Today I'm reacting to Netflix’s American Primeval, a brutal and dramatized take on the violent conflicts between Mormons, Native peoples, and the U.S. government in 1857. Growing up as a devout Mormon, I was fed a heavily sanitized version of pioneer history, so seeing the show's raw depiction of events like the Mountain Meadows Massacre was a stark contrast to what I learned in church.
Here I explore the Mormon obsession with "Zion," their role in colonizing the West, and how historical dramas like this can shape narratives more than retell facts. While the show takes liberties with history, it raises important questions about faith, power, and the cost of Manifest Destiny.
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A few resources mentioned in the video:
*Watch American Primeval on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81457507
*Pioneer Day clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtk_DGOykX4
*Trek explained: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/activity-pioneer-treks?lang=eng
*American Primeval Is Secretly A Sequel To Leonardo DiCaprio's The Revenant: https://screenrant.com/american-primeval-show-jim-bridger-the-revenant-sequel-explainer/
*A comparison between American Primeval and the Mountain Meadows Massacre: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/american-primeval-mormon-massacre-brigham-young-truth/
*Watch “Legacy,” a historical drama about pioneers produced by the Mormon church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbpkI3wdq_A
*List of Mormon breakoff groups from Joseph Smith onward: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_denominations_in_the_Latter_Day_Saint_movement#
*Provo River Massacre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_at_Fort_Utah
*Zion in Mormonism explained: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zion_(Latter_Day_Saints)
*Maps of Zion made by Joseph Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zion_(Latter_Day_Saints)#/media/File:Zionplat2.jpg
* Mormon War in Missouri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1838_Mormon_War
*Salt Lake street explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNBu5RFl09I
*Missouri as the Garden of Eden: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam-ondi-Ahman
*Mountain Meadows Massacre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre
*Mormon church’s reaction to American Primeval via the Deseret News: https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2025/01/09/netflix-series-american-primeval-brigham-young-mountain-meadows-accuracy/
*Public Square article about American Primeval: https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2025/01/09/netflix-series-american-primeval-brigham-young-mountain-meadows-accuracy/
*Brigham Young’s report accusing the Native Americans of orchestrating the Mountain Meadows Massacre: https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/T-21893.pdf
*Mark Twain writes about the Mountain Meadows Massacre: https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.roughingit02twai/?sp=602&st=image
*History between Mormons and Native Americans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_people_and_Mormonism
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Other resources that may interest you:
*Why I left the Mormon Church: https://www.mormontruths.com/why-i-left-the-mormon-church/
*My Mormon endowment explained video: (https://youtu.be/_jXk53GhZr0)
*Mormon garments explained video: (https://youtu.be/CZVrRWfDHYU)
*Every rule I followed as a Mormon: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYoCjhT2098&t=4396s)
*My Mormon mission was a waste: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uicAn4l9z4&t=18s)
*Complete story of my Mormon wedding: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gLAVyGy5tk&t=961s)
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