Item Detail
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22098
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2
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0
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English
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The Evolution of Treatment of the Latter-day Saint Past
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Mormon Historical Studies
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2010
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11
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1
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61-90
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"Recently, the leading authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged a more concerted effort to fully document and clarify one of the most tragic and emotion-laden events of the Mormon past--the Mountain Meadows Massacre. This emphasis points to the culmination of a significant odyssey. For virtually a century after the horrible event occurred in southwestern Utah in 1857, the subject remained almost unmentioned within the region. Many of us grew to maturity--even reading the seminary and institute-adopted versions of our history--and never even heard of the event which has been almost universally mentioned (without accurate details) outside of Mormondom. Certainly, other churches have dealt with the unseemly side of their own past in a similar fashion. In fact, it is quite remarkable that the LDS Church, after so long, has come so relatively quickly to a point that many are not only eager to finally receive what they will accept as the definitive account of the entire situation, but will likely be prepared to deal with its implications. This essay seeks to trace some of the steps of that complex process." [From author's introduction]