AboutJason Expertise Please state your experience or current knowledge of the LDS faith so that I can better answer your question. I served a two-year LDS mission in the Dominican Republic. I have been a member of the LDS Church my entire life. I was married for eternity (sealed) to my beautiful wife just this year. I don't know all the answers, but any that require my perspective, I would be glad to try or help find the answer.
Experience I have been a member of the LDS Church my entire life. I served a two-year LDS mission in the Dominican Republic. I was married for eternity (sealed) to my beautiful wife just this year. My father has taught LDS religion classes as his profession most of my life. I have been somewhat aquainted with members of the Fundamentalist LDS faith and have some friends that were a part of that religion.
Organizations The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon Church)
Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Education/Credentials BS - Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University
MBA - Currently enrolled, University of Utah
Question I am among a long line Mormon generations descending from the very beginning of the church. I am actually a descendant of John Doyle Lee, you may have heard of him. No mormon outside of my family speaks of him in a mere glimpse of positive nature. I do not agree with what he did, and i never will. But....in my family's ties to Brigham Young and leaders of the church and their heavy study of the topic of the mountain meadows massacre, we have found much evidence supporting the involvement of President Young in the order of the massacre. Of course my grandfather was sacrificed for the religion in order to make amends with the country. He was excommunicated, and later reinstated at a later time. I have debated with my father on many occasions about this and he accepts this horrible part of history as a martyrdom for the well-being of the church. I feel like my grandfather was used as a tool and was sold out in every meaning of the phrase. ALL christianity teaches..."do as Jesus Christ would do." Jesus christ would never accept murder as a solution, and it is prominent in mormon history. Yes it is true mormons were persecuted on murderous scales, but vengeance is not what Jesus would accept. The Danites existed, they carried names such as "avenging angels" and they were instituted by mormon leaders. How can this be justified?
Answer Devin,
Thank you for your question. This is of course a difficult and very delicate subject. I am familiar with the mountain meadows massacre and have stood at the site. I won't claim to be a scholar of the historical records and it appears that you may be much more aquainted with them than I am. I am even less familiar with the Danites, although I have read a few accounts.
The mountain meadows was a terrible tragedy that occurred more than 150 years ago (I'm guessing John Doyle was at least a great-grandfather?). I'm sure I don't have to tell you of the differences of opinion as to who knew/thought/said/wrote/meant what. The Danites are somewhat similar.
The shedding of innocent blood is a very serious sin in the eyes of God (D&C 132:26). There are also times when both the law of the land and the purposes of God may justify defense unto bloodshed. In trying to peice together history, we may never be able to ascertain exactly who was responsible for the events you mention, and who was just following orders. For me, all the debate is somewhat irrelevant because of this: only One man was ever perfect, and He atoned for the imperfections of ALL of His brothers and sisters that lived both before and after His mortal sojourn. This includes everyone involved in these things, every victim of them, and all that continue to feel affected by them. Even if we were able to know exactly what everyone said, did, and intended; we STILL would not be capable of judging them. Only God knows their hearts. Justice, as well as forgiveness, is in His hands. (James 4, D&C 64:10)
