Mormon Tradition

I wonder what Brigham would think if he were alive today.

I wonder what Brigham would think if he were alive today
Would he still think this is the place or point his wagon a different way
Does it even matter what the old man would think
His name on that school seems to be on the brink

It was Lilburn Boggs who called for extermination
He said Mormon outrages were beyond all description
He told General Clark to hasten the operation with all possible speed
Clark said there’d be no mercy as he carried out the deed

I guess things worked out for the best
From Missouri to Nauvoo to a desert in the west
Not sure if those old-timers would see it that way
But now we’ve got tall buildings to sit in all day

Would they be proud of our booming economy
Or would they grieve our lack of harmony
Some ask who these men are to judge or slander
Not like they meet today’s standards

How should we think of our ancestors of lore
Is it worth remembering what they died for
Are they wondering how we took their plot and lost it
Can they believe this is what followed the murder of a prophet

Do they feel guilty about Mountain Meadows
Do they regret not giving the priesthood to all fellows
How much wisdom is in that word anyway
Old Port wouldn’t let ‘em take his whiskey away

It would’ve been a hell of a thing to be driven astray
Just try coming away from that journey unscathed
Maybe that’s why some traditions are too strong to shake
It’s hard to forget the peril your ancestors faced

The generations to come will look back at us with befuddlement
Because we’re all imperfect products of our environment
I don’t know what’s true or what to believe
And you don’t know either, no matter how loud you scream