In recent weeks, many of us have watched with great interest as events have unfolded at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas. While watching the many news stories, it was easy to become deeply concerned about the treatment of women and children at the ranch and within the Fundamentalist LDS Church as a whole. On the other hand, I have also been concerned about the rights of the parents and children. The whole saga is deeply disturbing and it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
A few months ago I read a book titled Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto by Brian C. Hales. It is a history of those who continued to practice plural marriage after President Woodruff’s manifesto declaring an end to the practice within the Church. It is a fascinating read about those individuals and groups who believed that President Woodruff was wrong and then continued the practice. As I progressed into this history and read about how these groups functioned, I felt impressed that I was reading a study on the fruits of apostasy.
I have been fascinated by some of the video coming out of the FLDS story, particularly those scenes showing the homes on the ranch. In a scene or two, pictures of the FLDS presidents were shown on the wall. The pictures progressed in the following order: Warren Jeffs (apparently they still think of him as their prophet), Rulon Jeffs, Leroy Johnson, John Barlow, Lorin Woolley, and John Woolley. The pictures continued right to left with John Taylor, Brigham Young, and Joseph Smith. In other places, only the picture of Warren Jeffs was visible. Hanging pictures of the prophets in one’s home is not unusual. I have a picture above my desk of all the latter-day prophets. What I found unusual is that there were no pictures of the Savior. I looked carefully through multiple scenes both on television and the Internet. If you walk into a typical LDS home, you almost always find a picture of the Savior in a prominent location. I wondered if they should change the name of their church to the Fundamentalist Church of Warren Jeffs.
This past Friday, in my daily Book of Mormon reading, I read again about Alma’s mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites (Alma 31). Within that chapter we learn how the Zoramites corrupted the true gospel. They built a tower, which was the only place where they could pray and worship. Alma tells us that after praying, “they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner” (Alma 31:23). Alma tells us that they failed to keep the Law of Moses and did pervert the ways of the Lord. We learn in Alma 32 that the poor among the Zoramites were cast out of their places of worship.
What happened to the Zoramites? They failed to give heed to priesthood authority and to obey the word of the Lord as it was given through his prophet. As a consequence, their faith was corrupted and they worshipped after the manner of their own desires.
What happened to the FLDS? Like the Zoramites, they failed to give heed to the duly constituted priesthood authority and disregarded the word of the Lord as given through his prophet. The FLDS, and other such polygamous groups, believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet they are will to be obedient to only one portion of that which the Prophet taught. The Lord, through Joseph Smith, revealed the pattern for succession in the presidency. These groups are fine with that process until it reaches Wilford Woodruff. Because President Woodruff stopped the practice of plural marriage, they believe that he no longer spoke for the Lord.
Like the Zoramites, these people fell into apostasy. Like the Zoramites, we see the fruits of their apostasy: unrighteous dominion, child brides, possible child abuse, children taken away from their parents, boys kicked out their homes and church.
In the Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord issues a warning to all people that must be carried to the world by his disciples. If these people truly believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, they are unable to carry out this commission from the Lord because of their actions. Their fruits speak louder than any truth they might possess. In excerpts from President Woodruff’s addresses, attached to the end of the Manifesto, he indicates that if the Church had continued the practice of plural marriage, the work of the Church would have been unable to go forward, temples would have been confiscated, and the work for the dead would have ceased.
The work of preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth and doing saving ordinances for the dead has continued because President Woodruff heeded the Lord’s counsel. Since the days of President Woodruff millions have accepted the gospel and been blessed in innumerable ways. Since the days of President Woodruff, the work for tens of millions of the dead has been done in the temples. In the almost 120 years since issuance of the manifesto, only thousands have become part of the FLDS church or the other polygamous offshoot faiths. Little or no preaching to the world has been done. President Woodruff was inspired to cease the practice of plural marriage and time has confirmed the importance of issuing the proclamation.
Over the past year there have been numerous articles and blogs addressing the Church, its doctrine, practices, and people. Much of this is due to the Romney candidacy. I have taken an interest in following this discussion about the Church. As I have tracked threads from articles and blogs, I am sometimes led to the pages of those who are members of the Church, yet unhappy with its doctrines and/or practices, or some of those who have left the Church. I do not dwell on these pages for I find little constructive discussion.
I came across the blog of one individual who recently resigned his membership in the Church. He posted on his blog, “The 96 Theses: Constructive Suggestions for Improving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I suppose he is trying to beat Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. Here are a few of his suggestions or criticisms:
The Church should acknowledge that the “faith-promoting” history it has been teaching through its correlated materials is often misleading or false and the Church should present members with accurate and complete information about Church history. The Church should not teach through word or visual image things that are demonstrably false.
The Church should sell its interest in KSL and other media ventures. The Church should not be in the media business.
The Church shows disrespect toward women by withholding the priesthood from them. The Church should grant women the priesthood and the right to officiate in all the offices pertaining thereto.
The Church shows disrespect toward homosexuals by supporting a constitutional amendment to prevent states from granting all the same legal rights and privileges to homosexual couples that married heterosexual couples enjoy.
The Church shows disrespect for members whose spouses are not members of the Church or are disaffected with the Church by teaching that only couples sealed in the temple who maintain strict obedience to Church teachings and requirements will enjoy family relationships after death.
The Church should clarify for its members that a “full and honest tithe” should be paid on one’s “surplus,” that is, on the amount of money one has left over after paying for taxes and necessary living expenses such as food, housing, clothing, utilities, and transportation.
The Church should shift focus to humanitarian service missions rather than active proselyting missions.
I would love to discuss each of these challenges (and maybe I will at some future time), however all of these challenges and criticisms boil down to one single question: Whose church is it anyway? In his preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord stated, “Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments” (D&C 1:17). Later on in the same revelation that Lord stated, “And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased” (D&C 1:30).
The Lord has claimed this Church as his own. He called Joseph Smith to be his voice upon the earth. Through him, priesthood authority, the authority to act in God’s name, was given to men. An organization was revealed that would perpetuate God’s kingdom upon earth. If this is not the Lord’s church, then whose church is it? If it is not the Lord’s, why belong to it? Apparently, the writer of the 96 Theses does not believe it is the Lord’s church or he would not have resigned his membership. In which case, why the 96 Theses? Why try to reform something that is not what it claims to be?
One of my favorite missionary scriptures is found in Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” If this is the Lord’s church, he will reveal his will through his prophet. The Church is not a democracy where we gather in a convention to discuss doctrines and practices and then vote to decide what to change or not change. They tried that at the Council of Nicea, which excluded the will of God, and ultimately led to the incredible fragmentation of Christianity.
Is the Church (meaning the membership) perfect? No. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. This is the reason for the existence of the Church, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:12-14).
As members, we can make suggestions for improving the effectiveness of this great work. Within the limited authority granted through our callings, and through inspiration, we can do that which helps us to succeed and carry out our responsibilities. In the 1930s, Harold B. Lee, then president of the Pioneer Stake, along with other stake leaders, came up with a welfare plan for their stake that was eventually adopted by the whole church. However, the acceptance of the plan at higher levels was subject to approval by the Brethren under the guidance of the Lord.
This is the Lord’s church. Changes as suggested by the writer of the 96 Theses are not the prerogative of the writer, myself, or even the entire body of the Church. Such changes in doctrine and practice must be approved by the Lord and revealed to “his servants the prophets.” It continues to amaze me that such individuals that have separated themselves from the Church even care whether it changes or not.
A final note. We all loved President Hinckley. I never met him personally, but he was my friend and counselor. I came to know that he was the Lord’s prophet. Upon his death, I felt the loss of my friend and prophet. Though I have admired President Monson over the years and cherished his counsel, I could not see him filling the great shoes of President Hinckley. Last evening I attended General Priesthood Meeting at our stake center. As I watched President Monson speak to the priesthood brethren assembled throughout the world, the spirit manifested to me that the mantle of the prophet has been moved and President Thomas S. Monson is the man bearing that mantle. There is a new prophet in town.
I often receive questions about various aspects of the gospel from those who frequent my lesson outlines posted on the Internet. Though I’m not a scholar, I search my resources and attempt to provide an answer based on the teachings and writings of the Brethren (past and present).
I recently received the following question: At what point in time did Joseph Smith become the prophet? The question was raised by a sister during a lesson discussion in Relief Society. The instructor taught that Joseph became a prophet at the time of the First Vision. At the end of the class, the sister who raised the question came up to the instructor and said that Joseph could not have been the prophet until he received the priesthood and the Church was organized. This sister then raised the question with the husband of the instructor. Apparently, the discussion continued among some of the sisters the following week, creating a certain amount of stress and contention.
I recall a High Priest group meeting I attended some years ago. I do not recall the topic of the discussion. What I do recall is the group discussing a variety of answers to a particular question, some of those answers speculative. The discussion continued for several minutes when one of the quorum members indicated that we were participating in doctrinal ping pong and not getting to the heart of the matter. I remembered that discussion when I received the inquiry about the Joseph Smith and at what point in time he became a prophet.
I love nothing more than a good gospel discussion and have probably been involved in more than my share of doctrinal ping pong conversations. I would also be among the last to put the brakes on a healthy interchange of ideas. Such discussions can be both spiritually and intellectually stimulating. However, within our class and quorum discussions, we need to be careful about getting caught up in discussions over questions that cannot be resolved, require speculation, or may negatively affect the feelings of a class member. Doctrinal ping pong discussions should be limited.
The answer to the question posed by the writer, did not have a simple answer. Each party seemed wed to a particular answer without exploring the response by the other. In the end, one simple fact remains, Joseph Smith became the Lord’s mouthpiece for a new generation. Regardless of the day or year his prophetic calling began, this simple truth stands above the rest. Our ultimate goal is to seek truth and we need to be careful about getting sidetracked in that quest by participating in doctrinal ping pong.
In the Sunday morning session of the October General Conference President Hinckley made the following statement, “The Church has become one large family scattered across the earth. There are now more than 13 million of us in 176 nations and territories. A marvelous and wonderful thing is coming to pass. The Lord is fulfilling His promise that His gospel shall be as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands which would roll forth and fill the whole earth, as Daniel saw in vision (see Daniel 2:31–45; D&C 65:2). A great miracle is taking place right before our eyes.”
When President Hinckley’s talk was reported in the Deseret Morning News, one reader responded, “LDS Church growth extolled? According to Wikipedia, the world's population is believed to have reached over 6.7 billion, as of September, 2007. Mormons represent 13 million out of 6.7 billion humans (according to the LDS Church's statistics), or .0019 percent of the world's population.” The writer continued by comparing the size of the LDS Church to other major religions and concluded, “Give me a break. The 4th column of government (free press) deserves better critical thinking and better representation.” Besides not interpreting his calculator correctly,[1] the author did not attempt to understand that which President Hinckley was teaching.
President Hinckley was not making comparisons to the size of other religions, rather he spoke about the remarkable growth of the Church throughout the world and the incredible story of the restoration. Indeed, the growth of this “large family scattered across the earth” has been nothing less than awesome. In the year of my birth, the membership of the Church was a little over one million members. While serving my mission in the early 1970s, membership passed the three-million mark. Last year Church membership surpassed the 13 million mark. As wonderful as we find this growth, I do not think we need to make membership and growth comparisons to other churches or religions. This is the Lord’s work and it will go forth as he so directs.
I would like to make a couple of comments regarding Church growth. Nephi made the following prophecy, “And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw” (1 Nephi 14:12). The way I read Nephi’s prophecy, it would appear that as long as there is great wickedness upon the earth, the size of the Church will be small in relation to the total population of the world. However, though the saints are few, they will be upon “all the face of the earth.” President Hinckley stated that there are now members of the Church in 176 nations and territories. Nephi’s prophecy seems to be near fulfillment. Daniel’s prophecy, as cited by President Hinckley, will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial reign. How much larger will the Church grow prior to the millennium? We do not know, but according to Nephi the numbers of those belong to the church will be small in comparison to the rest of the world.
I have been tracking membership growth throughout my life, more particularly in the last two decades. I started noticing an interesting trend. In 1990, convert baptisms reached an all time high of 330,887 new members. That number has not been surpassed in the subsequent sixteen years.[2] In fact, each of the years 2003 through 2005 reflects the lowest number of converts since 1987. It seems to me that the number of convert baptisms should increase exponentially in relationship to the overall size of the Church. However, baptism numbers have been relatively level over the past several years, meaning that annual converts are becoming a smaller percent of the whole.
What does all of this mean? At a time when the Church is receiving unprecedented coverage, I would think that there would be greater interest in the restored gospel. I might suggest one possible reason for this change. In 1995, the Brethren issued the Proclamation on the Family. I believe the Brethren saw disturbing trends in our country and throughout much of the world that were impacting the stability of the family. I think these continuing negative changes may be a significant contributing factor affecting the number of convert baptisms as people are turning away from the basic principles and moral values of the past. A prime example of this may be seen in the lack of religion and liberal lifestyles of so many living in Europe. The growth of the gospel in that part of the world appears to have reached a standstill. We know that at some point the missionaries will be called home. The Lord will not call those missionaries home until every person that should hear the gospel has heard the gospel. Clearly, that time has not come yet. 300,000 converts per year (give or take a few thousand) is still a wonderful increase. But as the numbers show, something has changed.
We need to remember that the Lord has not released us from our responsibility as bearers of the good news of the kingdom. We need to continue our efforts as friends to our neighbors and associates. We need to continue to be positive examples and stand as a beacon to those around us. And we need to stand up for the truth when we hear the Church being maligned. It is time to renew our commitment to the Lord and join hands with him in bringing to pass the “immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 3:5).
[1] The figure is actually .19 percent, or almost one-fifth of one percent of the world’s population. This is still a small number, but not as infinitesimal as the author might suggest. [2] I have prepared a graph showing Church growth 1990-2006. It is posted at: http://beardall2000.com/extras/membership_growth.PDF.
If you are anything like me, there is anticipation in advance of General Conference. I always wonder what great announcements might be made. In the upcoming conference, I am reasonably certain that both a new counselor in the First Presidency and a new apostle will be named. I sometimes wonder if there will be great and momentous announcements such as the building of the temple in Jackson County or that we have six months to get our year’s supply in order. I know that sometimes I am guilty of looking for the “big” announcement. In doing so, I may miss the real substance of the conference, that which is meant to guide and prepare us for whatever may lie ahead.
Consider the last the April 2007 General Conference. At the Priesthood session, President Hinckley began by reciting statistics regarding Church progress since he became prophet. These numbers show remarkable growth in the Church, particularly when compared to the previous 165 years of Church history. He then stated, “Now, while all of this has been tremendously significant, I am convinced that with a little more dedication this wonderful recent past can be but prologue to a greater future. Let us all put our shoulders to the wheel and push along, do our duty with a heart full of song. This cause needs work; let no one shirk.” We are reminded that this is not a time to rest on previous successes, but to continue to move forward with optimism in doing the great work of the Lord.
President Hinckley continued his priesthood address by relating an account from the Hawaiian mission of young Joseph F. Smith. Young Joseph dreamed that he encountered Joseph Smith and other great ones from Church history and was able to declare himself clean before them. We are then reminded, “In modern revelation the Lord has said: ‘Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord’ (D&C 133:5). In a world that wallows in filth, be clean—in language, in thought, in body, in dress.” President Hinckley then discussed cleanliness in each of those areas and concluded by stating, “You are His chosen servant; you have been ordained to something holy and wonderful. You cannot live in the world and partake of the ways of the world. You must be above all of that.” As bearers of the priesthood, we are reminded that its power and authority is dependent on our worthiness.
In his Sunday morning address, President Hinckley bore his testimony and reminded us of several great truths: the true nature of Heavenly Father, the reality of Jesus Christ and his atonement, the restoration of priesthood authority, and the blessings of the temple. His testimony stands as a beacon of truth reminding us that there is only one true path to happiness. As the spirit bears witness, we are reminded that there is much to do to improve our relationship with Heavenly Father, in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, to honor our priesthood, and to serve more faithfully in the temple.
As President Hinckley closed the conference, he stated, “We hope that you will use the May edition of the Church magazines as a text for your family home evenings, to review that which has been spoken in this conference. What has been said by each of the speakers represents his or her prayerful attempt to impart knowledge that will inspire and cause all who have heard it to stand a little taller and be a little better.” We are reminded that the teachings spoken throughout the conference are for our benefit and to be studied and used, not to be forgotten when the closing prayer is concluded.
There might not be any Sunday School this weekend, but we will be taught and instructed by the Lord’s servants in magnificent ways. We may not learn when the call to Jackson County will come, but if we listen, study, and ponder, we will be filled with those things that are most important for us to do at this time in the history of mankind.
Proclamation on the Family & Prophetic Fulfillment
I recently completed reading America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It by Mark Steyn. Much of the book discusses changing world demographics. Steyn reviews demographic changes in Europe due to two major factors: 1) declining birth rates among the native populations; 2) Immigration, primarily from Muslim nations. According to Steyn, by mid-century many European nations will have a Muslim majority.
Steyn states that by “2050, Italy’s population will have fallen by 22 percent, Bulgaria’s by 36 percent, Estonia’s by 52 percent—or more. Seventeen European nations are now at what demographers call ‘lowest-low’ fertility: 1.3 births per woman. In theory, those countries will find their population halving every thirty-five years or so.”
I was startled by what I read. As a high school student we were taught about the exploding world population. Steyn points to a different scenario, with falling birth rates throughout the world, many nations are below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. I wondered if Steyn was spinning a tale for political purposes. I checked Wikipedia and found an article that supports Steyn’s claim (see Wikipedia: Sub Replacement Fertility). For hard statistics see Field Listing - Total Fertility Rate in the CIA World Factbook.
As I read through Steyn’s American Alone, it hit me that I might be seeing evidence of prophetic fulfillment of the warning found in the Proclamation on the Family. Consider the following statements from the Proclamation:
Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is Central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.
We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.
It occurred to me that many of the nations or nationalities with birth rates below replacement levels are those with the most liberal lifestyles, moving away from basic principles found within the Proclamation. Many of these countries have minimized the importance of marriage, in that many of their citizens live together out of wedlock and allow for gay marriage or civil unions. Abortion is easy. Consider the projected population loss by 2050 in some of these nations: Spain = 22.7%, Bulgaria = 34.8%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 20.3% (see NationMaster.com). The list goes on. Amazingly, these statistics include immigrant growth. In addition, the population will be aging as there are fewer and fewer young people, thus placing social programs, such as health care and retirement, into a crisis. These are statistics from 2001. It appears to have changed for the worse since that date.
Near the end of the Proclamation we find this warning:
We warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
It would be interesting to take the time to search the prophecies and find that which has indeed been foretold. However, based on the demographic changes which are occurring due to liberal lifestyles, we can guess at some possibilities. If the demographic trends in Europe continue, many of those nations could lose their historical identity. The Italians, the French, and the Spanish peoples may become a minority in their own nations as immigrants from Muslim nations, along with their natural born children, become a majority. With Muslims in the majority, they would be empowered to enact their own, more conservative laws. Might the Muslim majority choose to be ruled by Sharia law (see Sharia - Wikipedia)? Could there be European civil war?
The Old Testament and Book of Mormon provide many examples of what happens to nations when the people turn away from time honored traditions and the teachings of the Lord’s prophets. Other civilizations, such as the Greek and Roman empires, provide further evidence of what happens to those nations that sacrifice basic values. The Lord’s modern prophets have issued a proclamation to the world reminding all people of the importance of morality, marriage, family, and the sanctity of life. Based on the limited evidence noted above, it appears that the world has failed to hear and heed. As a consequence, we are beginning to see the fulfillment of “the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”
Occasionally I receive an e-mail from a visitor to my web site asking about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Here is a sampling of some of the questions I have received:
What was the Mountain Meadows Massacre?
Was it as bad as I have heard?
Were Brigham Young and other Church leaders involved?
One cannot fully chronicle in a blog, or even an article, this event and the circumstances that led up to this tragic page from Church history. For a brief summary, I refer the reader to this excellent article by Richard Turley posted at LDS.org: The Mountain Meadows Massacre.
This past week a major motion picture was released chronicling the events surrounding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. No doubt, this movie will increase the questions surrounding the massacre and even the Church. A few days ago I listened to an interview with the director of the movie, Chris Cain, and actor Jon Voight on the Hugh Hewitt radio program (click here for transcript). Mr. Cain and Mr. Voight would have one believe that this is a great movie that tells the truth about Mountain Meadows. Consider the statements from the following movie critics:
Roger Ebert: “The Mormons are presented in no better light than Nazis and Japanese were in Hollywood’s World War II films. Wasn’t there a more thoughtful and insightful way to consider this historical event?.... I am trying as hard as I can to imagine the audience for this movie. Every time I make any progress, it scares me.” (complete review)
Kyle Smith in the New York Post: “SEPTEMBER Dawn succeeds completely at failure; the unified incompetence of its writing, directing and acting suggest a man who manages to be on fire and drowning at the same time, just as the bus runs him over. I was baffled: Why does this film even exist?” (complete review)
Michael Medved in USA Today: “The film's producers insist it's merely coincidence that their project's release coincides with the surging presidential campaign of the most serious Mormon candidate in American history; after all, planning and pre-production work took place years before Mitt Romney launched his campaign. Nevertheless, even a modest motion picture like this one with little chance of achieving blockbuster status will spark intense new discussion of Mormonism's origins, while powerfully re-enforcing negative stereotypes that already lead millions of Americans to tell pollsters that they wouldn't vote for a Mormon.“ (complete column)
As I scanned several other reviews, I couldn’t find one that praised the picture or its historical accuracy. Yahoo reviewers gave the movie a C- rating.
Mr. Medved raises the question about why this movie was produced and released at this particular time. He believes it has something to do with the candidacy of Mitt Romney. The producers claim it has a message about religious fanaticism. However, it is clear that they were not aiming for historical accuracy. Based on the reviews I have read, a visit to the September Dawn website, and watching the trailer, it seems to me that there is another agenda. The movie trailer itself speaks about a secret that has been cloaked in conspiracy. That statement alone brings the past into the present,creating a link from the massacre to Church leadership from Brigham Young to President Hinckley.
How should members of the Church respond when asked about the massacre? I do not believe that we need to see the movie to make a reasonable response. The article by Brother Turley provides excellent background. We cannot excuse the massacre, but we can put it in its historical setting. The perpetrators were an isolated group living in southern Utah. Many had fled from Missouri and Illinois after the assassination of Joseph Smith, the Hans Mill massacre, and the Missouri extermination order. The U.S. army was marching on Utah under orders from President Buchanan. Their beloved apostle, Parley P. Pratt had been murdered in Arkansas only months before. Their fear cascaded into an unspeakable tragedy. I think we can ask the questioner to consider the full history of the Church and not one isolated negative incident.
September 28, 2007
A follow-note to my previous entry. September Dawn remained in theaters three weeks. The movie cost over $11 million to make. During its three week showing it grossed just over $1 million, which means the investors are stuck with the bill. We can only hope that it will do as poorly once it is released on DVD.
