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A Grim Exploration of Mormonism’s Bloody, Violent History

Nauvoo Legion
Christensen, Carl Christian Anton, 1831-1912
/
via Wikimedia Commons
Nauvoo Legion

The Netflix mini-series “American Primeval” depicts the Utah War with extreme brutality. It’s also raising questions about historical accuracy.

Latter-day Saints, along with leader Brigham Young and the Mormon militia, figure prominently in the drama, set in 1857. The Mountain Meadows Massacre is covered, too. Predictably, the series has caused some controversy among LDS viewers, some of whom are upset with the portrayal of their faith. Today on the program, we’re talking about “American Primeval,” the history of Mormonism in film and television, and asking the question: What makes a good historical adaptation?

 

GUESTS —

Lindsay Hansen-Park | Executive Director of the Sunstone Education Foundation and host of the podcast “The Year of Polygamy.”

Patrick Mason | Professor of Religious Studies and History at Utah State University.

Andrew Nelson | Film scholar and Chief Curator at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West.

 

Airdate: Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 at 9 a.m. and Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at 11 a.m.

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