Happy "Kill a Mormon" Day!

[Clark Addison]

173 years ago today, those Slavers in Missouri decided it was OK to kill us.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Executive_Order_44"]Missouri Executive Order 44 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Here is what I learned in my observance of Kill a Mormon day today.

As most here probably know, during the pre-migration time period, I would guess that the two most famous non-Mormon friends of the church were #1) Alexander Doniphan and #2) David Atchison. Both were partners in a law firm and represented Joseph Smith and others (including Porter Rockwell after he arrested for the attempted murder of Gov. Boggs). Both were prominant leaders in the militia who refused to attack Mormons. Atchison was also a legislator in the Missouri house at the time of the Extermination Order, and later a US Senator. He protested the order to Boggs, and said that "he would not live in any state, where such authority was given".

We have all heard this information before in lessons and classes. But, what other two things was Atchison famous for?

#1) He is often stated to have been 'President for a Day". He was president pro tompore of the Senate when James Polk left office on Sunday, March 4, 1849. Polk's successor, Zachary Taylor, being a pious man, did not wish to be sworn in on the sabbath, and waited until Monday the 5th. Due to presidential succession rules at the time, some people claim that Atchison was president during that time.

#2) During the "Bloddy Kansas" violence of the mid to late 1850s, Atchison was a prominant pro-slavery border ruffian, leading raids into Kansas to take over elections and generally terrorize. A nice bookend quote to the one above is where he urged the Slavers to " kill every God-damned abolitionist in the district".

We don't talk about #2 at church as much.

[FMCoug]

I am headed to KC tomorrow. Any suggestions to commemorate the event?

[kccougar]

I am headed to KC tomorrow. Any suggestions to commemorate the event?

Ribs from Oklahoma Joes. But I would suggest that for any event.

[FMCoug]

Ribs from Oklahoma Joes. But I would suggest that for any event.

The locals have organized a "bbq crawl" tomorrow. Should be fun.

[kccougar]

The locals have organized a "bbq crawl" tomorrow. Should be fun.

Let me know where you end up going.

[lambdacoug]

Ribs from Oklahoma Joes. But I would suggest that for any event.

Had Okie Joes for lunch today. Yum!

[kccougar]

Had Okie Joes for lunch today. Yum!

You're in KC?

[smokymountainrain]

There are a few Mormons I'd like to kill. They all happen to be working in the scouting arm of the church.

[Moliere]

Does anyone else have an issue with the fact that an extermination order was issued against the Mormons (or any sect for that matter). Seems like a complete trashing of constitutional rights.

[FMCoug]

Does anyone else have an issue with the fact that an extermination order was issued against the Mormons (or any sect for that matter). Seems like a complete trashing of constitutional rights.

Umm. Of course?

[NorthwestUteFan]

1) Boggs was a Democrat (though obviously a different party than today). How much of the church membership's apparent modern dislike of Democrat party is due to this?

2) How much was this order driven by the influx of a large group of Northern abolitionists moving into a slave state?

3) How ironic is it that BY later decreed (1853-ish) that Utah Territory would become a slave territory*? (29 of the 53 blacks in the territory at the time were slaves, and again ironically at least 4 of the men were already ordained to the priesthood - Elijah Abel was in the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy and served two missions for the church)

*negated by US Congress in 1862 when Utah sided with the Union

[myboynoah]

1) Boggs was a Democrat (though obviously a different party than today). How much of the church membership's apparent modern dislike of Democrat party is due to this?

2) How much was this order driven by the influx of a large group of Northern abolitionists moving into a slave state?

3) How ironic is it that BY later decreed (1853-ish) that Utah Territory would become a slave territory*? (29 of the 53 blacks in the territory at the time were slaves, and again ironically at least 4 of the men were already ordained to the priesthood - Elijah Abel was in the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy and served two missions for the church)

*negated by US Congress in 1862 when Utah sided with the Union

Flip-Flopper.

[pellegrino]

1) Boggs was a Democrat (though obviously a different party than today). How much of the church membership's apparent modern dislike of Democrat party is due to this?

2) How much was this order driven by the influx of a large group of Northern abolitionists moving into a slave state?

3) How ironic is it that BY later decreed (1853-ish) that Utah Territory would become a slave territory*? (29 of the 53 blacks in the territory at the time were slaves, and again ironically at least 4 of the men were already ordained to the priesthood - Elijah Abel was in the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy and served two missions for the church)

*negated by US Congress in 1862 when Utah sided with the Union

little to none. Mormons were democrats until Ezra Taft Benson was called to the 12 and then made secretary of agriculture. IMO his prominence, both in the church and as a member of Eisenhower's cabinet, coupled with the McCarthy era Red Scare, were responsible for the paradigmatic shift that took place in Mormon political affiliation. He was the sole reason why my grandfather, a tobacco farmer in NC bucked tradition and became one of the few republicans in a county that, even today, will not even hire substitute teachers who aren't on the democratic party rolls.

[YOhio]

little to none. Mormons were democrats until Ezra Taft Benson was called to the 12 and then made secretary of agriculture. IMO his prominence, both in the church and as a member of Eisenhower's cabinet, coupled with the McCarthy era Red Scare, were responsible for the paradigmatic shift that took place in Mormon political affiliation. He was the sole reason why my grandfather, a tobacco farmer in NC bucked tradition and became one of the few republicans in a county that, even today, will not even hire substitute teachers who aren't on the democratic party rolls.

When you say "Mormons were Democrats," what exactly do you mean? There were a lot of prominent LDS Republicans prior to ETB and throughout the 20th Century it has been the political party of choice for majority of the LDS.

[NorthwestUteFan]

James E. Faust was a well-known and prominent LDS Democrat, though he was active only at the local level.

J. D. Williams (lived in my grandparents' ward in DC and was their life-long friend) was an extremely prominent Mormon and was a staunch activist Democrat. He founded the Utah chapter of the ACLU.

I am not entirely sure from where (whence?) the LDS hatred of the Democrat party stems. Perhaps in the last 5 decades it is tied to the abortion issue? I think Joseph Smith would have been a fan of the Party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, but BY's actions and statements would put him more in line with the Democrat party of 1860's (1860 party platform = "It is a White man's party!", and stated "The Republican Party is dominated by Negroes").