Church Releases Statement Regarding American Primeval

There is a Netflix series that is causing quite a stir and controversy. The series is titled ‘American Primeval.’

IMDB description: It follows the gritty and adventurous exploration of the birth of the American West, the violent collisions of cults, religion, and men and women fighting for control of the new world.

So what is the controversy? Mainly it is the depiction of Brigham Young who was the 2nd president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It chooses to make a mockery of him. It features a production of the Mountain Meadow Massacre and shows Brigham Young and other Latter-day Saints to be violent fanatics.

The Church recently came out with a statement regarding the series:

A recently released streaming series presents a fictionalized interpretation of events in mid-19th century Utah. While historical fiction can be illuminating, this drama is dangerously misleading. Brigham Young, a revered prophet and courageous pioneer, is, by any historical standard, egregiously mischaracterized as a villainous, violent fanatic. Other individuals and groups are also depicted in ways that reinforce stereotypes that are both inaccurate and harmful.

As to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, which the series inaccurately portrays as reflective of a whole faith group, the Church has long acknowledged and condemned this horrific tragedy. It has also taken significant steps to uncover and share the full truth of what happened and promote healing.

The problem with such deceptive, graphic and sensationalized storytelling is that it not only obscures reality and hinders genuine understanding but can foster animosity, hate and even violence. This is particularly troubling today when peacemakers are needed more than ever. At a time when so many responsible leaders are condemning the division and hostility that dominate so much of our public discourse, we echo the plea of President Russell M. Nelson: “The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers. Peacemaking is a choice. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.”

This sentiment, shared across many traditions, is resonating around the world today. It is the prophetic message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—a message of peace that all the modern prophets have shared, including Brigham Young.

According to Matt Grow’s article at Deseret News on the subject:

The miniseries suggests that Utah in the 1850s was marked by horrendous violence between native peoples and Latter-day Saints. The relationships between Latter-day Saints and Indigenous leaders in early Utah Territory were complex and sometimes descended into deep misunderstandings and even violence.

But while Brigham Young had learned some ideas about Native peoples from a broader American culture that denigrated them, he also saw beyond his own culture. From the Book of Mormon, he believed that Indigenous nations were children of God and had an important role to play in God’s plan. They were his brothers and sisters. He shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, and he consistently charged the Latter-day Saints to treat Indigenous peoples with dignity.

“American Primeval” particularly depicts violence between Latter-day Saints and Shoshone. This false depiction inverts actual history and draws on negative stereotypes that both the saints and the Shoshone were violent peoples.

In reality, the Shoshone leader Sagwitch and Brigham Young shared a commitment to peace between their people. In 1863, the U.S. Army (not Latter-day Saints) ambushed and slaughtered around 400 Shoshone at the Bear River Massacre; Sagwitch was injured but survived. A decade later, following visionary experiences by some Shoshone, Sagwitch and many others converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If production companies want to showcase some of our Mormon history, by all means, do so. But please be honest in depicting that history. Don’t rely on lies and deception for sensationalism to boost viewer numbers. It does more harm than good. It creates more hate than it does unity, tolerance, and respect.