Forthcoming book  A trio of LDS scholars have been funded by the LDS church to write a book Tragedy at Mountain Meadows to be published by the Oxford University Press  Ronald W Walker BYU Professor of History  Richard E Turley Jr managing director of the Family and Church History Department of the Church and Glen M Leonard director of the Churchs Museum of Church History and Art   The three were granted access to documents in the LDS Church archives According to Turley a file in the archives confirms that Lee was acting on his own The file included the notes of a Mormon historian who at the request of Church leaders conducted a confidential investigation of the massacre in  Turley said There are very candid statements on the part of participants to a Church official under the agreement of confidentiality  While the trio found additional evidence of church leaders culpability Turley stated that Utahns elsewhere in the territory acted to preserve the lives of other troublesome immigrants    Unfortunately the militia and church leaders of Iron County made different decisions and their acts demand the strongest condemnation    Circumstance may explain their acts nothing can justify them  The new sources the coauthors are using will be made public once their book is published Turley said although the church is cooperating and is funding the research the work is not a Church commission The idea to do the book was ours not theirs Publication apparently has been delayed as the coauthors have tried to be as thorough in their research as possible According to Turley LDS leaders share the authors desire to bring all available evidence out in the open First drafts of the book will be circulated for comment among LDS and nonLDS parties including historians and descendants of the perpetrators and victims Open candid evaluation of that tragedy can produce catharsis a cleansing spiritual renewal and healing Turley said adding that the authors will present the evidence as we find it  honestly openly and candidly  The above is hardly an example of a brief description and is far greater than the longest has ever been for the Franz books I have put back a smaller concise neutral description that should keep all happy Posted Central  July