The Mormon Mountain Meadows Massacre

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, one of the most disturbing events in Mormon history, occurred on September 11, 1857, in southern Utah. A group of approximately 120 emigrants traveling through Utah toward California was ambushed and slaughtered by members of the local Mormon militia, aided by Native American allies. The victims, predominantly families in the Baker-Fancher wagon train, were killed after being promised safe passage under a truce. Only a handful of young children were spared.

This atrocity cannot be divorced from the tense political and religious climate of the time. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, the Utah Territory was preparing for what Mormons perceived as an imminent invasion by U.S. forces during the Utah War. The emigrant train was falsely accused of being hostile to the Mormon settlers, and inflammatory rhetoric from church leaders fanned the flames of paranoia and violence.

“One little child, about six months old, was carried in its father’s arms, and it was killed by the same bullet that entered its father’s breast; it was shot through the head…. McCurdy went up to Knight’s wagon, where the sick and wounded were, and raising his rifle to his shoulder, said: O Lord, my God, receive their spirits, it is for thy Kingdom that I do this.’ He then shot a man who was lying with his head on another man’s breast; the ball killed both men…. Knight then shot a man with his rifle; he shot the man in the head. Knight also brained a boy that was about fourteen years old. The boy came running up to our wagons, and Knight struck him on the head with the butt of his gun, and crushed his skull. By this time many Indians reached our wagons, and all of the sick and wounded were killed almost instantly. I saw an Indian from Cedar City, called Jose, run up to the wagon and catch a man by the hair, and raise his head up and look into his face; the man shut his eyes, and Joe shot him in the head. The Indians then examined all of the wounded in the wagons, and all of the bodies, to see if any were alive, and all that showed signs of life were at once shot through the head…. Just after the wounded were all killed I saw a girl, some ten or eleven years old, running towards us, from the direction where the troops had attacked the main body of emigrants; she was covered with blood. An Indian shot her before she got within sixty yards of us. That was the last person that I saw killed on that occasion.”

John D. Lee, Mormonism Unveiled, pp. 241-242

“American Primeval,” a Netflix miniseries released on January 9, 2025, delves into the turbulent period of the American West during the 1857 Utah War, focusing on the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The series intertwines historical events with fictional narratives. It features characters such as Isaac Reed and Sara Rowell, whose stories are set against the backdrop of the massacre. Historical figures like Brigham Young and explorer Jim Bridger are also depicted, adding authenticity to the portrayal of the era. The series aims to provide an unvarnished look at American history, deviating from often nostalgic historical narratives. By dramatizing the Mountain Meadows Massacre, American Primeval sheds light on a dark chapter in American history, exploring themes of violence, religious zealotry, and the complexities of frontier life.

Timeline

Summer 1857: Prelude to the Massacre

• July 24, 1857: Mormon settlers in Utah learn that U.S. President James Buchanan has sent an army to suppress what the government perceives as a Mormon rebellion (the Utah War). This fuels paranoia and hostility among the settlers.
• Late August 1857: The Baker-Fancher emigrant wagon train, consisting of approximately 140 men, women, and children, enters Utah Territory, en route to California. The train is well-supplied and wealthy, drawing suspicion and jealousy from Mormon settlers.

September 1857: Rising Tensions

• Early September: Local Mormon leaders in southern Utah, including militia members and Native American allies, discuss plans to attack the wagon train. The emigrants are accused of insulting Mormon beliefs and threatening violence, though evidence of these claims is dubious.
• September 6, 1857: A council in Cedar City decides to ambush the wagon train. Messages are sent to higher-ranking officials, including Brigham Young, to seek guidance.

September 7–10, 1857: The Siege

• September 7: The Mormon militia and Paiute allies launch a surprise attack on the Baker-Fancher train while it is camped at Mountain Meadows. The emigrants circle their wagons and hold off attackers for four days, suffering casualties but resisting surrender.
• September 10: A message from Brigham Young arrives in Cedar City, allegedly instructing local leaders to let the emigrants pass unharmed. However, the letter does not reach the militia in time to prevent the planned assault.

September 11, 1857: The Massacre

• Morning: Local militia leaders, including John D. Lee, devise a plan to lure the emigrants out of their fortified position under the pretense of offering safe passage.
• Midday: The militia approaches the wagon train under a white flag of truce, convincing the emigrants to surrender their weapons and march away under escort. The women, children, and wounded travel in wagons; the men walk in single file.
• Afternoon: After moving a short distance, the militia turns on the emigrants. The men are shot at close range, while women and older children are brutally killed. Only 17 young children, deemed “too young to remember,” are spared.

Aftermath and Cover-Up

• September 12–October 1857: The militia buries the bodies in shallow graves and attempts to erase evidence of the massacre. Blame is initially placed on the Paiutes, with Mormon leaders supporting this narrative.
• 1858: Federal investigators begin looking into the massacre, but Mormon leaders obstruct inquiries, and Brigham Young denies church involvement.

1860s–1870s: Fallout and Trials

• 1874: John D. Lee is arrested and charged with murder for his role in the massacre.
• 1877: Lee is convicted and executed by firing squad. He is the only person held legally accountable, though many others were involved. Before his death, Lee expresses anger at being scapegoated, implicating higher church leaders.

Modern Repercussions

• 2007: The LDS Church expresses regret for the massacre on its 150th anniversary but does not take full responsibility, framing it as a “tragedy” rather than a coordinated act of violence.

This timeline illustrates the deliberate planning, execution, and subsequent cover-up of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, highlighting the role of fear, paranoia, and religious zeal in one of the darkest episodes of Mormon history.

Passing the Buck and Scapegoats

The cover-up of the Mountain Meadows Massacre by Mormon Church leadership is one of the most controversial and enduring aspects of this dark chapter in history. The massacre, carried out by local Mormon militia and some Native American allies, was initially blamed entirely on the Native Americans to shield the church and its members from scrutiny. However, the truth eventually came to light, revealing deliberate efforts by high-ranking church officials, including Brigham Young, to obfuscate the events and deflect accountability.

On Thursday evening, Higbee, chief of the Iron Danites, and Klingensmith, Bishop of Ceder City, came to our camp with two or three wagons and number of Danites all well armed. I can remember the following as a portion of those who came to take part in the work of death which was so soon to follow, viz: [19 names listed]… I know that our total force was fifty-four Danites and three hundred Indians. As soon as these gathered around the camp I demanded of Brother Higbee what orders he had brought. Brother Higbee reported as follows:

It is the orders that the emigrants be put out of the way. President Haight has counseled with Bishop Dame, and has orders from him to put the emigrants to death; none who is old enough to talk is to be spared….

The Danites then in Council now knelt down in a prayer circle and prayed, invoking the Spirit of God to direct them how to act in the matter. After prayer Brother Higbee said:
‘Here are the orders,’ and handed me a paper from Haight…. Brother Higbee was then to give the order: ‘Do your duty to God!’ At this the Danites were to shoot down the men; the Indians were to kill the women and larger children, and the drivers of the wagons and I was to kill the wounded and sick men that were in the wagons…

The Mormons were then at war with the United States, and we believed all Gentiles should be killed as a war measure, to the end that the Mormons, as God’s chosen people, hold and inhabit the earth and rule and govern the globe.

John D. Lee Diaries

Blaming the Native Americans

In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, Mormon leaders spread the narrative that the Paiute tribe was solely responsible. This was a strategic move, as it deflected attention from the involvement of Mormon settlers. Local leaders in Cedar City and militia participants corroborated this false account to federal investigators.

Brigham Young himself reinforced this narrative when federal authorities began inquiring about the massacre. This misdirection delayed meaningful investigations and preserved the church’s image during a turbulent time. Historian Juanita Brooks, in The Mountain Meadows Massacre, notes that the “Indian story” was propagated at every level of church leadership:

Had Brigham Young planned and timed it, had he set the stage deliberately, he could not have had a more dramatic occa¬ sion for announcing that an army was moving upon Utah…

In the meantime, before the civil authorities had been able to start an investigation [into the Mountain Meadows Massacre], the church conducted a private one, if we are to trust their own records. The leaders had to know the truth of this affair, even though the group loyalty which they had always encouraged would not permit them to make public their findings. Through long years they had developed the attitude that, right or wrong, they must stand together…

So the official story of the massacre was written. While the visiting [Mormon] authorities might reprove the leaders, while they might administer severe chastisement in private, they would not turn the offenders over to the enemies of the church for judgment. Neither would they disgrace the local authorities before their followers. The group loyalty… demand[ed] that, while they might make a report of the massacre for the church… they should not bring into the public eye any of the participants if it could be avoided…

Even the most cursory examinations of the court records will show that between the first and second trials of Lee, something happened. When court opened again on September 14, 1876, the whole tone was changed… R.N. Baskin and other non-Mormons insisted that the leaders of the Mormon church had entered into an agreement with District Attorney Howard that Lee might be convicted and pay the death penalty, if the charges against all other suspected persons would be withdrawn. This was to be done by a jury composed only of Mormons, who would bring a verdict of “guilty”, if names of other participants were left out of the discussion… This time the trial proceeded with dispatch. Men who had participated, and for almost twenty years had sealed their lips, now came forward to testify… On September 20, the case was given to the all-Mormon jury, who deliberated three and one-half hours and brought in a verdict of “guilty.” [Lee was] convicted of murder in the first degree.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Juanita Brooks
https://archive.org/details/mountainmeadowsm0000unse/page/n5/mode/2up

Delayed Communications and Plausible Deniability

Brigham Young’s role is a focal point of the cover-up. As territorial governor and church president, Young wielded significant influence over Utah’s settlers and the militia. A letter from Young to local leaders in Cedar City, ostensibly instructing them to let the emigrants pass safely, was dated September 10, 1857—just one day before the massacre. However, there is evidence that the letter was deliberately delayed and only delivered after the killings had occurred.

This delay created plausible deniability for Young, allowing him to claim that he had ordered peace while enabling the local militia to carry out the massacre without fear of retribution from Salt Lake City. This was a calculated move to shield Young and the church from direct culpability. Whether the massacre was caused directly by an order from Brigham Young or indirectly by his violent rhetoric and the environment, Brigham Young and the church are responsible for the massacre and the subsequent cover-up.

Shielding High-Level Involvement

In the years following the massacre, church leadership consistently denied any prior knowledge or involvement. However, internal communications and testimonies from participants suggest otherwise. For instance, local militia leaders acted with the confidence that they had implicit approval from higher authorities.

When the federal government sought to investigate, the church resisted, framing the inquiry as persecution. This tactic was effective in delaying justice and obscuring the chain of command. John D. Lee, a militia leader and close confidant of Brigham Young, ultimately became the scapegoat for the massacre.

Mr. Lee declared to President Young that the Indians had done all the bloody work and that no white men were mixed up in it. The leaders among the white men had bound themselves under the most binding oaths to never reveal their part in it It was not until 1870 that Lee’s complicity was discovered, and then he was expelled from the Church.

 Autobiography of William B. Ashworth 1845–1934, Page 37
https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/562414/?page=43&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q=#page=43

Excommunication and Execution

John D. Lee became the face of the massacre. He couldn’t resist being honest when questioned. Brigham Yough excommunicated him in 1870, and the US Marshals executed him for the crime in 1877. Before his death, Lee expressed bitterness at being made the fall guy. According to his own story he would participate in such a massacre at the order of his leader, but would not remain silent being bound by oath to the same leader and once he was thrown under the bus for the whole incident, he, and only he had the integrity to be honest about it. The integrity which led to his estrangement, conviction, and death.

It seems I have to be made a victim — a victim must be had, and I am the victim. I am sacrificed to satisfy the feelings — the vindictive feelings, or in other words, am used to gratify parties.

I am a true believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not believe everything that is now being taught and practiced by Brigham Young. I do not care who hears it. It is my last word — it is so. I believe he is leading the people astray, downward to destruction. But I believe in the gospel that was taught in its purity by Joseph Smith, in former days. I have my reasons for it…

I have been sacrificed in a cowardly, dastardly manner. I cannot help it. It is my last word — it is so.

Evidence has been brought against me which is as false as the hinges of hell, and this evidence was wanted to sacrifice me. Sacrifice a man that has waited upon them, that has wandered and endured with them in the days of adversity, true from the beginnings of the Church! And I am now singled out and am sacrificed in this manner! What confidence can I have in such a man! I have none, and I don’t think my Father in heaven has any.

Juanita Brooks, The Mountain Meadows Massacre (Stanford University Press, 1950), pp. 151-52.
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-west/the-last-words-of-john-d-lee

The Mormons ‘courageously’ performed their part of the blood bath, after which they took binding oaths to stand by each other, and to always swear that the massacre was committed by Indians alone. This was the advice of Brigham.

John D. Lee, as quoted in Inside Story of Mormonism by Einar Anderson, p. 64

“While in Cedar City Brigham preached one night. In his sermon, when speaking of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, he said, ‘I am told there are some of the brethren who are willing to swear against those who were engaged in that affair. I hope there is no truth in this report. I hope there is no such person here, under the sound of my voice. But if there is, I will tell him my opinion of him, and the fact so far as his fate is concerned. Unless he repent at once of that unholy intention, and keep the secret, he will die a dog’s death, and go to hell. I must not hear of any treachery among my people.’

Brigham Young, “Being the Confession of John Doyle Lee, Danite,” The Mormon Menace, 1905

No fair-minded person can deny that the massacre was the result of the teachings of Brigham Young, and that the Mormons in church council decided that the emigrants should be killed as they were afterwards killed.

I claim that Brigham Young is the real criminal, and that John D. Lee was an instrument in his hands. That Brigham Young used John D. Lee, as the assassin uses the dagger, to strike down his unsuspecting victim; and as the assassin throws away the dagger, to avoid its bloody blade leading to his detection, so Brigham Young used John D. Lee to do his horrid work; and when discovery becomes unavoidable, he hurls Lee from him, cuts him away from the Church, and casts him far out into the whirlpool of destruction. The assassin has no further use for his weapon. I also claim that if religious fanaticism can clear a man from crime, that John D. Lee was guiltless, for he was one of the most intensely fanatical Mormons that infested Utah in 1857. But I do not claim that the fact of his being a fanatic and blinded believer of Brigham Young’s so-called revelations excused him — far from it.

Mormonism Unveiled; or, The life and confessions of the late Mormon bishop, John D. Lee;
by Lee, John Doyle, 1812-1877; Bishop, William W. (Confidential Attorney of John D. Lee)
https://archive.org/details/mormonismunveile00leej/page/18/mode/2up

Manipulating Public Perception

The church actively shaped public perception of the massacre through its publications and speeches. Church leaders emphasized the hardships and perceived threats Mormons faced during this period, casting the massacre as an isolated tragedy rather than part of a broader pattern of sanctioned violence. They portrayed the perpetrators as rogue individuals acting against church principles, despite evidence suggesting that local leaders were following implicit directives.

The Surviving Children

The young children who survived the Mountain Meadows Massacre—17 in total, all under the age of 7—were spared because they were considered “too young to remember” the events or pose a threat to the Mormon community. Their fate provides a poignant and tragic epilogue to the massacre.

Immediate Aftermath

Following the massacre, the surviving children were taken in by Mormon families in the area, including Cedar City, Harmony, and other nearby settlements. These families were instructed to raise the children as their own. The children’s belongings, along with those of their murdered families, were distributed among the local Mormon settlers, further entangling them in the atrocity.

Recovery and Repatriation

In 1859, two years after the massacre, federal authorities, under the direction of U.S. Army Major James H. Carleton, investigated the massacre. Carleton recovered the surviving children and arranged for their return to Arkansas. The government’s intervention led to the children being transported to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where they were reunited with surviving relatives. Most of the children eventually returned to Arkansas to live with extended family.

Religious Influence and Reactions

While the children lived with Mormon families, they were exposed to the teachings and practices of the LDS faith. However, given their eventual return to their families in Arkansas, it does not appear that many, if any, of them became lifelong Mormons. The trauma they endured—witnessing their families slaughtered and being taken into unfamiliar households—likely complicated their views of the Mormon community and religion.

Later Years and Legacy

Several of the surviving children provided testimony about the massacre later in life. Their accounts helped shed light on the events and debunk the initial claims that Native Americans were solely responsible. The descendants of the massacre victims, including the children who survived, have played a significant role in preserving the memory of the atrocity and advocating for historical acknowledgment and justice.

The young survivors of the Mountain Meadows Massacre bore the scars of one of the darkest moments in American history. While spared from death, they were deeply affected by the loss of their families and the cultural displacement they experienced during their time with Mormon settlers.

Long-Term Denials and Revisions

For decades, the church avoided acknowledging its institutional role in the massacre. It wasn’t until 2007, during the 150th anniversary, that the LDS Church formally expressed regret for the event. Even then, the statement fell short of admitting full responsibility, framing the massacre as a result of “tragic misunderstandings and overreactions.” This partial acknowledgment has left many dissatisfied, as it skirts the systemic issues and leadership failures that enabled the atrocity.

“That which we have done here [building a monument to victims of the M.M.M.] must never be construed as an acknowledgement of the part of the church of any complicity in the occurrences of that fateful day.”

“Our task for today is not to look backward, nor rationalize, nor engage in any kind of retroactive analysis nor apology.”

Rex E. Lee, BYU President, September 15, 1990

“Those who committed the Mountain Meadows atrocity were not heartless, cold-blooded killers. They were ordinarily good men who committed a tragic crime in the name of safeguarding their homes…. Perhaps the most important point to remember is that no matter whom we might think guilty of the crime in this tragic affair, their descendants had nothing to do with it…. Not a single descendant of any man who participated in the massacre bears a shred of guilt, nor does any other living Latter-day Saint. And neither Brigham Young nor any other general authority of the Church was guilty of perpetrating the deed.”

Russell R. Rich, Ensign to the Nations: A History of the LDS Church from 1846 to 1972, 1972, pp.241-242

The cover-up of the Mountain Meadows Massacre exemplifies the lengths to which Mormon leadership went to protect its image and authority. By deflecting blame, delaying investigations, and scapegoating individuals, the church successfully obscured its complicity for decades. For many members and ex-members, this pattern of evasion raises critical questions about the church’s integrity and its ability to confront uncomfortable truths. Recognizing and acknowledging these failures is essential to understand Mormon history.

150 Years Late “Apology”

At a memorial service, the LDS Apostle, Henry B. Eyring spoke and expressed “profound regret for the massacre” and adds more regret for the Paiute people who he says “have unjustly borne for too long the principal blame for what occured during the massacre.” He admits that they would not likely have participated in the attack without the direction and instigation of local church leaders and membership. He stops short of accepting any blame on behalf of Brigham Young, but states that local church leaders were to blame. While he doesn’t actually apologize for the incident on behalf of the church, he states “profound regret.” The church news was quick to state the church apologized, but is this the same as an apology? Church leaders have stated that they do not apologize for the church or for the Lord.

“What was done here long ago by members of our church represents a terrible and inexcusable departure from Christian teaching and conduct,” said Eyring, who choked up while reading a statement delivered on behalf of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We cannot change what happened, but we can remember and honor those who were killed here.”

The words, “we’re sorry,” were not part of the statement, but Richard Turley Jr., the LDS Church’s managing director of family and church history and co-author of the forthcoming book, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, insisted after the ceremony that the statement was meant to be an apology.

LDS Church apologizes for Mountain Meadows Massacre
https://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/lds/ci_6862682

Sweeping it Under the Rug

The massacre remains a deeply unsettling “shelf item” for many members of the Mormon Church—an issue that challenges the narrative of inspired and divinely guided leadership. For some, it is impossible to reconcile the teachings of peace and charity with the actions of church leaders who sanctioned violence and deceit. The event raises broader questions about the church’s ability to admit past wrongs and take accountability.

For those who have wrestled with the Mountain Meadows Massacre and other troubling aspects of Mormon history, sharing your story can be a powerful way to process and heal. By speaking out, you contribute to a broader understanding of faith deconstruction and provide solidarity to others on similar journeys. If you feel ready, consider sharing your experience at wasmormon.org, where stories of resilience and discovery help illuminate the truth.

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• Racist Brigham Young
• Brigham Young on Apostates
• American Primeval and the Mountain Meadows Massacre – Mormon Historians React – Mormon Stories Podcast Episode
• https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/american-primeval-true-story-explained