DEAN MAY/HISTORIAN, UNIV. OF UTAH: "THAT WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR MORMONS TO LIVE WITH. YEAH, I THINK IT COULD BE VERY SIGNIFICANT IF IT WERE TRUE."

Is it authentic or a hoax? The National Park Service has announced a sensational discovery which could-- and we emphasize could-- rewrite the history of the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Last month, a Park Service volunteer dug up an engraving purportedly made by Mormon pioneer John D. Lee. It points the finger of blame directly at Brigham Young for the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, in which 120 people died. But two historians we spoke with strongly suspect a hoax. News Specialist John Hollenhorst has details.

The massacre has been studied and debated for a century and a half, ever since men, women and children in a wagon train were murdered as they passed through Utah.

This new discovery would be the first evidence the massacre was ordered by Brigham Young. If it's authentic, and there are serious doubts.

John D. Lee sat on his own coffin in 1877 and was executed by firing squad for his role in the massacre.

The bloody incident happened in 1857 near Cedar City. Pioneers and Indians attacked a wagon train from Arkansas. A monument marking the 120 deaths was recently rededicated by Church leaders.

Historians agree that in his final words in front of the firing squad, Lee bitterly denounced Brigham Young, but never accused him of ordering the massacre.

Now, at Lee's Ferry, in a fort where John D. Lee lived out his final years, writing has been found scratched into a sheet of lead which was buried under several inches of rat droppings. The Park Service released the text, but no photos.

In the document signed "J.D. Lee, January 11th, 1872", he purportedly takes blame for the massacre but says it was "on orders from Pres Young." It continues, "I trust in God - I have no fear - death hold no teror - Lord have merci on this resless soul." Those unusual spellings suggest a hoax to historian Dean May who says they are unlike other writings by Lee.

DEAN MAY/UNIV. OF UTAH: " THE DOCUMENT IN QUESTION HAS A REALLY RUSTIC AND NOT-SO-UNCOMMON FOR THE TIME TYPE OF SPELLING, BUT IT'S UNCOMMON FOR JOHN D. LEE."

He says there also may be a discrepancy in the date, because Lee may not have been living at Lee's Ferry at the time the document was supposedly written. Another prominent expert on the massacre told us by phone, he's increasingly skeptical as he ponders details of language and logic in the text.

VOICE OF GENE SESSIONS/WEBER STATE UNIV.: "I'M JUST MORE AND MORE CONVINCED THE WHOLE THING IS GOING TO PLAY OUT TO BE A GIGANTIC HOAX."

DEAN MAY/UNIV. OF UTAH: "THERE IS SO MUCH OTHER EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY. IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S ONE STRAW IN THE WIND AND THE WIND IS BLOWING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION."

Park Service officials say they're trying to determine whether the document is authentic and have not reached any conclusions.

A church spokesman said, "We think the National Park Service is following exactly the right course in first trying to determine whether the object is authentic. Obviously it may not be."

The spokesman reiterated the belief that Brigham Young was unaware of the massacre and learned of it only after the fact.

Feb. 25, 2002