From Deseret News archives:
Mountain Meadows meetings in Arkansas
Elder Jensen, Richard Turley and Steve Olsen of the church's Family and Church History Department are to meet Friday in Arkansas with three different organizations: the Mountain Meadows Monument Foundation, Mountain Meadows Association and the Mountain Meadows Massacre Descendants.
An LDS Church spokesman said Wednesday the church had no comment on the meeting or what will be discussed.
All three groups provided a copy of the same letter to Elder Jensen, who serves as historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in December. They said that although they have different goals, all reached consensus on five points of agreement that they hope to get church cooperation or help with, including:
• Support for National Historic Landmark designation for the massacre site.
• Locating and marking of the "upper grave sites" believed to be located on church property, but which remain unmarked.
• How the church feels about designating the grave sites as a cemetery.
• Finding one or more graves located on property the church does not presently own and taking steps to protect those sites.
• Communication and transparency, including "an open and honest dialogue between each of our groups and the LDS Church from this point forward."
Terry Fancher, president of the Mountain Meadows Association, met with Elder Jensen on Dec. 14 and discussed the status of property at Mountain Meadows, according to a report of the meeting. "There was discussion about protection of the land in the valley of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
"It was noted that Mountain Meadows Estates was being developed by Ence (a St. George development company). ... The church is doing what they can to protect the valley from development encroachment," the report said.
Half-acre building lots are being offered for sale in central Utah, just south of Mountain Meadows, and the groups are worried the area could become a magnet for homeowners seeking refuge from rising home prices in St. George and surrounding areas in Washington County.
The report of the meeting with Elder Jensen also said he was "sensitive to the letters we had provided and acknowledged that the church will take the lead on the issue of national Historical Landmark Status. He noted the importance of having a single letter from the three organizations.
