Category: Mormon History
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Black Pete the Revelator
Mormon Coffee’s short series in observance of Black History Month concludes today with a look at the man who is believed to be the first black person to ever join the LDS Church. Known only as Black Pete, this man was among the first Mormon converts in Ohio. His conversion to the LDS Church was…
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Elijah Abel: “Thy Soul [Shall] Be White in Eternity”
Elijah Abel was the first Black man to hold the priesthood in the LDS Church. He received his ordination as Elder on March 3, 1836. Later Elijah was ordained a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy. In 1838 he went on missions to Canada and New York, and served a mission to Ohio…
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Hearken O Ye Latter-Day Saints August 23 1865 (Rebuke of Orson Pratt)
From James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75), 2:, p.229-235 1865-August 23-MS 27:657-663 (October 21, 1865) § HEARKEN, O Ye Latter-day Saints, and all ye inhabitants of the earth who wish to be Saints, to whom this…
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When Regret is Not a Synonym with Apology
Last Tuesday I attended the memorial service commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The day before, I had the pleasure of meeting several of the descendants of the Fancher family in Cedar City. Suffice it to say that the memorial service was a somber occasion. Short speeches were given by both descendants…
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September 11, 1857
A significant date in the history of our nation. A date marking tragedy in the history of many families. A day of mourning 150 years ago. A day of sorrowful remembrance in 2007. The Mountain Meadows Massacre is not pleasant to recall, but it should not be forgotten. There are lessons for all of us…
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The Mormon Church vs. Hollywood
Today the Hollywood movie September Dawn opens in 1000 theaters nationwide. The dramatized portrayal of the Mountain Meadows Massacre–wherein Mormon men massacred 120 emigrants as they peacefully passed through southern Utah in 1857–is unwelcome among Latter-day Saints. The film has been called “controversial” by the news media, but has received stronger condemnation from Latter-day Saints.…
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Obeying Orders at Mountain Meadows: Would You?
Michael Medved’s criticism of the film September Dawn has garnered support from the LDS community, but many argue it overlooks historical complexities of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, questioning the motivations behind its portrayal.
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Fourth of July in Far West, 1838
On the 4th of July, 1838 the Mormons, gathered in Far West, Missouri, held a celebration. The following is an excerpt from former BYU historian Stephen C. LeSueur’s book, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, pages 49-53. Real conflict between the Mormons and the Missourians began a short time later. Three months after Rigdon’s speech,…
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September Dawn: An American Tragedy Portrayed
The Mountain Meadows Massacre, where around 120 emigrants were killed in 1857, remains a controversial historical event. Current discussions, spurred by the upcoming film “September Dawn,” challenge traditional narratives about church leadership’s involvement in the massacre.
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Mountain Meadows and the Honorable Thing
Two recent Associated Press articles discuss the Mountain Meadows Massacre and its legacy. One article focuses on the controversial John D. Lee statue, while the other examines the film September Dawn, which portrays the event and seeks to confront historical misconceptions about the massacre.
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The Murder of Parley P. Pratt
Over the weekend (April 14) Deseret Morning News reported that a group of interested people will be gathering in Arkansas on April 21st for a conference looking at the life and ministry of LDS Apostle Parley Pratt. I don’t know what the conference will be like, but if the report in Deseret News is any…
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The LDS Church Calls it a Distortion
The film “September Dawn” depicts the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, implicating LDS Prophet Brigham Young. The LDS Church condemns the film as a distortion of history, raising concerns over its portrayal and potential impact on their image.
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Oration Delivered by Sidney Rigdon On the 4th of July, 1838
Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri Friends and Fellow Citizens;
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The Mountain Meadows Massacre
In 1857, tensions escalated between Mormons and the government, culminating in the Mountain Meadows Massacre where local Mormons, fearing federal troops, secretly orchestrated a brutal attack on an emigrant wagon train, resulting in significant fatalities.
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Violence in Early Mormonism – Was It All Unjust Persecution?
By Bill McKeever Members of the LDS Church often make a big issue of the fact that their ancestors faced terrible persecutions during the early years of the LDS movement. To most people, Missourian sites like Independence, Liberty, Far West, and Caldwell County mean very little. Yet to the faithful Latter-day Saint, these places carry…
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Were Mormons Poisoned at the Liberty Jail?
By Bill McKeever
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History of Mormonism Index
The first sin ever recorded was historical revisionism. Satan said, “Did God really say that?” The serpent took advantage of a very important principle: What people believe in the present is largely shaped by what they think about the past.
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The Nauvoo Expositor
NAUVOO, ILLINOIS, JUNE 7, 1844. We give this week to the following Preamble, Resolutions and Affidavits, of the Seceders from the Church at Nauvoo.– The request is complied with on account of their deeming it very important that the public should know the true cause of their dissenting, as all manner of falsehood is spread…