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What atrocities did the Mormon church commit
Executive summary
Allegations of serious wrongdoing linked to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the Mormon Church) range from historical episodes of communal violence in the 19th century to contemporary lawsuits over clergy sexual abuse and public controversies; recent reporting highlights a 2025 federal lawsuit alleging the church reinstated a man who later abused children (case Roe 1 et al.) and long‑standing historical accounts such as the Mountain Meadows massacre are discussed in secondary sources [1] [2]. Coverage is uneven: recent news focuses on specific modern incidents and lawsuits, while historical narratives and popular summaries collect episodes from across nearly two centuries [1] [3] [2].
1. Modern sexual‑abuse lawsuits and restoration/reintegration policies
Recent reporting documents lawsuits alleging the church reinstated or rebaptized individuals previously convicted or admitted to sexual crimes, allowing them to resume positions of authority and, according to plaintiffs, to continue abusing children; one 2025 complaint (Roe 1 et al.) alleges David Herget — who earlier admitted raping his 13‑year‑old daughter — was rebaptized and later served as a high priest while allegedly abusing children as young as five [1]. The complaint claims church culture of forgiveness and reintegration contributed to the risk, but these are allegations in active litigation and the church’s institutional response is described in the suit rather than adjudicated fact [1].
2. Historical atrocities and contested interpretations
Wider summaries of Mormon history catalog episodes that critics label atrocities — from polygamy and child brides to violent clashes with neighbors and events like the Mountain Meadows massacre — and present a narrative of violent impulses at times tied to church leadership in the 19th century [3] [2]. Accounts such as those on AllThatsInteresting and MormonStories stitch together many episodes; these sources interpret Brigham Young’s rhetoric and actions as having condoned or catalyzed violence in certain periods [3] [2]. These interpretations are part of long‑running historical debates: sources here present critical perspectives rather than comprehensive primary‑document analysis [3] [2].
3. Violence against Latter‑day Saint communities, not committed by the church
Reporting also documents attacks on Latter‑day Saint meetinghouses and members — arson, vandalism and a deadly 2025 shooting at a Michigan meetinghouse that killed multiple people — which are crimes committed against the church and its members, not by the church itself [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]. The FBI concluded the Michigan shooter acted out of “anti‑religious beliefs” toward the church, underscoring that some of the most visible recent violence involves victims within the faith [6] [8].
4. Media and popular summaries vs. scholarly or legal findings
Many accessible pieces that enumerate “atrocities” (e.g., listicles or advocacy site histories) collect contested episodes and assign moral responsibility; these can mix documented facts, interpretive claims, and allegations. For example, the AllThatsInteresting feature compiles dramatic episodes of Mormon history and frames them as “dark” episodes, while MormonStories offers a critical chronology highlighting violent rhetoric and incidents linked to leaders like Brigham Young [3] [2]. Such sources are useful for orientation but do not substitute for primary sources, court judgments, or peer‑reviewed history; available sources do not mention comprehensive scholarly consensus in this packet (not found in current reporting).
5. Competing perspectives and institutional responses
Contemporary church communications and coverage of official meetings emphasize spiritual teachings, service, and forgiveness — material the church publishes in its Newsroom and General Conference summaries — which represents the institution’s self‑presentation and priorities [9] [10]. Critics counter that practices such as forgiveness and reintegration have sometimes had harmful consequences when applied to individuals accused of abuse, as alleged in the 2025 lawsuit [1]. Both viewpoints are present in current reporting: institutional messaging focuses on faith and restoration, while plaintiffs and critical historians highlight harm and historical violence [9] [1] [2].
6. What the provided sources do and do not establish
The provided sources establish contemporary allegations in court filings about specific abuse and institutional decisions [1], document attacks against Latter‑day Saint properties and a high‑profile 2025 shooting motivated by anti‑Mormon beliefs [4] [5] [6] [7] [8], and collect historical critical narratives of 19th‑century violence [3] [2]. Available sources do not provide a comprehensive legal adjudication of all historical claims, nor do they present exhaustive scholarly treatment of every contested event; where claims are presented as allegations (for example, in active lawsuits), they remain allegations in the sources provided [1].
If you want, I can: (a) summarize the 2025 lawsuit’s specific allegations in more detail from the filing cited [1]; (b) pull together primary historical sources on the Mountain Meadows massacre and similar episodes (not found in current reporting — I can search for them); or (c) map how the church’s official statements address abuse and reintegration policies using newsroom materials [9] [10]. Which would you prefer?