About Juanita

Juanita Brooks was a highly influential historian, author, and educator from Utah, known for her pioneering work in documenting the history of the American West, particularly Latter-day Saints (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and the interactions between Mormon settlers and Indigenous peoples. Remembered as a trailblazer in the field of history, she is admired for her courage in addressing difficult and often taboo subjects within her own community. Her work remains a valuable resource for historians and readers interested in the history of the American West and the LDS Church.

Quick Facts

Born:
January 15,1898
Bunkerville, Nevada 

Death:
August 26, 1989
St. George, Utah

Schooling:
Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University, Master's degree at Columbia University

Honorary Degrees:
Utah State University, Southern Utah State College, University of Utah

Early Life

Juanita Leone Leavitt was born on January 15, 1898 to Henry Leavitt and Mary Hafen in Bunkerville, Nevada and raised there. Her grandparents on both sides were polygamists; her paternal grandfather, Dudley Leavitt, being one of the primary founders of Bunkerville. From a young age she developed an interest in history when, "her brilliant, sensitive, and imaginative mind was saturated from childhood in Mormon lore."

She was often employed as a grade school teacher in nearby Southern Utah. In 1919 she married Ernest Pulsipher, who died of lymphoma a little more than a year later, leaving her with an infant son, Leonard Ernest Pulsipher. After his death, she resumed her job as a teacher, and then received her bachelor's degree from BYU. Her first published work was a poem titled "Sunrise from the Top of Mount Timp," which appeared in the LDS periodical Improvement Era in 1926.

Gallery

Academia and family life

After her bachelors degree, she settled in St. George, Utah, and became an instructor of English and Dean of Women from 1925–1933 at the LDS-backed Dixie Junior College. While on a sabbatical from Dixie College from 1928–1929, she obtained a master's degree from Columbia University.

In 1933, the state of Utah discontinued funding for parochial Mormon post-secondary education. She resigned from the college after the program was cut and, in the same year, married a widower named Will Brooks. She became stepmother to his four sons, Walter, Bob, Grant, and Clair and they became true brothers to her son Ernie. Within five years the couple added a daughter, Willa Nita, and three more sons, Karl, Kay and Tony to their family. Juanita Brooks had affectionate relationships with all of her children, including her step-sons, describing her family as "compound-complex". She would sometimes complain that she lacked time to write because of her family, but she also stated that her loved ones were essential to her happiness. Her children spoke highly of their mother at her funeral, telling stories of her nurturing character.

Her calling as a historian and writer was frequently at odds with her position as a believing Mormon woman. As a woman, she was expected to, and indeed, desired to devote her life to homemaking and motherhood.

— Wikipedia

Tension with the Church

“I do not want to be excommunicated from my church for many reasons, but if that is the price that I must pay for intellectual honesty, I shall pay it—I hope without bitterness.”

Juanita Brooks, a historian and writer, faced tension with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) primarily due to her groundbreaking research on sensitive historical topics, most notably the Mountain Meadows Massacre. This tragic event occurred in 1857, when a group of Mormon settlers, along with Native American allies, attacked and killed around 120 emigrants traveling through southern Utah.

Brooks' work, particularly her 1950 book The Mountain Meadows Massacre, was one of the first to openly explore the role of local church leaders and settlers in the massacre, contradicting the church’s earlier narratives, which had downplayed or obscured the church's involvement. While Brooks did not directly blame Brigham Young, she emphasized the involvement of prominent local LDS leaders, sparking discomfort within the church.

Key reasons for the tension:

  • Historical Sensitivity

    The Mountain Meadows Massacre was a dark chapter in Mormon history, and the church had long been protective of its image. Brooks’ willingness to delve into this painful past conflicted with the church’s desire to control the narrative.

  • Pushback from Church Leaders

    Many church authorities at the time viewed Brooks' research as unpatriotic or as disloyalty to the faith. Although she remained a faithful member of the church, her critical stance was seen as controversial.

  • Independent Scholarship

    Brooks’ research was rigorous and independent, based on primary documents and interviews. The church was not used to its history being handled so publicly and critically by one of its own members.

Legacy and Impact

  • Reputation

    Juanita Brooks is highly regarded for her commitment to historical accuracy and integrity. Her work laid the foundation for more open and critical discussions about the history of Mormonism and its complexities.

  • Controversy

    Brooks faced significant opposition and criticism from some within the LDS Church for her work, especially her willingness to address uncomfortable and controversial aspects of Mormon history. Despite this, she remained a faithful member of the church throughout her life.

  • Recognition

    Over time, Brooks’ contributions to Western American history have been widely recognized and celebrated. She received numerous honors, including being named a Fellow of the Utah State Historical Society and receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Utah.

Books by Juanita

  • The Mountain Meadows Massacre (1950)

    Brooks’ most famous work, a detailed and groundbreaking account of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, which challenged the official narrative of the LDS Church. 

  • John Doyle Lee: Zealot, Pioneer Builder, Scapegoat (1961)

    A biography of John D. Lee, a prominent Mormon leader and the only person executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. 

  • Quicksand and Cactus: A Memoir of the Southern Mormon Frontier (1969)

    This memoir reflects on her experiences growing up in Southern Utah and her research into the history of the region, particularly the challenges of living on the frontier and the complex legacy of Mormonism in the area.

View all books

Quotes from Juanita

  • 01/06

    A BLOT UPON OUR HISTORY

    “We will have to accept the Mountain Meadows Massacre as a blot upon our history, which we can understand in the light of the persecutions our people have endured and the hysteria of war that grew out of an invading army that they thought was coming to drive them from their homes. Any fellow that saw action in the last war will understand well how such thing might be done by good people under the pressures of hate and revenge and fear, and the assurance that they were helping to ‘avenge the blood of the prophets.’” 

    (Letter to Stanton Schumtz, January 18, 1949. Source: “The Selected Letters of Juanita Brooks” By Craig S. Smith, page 106) 

  • 02/06

    DON'T LET ME DISTURB YOUR FAITH

    “So don’t let it [Mountain Meadows Massacre] disturb your faith in the church—it is not, the church of Brigham Young or even Joseph Smith, and if in human weakness mistakes were made, they were the human side and not the divine, and we must accept both, striving always for the guidance of the latter. Ours is the Church of Jesus Christ, and in His name and as His children, it is our business not to be content with error, but to accept truth wherever we find it.”

    (Letter to Stanton Schumtz, January 18, 1949. Source: “The Selected Letters of Juanita Brooks” By Craig S. Smith, page 106) 

  • 03/06

    CONSEQUENCES OF THE BOOK

    “I do not know what this publication will do to me personally. Among my many friends I find the following predictions: (1) that the book will be ignored, in accordance with the general policy of silence upon the subject; (2) that I will be openly condemned as an apostate, and the book discounted because of that; (3) that I will be cut off the church immediately; (4) that I should hold the ms. until after I am dead before it is published. This last I consider silly and cowardly.”

    (Letter to Donald P. Bean, July 11, 1949. Source: “The Selected Letters of Juanita Brooks” By Craig S. Smith, page 114) Note: “ms.” probably meant manuscript.

  • 04/06

    INTELLECTUAL HONESTY

    “I do not want to be excommunicated from my church for many reasons, but if that is the price I must pay for intellectual honesty, I shall pay it—I hope without bitterness. Is that the statement you wanted? I hold no one but myself responsible for my research or conclusions.”

    (Letter to Donald P. Bean, July 11, 1949. Source: “The Selected Letters of Juanita Brooks” By Craig S. Smith, page 114)

  • 05/06

    OBJECTIVE

    “I, too, have been deeply concerned about our official stand with regard to the negro. I have never felt that the color of skin pigments should be the basis of judging an individual any more than any other physical trait should be.”

    (O. Boyd Mathias, May 27, 1957. Source: “The Selected Letters of Juanita Brooks” By Craig S. Smith, page 182)

  • 06/06

    'NEGROS'

    “I, too, have been deeply concerned about our official stand with regard to the negro. I have never felt that the color of skin pigments should be the basis of judging an individual any more than any other physical trait should be.”

    (O. Boyd Mathias, May 27, 1957. Source: “The Selected Letters of Juanita Brooks” By Craig S. Smith, page 182)

FAQ

  • No, Juanita Brooks was not excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

  • She maintained a strong commitment to her faith, balancing her dedication to historical accuracy with her personal beliefs.

  • Juanita Brooks was progressive for her time regarding issues of race, particularly within the context of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (LDS) racial policies, including the restriction on Black members holding the priesthood, which lasted until 1978. While Brooks did not frequently write on the subject, she privately voiced her discomfort and disapproval of the church’s racial restrictions and felt that they contradicted the teachings of equality and justice that they espoused and she valued.

    Brooks believed in fairness and was known for her compassion toward marginalized groups, evident in her treatment of Native American histories in her writing and her sensitive approach to difficult aspects of Mormon history. She quietly but firmly hoped for change within the LDS Church regarding racial policies, though she generally avoided public statements that might put her at odds with church leadership. Her stance reflected her overall approach: advocating for reform and historical accuracy while remaining within the church and respecting its authorities.

Brooks Home

Built by her father-in-law, George Brooks, the Brooks family lived in the house and Juanita wrote much of her work there. The house underwent several changes over the years, including the addition of two-story bedrooms in 1949, a new kitchen and living room in 1954, and the expansion of the root cellar into a full basement.

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