Engraving of the horrors at Mountain Meadow
Bishop John D. Lee approached the train under a flag of truce and convinced the pioneers that he had persuaded the Indians to let them go if they would leave their wagons and possessions to the Indians... The men were lined up single file, and parallel to a single file of Mormon Militiamen and this group followed about a quarter of a mile behind. As the group moved out, the waiting Indians moved in and began to loot the goods the pioneers had left behind. A short distance later,
Lee rose up in his stirrups and shouted "Do your duty!" and each Mormon shot the member of the train standing next to him. At about the same time up ahead, Mormon Militia disguised as Indians, and the real Indians, moved in on the women and older children, shooting, clubbing and axing them to death.
http://asms.k12.ar.us/armem/brondel/page1.htm
This was the event that finally got the US Government to replace Brigham Young as the Territorial Governor of Utah and got the Anti-Polygamy law passed and much later enforced.
The two wagonloads of children who had not been killed were adopted into Mormon homes. It is believed that 18 of the children survived. In 1859, Captain James Lynch of the U.S. Army took possession of these young survivors and returned them to relatives in Arkansas. Although there were many investigations, no punishment was handed out for the crime until 20 years later. Lee wrote out a full confession and was found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad.
This is history, not today--but this is the legacy of the fight between the US and the Mormons.
Tomorrow: HOW THE FUNDAMENTALIST POLYGAMY SECT WAS STARTED BY JOSEPH SMITH HIMSELF TO GO UNDERGROUND AND MAINTAIN POLYGAMOUS MARRIAGES DESPITE THE LAW.