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Mountain Meadows Massacre
Mountain Meadows Massacre
The Mountain Meadows Massacre (1857) was the killing of members of a wagon train passing through southern Utah Territory, carried out by a local Mormon militia with involvement from some allied Native Americans during a period of heightened fear and conflict associated with the Utah War. Critics often point to the Church’s leadership structure in the territory and inflammatory rhetoric of the period as evidence that Church authorities bore direct responsibility for the attack, while also emphasizing later efforts to conceal what happened as further indication of institutional culpability. The historical record, however, distinguishes between local militia leaders in southern Utah who planned and executed the attack and Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, noting that communication delays and fragmented authority shaped events on the ground. While Brigham Young’s exact role has been debated, available evidence does not show that he ordered the massacre, and some directives he sent appear to have counseled peaceful passage of emigrants. The Church has since acknowledged the tragedy, expressed sorrow for the suffering caused, and formally disavowed the actions taken at Mountain Meadows while recognizing the complexity of the historical circumstances. Click the links below for faithful answers to questions about and criticisms of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
- Historical Summary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
- The Perpetrators of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
- Brigham Young and the Mountain Meadows Massacre
- Others Involved in the Mountain Meadows Massacre
- Additional Resources on the Mountain Meadows Massacre
First video published by the Church History Department.
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