Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 20

Chapter 19

A FAIR Analysis of: Criticism of Mormonism/Books A work by author: Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Chapter 21

Claims made in Chapter 20: Blood Atonement

Page	Claim	Response	Author's sources
490	Reed Peck said that Joseph Smith told him of a revelation in which Apostle Peter stated that he had hung Judas.	This claim is repeated in One Nation Under Gods: One Nation Under Gods/Use of sources/Apostles killed Judas Heber said: Jesus said to his disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth; and if the salt loses its saving principle, it is then good for nothing but to be cast out." Instead of reading it just as it is, almost all of you read it just as it is not. Jesus meant to say," If you have lost the saving principles, you Twelve Apostles, and you that believe in my servants the Twelve, you shall be like unto the salt that has lost its saving principles: it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men." Judas lost that saving principle, and they took him and killed him. It is said page 126 in the Bible that his bowels gushed out; but they actually kicked him until his bowels came out.	The Reed Peck Manuscript, p.13 Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 6:125-26.
490-491	Brigham Young advocated blood atonement.	Blood atonement	Journal of Discourses 4:53-54
491-492	Jedediah Grant advocated blood atonement.	Blood atonement	Journal of Discourses 4:49-50
493	Murder was worthy of death.	Blood atonement|| History of the Church 5:296 Doctrines of Salvation 1:136 Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p.314"
493	Adultery and immorality were worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Journal of Discourses 7:20 Journal of Discourses 6:38 Journal of Discourses 7:19 Journal of Discourses 1:97
493	Brigham Young said that he would put a javelin through the heart of an adulterous woman.	Blood atonement	Journal of Discourses 3:247
496	Stealing was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Times and Seasons, vol. 4, pp.183-84 History of the Church 7:597 Journal of Discourses 1:108-9 Journal of Discourses 1:73"
496	Using the name of the Lord in vain was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Journal of Hosea Stout, vol. 2, p.71; p.56 of the typed copy at Utah State Historical Society
496	Not receiving the Gospel was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Journal of Discourses 3:226
496	Marrying an African was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Journal of Discourses 10:110 Wilford Woodruff's Journal, January 16,1852 Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Spring 1973, p.26
498	Breaking covenants was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Journal of Discourses 4:49-51 Deseret News, July 27, 1854 Journal of Discourses 4:375
498-499	Apostasy was worthy of death.	Blood atonement	Journal of Discourses 1:83 Journal of Discourses 4:219-20 Journal of Discourses 6:34-35
500	Lying was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	"Manuscript History of Brigham Young," December 20, 1846
500	Counterfeiting was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	"Manuscript History of Brigham Young," February 24,1847
500	Condemning Joseph Smith was worthy of death.	19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"	Quest for Empire, p.127 Daily journal of Abraham H. Cannon,"" December 6, 1889, pp.205-6
501-503	Blood atonement was "put into practice" in Utah.	Blood atonement	Confessions of John D. Lee, 1880, pp.282-83 Utah Historical Quarterly, January 1958, p.62, note 39
501	Modern church leaders have confirmed the principle but denied the practice of blood atonement.	Blood atonement	Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p.87 Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp.133-36