Another of the murders under this dispensation, which Judge Cradlebaugh mentioned as "peculiarly and shockingly prominent," was that of the Aikin party, in the spring of 1857. This party, consisting of six men, started east from San Francisco in May, 1857, and, falling in with a Mormon train, joined them for protection against the Indians. "When they got to a safer neighborhood, the Californians pushed on ahead. Arriving in Kayesville, twenty-five miles north of Salt Lake City, they were at once arrested as federal spies, and their animals (they had an outfit worth in all, about $25,000) were put into the public corral. When their Mormon fellow-travellers arrived, they scouted the idea that the men even knew of an impending "war," and the party were told that they would be sent out of the territory. But before they started, a council, held at the call of a Bishop in Salt Lake City, decided on their death.

Four of the party were attacked in camp by their escort while asleep; two were killed at once, and two who escaped temporarily were shot while, as they supposed, being escorted back to Salt Lake City. The two others were attacked by O. P. Rockwell and some associates near the city; one was killed outright, and the other escaped, wounded, and was shot the next day while under the escort of "Bill" Hickman, and, according to the latter, by Young's order. *


* Brigham's "Destroying Angel," p. 128

============
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.
--------------------

“The time has been in Israel under the law of God, the celestial law, or that which pertains to the celestial law, for it is one of the laws of that kingdom where our Father dwells, that if a man was found guilty of adultery, he must have his blood shed, and that is near at hand.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, p. 219


“I say, there are men and women that I would advise to go to the Presidency immediately, and ask him to appoint a committee to attend to their care; and then let a place be selected, and let that committee shed their blood. We have amongst us that are full of all manner of abominations, those who need to have their blood shed, for water will not do, their sins are too deep a dye... I believe that there are a great many; and if they are covenant breakers we need a place designated, where we can shed their blood... Brethren and sisters, we want you to repent and forsake your sins. And you who have committed sins that cannot be forgiven through baptism, let your blood be shed, and let the smoke ascend, that the incense thereof may come up before God as an atonement for your sins, and that the sinners in Zion may be afraid.”

- Apostle Jebediah M. Grant, 2nd counselor to Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, pp. 49-51


“I will tell you how much I love those characters. If they had any respect to their own welfare, they would come forth and say, whether Joseph Smith was a Prophet or not, ‘We shed his blood, and now let us atone for it;’ and they would be willing to have their heads chopped off, that their blood might run upon the ground, and the smoke of it rise before the Lord as an incense for their sins.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 2, p. 179, February 18, 1855


“Suppose you found your brother in bed with your wife, and put a javelin through both of them. You would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the Kingdom of God. I would at once do so, in such a case; and under the circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands.... There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 1, pp. 108-109

“If you want to know what to do with a thief that you may find stealing, I say kill him on the spot, and never suffer him to commit another iniquity. I will prove by my works whether I can mete out justice to such persons, or not. I would consider it just as much my duty to do that, as to baptize a man for the remission of his sins.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 1, pp. 108-109

I know that there are transgressors, who, if they knew themselves and the only condition upon which they can obtain forgiveness, would beg of their brethren to shed their blood, that the smoke might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the law might have its course.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, p. 43

“Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved... and suppose that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of blood, and also knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin and may be saved and exalted with the God, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say, ‘shed my blood that I may be saved and exalted with the Gods?’”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, pp. 219-220

“It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it [the blood of Christ] can never remit.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, p. 54

“This is loving your neighbour as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, p. 220

“If men turn traitors to God and His servants, their blood will surely be shed, or else they will be damned, and that too according to their covenants.”

- Apostle Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, p. 375

Printed this for my mother. Bless her little TBM heart.

she may need to blood atone her entire family . . .

Thanks JoD, I always enjoy your posts.

If the missionaries taught these truths there would be no converts, or missionaries. Brigham Young was an evil man, heatless indeed. This makes me sick. Imagine all the people who lived under all those years he was president of the church, they probably had little choice but to be obedient.

D

deconverted2010 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks JoD, I always enjoy your posts.
>
> If the missionaries taught these truths there
> would be no converts, or missionaries. Brigham
> Young was an evil man, heatless indeed. This
> makes me sick. Imagine all the people who lived
> under all those years he was president of the
> church, they probably had little choice but to be
> obedient.
>
> D

And they named a university after him!

Blood atonement for murderers
Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church, v. 5, p. 296,
“I [am] opposed to hanging, even if a man kill another, I will shoot him, or cut off his head, spill his blood on the ground, and let the smoke thereof ascend up to God; and if ever I have the privilege of making a law on that subject, I will have it so.”

Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 223
“The people of Utah are the only ones in this nation who have taken effectual measures... to prevent adulteries and criminal connections between the sexes. The punishment, for these crimes is death to both male and female. And this law is written on the hearths and printed in the thoughts of the whole people.”

George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, v. 1, p. 97
“The principle, the only one that beats and throbs through the heart of the entire inhabitants of this Territory, is simply this: The man who seduces his neighbors wife must die, and her nearest relative must kill him!”

Blood atonement for apostates
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V. 1, p. 83;
“I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will unsheath [sic] my bowie knife, and conquer or die [Great commotion in the congregation, and a simultaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the declaration.]. Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be put to the line, and righteousness to the plummet [Voices, generally, ‘go it, go it.’]. If you say it is right, raise your hands [All hands up.]. Let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this, and every good work.”

Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, v. 1, p. 73
"I would have a tendency to place terror on those who leave these parts [Utah], that may prove their salvation when they see the heads of thieves taken off, or shot down before the public... I believe it would be pleasing in the sight of heaven to sanctify ourselves and put these things out of our midst.”

Blood atonement for interracial marriage
Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff's Journal, January 16,1852, (Quoting Brigham Young),
"And if any man mingle his seed with the seed of Cane [sic] the ownly [sic] way he could get rid of it or have salvation would be to come forward and have his head cut off & spill his Blood upon the ground it would also take the life of his children..."

Blood atonement for lying
Manuscript History of Brigham Young, December 20, 1846
"I ... warned those who lied and stole and followed Israel that they would have their heads cut off, for that was the law of God and it should be executed"

Blood atonement for disobeying Priesthood
John D. Lee, John D. Lee Diaries
“The Mormons believe in blood atonement. It is taught by the leaders, and believed by the people, that the Priesthood are inspired and cannot give a wrong order. It is the belief of all that I ever heard talk of these things – and I have been with the Church since the dark days in Jackson County – that the authority that orders is the only responsible party and the Danite who does the killing only an instrument, and commits no wrong.... Punishment by death is the penalty for refusing to obey the orders of the Priesthood.
“I knew of many men being killed in Nauvoo by the Danites. It was then the rule that all the enemies of the Prophet Joseph should be killed, and I know of many a man who was quietly put out of the way by the orders of Joseph and his apostles while the Church was there. It has always been a well understood doctrine of the Church that it is right and praiseworthy to kill every person who speaks evil of the Prophet. This doctrine was strictly lived up to in Utah...”

Blood Atonement and other doctrines
William Smith., Temple Lot Case, p. 98
“[My life was in danger] if I remained there, because of my protest against the doctrine of Blood Atonement and other new doctrines that were brought into the Church.”

Brigham Young, Deseret News, April 16, 1856
“Will you love your brothers and sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of their blood? Will you love that man or woman well enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant.”

Brigham Young, Deseret News, April 16, 1856
“Any of you who understand the principles of eternity – if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding of blood, except the sin unto death – would not be satisfied or rest until your blood should be spilled, that you might gain the salvation you desire. This is the way to love mankind.”

Spill blood for salvation
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 4, p. 220
I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there is no chance whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them. The wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle’s being in full force, but the time will come when the law of God will be in full force. This is loving our neighbour as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it.

Jebediah M. Grant, Deseret News, July 27, 1854
“We would not kill a man, of course, unless we killed him to save him...”

Christ removed Adam’s sin
John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, v. 10, pp. 114-115
“It is not fully comprehended why it was necessary that Jesus Christ should leave the heavens, ... and come upon the earth to offer himself up a sacrifice; ... why this should be, why it was necessary that his blood should be shed is an apparent mystery.... What sins of the world did he take away? We are told that it is the sin which Adam committed.”

Utah execution sheds blood
B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, vol. 2, p. 454
He that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." (Gen. ix :6). Blood for blood was the doctrine of that Scripture. Now we believe in that doctrine; that is, we believe that those who so far transgress that they imbrue their hands in the blood of their fellow men, that their lives are necessary to the complete atonement; and that their execution should be such that it admits of the shedding of their blood. And it is because of this belief that the laws of Utah permit such method of execution for capital offenses as sheds the blood of the murderer.

Man must atone for their own sins
Amasa M. Lyman, Journal of Discourses, v. 7, p. 299
“... We may talk of men being redeemed by the efficacy of his [Christ’s] blood; but the truth is that that blood has no efficacy to wash away our sins. That must depend upon our own action.”

Amasa M. Lyman, Apostle, Journal of Discourses, v. 7, p. 298
“Has Jesus done anything that will bring salvation to you and me? The chief of what he has done is that he has revealed the plan of the Gospel – the scheme of human redemption, and manifested himself among his brethren; and we may say he has done a great deal more, for he has shed his blood for it. So have others shed their blood. But whose blood has cleansed you and me? It is said that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins. Then why is it that we remain sinners? It is simply because the blood of Jesus has not cleansed us from sin – because it has not reached us.”

Charles W. Penrose, Journal of Discourses, v. 21, pp. 81-82
“... inasmuch as the blood of Christ was shed for original sin unconditionally, but for the remission of actual sin conditionally.”

No atonement without blood
Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, vol. 3, p. 104
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. In the whole Jewish economy, there was nothing strangled permitted to be used, either as food; or for sacrifice; it was an abomination. If Jesus had been strangled, hanged, or poisoned, so that his blood had remained in him his death would have brought forth no atonement for the sins of the world. He himself might have been saved because he was holy, and needed no atonement; but if his blood had not been shed, he would not have become a Savior to others; and it was just as necessary that the blood of a murderer should be shed, to bring about his salvation, as it was that the Savior's blood should be shed, to bring about the salvation of the world; and the priests, who have not taught this doctrine, when they have seen the people strangling their fellow beings, are responsible; (at this instant Gov. Young explained, 'perhaps they are ignorant, and know no better,' when the speaker resumed:) and should they plead the excuse of ignorance themselves, a double curse will rest upon them for pretending to the most exalted profession, when they were ignorant of its duties not having been called of God as was Aaron.

Grievous sins
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, v. 1, pp. 135-136
Just a word or two now, on the subject of blood atonement ... man may commit certain grievous sins —according to his light and knowledge—that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone—so far as in his power lies—for that sin, for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail.... Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressor beyond the power of the atonement of Christ. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent. Therefore their only hope is to have their own blood shed to atone, as far as possible, in their behalf. This is scriptural doctrine, and is taught in all the standard works of the Church. The doctrine was established in the beginning, that "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for man shall not shed the blood of man. For a commandment I give, that every man's brother shall preserve the life of man, for in mine own image have I made man."

Peter killed Judas
Heber C Kimball Journal of Discourses, vol.6, pp.125-126
Judas lost that saving principle, and they took him and killed him. It is said in the Bible that his bowels gushed out; but they actually kicked him until his bowels came out.... Judas was like salt that had lost its saving principles—good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.... It is so with you, ye Elders of Israel, when you forfeit your covenants.... I know the day is right at hand when men will forfeit their Priesthood and turn against us and against the covenants they have made, and they will be destroyed as Judas was

The Reed Peck Manuscript, p. 13.
"He [Joseph Smith] talked of dissenters and cited us to the case of Judas, saying that Peter told him in a conversation a few days ago that himself hung Judas for betraying Christ..."

Blood Atonement is God’s law
Ben E. Rich, Conference Report, October 1902, p. 7
They say that the "Mormons" believe in blood atonement. We do believe in blood atonement; and so does all the Christian world believe in blood atonement. We believe in the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it will cleanse mankind from all sin, upon condition of obedience to the laws of the Gospel. There is not a Christian nation on earth who does not believe or pretend to believe in blood atonement just as the Latter-day Saints believe in it. Oh, but the "Mormons" believe in another kind of blood atonement it is said. Well, we do, in the same way that this nation believes in it, and in no other way-in the way that God revealed it to the ancients, that if man spilt man's blood, by man should his blood be spilt. There is not a state in this glorious Union of ours that does not believe in that kind of blood atonement. So far as putting a murderer to death is concerned, we believe that if the right punishment were inflicted upon the individual it would not be by strangling him to death or by placing him in an electric chair, but it would be an execution whereby his blood would be shed. Thank God, in this state there were enough in the Constitutional Convention who believed in that principle to wisely place in that constitution a clause which provided that in dealing out the death penalty the murderer should have a choice between being shot and being hung; and if there were a particle of belief in the law of God in the heart of the convicted murderer the law would give him the chance to choose a death whereby his blood could be spilt by man legally, seeing that he had spilt the blood of his fellow man. But this being the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, we believe in the doctrines laid down by Him, and therefore we believe in rendering unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and unto God that which belongs to Him.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, vol. 1, p. 189
This divine law for shedding the blood of a murderer has never been repealed. It is a law given by the Almighty and not abrogated in the Christian faith. It stands on record for all time-that a murderer shall have his blood shed. He that commits murder must be slain. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood4 by man shall his blood be shed." I know there are some benevolent and philanthropic people in these times who think that capital punishment ought to be abolished. Yet I think the Lord knows better than they. The law he ordained will have the best results to mankind in general.

Wilford Woodruff Collection, Romney Typescript, LDS Archives, 83-84

Woodruff recounts the false story of the evil emigrants poisoning the beef and giving it to the Indians and poisoning the stream causing the Indians to retaliate.

"Brother Lee remarked that he did not think that there was a drop of innocent blood in the camp of the emigrants who were slain by the Indians. He had two of the surviving children and he could get but one to kneel in prayer time and the other would laugh at her for doing it and they would sware [sic] like pirates."

Great quotes, keep em coming!