Does it matter why the Mormon desire is to rewrite history in order to make themselves appear to always be the victim? This point strikes me as being similar to Catholics who immediately call "anti-Catholicism" if anyone suggests that their church had anything to do with the Inquisitions.
People certainly do like to rewrite history in order to put the things that they want to identify with in the best possible light. It goes for Catholics, and Mormons, and even Japanese and Turks who would deny the the things that their armies did against the Chinese and the Armenians respectively.
For the Catholics, who make the claims that the RCC is the one true church, and that its unbroken history demonstrates that case, it is fair to point out the defects in that argument, which show that the infallibility of that voice of God here on earth has been less than stellar. For Muslims who both advocate that the great military successes of Islam makes their religion true, and that Islam is a religion of peace, likewise criticism can be warranted.
For Mormons, if their theology was even close to being Christian, they would be participating here. As it is, they are not here to defend themselves, and everybody here knows that their theology is flawed and historically unbelievable anyway.
But more importantly, as a group, they contribute marvelously to America, raise good, vibrant families, and uphold values that most Americans ought to find desirable, and do find desirable. The violent history of the past was very much tied into the fact that there was a great deal of bigotry against Mormons in the 1800's and this reinforced the cult-like paranoia of striking out at a hostile world.
The Mormons have gone mainstream now, fielding even presidential nominations, vibrant businesses, and in every way they are successes at the American way of life. A lot of people resent that too.
It does reflect badly on those Mormons who feel the need to whitewash their history. Still, that has nothing to do with this thread. This is not their forum, and nobody here needs to be taught what their real history is, or the falseness of their religion and its prophets. I have yet to meet a Christian that considered them pacifists anyway.
Nor should any of us be. Pacifism is not a good moral policy.
Agreed, Mormons are not pacifists. Agreed, that there have been incidents of unprovoked violence on behalf of Mormons, especially in the past.
The example of bad theology leading to violence was something about blood atonement. Mormon officials have dropped that theology in the past generation of two.
Problem solved.
Where is the disagreement then? If the point of this thread is to criticize Mormons for bad behavior in order to make them better citizens, and less of a violent threat, that boat had already arrived long before this thread was created, long before this thread was created even.
They don't even have alcohol fueling any of the violence that is typical for most other groups in America. It can't even be said that they are 'teateetotalers'
, because caffeine is forbidden in their diets too.
I have no quarrel with Mormons. There is no big threat coming from them.