Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Supernatural :: Juanita Brooks Historian History Essays

push-down store Meadows Massacre and the SupernaturalWorks Cited MissingJuanita suffer has her work set out for her she needs to explain a diachronic event that has unyielding been ignored and lied about. She must avoid appear biased and present herself as a reputable historian. One of her challenges in this undertaking is how she should deal with the large amounts of supernaturalism surrounding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Although she does sporadically use some supernatural accounts for dramatic evidence and to support her take in hypothesis in small amounts, Brooks typically discredits the supernatural aspects (both folkloric and religious) of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, While Brooks is capable of dismissing the supernatural in folklore traditions, and also in her own religion, she does sometimes lapse into giving ear to supernaturalism. Frequently this is for effect, much(prenominal) as while describing a Mormon woman living in fear of the mobs in Illinois who feels a heavy foreboding of evil and flees, get together other wagonsall impelled by the certainty that to remain long would mean death (8). Brooks doesnt dismiss this prompting as a superstitious story but as a factual experience. believably for the same dramatic effect, she includes that Brigham Young, whom she later evaluates as a man and non a prophet, had predicted that if our enemies would give us ten years unmolested we would neer be driven again. Well, the ten years were up, ten years to the day (18). As a historian writing a book for recumb people, Brooks may be excused for these inclusions of dramatic intent til now she makes the mistake in including supernatural evidence in her defense of rear D. Lee. She relates how when a little girl was gravely sick, Lee kneeled by her grapple and prayed for her. He promised her that she should live and become a mother in Israel. She was presently healed (203). Brooks relates a second related account. Lee promised some other sick girl that she should live to be a mother in Israel. She grew up to womanhoodand has sixteen children (204). These supernatural stories are not capable at all, but left to stand on their own forward Brooks informs us that descendents of Lee feel that he was a majuscule and good man-a martyr (204). These two recollections may also serve a dramatic purpose, but the acceptance of faith healing by an various(prenominal) she defends weakens Brooks objectivity as a historian.