Has a Mormon ever killed because they couldn't convert?

Question

My friend, a Mormon, and I are debating over whether every religion has killed, if they could not convert. I have given up for the time being, knowing that it is more difficult to prove something correct, rather than incorrect.
So, has "Convert or Kill" every been the philosophy of a Mormon?
A news story would be great, but anything would do, I guess, so long as you've got some sort of resource to back it up. Thanks.

Answer 1

not over failure to convert - no.



sadly, some individuals who were mormon have killed......mountain meadows is an example of this.

here is a good link to that info........

http://en.fairmormon.org/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre

Answer 2

They haven't killed to convert. There have been times where Mormons have killed people, and they are imperfect humans too. They were driven from their homes in the dead of winter, persecuted and tortured, simply because of a belief system. This doesn't justify the actions, but you can't just label "Mormon killer" because a killer can come from any race, or creed. Especially when pushed to this extent (I'm glad I didn't live back then and get forced out of my home with my wife and kids in the dead of winter, there would have been repercussions. And it wouldn't have had anything to do with my religion!)



You can buy books on the Mountain Meadows massacre in the BYU book stores or deseret book. So I think "No so loved" is a bit ignorant. This was a group of rebels, that took the law into their own hands. They were excommunicated and denounced for their actions.



Most mass murderers, bombings, killings, wars are perpetuated by religious people... simply because statistically so many people claim to be of a certain sect. If Darwin had a higher percentage of followers then the statistic would rise with those claiming atheism.



It's interesting how many "Christians" bring up the MM Massacre. Is there a statistic of how many were killed during the 'Christian crusades'?



This link was kind of interesting.

Answer 3

The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, is a restorationist Church. This means that The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints believes what Jesus Christ and his immediate followers believe. This means that the LDS Church is neither Catholic or Protestant by historical definition.



Jesus Christ never advocated kill or convert policies. Jesus Christ did NOT advocate an inquisition using torture to convert. Jesus Christ did not use the military or the police or the Government in any way shape or form to spread the truth. The truth does not need such horrendous methods to propagate itself. The truth is pure and has missionaries that speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. That is what the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is all about.



Studying history will prove that Missionary work and open discussion promotes righteousness. While torture and murder used to promote Christianity, only leads to a perversion of Christianity being spread among the population. This includes the false doctrine of grace fanaticism.



Christ told the people to be righteous. He never once said, "Oh, by the way your saved by Grace, do any evil that you want, just pay that fat minister with the greasy smile that sounds a lot like a used car salesman on late night t.v." (At least the used car salesman has some honor and dignity.)



No. What people call today Christianity, is merely a hollow shell that is rotten at it's core and preaches people to be adulterers, murderers, and every other evil thing. And this has been so during a long and horrific history. The Crusades, The Inquisition, the conversion of Native Americans, are all examples in history, of murder and torture being used to convert unwitting peasants.





Only The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints stand for Jesus Christ, and against the evils of Satanic force and coercion. The Devils plan verses the plan of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ plan is a plan of choice and faith and redemption.



Choose you this day whom you will serve, God or Mammon (the false God who murders people to convert them).



What do you choose to believe?



Those who mass murdered in the past in order to convert (and might do it today if given half a chance), or those who are peaceful and go on missions and discuss religion with quite voices?

Answer 4

No, we are not ordered to kill people that we are unable to convert. Missionaries are absolutely not told to kill people they are unable to convert. That's ridiculous! As many Mormon missionaries there are in the world (approximately 55,000 at any given time) wouldn't there be a lot of people dead and a lot of missionaries in jail? So, NO, NO WAY, ABSOLUTELY NOT, NOT A CHANCE do Mormons kill another person for lack of conversion. As other people have already said, there are Mormons who have commited murder, but not for non-conversion reasons.

Answer 5

You should research the Danites, a shadowy group started up by Joseph Smith in the Midwest and kept active by Brigham Young. I have a Mormon ancestor who was active in both the Mountain Meadows and Gunnison Massacres. It isn't a coincidence. Look up Porter Rockwell and Bill Hickman.



Their were constant stories in the first few years in Utah of people who wanted to leave but just disappeared instead, or were very physically warned. They were very isolated, and Brigham Young used those first years to grow the church. He didn't have to tolerate dissent at all until the railroad came in.



The isolation also kept them in a position to clean up their history, so there is no way to know what really happened.



Look also at the the story of the original 19h wife, Ann Eliza Young. She spoke out against Young. She was very charismatic, went back East and carried out a campaign against him and polygamy. This prominent woman simply disappeared one day. Her body was never found. She never contacted her children again.

Answer 6

Mormon is a sect of Christianity. Christians have killed those who would not convert (think Crusades and the inquisitions). James Charles Kopp is a more recent example, though keep in mind people like him are deviants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Charles_Kopp



I've not heard of Mormons killing for religious reasons though unless you consider Manifest Destiny religious (it's not).

Answer 7

Of course it's never been our philosophy. Don't you think that if it were, you'd have heard more about it by now? People rant all the time about things they think (usually incorrectly) Mormons are doing, and I think we'd have heard about bands of killer Mormons, don't you?



We certainly don't believe murder is ever acceptable, but we also value the right of every individual to choose for themselves. Such a thing would be completely against our faith.

Answer 8

I don't understand. Are you asking if Mormons kill people who won't convert or that Mormons who can't convert other people are killed for that inability?

Answer 9

I don't believe every religion has done this, but some use less obvious means of forcing people to convert such as the threat of eternal torment.

Answer 10

Perhaps not for not converting, but the mormon church has killed people that they referred to as "Gentiles" (falsely believing that they, themselves are descendants of Israel), simply to take their goods.

This also happened on September 11, in 1856. Google the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

In 1856, in the Utah area known as the Mountain Meadows, Mormon militia, disguised as native Americans, attacked and killed 120 unarmed (they convinced them that they would help them against the "indians", but they had to give up their guns) men, women, and children. This attack was ordered directly by Brigham Young, the president of the LDS "church".

The church has done everything in its power to deny the truth, and keep this buried in history.

Answer 11

Check out the history of the Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah. Mormonism too has a history of violence.



And i have a friend who is a missionary in S. America who has received death threats from the Mormon missionaries.

Answer 12

The only things Mormons kill is logic and reasoning.

Answer 13

NO we do NOT kill