FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Question: Were 19th century Utah Mormons complicit in the deaths of Judge Leonidas Shaver, John Gunnison, and Almon Babbitt?
FAIR Answers—back to home page
Question: Were 19th century Utah Mormons complicit in the deaths of Judge Leonidas Shaver, John Gunnison, and Almon Babbitt?
Two of these individuals were killed by Indians; the other died of natural causes and was not killed at all
Critics of Mormonism credit the story of Judge William W. Drummond of the Mormons' complicity in the death of Judge Leonidas Shaver, John Gunnison, and Almon Babbitt. However, two of these individuals were killed by Indians; the other died of natural causes and was not killed at all. The author ignores the biases of his source.
Noted one reviewer:
[Will] Bagley tries to support his fictional tale of a violent society by crediting the report of Judge William W. Drummond on murders committed by the Mormons. In a report that Norman Furniss and other authorities believe probably tipped the balance in favor of sending the army to Utah, Drummond charged that the Mormons engineered the murders of territorial delegate Almon Babbitt, Capt. John Gunnison, and Judge Leonidas Shaver. In spite of its flaws and prejudice, Bagley cites Drummond's report approvingly (77). In fact, Cheyennes killed Babbitt on the high plains, Gunnison died at the hands of Pahvant Utes, and Shaver died a natural death. [1]
Notes