What was the Utah Reformation? How did it start? How has it evolved since the 1800s?
What part did the "Blood Atonement" play in the Reformation?
During the Reformation period, men from the church were sent out to ask these questions to the members. Below is a list of questions that would be asked of the members.
[Questions to be Asked Latter Day Saints, BYU Digital Collections]
1. Have you committed murder by shedding innocent blood or consenting thereto?
2. Have you betrayed your brethren or sisters in anything?
3. Have you committed adultery, by having any connection with a woman that was not your wife, or a man that was not your husband?
4. Have you taken and made of use of property not your own without the consent of the owner?
5. Have you cut hay where you had no right to, or turned your animals into another persons grain or field, without his knowledge and consent?
6. Have you lied about or maliciously misrepresented any person or thing?
7. Have you borrowed anything that you have not returned or paid for?
8. Have you born false witness against your neighbor?
9. Have you taken the name of the Deity in vain?
10. Have you coveted anything not your own?
11. Have you been intoxicated with strong drink?
12. Have you found lost property and not returned it to the owner or used all diligence to do so?
13. Have you branded an animal that you did not know to be your own?
14. Have you taken another horse or mule from the range and rode it, without the owner's consent?
15. Have you fulfilled your promises in paying your debts, or run into debt without prospect of paying?
16. Have you taken water to irrigate, when it belonged to another person at the time you used it?
17. Do you pay your tithing promptly?
18. Do you teach your family the gospel of salvation?
19. Do you speak against your brethren, or against any principle taught in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Book of Doctrine and Covenants, Revelations given through Joseph Smith the the Prophet and the Presidency of the Church as now organized?
20. Do you pray in your family night and morning and attend to secret prayer?
21. Do you wash your body and have your family do so, as often as health and cleanliness require and circumstances will permit?
22. Do you labour six days and rest, or go to the house of worship on the seventh?
23. Do you and your family attend ward meetings?
24. Do you preside over your household as a servant of God and is your family subject to you?
25. Have you laboured diligently and earned faithfully the wages paid you by your employees?
26. Do you oppress the hireling in his wages?
27. Have you taken up and converted any stray animal to your own use, or in any manner appropriated one to your benefit with accounting therefor to the proper authorities?
In answer to the above questions, let all men and women confess to the persons they have injured and make restitution or satisfaction and when catechising the people, the Bishops, Teachers, Missionaries and other officers in the Church are not at liberty to pry into sins that are between a person and his or her God, but let such persons confess to the proper authority, that the adversary may not have an opportunity to take advantage of human weaknesses and thereby destroy souls.
The blood atonement is the doctrine that there are some sins so severe that Jesus Christ's sacrifice cannot atone for them, and so the blood of the sinner must be shed.
To learn more about the Blood Atonement, click here.
In her book "Wife No. 19" Ann Eliza Webb Young made a very concerning statement. She said that
There exists an "already appallingly long list of men and women foully dealt with and sent into eternity without a moment's warning, for no crime at all except for daring to differ, if ever so slightly, from those in authority."
-Ann Eliza Webb-
Mr. Hatten, Ann Eliza's cousin-in-law, his crime? Being a Gentile and wanting to move to California. [pg. 205]
Jesse Earl, his crime? No idea. Somehow "his sins were past forgiveness" [pg. 206]
Almon Babbitt, his crime was that he wanted to return to the States [206-207]
John Evan had shot a man in Council Bluffs. He visited Brigham Young, "and begged to atone for his crime in the usual way" [207]
Duff Potter, murdered for apostasy [pg. 207]
William Parrish, murdered for apostasy [pg. 207]
Beatson Parrish [pg. 207]
Dr. J. King Robinson, his crime was being a popular Gentile [pg. 207]
Mrs Jones and her son
Mr. Jones from Payton, UT. who were suspected for falling away from the church [pg. 207-208]
Lobbs [pg. 295]
Mr. Bake [pg. 300-302]
John Aiken, part of the Aiken party, murdered for being Gentiles and having with them $25,000.
Thomas Aiken, part of the Aiken party, murdered for being Gentiles and having with them $25,000.
John Achard, part of the Aiken party, murdered for being Gentiles and having with them $25,000.
Andrew J. Jones, part of the Aiken party, murdered for being Gentiles and having with them $25,000.
Horace Bucklin, part of the Aiken party, murdered for being Gentiles and having with them $25,000.
Story of L. P. Langford is noteworthy, though he was was not killed [pg. 289-290]
In the book by M. W. Montgomery titled The Mormon Delusion: Its History, Doctrines, and the Outlook in Utah, gives additional names of persons who were "blood atoned." In addition to give the names of the Aiken party, Almon Babbit, Dr. Robinson, the Potter and Parrish's,
Mr. Yates, "killed under atrocious circumstances" [pg. 165]
Franklin McNeil, he had "sued Brigham for false imprisonment and was killed at his hotel door" [pg. 165]
Sergeant Pike [pg. 165]
Mr. Arnold [pg. 165]
Mr. Drown [pg. 165]
Price Bryan [pg. 165]
William Bryan [pg. 165]
Mr. Brassfield [pg. 165]
James Cowdy [pg. 165]
Mrs. Cowdy, Jame's wife [pg. 165]
Child Cowdy, child of James and his wife [pg. 165]
Mr. Margetts and [pg. 165]
Mrs. Margetts, his wife [pg. 165]
Leutenant Gunnison and his party [pg. 165]
Mr. Forbes [pg. 165]
Andrew Bernard [pg. 165]
A woman killed by her own husband, not named [pg. 165]
Morris, a "rival prophet" [pg. 165]
Mr. Banks [pg. 165]
Four women who belonged with the part of Morris and Banks [pg. 165]
Isaac Potter [pg. 165]
Charles Wilson [pg. 165]
John Walker [pg. 165]
"The death list is too long for me to venture to give it."
-M. W. Montgomery-
Ann Eliza Webb Young, wife of Brigham Young
"Wife No. 19" pg. 302, 2023 edition
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