View source for Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2

{{FairMormon}}  
{{H1
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2
|H=Response to claims made in "Chapter 2: Kirtland/Far West, 1831"
|T=[[../../|American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows]]
|A=Sally Denton
|<=[[../Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
|>=[[../Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
}}
[[File:Chart AM chapter 2.png|center|frame]]	
<onlyinclude>
{{H2
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2
|H=Response to claims made in American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, "Chapter 2: Kirtland/Far West, 1831"
|S=
|L1=Response to claim: 12 - Joseph Smith was "infected with the virus" of land speculation
|L2=Response to claim: 13 - It is claimed that Joseph stated that Independence Missouri was the site of the Garden of Eden and that the location of Far West was where Cain killed Abel
|L3=Response to claim: 14 - Joseph became a "swaggering general in his Army of Israel" and that "drilling and pageantry were quite suddenly pervasive aspects of a once-pacific Kirtland existence"
|L4=Response to claim: 14 - In Kirtland, Joseph "then initiated the secret rituals that would further repel their conventional Christian neighbors"
|L5=Response to claim: 14 - The name of the Church was changed to the "Church of Latter-day Saints" in 1834
|L6=Response to claim: 14 - Emma is claimed to have driven "the girl" Fanny Alger out of her house
|L7=Response to claim: 15 - Joseph issued his prophecy regarding the Civil War after visiting New York and hearing about how |L8=President Jackson should deal with "a rebellious South Carolina"
|L9=Response to claim: 15 - Failure of the bank in Kirtland caused Joseph to leave Kirtland in the middle of the night
|L10=Response to claim: 16 - Joseph "organized a secret group of loyalists" called the Danites
|L11=Response to claim: 16 - The Danites introduced "blood atonement" in order to "save" people by slitting their throats
|L12=Response to claim: 20 - Joseph claimed to be a "second Mohammad" in a speech in Far West
}}
</onlyinclude>
==Quick Navigation==
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 12 - Joseph Smith was "infected with the virus" of land speculation|Response to claim: 12 - Joseph Smith was "infected with the virus" of land speculation]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 13 - It is claimed that Joseph stated that Independence Missouri was the site of the Garden of Eden and that the location of Far West was where Cain killed Abel|Response to claim: 13 - It is claimed that Joseph stated that Independence Missouri was the site of the Garden of Eden and that the location of Far West was where Cain killed Abel]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 14 - Joseph became a "swaggering general in his Army of Israel" and that "drilling and pageantry were quite suddenly pervasive aspects of a once-pacific Kirtland existence"|Response to claim: 14 - Joseph became a "swaggering general in his Army of Israel" and that "drilling and pageantry were quite suddenly pervasive aspects of a once-pacific Kirtland existence"]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 14 - In Kirtland, Joseph "then initiated the secret rituals that would further repel their conventional Christian neighbors"|Response to claim: 14 - In Kirtland, Joseph "then initiated the secret rituals that would further repel their conventional Christian neighbors"]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 14 - The name of the Church was changed to the "Church of Latter-day Saints" in 1834|Response to claim: 14 - The name of the Church was changed to the "Church of Latter-day Saints" in 1834]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 14 - Emma is claimed to have driven "the girl" Fanny Alger out of her house|Response to claim: 14 - Emma is claimed to have driven "the girl" Fanny Alger out of her house]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 15 - Joseph issued his prophecy regarding the Civil War after visiting New York and hearing about how President Jackson should deal with "a rebellious South Carolina"|Response to claim: 15 - Joseph issued his prophecy regarding the Civil War after visiting New York and hearing about how President Jackson should deal with "a rebellious South Carolina"]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 15 - Failure of the bank in Kirtland caused Joseph to leave Kirtland in the middle of the night|Response to claim: 15 - Failure of the bank in Kirtland caused Joseph to leave Kirtland in the middle of the night]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 16 - Joseph "organized a secret group of loyalists" called the Danites|Response to claim: 16 - Joseph "organized a secret group of loyalists" called the Danites]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 16 - The Danites introduced "blood atonement" who would "save" people by slitting their throats|Response to claim: 16 - The Danites introduced "blood atonement" in order to "save" people by slitting their throats]]
*[[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 2#Response to claim: 20 - Joseph claimed to be a "second Mohammad" in a speech in Far West|Response to claim: 20 - Joseph claimed to be a "second Mohammad" in a speech in Far West]]
{{parabreak}}

==Response to claim: 12 - Joseph Smith was "infected with the virus" of land speculation==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=Joseph Smith was "infected with the virus" of land speculation.
}}
{{propaganda|The author is simply repeating Brodie's claim without evidence.
|authorsources=<br>
#{{CriticalWork:Brodie:No Man Knows|pages=188-189}}
}}

==Response to claim: 13 - It is claimed that Joseph stated that Independence Missouri was the site of the Garden of Eden and that the location of Far West was where Cain killed Abel==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=It is claimed that Joseph stated that Independence Missouri was the site of the Garden of Eden and that the location of Far West was where Cain killed Abel.
|authorsources=<br>
#No source provided.
}}
{{information|This is correct.
}}
{{:Question: Is it true Mormons believe the original Garden of Eden was located in Missouri?}}
{{:Question: What is Adam-ondi-Ahman?}}

==Response to claim: 14 - Joseph became a "swaggering general in his Army of Israel" and that "drilling and pageantry were quite suddenly pervasive aspects of a once-pacific Kirtland existence"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=The author, in describing the Kirtland period, states that Joseph became a "swaggering general in his Army of Israel" and that "drilling and pageantry were quite suddenly pervasive aspects of a once-pacific Kirtland existence."
}}
{{disinformation|The author seems to be very unfamiliar with Mormon history, because she is confusing Kirtland and Nauvoo. It was the Nauvoo Legion that performed "drilling and pageantry."
|authorsources=<br>
#No source provided
}}

==Response to claim: 14 - In Kirtland, Joseph "then initiated the secret rituals that would further repel their conventional Christian neighbors"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim={{AuthorQuote|"He then initiated the secret rituals that would further repel their conventional Christian neighbors-anointings, endowments, proxy baptisms, visions, healings, writhing ecstasies, and, especially, the concepts of 'eternal progression' and 'celestial marriage.'"}}
}}
{{disinformation|Proxy baptisms were not introduced until Nauvoo, they were not known at Kirtland.  Healings and visions were present from the Church's very beginnings.  "Writhing ecstasies" were condemned by LDS scripture by 1831 (see {{s||D&C|50|}}). The U.S. Constitution protects private religious practices that do not harm others, including those which might "repel" one's conventional Christian neighbors.
|authorsources=<br>
#No source provided
}}

==Response to claim: 14 - The name of the Church was changed to the "Church of Latter-day Saints" in 1834==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=
The name of the Church was changed to the "Church of Latter-day Saints" in 1834.
|authorsources=<br>
#No source provided.
}}
{{information|This is correct. The name of the Church was changed several times prior to the revelation which provided a permanent name.
}}
{{:Question: What is the history of name changes of the Church?}}

==Response to claim: 14 - Emma is claimed to have driven "the girl" Fanny Alger out of her house==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=Emma is claimed to have driven "the girl" Fanny Alger out of her house because she was "unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the Prophet."
|authorsources=<br>
*{{CriticalWork:Wyl:Mormon Portraits Volume First|pages=57}}
*{{CriticalWork:Brodie:No Man Knows|pages=459}}
}}
{{propaganda|The claim wasn't made until over 50 years later, and appeared in an anti-Mormon book.
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith marry Fanny Alger as his first plural wife in 1833?}}
{{:Question: Did Fanny Alger have a child by Joseph Smith?}}

==Response to claim: 15 - Joseph issued his prophecy regarding the Civil War after visiting New York and hearing about how President Jackson should deal with "a rebellious South Carolina"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=Joseph issued his prophecy regarding the Civil War after visiting New York and hearing about how President Jackson should deal with "a rebellious South Carolina."
|authorsources=<br>
#Joseph Smith's December 25, 1832 prophecy, quoted in {{CriticalWork:Quinn:Mormon Hierarchy|pages=619}}
}}
{{misinformation|There were troubles in South Carolina, but a rebellion was averted. The Church and its members continued to publicize the prophecy well after things calmed down.
}}
{{:Question: What is Joseph Smith's 1832 prophecy of the Civil War?}}
{{:Question: After the end of the rebellion in South Carolina, did the Church not mention the Civil War prophecy for many years?}}
{{:Question: Did the Church cover up the fact that the Civil War prophecy was made during the 1832 rebellion in South Carolina?}}

==Response to claim: 15 - Failure of the bank in Kirtland caused Joseph to leave Kirtland in the middle of the night==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=Failure of the bank in Kirtland caused Joseph to leave Kirtland in the middle of the night.
}}
{{propaganda|The author is simply repeating Fawn Brodie's speculation.
|authorsources=<br>
#{{CriticalWork:Brodie:No Man Knows|pages=199}}
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith personally profit from the Kirtland Safety Society?}}
{{:Question: Why were properties in the name of Joseph Smith?}}

==Response to claim: 16 - Joseph "organized a secret group of loyalists" called the Danites==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=Joseph "organized a secret group of loyalists" called the Danites.
|authorsources=<br>
#
}}
|authorsources=
#D. Michael Quinn, quoting Hallwas and Launius, ''Cultures in Conflict'', 8.
{{attn}} - ''Check source--there's nothing by H&L on that page about Danites at all.....''
}}
{{misinformation|The Danites are sometimes confused with the “Armies of Israel,” which was the official defensive organization that was tasked with defending the Saints.
}}
{{:Source:Peace and Violence:Gospel Topics:Danites}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon support the formation of a vigilante band called the Danites?}}
{{:Question: When was the Danite band formed and why?}}
{{:Question: Is it true that the Danites were pledged to “plunder, lie, and even kill if deemed necessary?"}}
{{:Question: How were the activities of the Danite band exposed?}}
{{:Question: Did the Danite band persist even after they were exposed?}}

==Response to claim: 16 - The Danites introduced "blood atonement" in order to "save" people by slitting their throats==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=The Danites introduced "blood atonement" in order to "save" people by slitting their throats.
}}
{{propaganda|This is incorrect.
|authorsources=<br>
#John D. Lee
}}
{{:Question: What is "blood atonement"?}}
{{:Source:Charles Penrose:Improvement Era:September 1912:Do you believe in "blood-atonement"?}}
{{:Question: Did early Mormon leaders teach that apostasy was the unforgivable sin, and that the only thing an apostate could do to redeem himself was to give his own life, willingly or unwillingly?}}
{{:Question: Were apostates secretly put to death by "blood atonement" during the administration of Brigham Young?}}

==Response to claim: 20 - Joseph claimed to be a "second Mohammad" in a speech in Far West==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=American Massacre
|claim=Joseph claimed to be a "second Mohammad" in a speech in Far West.	
}}
{{propaganda|The statement which Joseph is charged with making did not accord at all with how he had his followers behave.
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith say that he would be a "second Muhammad," threatening to spread his beliefs with the sword?}}

{{endnotes sources}}



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