New film delves into dark Mormon past

Film maker Christopher Cain (father of Dean Cain) is finishing a new film September Dawn which deals with one of the darker, less known facets of Mormon history -- the Mountain Meadows Massacre.


The film stars Jon Voight, Lolita Davidovich and Terence Stamp with a cameo appearance by Dean Cain.

The film covers the Mormon-led massacre of "Gentiles" on their way to California. While the church has acknowledged some aspects of the crime they have diligently tried to cover up the fact that the massacre was likely encouraged from the top eschelons of the church. The church simply argues that no one can really know the facts.

On Sept 11, 1857, Mormons, disguised an Indians, attacked a wagon train of immigrants. The wagon train circled the wagons in defense and held off the attacking "Indians". The Mormons leading the attack then held their fire while some of them dressed as settlers approached the wago train and convinced the settlers that they had convinced the "Indians" to end the attack but only if the settlers surrendered to the Mormons who would give them a safe escort. The settlers agreed and were escorted out by the churchmen, one Mormon escorting one settler. On cue the Mormons executed the settlers and kidnapped the children who were then "adopted" out to Mormon families.

The story is based on the journal of John Lee a leader of the attack. Lee was the only individual arrested for the massacre and was executed by firing squad. Utah is the only state that executes by firing squad in keeping with the Mormon belief of "blood atonement."

Cain explained: ""You start asking yourself the question. What makes a young kid - of any faith, in any part of the world - strap a bomb on his back and walk into a school, or a mosque, or get on a bus full of innocent people, and blow himself and them all up? You ask yourself that question, and as you do, you start looking around and all of a sudden, it's what religious fanaticism can turn into."