The Coming Storm

[_Joe Geisner]

http://user.xmission.com/~research/mormonpdf/index.htm

The latest keepsake for Will Bagley's KITW series is now available. This is the first time that I know of that Bob Clark (publisher) and Will Bagley (series editor) have allowed a keepsake to be made available to the public. Keepsakes are published in a limited series of 50 copies, and are bought up by collectors within days and placed on a shelf. Will has made sure a few University libraries have a copy, but beyond this the public does not have a copy.

Mike Marquardt has worked on this paper for ten years and people are calling it the most damning work to be written about Brigham Young and his theocracy. Will has told me that he feels it may be more damning than his Blood of the Prophets. I am quite curious what people think after the read the article.

One part that caught my attention is at the beginning. Hartley (the man who Young ordered to be murdered) wrote a letter to Jefferson Davis. As Marquardt points out: "Hartley‘s letter never reached Davis. How it came to rest in Brigham Young‘s papers at the LDS Church History Library is a mystery, but the attorney seemed unaware that Mormon officials had been systematically reading the territory‘s outgoing mail for years." Quite a mystery indeed! When you have a despot going through the mail, he just keeps it in his collection or throws it in the outhouse.

[_Joe Geisner]

It was just pointed out to me that I am as clear as mud! I am very sorry. The keepsake is at the bottom of the page I link to. It has a write-up by Mike about the Keepsake and the link to the pdf.

If you want to skip the explanation and go start to the keepsake:

http://user.xmission.com/~research/mormonpdf/storm.pdf

Again I am sorry if I caused confusion.

[_Fence Sitter]

Thanks Joe.

[_Chap]

....
Mike Marquardt has worked on this paper for ten years and people are calling it the most damning work to be written about Brigham Young and his theocracy. Will has told me that he feels it may be more damning than his Blood of the Prophets. I am quite curious what people think after the read the article.
...

I have read the paper through rapidly. It seems to add what looks like a lot of solid evidence to the already very strong impression that Brigham Young ran a theocratic dictatorship in which nobody who stood in his way was safe, and in which there were ruthless men who would and almost certainly did kill on his behalf.

But then, nobody said he was perfect.

[_beefcalf]

He was killing as a man, not a prophet.

[_quaker]

If people in the US leave the church over this will they also leave the US when their govt does the same, and worse?

[_Buffalo]

This would make great TV - like The Sopranos, set in 19th Century Utah.

The Boss:




The Consigliere:




The Soldier:

[_Sethbag]

He was killing as a man, not a prophet.

No, because a man is not justified by God in his killing, whereas a Prophet is.

[_Willy Law]

I would watch every second of general conference if it were still like this:

On April 8, 1854, Hartley was in Salt Lake City for the general conference of the LDS church. On the first day, he was called to serve a mission to Texas.20 The next day, in the after- noon session, President Brigham Young arose and exclaimed, ―If that Jesse T. Hartley that I voted for yesterday to go on a mission, is the Lawyer that came from oregon last fall—I re[s]cind my vote—for that man is a vagrant—a thief, & a robber. He ought to be baptised in Salt Lake with stones tied to him & hold him under 24 hou[Relief Society] to wash away one hundredth part of his sins: He ought to be Sent to hell across lots on a missio[n] to preach to the damned. If that hartley appointed on a mission is not this one that I speak of, this will not hurt him—but if he is the man, what I have said is right! If the man is here he may come to the Stand and Speak for himself.‖21
Hartley stood up, went to the podium, and ―boldly‖ said, ―I am the man Hartl[e]y I am the very man the Gov. spoke of. I have studied law—been admitted to the bar—I have practiced 5 years in cal.—That Hartley that Gov. Young spoke of, was hung in cal. he was a bad man— many have mistook me for him. The reports about me are false.‖ Jesse C. Little, a high priest and the man who had charged Hartley with selling a stolen horse, countered, ―The charges against Hartley are true & just & can be proven.‖ Then Orson Hyde, president of the Twelve Apostles, spoke: ―A lawyer can't cram everything down us—he can't make us believe, after a man has been hung in Cal. he can be here walking about & pleading innocence Neither do we believe that because a ma[n] was hung in cal. there are no more Villains.‖ President Young capped these angry outbursts with, ―If J. T. Hartley was ever baptized I motion that he be now cut off from the church.‖22

[_beefcalf]

He was killing as a man, not a prophet.

No, because a man is not justified by God in his killing, whereas a Prophet is.

Oh... yeah.

How 'bout:

"He was killing as a prophet, not a man."