Title: Vengeance Is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath
Authors: Richard E. Turley and Barbara Jones Brown
Publisher: University of Oxford Press
Genre: History
Year Published: 2023
Number of Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780195397857
Reviewed by David Cook
This book and its predecessor Massacre at Mountain Meadows are profoundly painful books to read. I approach these books not only as a believing Latter-day Saint but as a decedent of one of the planners and participants. As I prepared to write this review I reread an entry in my journal I wrote in 2009 when I had finished Massacre at Mountain Meadows. I recall closing the book and just staring out the window into the darkness. I was profoundly moved and wrote the following in my journal. “It is so painful to think that some of our people were capable of such evil acts. Sadly, even today it seems that some of our members are prone to vilification of the what they view as the opposition. I pray that this minority element of our culture can change.” That was my prayer then and still is.
Just a little background to give color to my reading of this book. My great great grandmother’s husband Francis Jorden, struggled to make a living in the harsh conditions of Southern Utah. Going against the counsel of Church leaders he decided to try his luck as a gold miner in California. He wrote loving letters to his wife during his absence. The postmaster, Richard Harrison had eyes for Jordan’s wife Jane, so he held all of the letters from Francis to Jane. She assumed Francis either died or abandoned her. Upon Jorden’s return he learned that he had been excommunicated and that Jane had been “reassigned” as a plural wife to Harrison.
Frank Jorden, the son of Francis and Jane, became aware of the planning of the Massacre through conversations he overheard that certain perpetrators were aware of. He began to fear for his life. Both his mother and Father who encouraged him to leave. Under cover of darkness Frank left to join his father, never to return. Many of the perpetrators of the Massacre were from Cedar City and worked at or supplied raw materials to the ironworks where Harrison was superintendent. It was at the ironworks were some of the killers mustered. John D. Lee (the only perpetrator executed for his crimes) identified Harrison as a participant.
Now to the review. Full disclosure, I know Rick Turley and Barbra Brown fairly well. I consider them friends. Rick was a year ahead of me in law school and a true genius. Barbara likewise is brilliant and fearless. This book, like Massacre at Mountain Meadows, is meticulously researched and a comprehensive account of one of the darkest chapters in American history. The first volume was a narrative that delved into the complex events of Sept. 11, 1857, shedding light on the motives, actions, and aftermath of the evil acts, including the wrongful blaming of the Piute tribe. This volume continues the story, following the investigations of the perpetrators.
One of the hardest things in telling history is to place it in a historical context. These books absolutely excel in this respect. The details of the tensions between the US Government and the Mormons are gripping. It is a history that is mostly lost on later generations. The Republican Party prior to the Civil War essentially declared war on the “twin relics of barbarism, slavery, and polygamy” and the American government disenfranchised the Mormons while sending and Johnson’s Army to quell the “rebellion” of the Mormon people. By examining the perspectives of multiple individuals involved, the authors paint a nuanced picture of the psychological, religious, and societal factors that contributed to the atrocity.
What sets the book apart is the authors’ commitment to presenting a comprehensive view of the events. Turley and Brown leave no stone unturned as they meticulously dissect the evidence, including court records, diaries, letters, and oral testimonies, to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the massacre and its aftermath. They separate fact from conjecture, offering a well-reasoned analysis of the motivations and decisions made by the various parties involved. They focus on the human element with a keen understanding of the players, portraying them as complex, flawed human beings rather than mere archetypes. This approach allows readers to grasp the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by those caught up in the events, adding depth and empathy to the narrative. And indeed in my case a righteous indignation and anger.
For a casual reader, the sheer amount of information and detail might overwhelm those unfamiliar with the historical context. Despite these minor drawbacks, Vengeance is Mine as well as Massacre are important works that shine a light on a dark period in American and LDS history. It serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of religious extremism, fear, and violence when mixed with political tensions. Turley and Brown’s dedication to accuracy and their portrayal of the victims, perpetrators, and native peoples the essential resource for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of this horrific event.
Vengeance is Mine is a comprehensive, well-researched, and balanced examination of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. While it may be dense at times, the authors’ commitment to accuracy and their focus on the human element make this book an extraordinary contribution to the understanding of this haunting chapter in LDS and American history.
Further recognition should be given to Elder Marlin K. Jensen, who served as Church Historian and was the impetus for this project. Without him I not sure either book would have been written. Full disclosure, I consider him and friend and mentor for over 40 years. Many years ago after the Church opened the archives to scholars and issued formal apologies to decedents of those killed in the Massacre, President Gordon B. Hinckley endorsed the project and the apology. One of his sons told me that he had visited the massacre site with his father. They were alone. His dad looked over the site and with tears his eyes said, “I have done everything I know how to do to try and heal this ugly wound.”