Blood of the Prophets

Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows

By: Will Bagley

Narrated by: Charles Henderson Norman

The massacre at Mountain Meadows on September 11, 1857, was the single most violent attack on a wagon train in the 30-year history of the Oregon and California trails. Yet it has been all but forgotten. Will Bagley's Blood of the Prophets is an award-winning, riveting account of the attack on the Baker-Fancher wagon train by Mormons in the local militia and a few Paiute Indians. Based on extensive investigation of the events surrounding the murder of over 120 men, women, and children, and drawing from a wealth of primary sources, Bagley explains how the murders occurred, reveals the involvement of territorial governor Brigham Young, and explores the subsequent suppression and distortion of events related to the massacre by the Mormon Church and others.

©2002 University of Oklahoma Press (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"For 50 years, Mormon historian Juanita Brooks's The Mountain Meadows Massacre has been the standard work on the subject. Here, Bagley claims only to extend Brooks' work. This well-written and well-thought-out analysis is essential for all libraries with collections on the West or the Mormons." ( Library Journal)

balanced and fair

I enjoyed the book. the narrator miss pronounced some of the distinctly Mormon words (Limhi and others) but I love his tone and accent. the author seemed to include all the facts at hand at the time and explained them in plain terms without an attempt to divert blame.

Critique

Good. Reader mispronounced some names, i.e., "Moroni", "Nephi". Would like to see footnotes. Quite informative.

informative.

probably the best book on this event i have read. just makes your blood boil at times. im sure hes taken a tremendous amount of heat for this.
thank you, to the Author.

Sad part of US History

Audible sales sometimes help me pick up titles I may not normally look to add since I already own the book. This narrator proved oddly effective, given the subject matter as he reads it, is how I would envision the attitudes of the perpetrators - very blunt and matter of fact in their thinking. I grew up in NW AR and have known descendants of the massacre all my life. The Mountain Meadows memorial is one I have seen and known about all my life. It is now over 150 years after the fact and I am still being told the murders were justified by people who have heard the history only from the church side. It happened at at odd time in LDS church and US history and makes for an interesting story of power in the early days of Utah. The extent the church leaders went to to assert and extend their rights as God’s chosen people sound oddly like current political rhetoric. Meanwhile, The victims are still a minor footnote in history that most people have never heard of the event.

Magnificient History on the Mtn. Meadows Massacre

If you could sum up Blood of the Prophets in three words, what would they be?

Very well researched!

What other book might you compare Blood of the Prophets to and why?

Hard to compare as I haven't read others like this.

Have you listened to any of Charles Henderson Norman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this is the first one. His narration took me a little while to get used to, but it grew on me steadily and and throughly enjoyed his presentation in the end. Very well read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No this wasn't possible as it was a long book, and it contained a lot of factual detail and historical reference. If I had 20 hours free one day I certainly would have tried.

Any additional comments?

I would like to compliment the author Will Bagley on a magnificient acheivement in writing this book. It was absolutely brimming with well researched details, and seemed very even handed in both it's criticisms of the massacre and it's considerations on the events to lead to it. Anyone with the slightest inerest in LDS history or older US history in general should defiately read this book. Brilliant.

This is an unbiased review given in exchange for a copy of the above book.

Great book about a sad story

If you could sum up Blood of the Prophets in three words, what would they be?

damn crying shame

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that so much of it takes place in the area that I live.

What does Charles Henderson Norman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His narration was really good, and made it seem first hand.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no, not really

Any additional comments?

This is such a sad story that more people should know about. It was especially interesting for me, as I live in this area. It was something I had always heard of, but didn't know many details about. I learned so much about this area, and the history of my town.

Uncomfortable History

Thorough review of an unfortunate historical event that happened when the LDS church was young. Bagley offers conclusion to answerable questions, and possible solutions to the, thus far, unanswerable questions. Unreachable evidence exists, behind locked doors.

history

Excellent 👍 narrator brought back this wicked occurance of the massacre. A must read ....

Horrible massacre of non-Mormons passing through .

Narration is reasonably clear and acceptable.

Detailed critique of Mormon extremists…dreadful instance of Mormon intolerance, cruelty, crime, and merciless murder of children and others.

Snugly but himportant story.

Will Bagley Hits Another One Out of the Park

Would you consider the audio edition of Blood of the Prophets to be better than the print version?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Brigham Young

What aspect of Charles Henderson Norman’s performance would you have changed?

He needs to learn how to pronounce words like Lemhi.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked Will's handling of the background to the massacre.

Any additional comments?

Will Bagley is the best historian of the Western Trails since Dale Morgan. This is a very important book and lays to rest many of the myths perpetuated about this historic event.