LDS church (Mormons) one of the "bloodiest religions in history"?

Question

I just saw a Jehovah Witness make this claim. Could someone please clarify for me what this means and from what historical context such a claim can be made?

Thanks.

"Wisdom"...no comment? Hmmm...

Penguin, I notice that you have quite an obsession and unusually strong, negative feelings for the LDS church - a church you've claimed teaches many good things and whose members are good people. I suppose that's a smoke-screen justification for the intense anti-mormon feelings you have, to make it appear that you're not an "anti"? Well, let me make it clear. You are. In fact, you're more extreme than most others that I've run into because at least they are honest enough about their feelings to not be an active, tithe-paying member of a church that they hate.

You used to teach this stuff in Sunday School, I bet. It must be startling for you to realize that a scripture like Alma 24:30 applies not to "somebody else" anymore?

If you were being honest, you'd apply the same standard you've applied to the LDS church (including every violent action by every member, whether sanctioned by their church or not).

Oops, last part should be:

If you were being honest, you'd apply the same standard you've applied to the LDS church (including every violent action by every member, whether sanctioned by their church or not) to every other church in your comparison.

Answer 1

Not sure. But I'm pretty darn sure that title belongs to a religion like the one practiced by the Mayans (who sacrificed humans regularly), or the Canaanites (who burned their babies alive to Molech), or even Catholicism, which waged crusades and inquisitions and wars for hundreds of years, slaughtering millions of souls. I don't think that the Mormons can compare to that kind of atrocity.

Answer 2

The responses to the above link seem mostly unfavorable to the premise. That indicates there seems to be a resistance to cease using the word yet, at least those who felt moved to answer. The choice to continue it's usage or not would have to come from the general authorities, not the membership. That's simply how the church is organized: from the top down. My turn: Sometimes a question will be posted in a certain fashion that indicates a 'side' has been chosen, and responses may be all over the board. I'm guilty on that regard, but I do not, or at least try not, to attempt to be 'inflammatory'. Being advesarial does not necessarily mean 'foe'. Answering post to preserve a point of view is equally difficult, and sometimes it's a chore to separate the poster from the post. Once again I'm as guilty as the next, but I try to at least research the 'other side of the coin', as the first side has usually been presented. I certainly never intended to become a vicious 'anti' and preceived as a villainous cretin, but I knew from the beginning this was not going to be a walk in the park. I've reread some of my past posts, and I can say that some were handled without too much sympathy or compassion; others I think are spot on. Learning to live with diverse attitudes is the beginning of acceptance. Without that, people will continue to run on emotions where reason could prevent a disaster. Like, Peace

Answer 3

It may be considered one of the bloodiest religions if you count all the Mormon blood that was shed by people who hate us. As far as the Mormon Church as an institution killing others, I cannot think of a single example.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre comes to mind. It was a terrible tragedy committed by a group of Mormons, but there is no convincing evidence that Brigham Young (the leader of the Church at the time) knew of it or authorized it. Frankly, even if the Mormon Church had authorized that crime, there are plenty of religions that would still win as the "bloodiest." As tragic as Mountain Meadows was, far more people died in the the inquisition, crusades, and 9/11.

To learn more about Mormons, visit my site at http://www.allaboutmormons.com .

Answer 4

Hmm.. Ok. I would ask what they meant by that statement. Since there are many ways to prove that wrong, in pretty much any situation they can come up with.

Our religion hasn't been an organized religion long enough to be too bloody. And you have to look at the rest of Christianity in general to even come close to the bloodiest combined religion.

Clarification would be a good idea in this case.

Answer 5

Maybe as victims or how many Mormons died for their belief, but what we've perpetrated?... *shake head*...

Haun's Mill Massacre
Winter Quarters
(various burnings and killings by anonymous mobs)
(general hardships and trials)
Willie and Martin Handcart Companies



I don't even think the Mountain Meadows Massacre was anywhere near as bloody (in body-count) as... oh, say the Crusades or the Inquisition.

(No, I'm not excusing the men who were involved in the MMM, just addressing the whole "bloodiest religion in history" issue....)

Answer 6

Wow! That really says a lot if one of the world's youngest religions is also one of the bloodiest.

I wonder what that person thinks of Catholicism or Islam or did s/he forget about the thousands of heretics (Catholicism) and infadels (Islam) that have been burned at the stake and beheaded respectively. What about the 200 years of crusades between these two religions?

Answer 7

Hard to say what was meant by such a comment. Perhaps it was in reference to all of the Morons who have been murdered by its prosecutors over the years, including those at Haun's Mill, Far West, Nauvoo, and Clay County Missouri. Lots of Mormons have lost their lives over religion, particularly in a country that supposedly has "freedom of religion" as part of its Constitution (USA).

Answer 8

Mormons did their fair share of killing Indians and other innocent Christians who got in their way. But Mormons didn't kill millions of people throughout the Bible as promoted by God. Jews did that. Mormons didn't kill innocent Pagans across Europe or Colonial America while conducting witchhunts and other various means of gaining converts and weeding out anyone who didn't agree. Mormons didn't kill countless Muslims in order to regain control of the Holy Land (Israel) during the Crusades and into modern times. Even the Holocaust which was promoted and financed by the Catholic Church was not the work of the Mormons. Therefore they can not be labelled as the bloodiest religion in history.

Answer 9

Mormons were persecuted out of Missouri and Illinois by mobs burning their (the Mormons') homes and raping the women and tar and feathering the men. That is pretty bloody. They are the only religion in American history forced to leave the country in order to be able to practice their religion. Also one of the few to have their religious practice declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Answer 10

The Latin(Roman Catholic) church is 100 times more bloodier then the LDS Church(Mormons)...