Tag: History of Religion

The Violent Mormon Stereotype

There is a stereotype in some crime dramas and Westerns that suggests that Mormonism promotes violence. This stereotype began in the nineteenth century adventure stories, gained lasting influence through A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (1887) and Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey (1912) continued in the silent film era through works like A Mormon Maid (1917) and Trapped by the Mormons (1922), and continues today in murder mystery novels and dramatized true crime stories. This is not to say that all murder mysteries that involve Mormons are stereotypical, nor is all fiction that criticizes Mormonism. Some stories subvert or avoid this stereotype. But there are many examples that follow the stereotype.