What is blood atonement?
Q: What is blood atonement?
A: Blood atonement is a teaching that was once prevalent in the Mormon Church, which held that the only way for someone who has committed a murder to atone for their sin is to be killed.
Q: Who preached about blood atonement first?
A: Brigham Young preached about blood atonement for the first time in the 1850s, but it is possible that Joseph Smith had thought of the idea before him.
Q: What is the blood-for-blood punishment?
A: The blood-for-blood punishment is another name for blood atonement and is used to punish people who have committed murder.
Q: Was blood atonement only used for violent crimes?
A: No, blood atonement was also used for non-violent crimes such as leaving or denying the church or marrying someone of a different race.
Q: What effect did the idea of blood atonement have on Utah?
A: The idea of blood atonement led to the use of firing squads in Utah for many years.
Q: What is the Mountain Meadows Massacre?
A: The Mountain Meadows Massacre was an event where Mormons killed some emigrants from Arkansas. The massacre is believed to have been influenced by the idea of blood atonement.
Q: Do most Mormons still believe in blood atonement?
A: No, only some fundamentalist Mormons still believe in blood atonement today.
