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 | Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006, at 09:00 AM Polygamy, Death Penalties And Mormon History Original Author(s): bnaur BLOOD ATONEMENT -Guid- | ↑ |
| Of all the practices in Mormons past, none is so condemning as the pre-1990 Mormon-Masonic temple death penalties and those slaughtered in its practice.
First, I have asked my loved ones to please do not "love me so much as to shed my blood" - temple style. You see I am looking forward to the party room on the lower level! I will find solace, peace and happiness there! :) That is my choice, or so I must explain to Mormondumb members. However, for those in denial, one can see the blood atonement practice right on the BYU web-site (the last few paragraphs on this page): http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cgi-bin/... This is called "blood atonement" as from pre-1990 temple death penalties, and was practiced literally in the early church under Brigham Young (not just an iron fist - but a sharp knife) as mentioned here in this speech by Brigham Young, a direct reference to Mormon-Masonic death penalties which I believe were originally used benignly by Joseph Smith to keep his many wives a secret. Joseph's many wives (over 33) which only exposed his secret after his death at Brigham’s prompting, who married many of the same woman. These wives had already accepted the sexual aspect of polygamy and bore many of Brigham's children. In contrast, only a few woman claimed to bear Josephs children. Researchers have tentatively identified eight children that Joseph Smith may have had by his plural wives. I suspect other wives did not break their oaths with Joseph and remained private about their relationship. Joseph demanded that his wives deny the fact of their plural marriage, as he always publicly did himself. Some were already married, some for time and others just for eternity, but all the evidence is that they had sex, including statements by many of the wives themselves, how else would one say they were his kids if they had no sex. Emma never approved of these wives but she was so pressured that she actually did choose a couple of Josephs wives, but the majority she found out well after the fact, after he died or never knew at all. Later, Emma's children in fact challenged Josephs wives in Salt Lake only to be surprised by the over whelming evidence and number of woman with whom Joseph had sex with, ummmmm, I mean 'married', never by state law, but by 'Josephs law' of plural marriage. How did he do it? Well they were told by him to obey, marry me (Joseph), or be denied salvation, as these woman were told by him (seems that method was denounced at BYU - but Joseph used it just the same) and it worked for him. What charisma he must have had. I tried it and it didn’t work for me! Tons of documentation available on that method used repeatedly if you ever want to see it, read “In Sacred Loneliness”. Now I am told by my TBM Uncle that my denial of Mormonism will send me to Mormon hell. I assured him of this I am now convinced, as I was told the exact same thing by the Jehovah Witnesses (must be true). Certainly after living Mormonism my entire life I must have been taught the reasons for blood atonement at church somewhere, but I just can’t recall that Gospel Doctrine or Priesthood lesson. I searched the title: “How is it right to kill saints with love who sinned a ‘gross fault’?” I couldn’t find it in any current manual, so why the cover up and change on such an important principle? Reportedly many were killed in the “court of love”, blood atonement required for their adultery, once taken out the temple oath, Jesus blood is no good for them, they must pay the price themselves, and spill their own blood and by force if needed. It is the only loving thing to do for your friends. I am sure you heard that lesson at church, or BYU….. how about institute? I personally do not recall the lesson, I must have been asleep. To forget ones history is to invite it to repeat itself, can we afford that? Thank you BYU for publishing the truth, real history, even if it hurts! It is the way to honesty and eventually respect as more people come out of the dark. History: "To whatever extent the preaching on blood atonement may have influenced action, it would have been in relation to Mormon disciplinary action among its own members. In point would be a verbally reported case of a Mr. Johnson in Cedar City who was found guilty of adultery with his stepdaughter by a bishop's court and sentenced to death for atonement of his sin. According to the report of reputable eyewitnesses, judgment was executed with consent of the offender who went to his unconsecrated grave in full confidence of salvation through the shedding of his blood. Such a case, however primitive, is understandable within the meaning of the doctrine and the emotional extremes of the [Mormon] Reformation." (Utah Historical Quarterly, January, 1958, page 62, note 39) This may be the same case spoken of by John D. Lee, who was sealed to Brigham Young and was a member of Young's secret Council of Fifty: "The most deadly sin among the people was adultery, and many men were killed in Utah for the crime. "Rasmos Anderson was a Danish man who came to Utah... He had married a widow lady somewhat older than himself... At one of the meetings during the reformation Anderson and his step-daughter confessed that they had committed adultery... they were rebaptized and received into full membership. They were then placed under covenant that if they again committed adultery, Anderson should suffer death. Soon after this a charge was laid against Anderson before the Council, accusing him of adultery with his step-daughter. This Council was composed of Klingensmith and his two counselors; it was the Bishop's Council. Without giving Anderson any chance to defend himself or make a statement, the Council voted that Anderson must die for violating his covenants. Klingensmith went to Anderson and notified him that the orders were that he must die by having his throat cut, so that the running of his blood would atone for his sins. Anderson, being a firm believer in the doctrines and teachings of the Mormon Church, made no objections... His wife was ordered to prepare a suit of clean clothing, in which to have her husband buried... she being directed to tell those who should inquire after her husband that he had gone to California. "Klingensmith, James Haslem, Daniel McFarland and John M. Higbee dug a grave in the field near Cedar City, and that night, about 12 o'clock, went to Anderson's house and ordered him to make ready to obey Council. Anderson got up... and without a word of remonstrance accompanied those that he believed were carrying out the will of the "Almighty God." They went to the place where the grave was prepared; Anderson knelt upon the side of the grave and prayed. Klingensmith and his company then cut Anderson's throat from ear to ear and held him so that his blood ran into the grave. |
| | Monday, Sep 1, 2008, at 10:18 AM Can't Get Her Off My Mind : Remembering Brenda Original Author(s): Iconoclast BLOOD ATONEMENT -Guid- | ↑ |
| I have been haunted by a post by tol about six months ago where she related her first temple experience and her father’s reaction of ‘beaming with pride as she slit her throat’ (in the temple) while covenanting with God. It has made me think even more often about a girl from my youth. I have felt a need to relate this and decided that today was the proper time to do so.
Her name was Brenda and we grew up together even though she was a bit younger than me. Although it seemed that she and her family had always been around, I distinctly remember the first time I became fully aware of her as a person. We were in Primary/Junior Sunday School together when assigned to participate in the Christmas Nativity Pageant. It seemed that I always destined to be Joseph and had played the part the year previous with her older sister Betty playing the part of Mary. This year it was Brenda who would play Mary. While we were silently acting out our parts I remember looking down and being fascinated at how her curly strawberry-blond hair seemed almost red in contrast to the blue towel she wore as a scarf. The blue also made the freckles on her face more prominent. I concluded that this is what the real Mary must have looked like. I also concluded that this must be what the original Mary must have been like—sweet with a girl-next-door attractiveness which even at this young age was obvious and a magnetic personality that drew you towards her. Her attractiveness would later serve to win beauty contests. But it was her personality kept her on my radar screen. More than once I recall sitting in the high school library and would notice her coming up the sidewalk toward the school. As she got closer to the door other students would run to catch up with her and those going in the opposite direction would change course just to walk with her into the school. By the time she came down the hall to the foyer she had an entourage. She seemed to be friends with everyone. However, being the pretend parents of a plastic baby Jesus was the closest I would ever come to having any kind of personal relationship with Brenda. Although we were always close we were worlds apart. She and her family were TBM and ward leaders. My family were less than fully active and laid back in regards to church, never holding high callings. Her family was educated with her mom LaRae having been to university and her dad Jim holding a doctorate and a job as a research scientist. My family was blue caller lumberjacks, farmers, ranchers and warehouse managers. In short, her family was adored and mine was ignored when it came to matters Mormon. If there was such a thing as Mormon royalty on a ward basis then she would be its princess and she was out of my league. They were fine people with her mom looking the part of the quintessential matronly Relief Society President and her dad having the perpetual smile and easy going personality of a used car salesman. Her dad became the Bishop when we were in High School and it was his job to call me in for an interview when I turned 18 to ask about my plans to go on a mission. I told him I didn’t have any plans to go on a mission because I hadn’t made plans or prepared to go. He didn’t seem surprised and didn’t use pressure, to try to get me to reconsider. He just wished me well and said that if I changed my mind to let him know and he would arrange it. We chatted for a bit and shook hands and I left his office knowing that I had sealed my fate in regards to prospects with any TBM girls, including his daughters. Brenda’s life was headed on a trajectory that everyone expected of her. She won beauty contests, earned her degree and launched a successful career in broadcasting becoming the anchor of a news program. While at BYU she even found herself a husband. He had all the credentials. Return missionary, ultraTBM and prominent mormon family with several members who were professionals, and more importantly held positions in the church. She had a worthy priesthood holder who could take her to the temple where she could make covenants with God and her husband and seal her prospective family together forever. I imagine that in the temple her parents (particularly her dad Jim who’s emotions were always close to the surface) shed tears and ‘beamed with pride’ as she made covenants to obey God and her husband and sealed the oath by acting out the slitting of her throat. All those in attendance would have rejoiced at the moment. It would have been a particularly joyous moment for Jim and LaRae to witness their second -oldest and first-married daughter set a worthy example for the rest of their family to follow. Her husband disapproved of her pursuit of a career in broadcasting and insisted that she fulfill her calling at home. She gave up her job as anchor and immediately started a family having a baby girl. Looking back it seems ironic that I assumed that because of my background I was automatically disqualified from pursuing someone like Brenda. It is even more ironic that I went on to marry someone who was just as TBM as she was and had a similar background. It is ironic that I went on to become an active member and held many positions in the church including 5 years in the bishopric. It is ironic that I eventually had six children who were all raised in the church, three of whom served missions. It is even more ironic that after such a promising start, Brenda’s life did not go so well. In fact while I was in the bishopric the Bishop asked me fill in for missing speakers one Sunday and give an impromptu talk on ‘Why Bad Things Happen to Good People’. I used Brenda’s life as an example of how terrible things can happen to people who lead exemplary lives. And how such things can be perpetrated even by church members themselves. Sometimes even by those who have held leadership positions. At the end of my talk I spoke her name, Brenda Wright Lafferty, just to see if there was any recognition. With about a 125 people in the chapel, most of them long time members, there was not a single flicker of recognition registered. I despaired that not only had her life been taken in the most horrific way imaginable, but that nothing would be learned from the experience. A few days later I learned of the release of John Krakaurer’s book “Under the Banner of Heaven: The Story of a Violent Faith”. Now everyone knows her. I will forever be indebted to him for telling her story and forcing them to remember her and understand what happened on that day. Remembering Brenda Wright Lafferty on the anniversary of her murder and the murder of her daughter Erica on July 24, 1984. |