Revision as of 17:42, 11 January 2009

Brigham Says to "Cut Their Throats"

The Quote

One Nation under Gods, page 236-237 (hardback)

Apostates certainly were viewed as the worst of sinners, although every reprobate received the same penalty. As Brigham instructed his flock: "If any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats.53

One Nation under Gods, page 236-237 (paperback)

Apostates certainly were viewed as the worst sinners, although every reprobate, risked similar justice. Young once said: "It was asked this mormong how we could obtain redress for our wrongs; I will tell you how it could be done, we could take the same law they have taken...and if any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats."55

The Reference

Endnote 53, page 563 (hardback)

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 2:311..

The Problems

In an effort to forward his agenda of depicting Brigham in a negative light, the author lifts a couple of sentence fragments from one of Young's statements and leaves the context behind. Here is the more complete quote from that discourse, in context (the portion the author quotes is in bold):

It was asked this morning how we could obtain redress for our wrongs; I will tell you how it could be done, we could take the same law they have taken, viz., mobocracy, and if any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats. (All the people said, Amen.) This would be rooting out that treatment to wicked men, which they had measured to innocent persons. We could meet them on their own ground, when they will not honor the law, but will kill the Prophets and destroy the innocent. They could drive the innocent from their homes, take their houses and farms, cattle and goods, and destroy men, women, and children, walking over the laws of the United States, trampling them under their feet, and not honoring a single law. Suppose I should follow the example they have shown us, and say, "Latter-day Saints, do ye likewise, and bid defiance to the whole clan of such men?

So, was Brigham "instructing?" No! When the matter was put before him, regarding what should be done to those who had come and robbed, murdered and destroyed (he had just been asked that morning), Brigham said "here's how we COULD approach it," so to speak. "Suppose I should follow the example they have shown us," he says. "I will tell you how it COULD be done." These are not instructions, by any means. You have ripped the statement from its context and presented it as instructions to kill the Church's enemies, when that is not what Brigham said.

If one were to say, in writing a review of an anti-Mormon book written by a Southern Baptist, "Suppose I write a book against the Baptists? I have been asked what to do about the horrible attacks on our Church from the Southern Baptists. I will tell you how it could be done, we could start writing anti-Baptist books and attack their history, their origins and their leaders. Suppose I were to follow the example they have set?" Would one be correct in making the statement that Cooper Johnson said that Mormons should, "start writing anti-Baptist books and attack their history?" Certainly not.

It is a supposition for the purposes of making a point. Nowhere in this statement of Brigham's is he advocating the cutting of anyone's throat.

Further reading