Friday, January 29, 2021

Exchange between LeGrand Richards and Juanita Brooks Concerning Her Book "The Mountain Meadows Massacre"

  

During the fall of 1955 a friend of Juanita’s requested the opinion of Elder LeGrand Richards regarding The Mountain Meadows Massacre. In his reply the apostle cast doubt upon Juanita’s friendliness toward the Church. Perhaps unwisely, the friend forwarded the letter to Juanita, who immediately wrote the apostle defending herself: “Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have always been active in the Church: MIA Ward President, MIA Stake Board, Stake S.S. Board, Stake Pres. of Relief Society. I financed, practically alone, a brother and a sister on missions; we have sent two sons on missions and have three more growing up to go. I went to the Temple just last Saturday” (JB to LeGrand Richards, 28 November 1955, [originals or photocopies in possession of]L[evi]S[.]P[eterson]).

 

In his prompt reply, Richards complimented Juanita’s good deeds but reiterated his negative judgment. Even if her interpretation of the massacre, he asserted, it was not in the interest of the Church “to bring it up at this late date.” He was reminded of a mother who cautioned a tactless son who wished to inform a man that his nose was big and red: “All the truth does not always need to be told” (LeGrand Richards to JB, 30 November 1955, LSP). Quickly mailing a rebuttal, Juanita claimed that time would prove her book to have been in the best interest of the Church. As for the man with the red nose, it seemed “that if he had a mirror, no one would need to tell him of it. He could see plainly enough himself” (JB to LeGrand Richards, 5 December 1955, LSP). Richards agreed to accept the test of time but affirmed his prior position: “I love the church so much and defended it so many times that I don’t like to see statements coming from within that in any way that cast a shadow upon the integrity of the leaders of the church.” He declared that he intended to read the book, “hoping that by so doing I will obtain a more favorable impression than I now have” (LeGrand Richards to JB, 7 December 1955, LSP).

 

Some weeks later, his reading completed, Richards wrote that he was unwilling to believe that Brigham Young and other leaders had inflamed their zealous followers before the massacre, had concealed their misdeed afterwards, and had sacrificed John D. Lee in the interest of the Church at large. “I am at a loss to understand your motive for writing the book,” he asserted. “In view of your statements that you are a loyal member of the church, and interested in its reputation, surely you cannot truthfully say that your book does not injure the reputation of your church and its leaders.” He exhorted her to turn her gifted pen to a work that promoted rather than destroyed faith. With that, he insisted the matter be closed (Ibid., 13 January 1956, LSP). (Levi S. Peterson, Juanita Brooks: Mormon Woman Historian [Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988], 245-46)