Mountain Meadows Massacre On September 11, 1857, a train of
migrants driving cattle through Utah were ambushed and killed on
the way to California. This is called the Mountain Meadows
Massacre, and it is one of the greatest tragedies in Mormon
history. This no one denies. However, critics of the Mormon
Church use this massacre to defame the faith as a whole and
Brigham Young especially. This article will hopefully give the
massacre its proper context and divide fact from accusation. The
Baker-Fancher Party came to Salt Lake City in July of 1857. The
party was originally from Arkansas, but others had joined from
Missouri. The party probably consisted of between 120 to 140
men, women, and children (and hundreds of cattle). Their
destination was California. The Utah War That very July, the
Mormons celebrated their tenth anniversary in the Salt Lake
Valley. This was also a time of fiery sermons, to a people who’d
replaced their zeal with apathy. In the middle of this, Brigham
Young learned President Buchanan had