ANSWERS: 4
  • There are three that I know of off hand. 1) Your quote of the purported oath in a previous answer (3 out of 7) to your own question, with a footnote to where you got it: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1790268 2) The article you cited when you asked that question: http://en.fairmormon.org/Temples/Endowment/Oath_of_vengeance 3) The Wikipedia article you cited in a comment to another answer for that same question. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_vengeance#cite_note-5 . Which leaves me wondering: Since you were already aware of this documentation, why are you asking this question?
  • While there are other validating sources, probably the best evidence for the Mormon Oath of Vengeance is the 1906 Government Publication, "Proceedings Before the Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His Seat" which is the transcript of the 1904 proceedings of the Congressional Hearing regarding allowing Utah Senator, Reed Smoot to be seated in Congress.1 The reader can view this transcript - which a matter of public record by using this link: http://books.google.com/books?id=w0MhAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s There, on page 161, you will read that the Oath of Vengeance went like this: "You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray and never cease to pray to Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, and that you will teach the same to your children and to your children's children unto the third and fourth generation."2 {Testimony of former Mormon August W. Lundstrom before the United States Senate (1904b, p. 161)http://books.google.com/books?q=161&id=w0MhAAAAMAAJ&output=text&pg=PA161] Additional evidence can be found in LdS Scholar David Buerger's 1987 article: "The Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 20 (4): 33–76, http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/dialogue,20139 Another good source of information is Salt Lake City Messenger Issue #48 which includes extracts from Heber C. Kimball's diary (see attached) referencing the Oath of Vengeance as well as from other sources - including some archived LdS Church original sources. "Elder Kimball . . . said the Twelve would have to leave shortly, for a charge of treason would be brought against them far swearing us to avenge the blood of the anointed ones, and some one would reveal it, and we shall have to part some day between sundown and dark—. . . I have covenanted, and never will rest nor my posterity after me until those men who killed Joseph & Hyrum have been wiped out of the earth."3 (Heber C. Kimball's Journal, December 21, 1845) http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no48.htm NOTES: 1. There were objections to allowing Reed Smoot to be seated in Congress when it was disclosed that the State that he represented was in violation of Federal Polygamy Laws and well as using the Oath of Vengeance in their Temple Endowment Ceremony. 2. Here is a relevant excerpt from page 161 the 1904 Reed Smoot hearings Congressional Record transcript: "Mr. Tayler. You yesterday, and again to-day, referred to what you call the "law of retribution." It was a vow or obligation taken respecting it at a certain point in the ceremony. M. Lcndstrom. Yes, sir. Mr. Tayler. I want to inquire if at any time afterwards in the ceremony any reference was again made to this law ? Mr. Lundstrom. It was: toward the close of the ceremony, in what is called the ''order of prayer." Mr. Tayler. What was said then? Mr. Lundstrom. The prayer was recited to us and we all repeated it as it was dictated to us, and among other things there was this clause: "We ask God, the Eternal Father, to avenge the blood of Joseph Smith upon this nation." Mr. Tayler. If you can give us all of the prayer that relates to the obligation you had taken—it is brief —I wish you would give it to us. Mr. Lundstrom. I can not give it verbatim, but 1 can give the substance of it. Mr. Tayler. Give the substance. Mr. Lundstrom. " Oh, God! the Eternal Father, we ask Thee to bless Thy church, to bless Thy holy priesthood, and to bless us, and help us that we may be able to keep these covenants which we have made and the obligations which we have entered into this day. We ask Thee to bless all those who help to promote Thy work here upon the earth and that all who raise their hands against Thy church will be accursed. And we ask Thee, God, the Eternal Father, to avenge the blood of Joseph Smith upon this nation." That is about' the substance of it." http://books.google.com/books?q=161&id=w0MhAAAAMAAJ&output=text&pg=PA161 3. See attached image to see a portion of the this citation from Kimball's diary.
  • As you are aware, the Endowment ceremony has always contained a covenant not to reveal portions of it outside the temple. However, generalities can be shared. As an example, I cannot reveal my new name, but I can say that we receive a new name in the temple. With such an oath of silence in place, it is hard to find sources which TBMs (True Blue Mormons) will acknowledge. The Reed Smoot hearings is the best-known source. Despite the Manifesto of 1890 and the Manifesto of 1904, the US Senate wouldn't allow Reed Smoot to represent Utah without a hearing, claiming that Utah still supported polygamy, and citing rumors of an Oath of Vengeance against the U.S. found in the LdS Endowment Ceremony. Former LdS August W. Lundstrom refused to give a verbatim account of the Oath of Vengeance, but gave the substance as an oath to pray for God to avenge the blood of the Prophet Joseph against the U.S., and to teach the same down to the 3rd and 4th generations. Unfortunately, I personally don't know of a source which gives 1927 as the ending year of this oath; I saw it mentioned in an answer to another question and accepted it because it falls in the "3rd and 4th generation" since the murder of Joseph.
  • I think everyone else summed it up pretty well. I don't know why you had -1. +3 from me for a more concise list of resources than the previous question. :)

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