MormonTimes.com: Greed drove 1838 persecution, BYU Studies article says

[Hemidakota]

Deseret News | MormonTimes.com: Greed drove 1838 persecution, BYU Studies article says

[sixpacktr]

Yup. Totally agree. Kind of like it drove the relocation of the Japanese during WW2. I understand that there was a legitimate fear, but the underlying reason was that the Japanese, especially in California, had some very prime real estate, and thereby lost it when they were put in the internment camps. And they never rounded up the Germans or Italians in the US.

[Islander]

It is no wonder. Missouri was a frontier territory with more or less drifters, drunks, and hustlers. They had no real interest in religion of any kind. They served as the tip of the spear for the real dark and macabre conspiracy; to strip the saints of their rights and property.

Truth doe snot remain hidden forever.

[UintahJack]

It would be interesting to follow up on that and find out if those persecutors of the early saints continued to profit from their deceit or if they met judgment from the Lord in this life.

D&C 124 51-52
51 Therefore, for this cause have I accepted the offerings of those whom I commanded to build up a city and a house unto my name, in Jackson county, Missouri, and were hindered by their enemies, saith the Lord your God.
52 And I will answer judgment, wrath, and indignation, wailing, and anguish, and gnashing of teeth upon their heads, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord your God.

[Elphaba]

I have not read the entire article as I don't have access to it. But, the land grabs described in the portion available are not a new discovery.

In The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, Stephen C. Lesueur explains how both the Mormons and the Missouri mobs contributed to the escalating violence and horror the Saints suffered through.

However, when the Mormons were finally leaving the state, under threat of extermination, the land grabs had already begun, and there was nothing the Saints could do except watch their land be jarred out of their hands by the Missourians' greed.

On the other hand, the Mormons' hands were not entirely clean either. There were times they tried to give as good as they got, and I would say a few times they succeeded.

But, of course, nothing could come close to the persecutions the Saints suffered through, whether because of greed, religion, or both.

Islander: Truth doe snot remain hidden forever.

. . . snot, unfortunately, does not remain hidden forever, especially if you have toddlers!

Elphaba

[Palerider]

Look at Hauns Mill....everytime I visit there it messes me up.....think about it.....they were minding there own buisness and these cold blooded killers rode upon them and shot them....kids to.....those men were lower than scum......

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by Palerider

Look at Hauns Mill....everytime I visit there it messes me up.....think about it.....they were minding there own buisness and these cold blooded killers rode upon them and shot them....kids to.....those men were lower than scum......

I suspect this will be upsetting Pale, but I think the following paints the horror of that horrific day:

"Members of the militia entered the shop and found ten-year-old Sardius Smith hiding under the blacksmith's bellows. William Reynolds put his musket against the boy's skull and blew off the top of his head. Reynolds later explained, "Nits will make lice, and if he had lived he would have become a Mormon."

Despicable.

Elphaba

[Palerider]

Originally Posted by Elphaba

I suspect this will be upsetting Pale, but I think the following paints the horror of that horrific day:

"Members of the militia entered the shop and found ten-year-old Sardius Smith hiding under the blacksmith's bellows. William Reynolds put his musket against the boy's skull and blew off the top of his head. Reynolds later explained, "Nits will make lice, and if he had lived he would have become a Mormon."

Despicable.

Elphaba

I have seen and read a first hand account of what really happened there.....we have a member here whose great great Grandmother was there and this member has her journal..

[Palerider]

The first time I went to Hauns Mill was really something,,,,,I will have to share how we found it when I have more time....

[prospectmom]

Ther is a book my mom had... " The fate of the procecuters of Joseph Smith " I will see if she still has it....