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MormonTimes.com: Scholars praise new book on massacre at Mountain Meadows

Not this again.

Why is MMM "one of the west's most disturbing violent moments?" A statement made by anyone is---words fail me. Read the history of the Mormon's treatment in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois - when federal and state governments allowed horrible things to happen. Also read about treatment of the Native Americans. I wrote a historical novel, "Mormon Reflections, The Path to Mountain Meadows", which no LDS publisher would read, and New York publishers said interest wasn't high enough. So I self published. It won first place at the yearly League of Utah Writer's contest, and I have a drawer full of accolades praising it as the only book of its kind. "No one will ever look at the massacre in the same way after reading this book." is often said. People will read a novel where the scholarly works go unread by the majority. Example: Arthur H. Clark, top historical publisher, published my book, "Bones in the Well, Haun's Mill Massacre, 1838, A Documentary History", which hasn't sold nearly as well, even with a major historical publisher. As MMM attracts more attentions as the years pass, my book should be required reading for those who really want to understand.

I would very much like to obtain a copy of this book. I have found (at this late stage of life) that when I fail to put my best effort into finding answers for myself I very often come to incorrect conclusions.

Reading "referenced" material, for me is an excellent method of forming opinion and finding "fact".

Having the companionship of The Holy Spirit is beyond price, of course and the only real way to find truth.

Alan

North Dakota

I am sure this book is very well written and provides factual information. This needed to be done. The sad fact remains, however, this will do little to undo how Arkansans feel about this tragedy. We lived in Arkansas for 28 years and loved it, loved it, loved it, but every anniversary of the Mountain Meadow Massacre brought scathing newspaper attacks from the local and state papers as well as talk shows etc. It didn't help much to explain the history of the pioneers or to explain the efforts of the church in making whatever restitution they could. I even wrote a letter to two AR senators asking their support in keeping the land under the auspices of the LDS Church as a sacred memorial, rather than it go to the Federal Govt, and perhaps be forgotten and neglected. It is indeed a tragedy that has long standing significance to how the church is perceived in AR. I wish that there could be a healing of hearts and perhsps this book will help do this.

There were many terrible events that took place before the the LDS people were lead to commit the MMM. The M M massacre didn't happen because of hate-- It happened because of fear. The LDS people were a badly abused people. There was also an exterminating order against them in Missouri. What took place in Utah was unfortunate but done out of fear. I have research this story in history as well.

Juanita Brooks wrote and published a dispassionate history of the MMM many decades ago. She did not have the sources of the Church Historian's Office or the resources of the three men who wrote the subject book. But she was a careful researcher and historian working under the auspices of the Huntington Library in San Marino California. She was subject to harrassment by many but she did a great service in directing light into this murky piece of western American history. The MMM was a terrible tragedy that has reverberated across the years. Because justice was not served upon those who committed the murders, families of the perpetrators and well as families of the victims have suffered over the years. A hidden guilt is a deadly poison, especially when shared within families and communities. Will this new book lead to closure? That is unlikely. I suspect that solace can only be achieved through conversation and commitment to forgiving and moving on - among the posterity of the victims, the posterity of the murderers and the guilt ridden communities, and the rest of us. I am grateful that the conversation continues.

It never pays to torment and taunt the abused and paranoid. The M.M. Massacre was done because of all the previous hate crimes done to the Mormons. The wagon train group pushed it to the limit with the Mormons, and the out come was disastrous.. unfortunate and sad indeed.

I'm a nonmember, observer and history lover.

A curious thing about Juanita Brooks' book. I first encountered it in the 50's in the Anaheim Ca public library, in the anti-mormon literature section. Ms Brooks treatment by the church and members was inappropriate to say the least. Years later I taught Church History in Seminary and found her book was quoted at length in the seminary manual. When another book about the massectre came out about 25 years ago it was reviewed in BYU Studies and the reviewer said that we don't need another book about the MMM because Juanita Brooks already wrote the definitive treatice. Curious how the pendulum swings.

Hummm? this is the first I have noticed or seen this article-- where's it been hiding?

The MMM was tragedy caused by the wagontrain people. They started the fight. Nothing will ever convince me any differently. Being a convert I read up on the massacre history.

I have ancestors who were with the ill-fated Fancher/Baker immigrants from Arkansas and my wife has an ancestor who was involved with or at least had knowledge of the massacre that was to take place. We are glad that neither one of us lived at this time, although we can see similarities in today's society whem emotions dictate actions. We as human beings still have a long way to go to be a kinder, gentler people.