Comments on: “Sorry seems to be the hardest word…”

By: David Duke

David Duke — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:56:42 +0000

Sorry, John. I read “Jose” simply because I had responded to his post.

By: David Duke

David Duke — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:55:22 +0000

Two good examples, Jose. Although it’s never been proven that those LDS who committed those despicable acts did so on orders from Brigham Young or any other general church leaders (no matter what some attest) it was the right thing for the church to do, in my mind. It can never pay back what happened of course and I’m sure those Mormons who committed those horrendous acts have/will receive a just “reward.”

As for Haun’s Mill, we use it in classes of church history to show what can happen when one does not follow who you supposedly believe to be God’s mouthpiece. Jacob Haun, the founder of the settlement, had been told directly by Joseph Smith to move his people in with the larger body of the church and refused to do so. Less than two weeks later, the massacre happened. Obviously, that doesn’t excuse those who murdered innocent children and I’m sure Jacob Haun did what he thought best at the time. There were some very miraculous things happen after the massacre, which shows us that God can take awful situations and allow them, at some point, to show us His power.

By: Caleb Powers

Caleb Powers — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:51:07 +0000

Since when is the Dutch Reformed church America’s oldest Protestant denomination? They were holding Anglican services at Jamestown long before New York was founded. Wikipedia, of all places, gets it right when it refers to the Dutch Reformed, the predecessor of the Reformed Church in America, as “the oldest non-Anglican Protestant church with a continuous ministry” in the US.

By: John Hamilton

John Hamilton — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:16:05 +0000

David, let us not forget, though, that the Mormon church had to do the same thing with the Mountain Meadows Massacre victims’ families. Along with the apology, they built a huge expensive memorial to the victims and invited all the decedents to the ceremonies. They also did all the research to find and memorialize the names of each victim. The also gave all their research and access to documents to the descendants of the victims. Of course, no amount of money or other recompense can atone for the violent death of an ancestor, but I think the Mormon church did the best it reasonably could, considering the belatedness of the apology, to make things right.

Not so with the Haun’s Mill Massacre. I’ve yet to see any official apology for the slaughter of innocent Mormon children there. I’ve been there and, as far as I could see, there was not even a plaque by the Missouri Historical Society, or whatever, acknowledging what was allowed to happen there–just a wide spot in a stream. There is value to at least acknowledging a wrong, even if it is “cheap.” How much would an 12″ by 12″ bronze plaque cost nowadays, anyway?

By: David Duke

David Duke — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:18:32 +0000

I have mixed feelings. When Governor Kit Bond issued a public apology from the state of Missouri and rescinded the Mormon “extermination order” issued by Governor Boggs from back in the 1830s, members of our church were grateful of course. (Yes, from 1838 to 1976 it was legal to kill a Mormon in the state of Missouri.) However we (the church) had never asked for it to be done, at least to my knowledge.

I guess that is what would make the difference to me. If a group wants to apologize it might be only symbolic, but it’s a nice gesture. For a group to demand an apology that for something that has done nothing to affect their lives in any meaningful way? I say get over it. You’ll be better off than brooding over something that happened so long ago.

Thought I’d include this:

WHEREAS, on October 27, 1838, the Governor of the State of Missouri, Lilburn W. Boggs, signed an order calling for the extermination or expulsion of Mormons from the State of Missouri; and

WHEREAS, Governor Boggs’ order clearly contravened the rights to life, liberty, property and religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Constitution of the State of Missouri; and

WHEREAS, in this bicentennial year as we reflect on our nation’s heritage, the exercise of religious freedom is without question one of the basic tenets of our free democratic republic;

Now, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Governor of the State of Missouri, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Missouri, do hereby order as follows:

Expressing on behalf of all Missourians our deep regret for the injustice and undue suffering which was caused by the 1838 order, I hereby rescind Executive Order Number 44, dated October 27, 1838, issued by Governor W. Boggs.

In witness I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the great seal of the State of Missouri, in the city of Jefferson, on this 25 day of June, 1976.

(Signed) Christopher S. Bond, Governor.

By: José

José — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:29:30 +0000

True, the original parties are long gone, both the ones who sinned and also those who suffered. When restoration or repayment is impossible or impractical, what alternative is there, other than just ignoring the past? Yes, this type of symbolic apology is cheap. It might also be insincere. But if not this, then what?