have received, it would be like saying, "If we could find or steal your purses, you should never see them again. We are poor, miserable devils, and mean to live here by stealing from the Saints, and you cannot help yourselves."

Live here then, you poor, miserable curses, until the time of retribution, when your heads will have to be severed from your bodies. Just let the Lord Almighty say, "Lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet," and the time of thieves is short in this community. What do you suppose they would say in old Massachusetts, should they hear that the Latter-day Saints had received a revelation or commandment to lay "judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet?" What would they say in old Connecticut? They would raise a universal howl of, "How wicked those Mormons are; they are killing the evil doers who are among them; why I hear that they kill the wicked away up yonder in Utah." They do not kill anybody down there, do they?

As for the inhabitants of the earth, who know anything about the "Mormons," having power to utter worse epithets against us than they do, they have to get more knowledge in order to do it; and as for those enemies who have been in our midst, feeling any worse than they do, they have first to know more; they are as full of bad feeling now as they can hold without bursting. What do I care for the wrath of man? No more than I do for the chickens that run in my dooryard. I am here to teach the ways of the Lord, and lead men to life everlasting, but if they have not a mind to go there, I wish them to keep out of my path.

  • Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 3:50.
  • Note the typographical error in the quote "the Mormons" as opposed to "those Mormons" in the orignal source, indicating that the author's version of the quote may have been copied from a secondary source.

237, 562n55-56 (PB)

According to the author, quoting Mary Ettie V. Smith, Brigham Young had a man named Alonzo Bowman killed after he "made the mistake of innocently asking about LDS beliefs and the facts behind the Saints' troubles."

  • The man's name is actually Walter Alonzo Clark Bowman
  • (from MADB): There is mention by Joseph Lee Robinson in his journal that Pres. Young had received "credible information" of "traders" and "several hundred spaniards collegeing with the indians to turn them against us" on April 20 1853. Brigham Young gave a proclamation to "take into custody all groups of spaniards or any suspicious characters" at that time. The account in the story takes place in the summer of 1853.
  • There are no primary sources to support this story. Mary Ettie V. Smith's narrative is highly suspect.
  • Loaded and prejudicial language
  • Quoted in Nelson Winch Green, Mormonism: its rise, progress, and present condition. Embracing the narrative of Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith, 273-275.

244-245, 566n82 (HB)

 "...as the wagon-train traversed the southern route, conflict erupted between the emigrants and the Mormons, who refused to sell badly needed food and supplies to the travelers. Such conduct was unthinkable to the Baker-Fancher company. They had no idea that the refusals were in obedience to Brigham's prohibition on trading with the Gentiles."
  • On August 2, 1857, just one month before the massacre, Brigham Young wrote to [sic] a letter to church leaders telling them to make sure that no one sold as much as "one kernal" of food to the Saints "enemies" (Brigham Young letter to Bronson and Haight, August 2, 1857, MS 1234 LDSCA).

Further reading

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