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


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


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.

490-491

Brigham Young advocated blood atonement.

  • Journal of Discourses 4:53-54

491-492

Jedediah Grant advocated blood atonement.

  • Journal of Discourses 4:49-50

493

Murder was worthy of death.

  • History of the Church 5:296
  • Doctrines of Salvation 1:136
  • Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p.314"

493

Adultery and immorality were 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.

  • Journal of Discourses 3:247

496

Stealing was 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.

  • 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.

  • Journal of Discourses 3:226

496

Marrying an African was 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.

  • Journal of Discourses 4:49-51
  • Deseret News, July 27, 1854
  • Journal of Discourses 4:375

498-499

Apostasy was worthy of death.

  • Journal of Discourses 1:83
  • Journal of Discourses 4:219-20
  • Journal of Discourses 6:34-35

500

Lying was worthy of death.

  • "Manuscript History of Brigham Young," December 20, 1846

500

Counterfeiting was worthy of death.

  • "Manuscript History of Brigham Young," February 24,1847

500

Condemning Joseph Smith was 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.

  • 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.

  • Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p.87
  • Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp.133-36