THE “REIGN OF TERROR” IN UTAH:—THE REFORMATION OF THE SAINTS.  
The people were now thoroughly excited. Their religious antipathy, their political hatred—two of the most powerful passions which move individuals or bodies of men—had been appealed to, and both in public and private they had been stirred up to a pitch of frenzy which it is hardly possible at the present time to comprehend.
There were whisperings now of a most fearful doctrine, calculated not only to strike terror into the hearts of those whose faith was weakening, but even to shock with a sense of horror those who only heard of it from afar—I mean the doctrine of the Blood Atonement.
The Saints had all along been taught to distinguish between murder and the shedding of innocent blood—the former being spoken of as a crime for which atonement might be made, but for the latter there was no repentance on earth—it was an unpardonable sin. They were also taught to distinguish carefully between sins which might be forgiven, and sins for which pardon was impossible. Now the difference between murder and shedding innocent blood is this:—the latter is the crime of killing a Saint, which can never be forgiven, but by the death of the transgressor; but the former is of quite a different character. To murder a Gentile may sometimes be inexpedient, or perhaps even to a certain extent wrong, but it is seldom if ever a crime, and never an unpardonable sin.
A friend of mine was in a state of apostacy. The Bishop went to her to expostulate, and told her that, if he were her husband, he would get rid of her and take away her children as well—he would not on any account live with her.
“Perhaps,” she said, “you would not allow me to live at all?”
“Certainly not,” he replied. “I would think about as much of killing you or any other miserable Apostate as I would[236] about killing a cat. If Brigham Young were to tell me to put you to death, I would do it with the greatest of pleasure;—and it would be for your good, too.”
Thus, when the famous Revelation on Polygamy says that a man cannot be pardoned for shedding innocent blood, it does not mean that he cannot be pardoned for murdering a Gentile or an Apostate; for that, under some circumstances, might even be meritorious; but that the murder of a Saint by one of the brethren cannot under any circumstances be forgiven on earth, and that his only chance of forgiveness lies in his own blood being shed as an “atonement.”
Certain sins cannot be forgiven here on earth—shedding innocent blood, divulging the secrets of the Endowment House—marital unfaithfulness on the part of the wife—Apostacy;—these are unpardonable. All other crimes which Gentiles abhor may become even virtues, if done in the cause of the Church. I do not, of course, mean to say that the mass of the Mormon people act up to such atrocious doctrines; for although, when among themselves, they would admit that the theory was correct, the better instincts of their nature keep them from ever putting that theory into practice. But what I do mean to say is, that such doctrines have, over and over again, been distinctly taught in the plainest words in the public hearing of thousands; that they have been printed and reprinted by authority; that they have been practised, and the very highest of the Mormon leaders have applauded; and that, even at the present moment, these doctrines form part of the dogmas of the Church. It is this day a matter of fact, and not a matter of question, that if any Mormon Apostate were to commit any of the unpardonable sins which I have mentioned, and if he or she were to be assassinated by a private individual, all zealous Mormons—all the leaders—would maintain that not only was the deed justifiable but even meritorious!
This may seem bad enough, but it is not the worst. The doctrine of the “Blood Atonement” is that the murder of an Apostate is a deed of love! If a Saint sees another leave the Church, or if even he only believes that his brother’s faith is weakening and that he will apostatize before long, he knows that the soul of his unbelieving brother will be lost if he dies in such a state, and that only by his blood being shed is there any chance of forgiveness for him; it is therefore the kindest action that he can perform toward him to shed his blood—the doing so is a deed of truest love. The nearer, the dearer, the[237] more tenderly loved the sinner is, the greater the affection shown by the shedder of blood—the action is no longer murder or the shedding of innocent blood, for the taint of apostacy takes away its innocence—it is making atonement, not a crime; it is an act of mercy, therefore meritorious.
These were the terrible teachings which the “Reformation” brought to light:—they had been whispered before among the elect, and had been acted upon by the “Avenging Angels,” but before this they had never been publicly and intelligibly explained.
Jedediah M. Grant, an enthusiast of the wildest kind; a man without education or mental discipline of any description; one of the First Presidency and high in authority among the Saints, had occasion to attend a meeting which was held at Kaysville, a place about twenty-five miles distant from Salt Lake City, and he invited some of the Elders to meet him there to take part in the proceedings. To one of these “Jeddy,” as he was familiarly called, obligingly lent a mule; he himself did not accompany the party, but went on before. These elders were pretty well mounted, and one of them, being a good horseman, made the rest keep up with him. In consequence of this, when they arrived at Kaysville, the beasts were heated and tired. The Apostle “Jeddy” watched them but said nothing.
Up to a certain point, the meeting passed off pleasantly enough; the Elders present were “good at testimony” and strong in exhorting the hearers to faithfulness. Jeddy was the last speaker. He began in his usual way, but presently warmed up until he became quite excited, and then proceeded to accuse every one present of all sorts of wrong-doing. The Elders who had preceded him came in for their full share; he denounced them for their inconsistency and hypocrisy, and bitterly upbraided them for running his mule and their own beasts in such a manner. The Bishop of the place and his counsellors he accused of inactivity and carelessness; and he called loudly upon every one present to repent and do their first works; threatening them with the speedy judgments of Heaven.
All this was well enough if it had stopped there, for it might have been taken for just what it was—an ebullition of temper on the part of “Jeddy,” who was naturally vexed that his mule had been over-heated. But, like many other manias and epidemics, this Mormon movement began with a most insignificant trifle, and the spirit of fiery denunciation became perfectly[238] contagious. Another meeting was held in the course of a few weeks, and then the mutual accusations of those who were present became, if possible, more bitter than before; the “Saints” were denounced as the vilest of sinners, and they were all commanded to be re-baptized. Accordingly, after the meeting, although it was night and the weather was cold, a considerable number were immersed by the Elders, and Jeddy himself was so enthusiastically engaged in the performance, and he remained in the water so long that he got a thorough chill, and contracted the disease of which he died.
Sunday after Sunday similar scenes were repeated in the Tabernacle, until, had it not been painful, the whole affair would have been ludicrous in the extreme. Every one had strayed from the path of duty, and the fact was announced in the strongest terms. People were called upon by name to publicly confess their sins, and many were then and there pointed out and accused of crimes of which they were entirely guiltless, but which they dared not deny. In the midst of all this, the duty of implicit obedience to the Priesthood and the payment of tithes was loudly insisted upon.
The Missionaries were sent out all over the territory, armed with the full authority of the Priesthood, and also a catechism which, on account of its obscene character, has since been bought up so successfully by Brigham that it is doubtful if there is a copy in existence. The Mormons have a curious way of appointing Missionaries. If a man is weak in the faith—a depraved, bad man—or if a youth exhibits a disposition to sow his wild oats a little too luxuriantly, he is sent on his travels to preach the Gospel; nothing strengthens a man’s faith, it is thought, more than having to defend it from the opposition of unbelievers, and the enforced good example which the Missionary is obliged to set will, it is said, produce a salutary effect upon the exuberance of youth or the depravity of more mature years. In the present instance many of the Missionaries thus sent forth were known to be as immoral as they were grossly ignorant.
There was one terrible meeting at which Brigham himself was put to the blush. Men of note were there; no one was present who did not belong to the Priesthood. “Jeddy” held forth, and Heber and Brigham were strong upon the occasion. In the midst of the proceedings, Brother Brigham, full of confidence, in the plainest words called upon all who could not plead guiltless of certain crimes to stand up. Three-fourths of those present immediately arose. Utterly shocked,[239] the Prophet entered into explanations; but self-convicted these three-fourths of his hearers stood conscientiously firm. Even Brigham saw the necessity of taking some stringent measures. The Saints were told that if they were re-baptized their sins would be washed away, and they could then say they were not guilty of the crimes suggested in the catechism. Subsequently the catechism itself was, as I said, bought up and burnt.
The burden of every sermon was unquestioning obedience, repentance, payment of tithing, and above all the taking of more wives. The Missionaries, without the slightest ceremony, would visit the houses of respectable Saints, examine them out of the abominable catechism, and question husbands and wives in the presence of their children about even their very thoughts, in a manner, and upon subjects, which would amply have justified their being hung up to the nearest tree; Lynch law was in fact too good for such atrocities. Wicked ideas, the utterance of which would have called forth a blush, even if heard from the lips of a drunken rowdy in a pot-house, were suggested and explained to young children; while it would have been literally at the risk of life for their parents to have expostulated; to do so would have shown want of faith, and want of faith would have justified some fanatical scoundrel in using his knife or his pistol for the loving purpose of cutting off his brother’s soul from earth in order to save it in heaven!
Meanwhile Jedediah did not for a moment cease his exhortations; the work must be done thoroughly: the Blood-Atonement must not be forgotten. On one occasion, in the Tabernacle, this crazy fanatic said:—
“I would advise some of you men here to go to President Young, and confess your sins, and ask him to take you outside the city and have your blood shed to atone for your sins.”
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“There are men and women that I would advise to go to the President immediately, and ask him to appoint a committee to attend to their case; and then let a place be selected, and let that committee shed their blood....
“I would ask how many covenant-breakers there are in this city and in this kingdom? 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.”
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“We have been trying long enough with this people, and I[240] go in for letting the sword of the Almighty be unsheathed, not only in word but in deed.”
Lest he should be mistaken, he said:—
“What ought this meek people who keep the commandments of God do unto them? ‘Why,’ says one, ‘they ought to pray the Lord to kill them,’ I want to know if you would wish the Lord to come down and do all your dirty work?.... When a man prays for a thing, he ought to be willing to perform it himself.... Putting to death the transgressors would exhibit the law of God, no matter by whom it was done.”
Heber C. Kimball, the “model Saint,” after a speech to the same effect, in which, as usual, he made use of the most disgusting language, added:—
“Joseph Smith was God to the inhabitants of the earth when he was among us, and Brigham is God now!”
But more shocking than any other was the language of Brigham Young himself. On the 21st of September, 1856, in a discourse delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, and afterwards reprinted by authority in the Journals of Discourses, vol. iv., pp. 53-4, he said:—
“The time is coming when justice will be laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet; when we shall take the old broadsword and ask, ‘Are you for God?’ and if you are not heartily on the Lord’s side, you will be hewn down!”
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“There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world or in that which is to come; and if they had their eyes opened to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to Heaven as an offering for their sins, and the smoking incense would atone for their sins; whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain with them in the spirit world.
“I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine; but it is to save them, not to destroy them....
“I do know that there are sins committed of such a nature that, if the people did understand the doctrine of salvation, they would tremble because of their situation. And, furthermore, 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 thereof might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the[241] law might have its course. I will say, further, I have had men come to me and offer their lives to atone for their sins.
“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 wh............