Sorry folks, memory like a sieve, lately. I need to research the details regarding the event. This punishment pertained to blood-atonement; am I correct?

Looking for scholarly accounts. Thanks.

Sicce

You may be thinking of the Lafferty brothers. They Killed their sister-in-law and her baby by slitting their throats. It is the subject of a book; Under the Banner of Heaven, by John Krakauer.

I was living in Provo when that murder took place. Followed the investigation, subsequent trial with some interest.

The execution to which I'm referring took place in the late 1800s, somewhere within Territory of Utah, I think.

Thanks,

S

"The wife of one Elder, when he was absent on a mission, acted unfaithfully towards him. Her husband took counsel of the authorities, and was reminded that the shedding of her blood alone could save her. He returned and told her, but she asked for time, which was readily granted. One day, in a moment of affection, when she was seated on his knee, he reminded her of her doom, and suggested that now when their hearts were full of love was a suitable time for carrying it into execution. She acquiesced, and out of love he cut her throat from ear to ear."

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA318&dq=throat+cut+knee+inauthor:stenhouse&ei=V6yFTZfgO5K8sAPv3tmDAg&ct=result&id=jbcUAAAAYAAJ#v=onepage&q=throat%20cut%20knee%20inauthor%3Astenhouse&f=false


(Unfortunately, no name is given--story may only have been a rumor.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2011 04:33AM by Fetal Deity.

Quite possibly the account I've been looking for, yes.

At least, I know where to begin my research. Thank you, FD.

Sicce

Stenhouse relates, as one of the "few notable cases that have properly illustrated the blood atonement doctrine," that one of the wives of an elder who was sent on a mission broke her marriage vows during his absence. On his return, during the height of the "Reformation," she was told that "she could not reach the circle of the gods and goddesses unless her blood was shed," and she consented to accept the punishment. Seating herself, therefore, on her husband's knee, she gave him a last kiss, and he then drew a knife across her throat. "That kind and loving husband still lives near Salt Lake City (1874), and preaches occasionally with great zeal."*


* "Rocky Mountain Saints," p. 470.

http://thedigitalvoice.com/enigma/1902LinA.htm

Although the local library had the original hardcover book which I checked out a few times.

when I was a little kid in Utah. She didn't mention the adultery aspect because I wouldn't have known what that meant but she did say that a man was supposed to "look lovingly into his wife's eyes as she sat on his lap and cut her throat."

I never understood the context of this gruesome practice until much later in life when I learned of blood atonement.

Plus, my mother was a huge drama queen.

And wonders why He wasted his time when the only true church on the earth comes along and does *real* atonement for sin by killing the sinner and doing temple work for those who died.

He sits and wonders " Agsin I ask, why did I have to do all this?" Oh- I remember because I loved the people that my father created.

Again He rubs his cut in his side and massages the holes in his feet and remembers all that he went through. The Book of Abraham is wrong. The brother that wished to keep the glory for himself won the contest and his plan was accepted.

The Mormons seek to keep the glory for themselves and they rob it from God and His only begotten by pretending to save mankind by their own works.

No Jesus required...except as a marketing tool to deceive the very elect in these latter days.

Skunk, this is one tale I was spared, though my mother also seemed to take some sort of perverse delight in relating stories like this to us kids. Anything to get us to behave, I suppose.

S

Awful story.

But before I read it and killed my buzz, I was going to say that only on this site would you read a discussion thread with a title so ricockulous.

isn't it? I've learned more about tscc at this site than in the entire fifty years I spent as a member.

Fetal Deity, JoD3:360, many thanks to you both for the input. Very helpful.

Sicce