BLOOD ATONEMENT: The Views of Brigham Young and His Colleagues
February 7, 1852 - Governor Brigham Young address before Utah Territory assembly, about slavery:
Let me consent to day to mingle my seed with the seed of Cane. It would bring the same curse upon me as it would upon any man. And if any man mingles his seed with the seed of Cane the only way he could get rid of it or have salvation would be to come forward & have his head Cut off & spill his blood upon the ground. It would also take the life of his children. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal)
An address delivered by Young in the Tabernacle, March 27, 1853:
I will tell you a dream that I had last night. I dreamed that I was in the midst of a people who were dressed in rags and tatters, they had turbans upon their heads, and these were also hanging in tatters. The rags were of many colors, and when the people moved, they were all in motion. Their object in this appeared to be, to attract attention. Said they to me, "We are Mormons, brother Brigham." "No you are not," I replied. "But we have been, said they, and they began to jump, and caper about, and dance, and their rags of many colors were all in motion, to attract the attention of the people. I said, "You are no Saints, you are a disgrace to them." Said they, "We have been Mormons." By and bye, along came some mobocrats, and they greeted them with, "How do you do, sir, I am happy to see you." They kept on that way for an hour. I felt ashamed of them, for they were in my eyes a disgrace to "Mormonism." Then I saw two ruffians, whom I knew to be mobbers and murderers, and they crept into a bed, where one of my wives and children were. I said, "You that call yourselves brethren, tell me, is this the fashion among you?" They said, "O, they are good men, they are gentlemen." With that, I took my large bowie knife, that I used to wear in a bosom pin in Nauvoo, and cut one of their throats from ear to ear, saying, "Go to hell across lots." The other one said, "You dare not serve me so." I instantly sprang at him, seizing him by the hair of the head, and, bringing him down, cut his throat, and sent him after his comrade; then told them both, if they would behave themselves they should yet live, but if they did not, I would un-joint their necks. At this I awoke.
I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will un-sheath my bowie knife, and conquer or die. [Great commotion in the congregation, and a simultaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the declaration.] Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be put to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. [Voices generally, "go it, go it."] If you say it is right raise your hands. [All hands up] Let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this, and every good work. (Journal; of Discourses, Vol. I, p. 83)
Discourse by Young, delivered in the Tabernacle, March 16, 1856:
I mention this to inform the people, that they may understand what they should do with regard to the law of God, and the trans gression thereof. ...
You say, "That man ought to die for transgressing the law of God. Let me suppose a case. Suppose you found your brother in bed with your wife, and put a javelin through both of them. You would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom of God. I would at once do so in such a case; and under such circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands. ...
There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out; your own blood must atone for it. (Journal of Discourses, Vol. III, p. 247)
Discourse by Young, delivered in the Tabernacle, February 8, 1857:
And I will say that the time will come, and is now nigh at hand, when those who profess our faith, if they are guilty of what some of this people are guilty of, will find the axe laid at the root of the tree, and they will be hewn down. What has been must be again, for the Lord is coming to restore all things. The time has been in Israel under the law of God, the celestial law, or that which pertains to the celestial law, for it is one of the laws of that kingdom where our Father dwells, that if a man was found guilty of adultery, he must have his blood shed, and that is near at hand. But now I say, in the name of the Lord, that if this people will sin no more, but faithfully live their religion, their sins will be forgiven them without taking life....
Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved in the kingdom of our God and our Father, and being exalted, one who knows and understands the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauty and excellence of the eternities before him compared with the vain and foolish things of the world, and suppose that he is overtaken in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be saved and exalted with the Gods, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say, "shed my blood that I may be saved and exalted with the Gods?"
"All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal exaltation. Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of their blood? Will you love that man or woman well enough to shed their blood?
"That is what Jesus Christ meant. He never told a man or woman go love their enemies in their wickedness, never. He never intended any such thing; his language is left as it is for those go read who have the Spirit go discern between truth and error; it was so left for those who can discern the things of God. Jesus Christ never meant that we should love a man in his wickedness.
"I could refer you go plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins. I have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have been a chance (in the last resurrection there will be) if their lives had been taken and their blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the Almighty, but who are now angels to the devil, until our elder brother Jesus Christ raises them up - conquers death, hell, and the grave. I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there is no chance whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them. The wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle's being in full force, but the time will come when the law of God will be in full force.
"This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary go spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it. Any of you who understand the principles of eternity, if you have sinned a sin re quiring the shedding of blood, except the sin unto death, would not be satisfied nor rest until your blood should be spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. IV, pp. 219-220)
Discourse by Young in the Tabernacle, May 8, 1853:
"If you want to know what to do with a thief that you may find stealing, I say kill him on the spot, and never suffer him to com mit another iniquity. That is what I expect I shall do, though never, in the days of my life, have I hurt a man with the palm of my hand. I never have hurt any person any other way except with this unruly member, my tongue. Notwithstanding this, if I caught a man stealing on my premises I should be very apt to send him straight home, and that is what I wish every man go do, to put a stop go that abominable practice in the midst of the people." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, pp. 108-9)
Discourse by Young in the Bowery, September 21, 1856:
"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 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 which it can never remit. As it was in ancient days, so it is in our day; and though the principles are taught publicly from this stand, still the people do not understand them; yet the law is precisely the same. There are sins that can be atoned for by offering upon an altar, as in ancient days; and there are sins that the blood of a lamb, of a calf, or of turtle doves, cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man. That is the reason why men talk to you as they do from this stand; they understand the doctrine and throw out a few words about it. You have been taught that doctrine but do not understand it." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. IV, pp. 53-4. Also published in the Deseret News, 1856, page 235)
"I preached on the condition of the Camp of Israel ... and warned those who lied and stole and followed Israel that they would have their heads cut off, for that was the law of God and it should be executed." (Manuscript History of Brigham Young, December 20, 1846)
"We investigated several orders purporting to be drawn by J. Allen, Lieut. Col., signed by James Pollick; which I requested should be burned. I swore by the Eternal Gods that if men in our midst would not stop this cursed work of stealing and counterfeiting their throats should be cut." (Manuscript History of Brigham Young, December 20, 1846)
"... At the same time my feelings are these - the best way to sanctify ourselves, and please God our heavenly Father in these days, is to rid ourselves of every thief; and sanctify the people from every vile character. I believe it is right; it is the law and practice of our neighboring state to put the same thing in execution upon men who violate the law, and trample upon the sacred rights of others. It would have a tendency to place a terror on those who leave these parts, that may prove their salvation when they see the heads of thieves taken off, or shot down before the public. Let us clear up the horizon around us; and then, like the atmosphere after the thunder storm has spent its fury in the tops of the mountains, becomes purified; and a calm sun-shine pervades the whole. I believe it to be pleas ing in the sight of heaven to sanctify ourselves and put those things away from our midst." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, p. 73)
"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 110)
Heber C. Kimball on BLOOD ATONEMENT
Heber C. Kimballwas an Apostle and member of the First Presidency:
Discourse in the Bowery, August 16, 1857:
"I have not a doubt but there will be hundreds who will leave us and go away to our enemies. I wish they would go this fall: it might relieve us from much trouble; for if men turn traitors to God and His servants, their blood will surely be shed, or else they will be damned, and that too according to their covenants." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. IV, p. 375)
Discourse in the Tabernacle, December 13, 1857:
"Jesus said to his disciples, 'Ye are the salt of the earth; and if the salt loses its saving principle, it is then good for nothing but to be cast out.' Instead of reading it just as it is, almost all of you read it just as it is not. Jesus meant to say, 'If you have lost the saving principles: it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.' Judas lost that saving principle, and they took him and killed him. It is said in the Bible that his bowels gushed out; but they actually kicked him until his bowels came out." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. VI, pp. 125-6)
"God designs we should be pure men, holding the oracles of God in holy and pure vessels; but when it is necessary that blood should be shed, we should be as ready to do that as to eat an apple ... we will let you know that the earth can swallow you up, as it did Korah with his host; and as brother Taylor says, you may dig your graves, and we will slay you, and you may crawl into them." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. VI, pp. 34-5)
"We read in the Bible that the Lord told Joshua to sanctify Israel; for, says he, 'there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel.' And on the morrow they sanctified them selves by stoning to death Achan, the son of Carmi, who stole the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment. They also stoned to death his wife and children, his oxen and his asses, and burnt them with fire, together with his tent, the silver, the gold, and the garment, in the valley of Achor.
"Thus all Israel put to death the transgressor, and sanctified themselves before the Lord. Would it not be an excellent course to pursue with this people, to sanctify them to the fullest extent of the word? There are individuals in these valleys who profess to be Latter-day Saints; but do they by their works make their profession honorable? No, their works and their profession are very dissimilar indeed. I think it would be an excellent thing for this people to be sanctified from such persons, and have them cleansed from our midst, by making
an atonement." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 17)
J. M. Grant, an Apostle and member of First Presidency.
Grant discourse in the Bowery, September 21, 1856:
"Some have received the Priesthood and a knowledge of the things of God, and still they dishonor the cause of truth, commit adultery, and every other abomination beneath the heavens, and they meet you here or in the street, and deny it.
"These are the abominable characters that we have in our midst, and they will seek unto wizards that peep, and to star-gazers and soothsayers, because they have no faith in the holy Priesthood, and then when they meet us, they want to be called Saints.
"The same characters will get drunk and wallow in the mire and filth, and yet they call themselves Saints, and seem to glory in their con duct, and they pride themselves in their greatness and in their abominations. They are the old hardened sinners, and are almost - if not altogether past improvement, and are full of hell, and my prayer is that God's indignation may rest upon them, and that He will curse them from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet.
"I say, that 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.
"We have those amongst us that are full of all manner of abominations those who need to have their blood shed, for water will not do, their sins are of too deep a dye.
"You may think that I am not teaching you Bible doctrine, but what says the apostle Paul? I would ask how many covenant breakers there are in this city and in this kingdom. I believe there are a great many; and if they are covenant breakers we need a place designated, where we can shed their blood." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. IV, pp. 49-50.)
Comments by Grant which were published in the July 27, 1854 Deseret News:
"What disposition ought the people of God to make of covenant breakers ...What does the Apostle say? He says they are worthy of death....
"What! do you believe that people would do right, and keep the law of God, by actually putting to death the transgressors? Putting to death transgressors would exhibit the law of God, no difference by whom it was done; that is my opinion.
"But if the government of God on earth, and Eternal Priesthood, with the sanction of High Heaven, in the midst of all his people, has passed sentence on certain sins when they appear in a person, has not the people of God a right to carry out that part of his law as well as any other portion of it? It is their right to baptize a sinner to save him, and it is also their right to kill a sinner to save him, when he commits those crimes that can only be atoned by shedding his blood. If the Lord God forgives sins by baptism, and ... certain sins cannot be atoned for ... but by the shedding of the blood of the sinner, query, whether the people of God be overreaching the mark, if they should execute the law ... We would not kill a man, of course, unless we killed him to save him....
"...If you shall thus advance, and then turn and trample the holy commandments of God under your feet, and break your sacred and solemn covenants, and become traitors to the people of God, would you not be worthy of death? I think you would ...
"Do you think it would be any sin to kill me if I were to break my covenants? ... Do you believe you would kill me if I broke the covenants of God, and you had the Spirit of God? Yes; and the more spirit of God I had, the more I should strive to save your soul by spilling your blood, when you had committed sin that could not be remitted by baptism. (Deseret News, July 27, 1854)
