Vengeance Is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath

In 2008, the book "Massacre at Mountain Meadows" was published, revealing the story of a grimmest episode in Latter-day Saint history. In this much-anticipated sequel, "Vengeance Is Mine," authors Richard E. Turley Jr. and Barbara Jones Brown examine the aftermath of the atrocity, including southern Utah leaders' attempts to cover up their crime and the fraught relationship between church president Brigham Young and John D. Lee. The book also tells the story of the few survivors, including seventeen children who witnessed the slaughter and returned to Arkansas.

Format: Hardback
Length: 448 pages
Publication date: 30 August 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking Massacre at Mountain Meadows, published in 2008, delves into the aftermath of one of the most tragic episodes in Latter-day Saint history. In this much-anticipated sequel, Richard E. Turley Jr. and Barbara Jones Brown examine the events that followed the 1857 massacre, where settlers in southwestern Utah brutally killed over 100 members of a California-bound wagon train.

Vengeance Is Mine sheds light on the efforts of southern Utah leaders to cover up their crime by silencing witnesses and spreading false information. Governmental and church investigations faced numerous obstacles, including stonewalling and political wrangling, ultimately hindering the pursuit of justice. While nine men were eventually indicted for their roles in the massacre, only five were captured, and only one, John D. Lee, was executed.

The book delves into the intricate maneuvering of the defense and prosecution during Lee's two trials, with the second trial resulting in his conviction. Turley and Brown explore the fraught relationship between Lee and church president Brigham Young, assessing the extent of Young's involvement in the cover-up. They also trace the fates of the other perpetrators, including the harrowing end of Nephi Johnson, who screamed "Blood! Blood! Blood!" in his delirium as he lay dying, more than sixty years after the massacre.

In addition to shedding light on the events of the massacre, Vengeance Is Mine also tells the story of the few survivors who witnessed the slaughter and managed to return to Arkansas, where the ill-fated wagon train originated. These seventeen children endured immense trauma and faced numerous challenges throughout their lives.

Vengeance Is Mine brings the hitherto untold story of this shameful episode in Mormon and Utah history to a dramatic conclusion, providing a deeper understanding of this tragic chapter in American history.

Weight: 892g
Dimension: 166 x 244 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780195397857