The more I read, the more incredulous I become. But the 'Mountain Meadows Massacre' is sickening beyond belief

ain't that the truth?

What I also found sad was the ends that are executed to cover the truth (not just about the massacre). The border on the pathetic (publishing a critique of a book you never read) to the chilling. But I don't think these should be a surprise to anyone familiar with the history of almost any church. I think the people who are apt to believe in something "just because" are not the type of people who want what they believe in to change. I think it would be too shocking to their life philosophy to have someone tell them what they believed all along had changed, regardless of the reason.

And an inquisition, too!

Wow, it too the Catholics over 1000 years to get to that point. The Momon's did it in less than 40! Very advanced!

yes, i have to constantly look away because i can only take so much "ugly and stupid" in one glance, then when it descends into "evil and cruel" well it's hard to even look back. amazing how an experience (life) that can be so delightful can be rendered so unbearable by deception.

when i think about all the joy that could have been there where the tears screams and horrors were, well it doesn't bear dwelling on.

I wonder if the notion of "exceptionalism" is as pervasive in other cultures as it is in our own. I remember the arguments over setting standards for the history curriculum--some of those arguments could have been written by Apostle Packer. Where does this idea that history is supposed to inspire and uplift come from? Do we argue that the purpose of mathematics is to amuse? That science is to make us feel cozy and comfortable? Or that spelling should make us feel creative and enterprising?
I'd like to see how German textbooks treat the Holocaust, or Japanese textbooks treat Japan's imperialism during WWII.

my understanding is that the idea of "exceptionalism" is/was much more pervasive in the United States than other modern countries. Particularly in the mid to late 1800's.

Modern Italy (formed in the Mid 1800's) definitely did not think of itself that way. And perhaps never has!

ginof wrote

And if anyone has an exceptional history, you'd think the descendants of Rome would make the claim. And yet, we seem to miss that obvious example that history splays out before us: exceptionalism isn't an intrinsic trait. Do we think we are exceptional because 230 years ago certain intellectuals on the eastern seaboard decided to experiment with a new form of government? Or is it that we are exceptional because we have invested in the largest military force the world has ever seen? Or are we exceptional because a small portion of our population has been educated and provided access to resources that enabled them to be innovative and creative? The Mormon tendency to selective memory and their willingness to turn a blind eye on unpleasant facts from the past seem to be American traits.

Want to know something really scary? When I lived in Salt Lake City, I talked with a gentleman (either a non-Mormon ro an ex-Mormon) who informed me that the Mountain Meadows Massacre was only the worst and most publicized one many. His words were something to the effect of "How to you think they built up the area so fast?" He claimed that many small wagon trains, or individual wagons were raided by Mormons disguised as Indians. Guess it is easy to blame everything on the evil Lamanites.