Essentials in Church History / A History of the Church from the Birth of Joseph Smith to the Present Time (1922), with Introductory Chapters on the Antiquity of the Gospel and the "Falling Away"

by Joseph Fielding Smith

At the general conference of the Church in April, 1882, President John Taylor spoke of the approaching storm. “While the excitement lasts,” said he, “it is useless to reason with the world; when it subsides we can talk to them.” He also expressed the views of the Latter-day Saints when he said: “We do not wish to place ourselves in a state of antagonism, nor act defiantly, toward this government. We will fulfil the letter, so far as practicable, of that unjust, inhuman, oppressive, and unconstitutional law. . . . But we cannot sacrifice every principle of human right. . . . While we are God-fearing and law-abiding, and respect all honorable men and officers, we are no craven serfs, and have not learned to lick the feet of oppressors, nor to bow in base submission to unreasonable clamor. We will contend, inch by inch, legally and constitutionally, for our rights as American citizens.” So sore became the persecution that hundreds of homes were broken up and husbands and fathers were sent to the penitentiary for the offense of “unlawful cohabitation.”

A Tribune Canard

To add to the evil of the times the circulation of false and malicious reports increased, and the Latter-day Saints were portrayed as the vilest of the vile. The result of this was continued persecution of the elders in the mission fields.

One of these abusive and lying canards appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune, March 16, 1884. It purported to be the disloyal utterances of “Bishop West, of Juab.” There was no Bishop West, and the falsehood was exposed. When the Tribune was caught red handed in its lying, it very reluctantly admitted the falsehood, but added that the report sounded like what was going on all the time. Articles of this kind were constantly appearing, and the members of the Church were repeatedly insulted and abused with the hope that some overt act might be committed through unendurable provocation, and thus occasion be made against the Church for its destruction. However, the persecuted people bore the insults without giving cause for such diabolical action.

The Canard the Cause of Murder

The “Bishop West” hoax might have been forgotten if the falsehood had ended with the exposure of the Tribune story, but, unfortunately, it was circulated in Tennessee by a Reverend Vandevere, of Lewis County, who made it an occasion to attack the Saints in the South, and arouse the populace against them. He had been duly advised of the nature of the falsehood, but that made no difference; he continued to repeat the story. The result of this circulation of the Tribune’s falsehood, was the enacting of a tragedy, at Cane Creek, Lewis County, Tennessee, of a most shocking character.

The Tennessee Massacre

It happened Sunday, August 10, 1884. That morning a number of elders and Saints met at the home of James Condor for religious worship. While the small congregation was assembling, a mob of masked ruffians invaded the premises and shot and killed Elders John H. Gibbs, of Paradise, and William S. Berry, of Kanarra, and also two young men, Martin Condor and John Riley Hudson, who were not members of the Church, but who attempted to protect the elders. Young Hudson, securing his gun, shot and killed the leader of the mob, one David Hinson, but Hinson’s followers returned the fire, mortally wounding the young man who died about one hour later. Because of this retaliation the mob returned and poured a fire into the house through the windows, seriously wounding Mrs. Condor, and riddling the body of Elder Berry. They then secured the body of their leader and made off. Two other missionaries, Elders William H. Jones and Henry Thompson, escaped.

Elder Roberts Secures the Bodies of the Slain

Elder B. H. Roberts was at Chattanooga, in charge of the mission in the absence of President John Morgan, who was in Salt Lake City. At the peril of his own life he went forth and secured the bodies of the missionaries and had them forwarded to Utah, where the “Mormon” people were in mourning. The bodies of the slain elders were interred at their home towns, but public funeral services were also held in Salt Lake City, August 24, 1884.