S. witnessed the birth of multiple social and religious movements, many of which still live on to this very day. One new faith was The Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) founded by Joseph Smith. Smith and his disciples, most notably Brigham Young led their followers from the Mid-Atlantic to the Mid-west. Smith met his fate in Nauvoo, IL, but Young then took the reins of leadership and led his followers into the Utah Territory. The LDS made remarkable progress in the arid lands of Salt Lake by using incredibly innovative means to irrigate their crops. However, Young was concerned that the next generation was losing touch with its LDS spirituality. In the 1850s, he launched a Reformation in hopes to stoke up religious fervor. One by product of this revitalization movement was an even stronger distrust of outsiders, and one group that paid the ultimate price was the Fancher Party. The Fancher’s were a group of pioneers that were trying to reach California’s lush and fertile central valley in 1857. The Utah Territory militia nearly wiped out the entire group. This event is known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. John D. Lee, a member of the militia eventually became the only person held accountable for this horrific event. For this discussion, review the assigned UMKC Famous Trials material (this website, similar to the Boston Massacre site, has multiple sections. “An Account” section is mandatory. I encourage you to review the other sections, but they are optional), and include at least 1 other course resource. Answer 2-3 of the following questions: Do you think Lee was guilty, why or why not? Why were the trials not held soon after the massacre? How did this event influence U.S.-Utah/LDS relations? Why did this massacre happen? Who else was involved? What was Brigham Young’s role, and do you think he was properly reprimanded/prosecuted for this event?Optional Questions for 1-2 extra credit points: Locate 1 newspaper article from the 1990s-21st century that focuses on the memorial that stands at the Massacre site today, and share the article’s contents with the class. Do you think the current memorial properly commemorates this event, why or why not?