9-11: Twice in America’s History Have Innocent Victims Died by People Using Their Religious Beliefs to Commit Murder

For most of us the images of the horrors of 9-11 will never completely leave our hearts and minds. We will never forget all those innocent lives that were lost because a group of terrorists used their fanatical religious believes to reek vengeance on unsuspecting men, women, and children who never did them any harm.

What is even more shocking is this was not the first 9-11 attack that has occurred on U.S. Soil brought about by religious fanatics and that resulted in the deaths of innocent people.

On September 11, 1857 the Francher-Baker party, a group of Arkansas immigrants, traveling by wagon train that was bound for Southern California were attacked and killed by a group of Mormon fanatics. One hundred and twenty unarmed men, women, and children were slaughtered in a place called Mountain Meadows. Their bodies left exposed to the elements to rot, while 17 children under the age of 7 were kidnapped and forced to live with their kidnappers until their rescue a year later.

Trial transcripts and other documents regarding this event give little clue why the Francher-Baker party was selected for annihilation. Other wagon trains had passed through Utah unmolested by any Mormon. This particular party was observed to be quiet, polite, and well bred by the people they met along the trail. There is nothing in their actions or behavior that should have led to their deaths.

There have of course been some supposition as to why the Francher-Baker party were killed.

One such theory is that the Utah Wars, had put the Mormons on edge making everyone who crossed their borders a suspect in their eyes.

However, the Utah Wars involved a problem between the U.S. Army and Brigham Young’s Militia. It began when President Buchanan decided to replace Young as governor of Utah without first notifying Young of his intent. When Young discovered the presidents plan, he and his followers feared that they would be driven out of Utah, just as they had been driven out of Illinois and Missouri in the past.

While it is understandable that the Mormon’s would be on edge over such an eventuality, they could not have possibly mistaken a wagon train of men, women, and children as a military threat to Brigham Young or his followers.

A second theory and one that has a bit more basis is that the Mormon’s who attacked this wagon train did so simply because most of the party was from Arkansas and had members from Missouri traveling with them.