The history of the Latter Day Saint movement includes numerous instances of violence.[1] Mormons faced significant persecution in the early 19th century, including instances of forced displacement and mob violence in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois.[2] Notably, in 1844, the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, was shot and killed alongside his brother Hyrum Smith in Carthage, Illinois, while Smith was in jail awaiting trial on charges of treason and inciting a riot.
Mormons have also been involved in acts of violence. The Danites, a vigilante group sanctioned by Mormon leaders, burned and looted Davies County and engaged in clashes with the Missouri state militia during the 1838 Mormon War. Mormons settlers in the western United States participated in various conflicts, including the Walker War and the Black Hawk War, which involved clashes with Native American tribes. Additionally, there were incidents such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Battle Creek Massacre, and the Circleville Massacre, in which Mormons were implicated in acts of violence against non-Mormons.
The record of these incidences of violence have negatively affected both the history and the doctrines of the Latter Day Saint movement.[3]
- ^ Gregor, Anthony James (2006). The Search for Neofascism. Cambridge University Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-521-85920-2 – via Internet Archive.
A long and doleful history of violence attended the founding, establishment, and fostering of [the LDS Church] ... Nonetheless, little purpose would be served in identifying the [church] as neofascist.
- ^ Nelson, Marie H. (1997). "Anti-Mormon Mob Violence and the Rhetoric of Law and Order in Early Mormon History". Legal Studies Forum. 21: 353.
- ^ Bagley, Will (2004). Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows. University of Oklahoma Press. p. xvii. ISBN 978-0-8061-3639-4 – via Internet Archive.
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