Mormons: Lincoln, Prophecy, an Ask for Help...

5fish

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AS you know the Mormons, basically took a neutral position during the with this understanding from President Lincoln... in a parable.

Typically, Lincoln reached his decision through a homely parable, told to a Mormon emissary:
When I was a boy on the farm in Illinois there was a great deal of timber on the farm which we had to clear away. Occasionally we would come to a log which had fallen down. It was too hard to split, too wet to burn, and too heavy to move, so we plowed around it. You go back and tell Brigham Young that if he will let me alone I will let him alone.
Lincoln did this...

But the question was far from solved, and on Nov. 18, Lincoln attacked the Mormon question in a most Lincolnian way. Instead of ordering an invasion, Lincoln ordered information. Specifically, he asked the Library of Congress to send him a pile of books about Mormonism, so that the aggregator-in-chief could better understand them. These included “The Book of Mormon” in its original 1831 edition, and three other early studies of the Mormons, with extensive, lurid chapters covering their polygamy. For some reason, he also ordered a volume of Victor Hugo, in French, a language he could not read.

Brigham Young did his part...

Brigham Young remarked,“Utah has not seceded, but is firm for the Constitution and laws of our once happy country.” Those were words guaranteed to warm Lincoln’s heart.

Link: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/lincoln-and-the-mormons/


Did you know Joseph Smith Predicted the war...

From as early as 1832, inklings of impending war were beginning to trickle into the minds of the members of the Church, largely due to a revelation received by Joseph Smith:
“Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls;
“And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.
“For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations” (Doctrine and Covenants section 87:1-3).

Lincoln ask for help...

In April 1862, President Lincoln called upon the Saints to help protect the overland trail—particularly the important communication systems spanning across the plains.

In response to this request, President Young immediately called on General Daniel H. Wells of the Utah militia to recruit and equip a cavalry of around 100 men, which he did in just two days with the help of an experienced officer named Lot Smith.


http://www.ldsliving.com/Mormons-in-the-Civil-War-Their-Own-Cavalry-More-Fascinating-Facts/s/84365
 
Its hard to imagine Lincoln wouldn't have already been familiar with the Mormons from their Nauvoo controversies, which lead to Illinois driving them out.
 
Camp Douglas in Salt Lake City (later Fort Douglas) was established in October 1862 to provide that very protection to the Overland Trail. Growing up in Salt Lake City I heard a legend(?) that when Colonel Patrick Connor arrived in the city he immediately aimed his cannon at Brigham Young's residence, about three from Fort Douglas, to put down another "Mormon rebellion." (Yes, three miles, so I'm not sure there's much truth to the story, at least the way I heard it. And no, the Mormons were not in revolt.)
 
In the 150 annversity of the Civil war the LDS church put out a book...

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/0842528164/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Collection of essays and articles about the US Civil War, with a focus on, but not limited to, people who were either members or later became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics include historical facts about actual events, people, landmarks, and stories; most of which are connected to the US Civil War.

Here is this review...

This timely volume begins with a detailed timeline that provides an excellent summary of U.S. and Utah Territory events associated with the war. The authors outline how the Utah War (1857-58) directly affected the Civil War, explore the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and the Mormons, and explain the history and use of Joseph Smith's "Civil War Prophecy." The authors share Civil War comments and correspondence by nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint Church leaders, recount the ninety-day active duty military service of the Lot Smith Utah Cavalry Company (Utah Territory's only direct military contribution to the Civil War), and discuss the Nauvoo Legion's service in Utah during the war. The writers tell the story of the establishment of Camp Douglas near Salt Lake City in 1862, describe LDS wartime emigration, review how Northern and Southern newspapers viewed Utah and Mormons throughout the war, consider settler and Indian relations, and examine the January 1863 Indian massacre at Bear River.

Additionally, readers will find the reasons that motivated Mormons to enlist as Union and Confederate soldiers, the impact of the war's aftermath on Latter-day Saints, Mormon participation in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and the GAR's 1909 National Encampment in Salt Lake City. The book is also richly illustrated with period photographs and images.

How many Latter-day Saints participated in the Civil War, and who were they? The answers to those questions have remained elusive—until now. Civil War Saints also includes the most thoroughly researched list of Latter-day Saint Civil War veterans ever published.

  • Contributors
  • William P. MacKinnon
  • Sherman L. Fleek
  • Scott C. Esplin
  • Mary Jane Woodger
  • Craig K. Manscill
  • Richard E. Bennett
  • Brett D. Dowdle
  • Joseph R. Stuart
  • Kenneth L. Alford
  • Ephriam D. Dickson III
  • Brant W. Ellsworth
  • Harold Schindler
  • William G. Hartley
  • Robert C. Freeman
  • Andrew C. Skinner
  • Ardis E. Parshall
 
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