He said the only such request from Mountain Meadows descendants he knows of to date came from Scott Fancher with the MMMF to have two or three names removed, and that request was granted.

While two Mountain Meadows organizations are seeking changes in stewardship, officials with the oldest and largest group — the Mountain Meadows Association — have centered their efforts around reconciliation, love and forgiveness, according to one of the founding members and current treasurer, LeRoy Lee.

The group — which included descendants of both massacre victims and perpetrators — was involved back in 1990 during the construction of the first major monument at the site.

"We felt love and harmony and thought it was all settled," he said. But after that, "others heard about it, and it all got stirred up again."

Lee, who is a descendant of massacre leader John D. Lee, said MMA members appreciate the LDS Church's efforts to create harmony among the descendants of all the parties involved, and many are skeptical about those who seek to have the church surrender its stewardship of the site.

"This isn't the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. There's no way to make any money out there. People spend a lot of money at those other venues. Experience shows that when you turn something over to the feds, you have to charge a fee to come in, and if it doesn't generate enough money, they just close it up," Lee said.

The group's commemorative activities include memorial services, a concert and a dinner meeting with Utah historian David Bigler at the Dixie Center in St. George. During the Sept. 11 memorial with all the concerned groups, Lee said MMA president Terry Fancher will tell those present that "we want the church to keep the property and maintain it, and they'll do it properly."

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com