A great many of the wagon train descendants are of the opinion, due to many of the reasons outlined below, that the sacred ground containing the remains of our ancestors in Mountain Meadows, Utah should be taken out of the hands of the LDS Hierarchy and placed into federal stewardship to maintain the true and undiluted integrity of the massacre site.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints hierarchy will continue to deny guilt in the September 11, 1857 Mountain Meadow Massacre, even though overwhelming evidence points to the church and the church's second President and Prophet Brigham Young. The church's position that only one person John D. Lee, was responsible for the deaths and robbery of one hundred and twenty persons is absolutely Ludicrous.
The church's position is purely a financial one and one that church attorneys hope keeps wagon train massacre descendant organizations from filing law suits. The most important reason the church will not admit complicity as they still have their heads in the sand thinking that the second prophet and president Brigham Young's name will be spared. The church has it hands full on the damage control issue. This issue is a good example how the church's financial status takes obvious precedence over it's spiritual leadership.
The beautiful Rock Cairn they built on the original site is historically inaccurate and insultingly degrading to the victims of the Massacre. In May of 1859 Brevet Major James Henry Carleton and his men built the original Rock Cairn with a Christian cross. The Rock Cairn and Cross were desecrated by Brigham Young on May 25, 1861 as recorded in church historian Wilford Woodruffs diary. Click on images to enlarge.
Major Carlton had his troop cut down two cedar trees which they made into a beautiful Christian Cross, the rock cross was placed on the rock cairn.
On the cross was was carved "Vengeance is mine and I will repay." Most of the victims in the Fancher wagon train were Methodist and the Christian Cross is a significant symbol of their religion as it is with most Christian religions. The Mormon Hierarchy failed to place a cross on the Cross due to their beliefs.
President Hinckley has distastefully bragged many times how much the church has spent on the monument and carefully alluded the fact of how much gold went into the church's treasury from the robbery of the wagon train. Mr. Hinckley, as the CEO of the Church, is well aware that the accrued interest on the gold
stolen at the massacre is worth much more than what the Mormons have have ever spent on the monument. His sole motive in building the monument was to pacify the descendants and to save the church public embarrassment.
The presence monument and sign board at Mountain meadows tells the story the way the church hierarchy in Salt Lake city wants the story to be told. Highlighting the involvement of the Native American Indians yet very obviously omitting the fact that the Mormon Militia was dress as Indians with their faces painted with war paint.
The sign board also omits the fact that the church hierarchy ordered Mormons along the way not to sell supplies to the Baker/Fancher train. Mormons that disobeyed these orders were either severely beaten or had their throats slit.
The last three lines of the the first paragraph of the Mormon placed sign board reads as follows:
Line#1- "Complex animosities and political issues intertwined with religious beliefs motivated the Mormons"
Line #1 Means that Brigham Young was stirring up the pot through anti gentile sermons all the way down the wagon route through Cedar City. The ideal spot for the ambush was at Mountain Meadows and that had been decided by the Hierarchy prior to the emigrant train leaving Salt Lake City on August 5, 1857. The Political issues was the fact that Brigham Young was warning all the Mormons of a possible surprise military action by the United States of America against the Theocracy, but to think that the Baker/Fancher train as a military train with all the women and children on it was ludicrous. With the teaching on Blood Atonement during this time period it was preached that the wagon train of gentiles would be much better off having their throats slit for forgiveness of their sins, thereby making the killings a justifiable religious act.
Line #2 & 3 "But the exact causes and circumstances fostering the sad events that ensued over the next five days at Mountain Meadows still defy any clear or simple explanation."
Line #2 & 3 is absolutely untrue . The exact causes and circumstances fostering the sad events was the second Prophet and President Brigham Young's GREED. The wagon train was very wealthily with a large heard of cattle, nice horses and wagons.
Brigham Young had rumors spread that there were members of the Missouri wildcats amongst the members of the wagon train. That there were acts of hooliganism and drunkenness amongst members of the wagon train, and that members of the wagon train had poisoned and oxen and an Indian. The church has since admitted that these accusations were untrue.
The federal stewardship should let both sides be told instead of the very one sided presentation that is done now by the Mormons at the Massacre Monument site. If federal stewardship is not an option the the descendants of the victims should be allowed to put in their own interpretive center explaining the true facts of the massacre.
PETITION: PLACEMENT OF THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE SITE INTO THE CUSTODY AND CARE OF APPROPRIATE STEWARDSHIP. - Download pdf
