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Blood Atonement

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Blood Atonement

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6 - The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Sunday, June 15, 2003

Firing squad a remnant of early � Continued from Al

Atonement." Some claim this doctrine,

taught in the early church, states that there are some sins for which the blood of Jesus -Christ cannot atone, and forwhich a person's own bloodmust be shed if he is to findforgiveness. It's kind of likethe old Biblical notion of "aneye for an eye" - with anexclamation point.

Both Mormon scholars and the church itself deny that any such doctrine exists - that is, beyond the blood atonement of Christ on the cross. In response to recent media reports, the church itself released a statement saying that it has no official stance on either capital punishment or firing squads.

Robert Millet, a religion professor at Brigham Young University, said blood atone­ment is a "theoretical princi­ple" that would apply only in a theocracy, a society gov­erned by the church. However, Millet said it's possible that many LDS members still believe in "biood atonement" due to Mormon "folklore," stories and ideas that have been passed down through the years but have no basis in doctrine or fact.

"There are probably a lot of people who operate·under the mistaken notion," Millet said. · That same "folklore" mayexplain why the firing-squadoption still exists, accordingto a state legislator who triedto eliminate the method sevenyears ago. Sheryl Allen, R­Bountiful, an LDS churchmember who supports thedeath penalty, introduced abill in 1996 that would havemade lethal injection Utah'ssole method of execution.Lacking the support of Houseleadership, the bill never evenmade it to committee.

"That's a question that should be asked," Allen said recently. "Is it (blood atone­ment) a factor in some legisla­tors' minds? I think so. Is it a factor in all legislators' minds? I don't know . ... Is it

Execution methods in the U.S.

Method # of executions # of states

of execution since 1976 with method

Lethal Injection 690 37

Electrocution 151 10*

Gas Chamber 11 5**

Hanging 3 3**

Firing Squad . 2*** 3**

*Nebraska is the only state that requires electrocution.**All have lethal injection as an alternative method.***Both have occurred in Utah.

Source: Death Penalty Information Center

still affecting people s atti­tudes? It could \"ery well be."

FIERY SER\IONS Like polygamy, blood

atonement has frequently been used by critics as a weapon for attacking the LDS church.

The issue of blood atone­ment represents a classic bat­tle in the ongoing war between "anti-Mormons" and Mormon scholars.

Critics claim blood atone­ment was taught and practiced in the early church. and they cite the writings and ermons of early Mormon leaders like LDS church founder Joseph Smith and his successor, Brigham Young.

Defenders of 1ormonism counter that those writings and sermons are not onsid­ered church doctrine, and that they have been ta.ken out of context.

Although blood atonement has been hotly debated. its exact origins are un !ear.

Scripturally, it may ha,·e been rooted in Bibli al ,·erses like Genesis 9:6: "\ no o sheddeth a man's blood by man shall his blood be shed."

In anv case, one of the earli­est refei·ences to blood atone­ment in LDS literanrre appears in a document ,-..Ti.tten by Joseph Smith when be was mayor of Nauvoo. Ill .. in 1843. The document appears in the "History of theChurch," Volume - .

"In debate, George A. mith said imprisonment was better

than hanging," Joseph Smith wrote. "I replied, I was opposed to hanging e en if a man kill another, I will shoot him, or cut off his head, spill his blood on the ground, and let the smoke thereof ascend up to God; and if ever l have the privilege of making a law on that subject I will have it so."

Smith died before he had a chance to enact such legisla­tion, but his successors appar­ently obeyed his wishes.

According to ' Doctrines of Salvation," Joseph Fielding Smith, the 10th prophet of the LDS church, once wrote:

" ... the founders of Utah incorporated in the laws of the territory provisions for the capital punishment of those who willfully shed the blood of their fellow men. This law, which is now the law of the state, granted unto the con­demned murderer the privi­lege of choosing himself whether he die by hanging, or whether he be shot and thus have his blood shed in harmo­ny with the law of God; and thus atone, so far as it is in his power to atone, for the death of his victim. Almo t without exception the condemned party chooses the latter death."

State legislators dropped the beheading option in 1888. Hanging and the firing quad remained Utah's capital pun­ishment methods until 1980, when hanging was replaced by lethal injection.

As for blood atonement, the

concept appears to have gained momentum after Mor­mon settlers arrived in Utah.

"The Journal of Discours­es," a 26-volume compilation of early Mormon sermons, contains numerous references to blood atonement. Although the "J of D" is not considered doctrine, it is an important work in the canon of LDS lit­erature. Once published by the church-owned Deseret Books, the "J of D" is now out of print.

Teachings from the "J of D" and other texts indicate that early Mormon leaders believed that death, if not blood atonement, was the proper punishment for numer­ous offenses, including mur­der, adultery, marriage to an African-American and aposta­sy.

Young preached on blood · atonement in Salt Lake City·

on Sept. 21, 1856, accordingto the "J of D."

"It is true that the blood ofthe son of God was shed forsins through the fall and thosecommitted by men, yet mancan commit sins which it cannever remit. ... There a.re sinsthat can be atoned for by anoffering on an altar, as inancient days; and there aresins that the blood of a lamb,of a calf, or of turtle doves,cannot remit, but they must beatoned for by the blood of theman."

On the same day, Young'ssecond counselor, Jebediah M.Grant, told the same crowd: "Isay, that there are men andwomen that I would advise togo to the President immediate­ly, and ask him to appoint acommittee to attend to theircase; and then let a place beselected, and let that commit­tee shed their blood. We havethose amongst us that are fullof all manner of abomina­tions those who need to havetheir blood shed, for waterwill not do, their sins are oftoo deep a dye."

Millet, the BYU professorand a prominent LDS theolo­gian, said the statements ofYoung, Grant and others arejust excerpts from "fiery ser­mons" that contained a lot of"revival rhetoric."

Millet said the only doctri-