the Mountain Meadows massacre. When offered a choice of execution by hanging, firing squad or beheading, Denton claims that Lee’s “choice of execution by firing squad sent a clear signal to the faithful that he rejected a spiritual need to atone for any sins.” Execution by firing squad was banned by the state of Utah on March 15, 2004, but because the law was not retroactive, four inmates then on Utah's death row could still opt for this method of execution. Ronnie Lee Gardner, who had been sentenced to death in October 1985, cited his "Mormon heritage" for choosing to die by firing squad and fasted for two days before his execution. He felt that lawmakers had been trying to eliminate the firing squad in opposition to popular opinion in Utah because of concern over the state's image during the 2002 Winter Olympics. On the day before Gardner's execution in June 2010, the LDS Church released the following statement: In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, some church members and leaders used strong language that included notions of people making restitution for their sins by giving up their own lives. However, so-called "blood atonement," by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in and teach the infinite and all-encompassing atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes forgiveness of sin and salvation possible for all people. The practice of "blood atonement" by Mormon fundamentalist groups In modern times, the concept of "blood atonement" has been used by a number of fundamentalist splinter groups as an excuse to justify the murder of those who disagree with their leaders or attempt to leave their churches. These groups all claim to follow the "original" teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and they also claim that the LDS Church has strayed from the proper path by banning these practices. This concept is attributable to a tendency towards extreme "literalism" that exists with regard to the interpretation of early doctrines. Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Warren Jeffs, leader of the LDS splinter-group Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a polygamous sect based in Arizona and Utah, USA, has allegedly indicated his desire to implement the doctrine in his