American Primeval includes brutal displays of Mormon violence, but the reality was arguably worse
- Written by Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University
On January 24, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon Church, penned a statement condemning the Netflix series American Primeval.
This historical fiction depicts the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, as well as broader hostilities between the US government and Mormons at Salt Lake City during the Utah War of 1857–58.
The church has criticised the series for its portrayal of the Mormon prophet Brigham Young, who it claims is “egregiously mischaracterized as a villainous, violent fanatic”. It also says the series
inaccurately portrays [the Mountain Meadows Massacre] as reflective of a whole faith group, [when] the Church has long acknowledged and condemned this horrific tragedy.
The reality of the massacre was arguably even grimmer than what American Primeval shows. Contrary to what is depicted in the series, there were no adult survivors. Official sources state up to 150 people were killed. Only 17 children under the age of six were spared, who were then discreetly adopted into Mormon families.
A (nuanced) history of violence
Although onscreen depictions of Mormon violence are common, most of these fail to explain the roots of this violence in both theological belief and history.
Canonised Mormon scripture, including in the Book of Mormon and The Doctrine and Covenants, and pronouncements from leaders such as Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, argue some violence is appropriate and required as per God’s commandment. Justifications for violence had been used against both outsiders and insiders since the religion was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith (who himself was assassinated in 1844).
The other driver is the lived experiences of Mormons. Throughout their history, Mormons had been forcefully removed from wherever they have settled, most prolifically under the Missouri “extermination order” of 1838.
This resulted in the slaughter, rape and violent relocation of Mormons from Missouri to their temporary home in Illinois, before they further migrated to Zion – a religious community established by Young and his followers in Utah – in 1847.
The Mormons’ establishment of Salt Lake City and surrounding cities in 1847 was based on the violent dispossession of Indigenous communities. As shown in American Primeval, the Utah War and the period surrounding it was dominated by violence.
This included violence from Mormons and other settlers against Native Americans whose lands were being dispossessed, from Native Americans defending their lands, and from the US government against Mormons and Native Americans.
In the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Mormons and Native Americans allied against US emigrants travelling to California.
The two threads of theology and history are integral to understanding the way Mormon violence has been both enacted and represented.
Portrayals in 19th-century media
Mormonism first reached Australia’s shores in 1840 and remained a small religious minority in the 19th and 20th centuries. Converts were encouraged to migrate to Utah to help build Zion.
Australian newspapers reported widely on the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857. These articles were mostly reprints of the same information. They were largely accurate, but inflated the number of victims.
The articles explained how the slaughter had originally been assigned solely to Native Americans, but was later discovered to have been orchestrated by the Mormons, with assistance from some Indigenous tribes.
Interest began to wane in the 1860s, but picked up again in 1877 following the execution of perpetrator John D. Lee. However, in his book and “confession”, Mormonism Unveiled (1877), Lee claimed he had been scapegoated by Young and other leaders.
Spotlight on the Danites
Interest in Mormon violence wasn’t confined to the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Australian newspapers also discussed the Danites, a band of religiously motivated vigilantes involved in Mormon hostilities in Missouri and Illinois in the 1830s.
These vigilantes were inspired by Smith’s theological claims and a goal to defend Mormons from harm. They participated in both aggressive and defensive violence against their non-Mormon neighbours.
Historians have debated the extent of the Danites’ existence, with official church statements claiming they ceased to exist in 1838. Yet in 1858, Brigham Young threatened, “if men come here and do not behave themselves, they will […] find the Danites, whom they talk so much about”.
The group is first mentioned in Australian media by the late 1850s, with descriptions of Danite “atrocities” disseminated widely, though largely uncorroborated.
By the 1870s and ‘80s, this had progressed to portrayals in popular culture, including in Australian theatres and Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1887 novel Sherlock Holmes: A Study In Scarlet.
Media representations of Mormon violence continued into the 20th century. The 1917 American film A Mormon Maid focused on theocratic violence and polygamy, which had been allowed in Mormonism until its ban in 1890.
A 1952 article in Queensland’s The Truth recounting the Mountain Meadow Massacre.
Trove
The modern Mormon
Our collective fascination with Mormonism today is augmented by the religion’s marginal yet undeniable presence, both in Australia and overseas.
There are about 17 million Mormons worldwide. Of these, an estimated 157,000 are in Australia (about 0.6% of the population) compared with almost seven million in the United States (about 2% of the population).
Modern portrayals of Mormonism have tended towards the humorous (The Book of Mormon musical), scandalous (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives), and even sympathetic (Heretic).
Even recent representations of Mormon violence, such as in Under the Banner of Heaven (2022), have focused on breakaway fundamentalists rather than the mainstream Mormon church.
Outrage towards Mormons has focused on the religion’s extreme wealth, influence over political issues such as opposition to same-sex marriage, and the rise of Mormon “tradwife” influencers.
But I argue these are divergences from the more prominent historical trend of painting Mormons as violent zealots (or in some cases as sexually amoral heretics). And despite these, the spectre of Mormon violence remains – reinforced periodically over nearly 200 years of popular culture and media.
Authors: Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University
