Well, most of the “incidents” seem to me to be jealousy from those around the saints coupled with the arrogance of a few of the saints. Missouri was about stealing the saints’ land, pure and simple and the thieves got away with it. All fine protestants, to be sure. Let by good ole Governor Boggs.
Anyways, yes, they (the mormons) were perceived as a threat, and the saber rattling and militant speeches and talk by some of your leaders did little to quell that, and worse inflamed it. A more cautious and neighborly approach would have served them better, but given the personality(ies) involved, well fate had different plans.
Indeed leaving the doctrinal differences aside for a moment, it seems most LDS members are the most innocuous of people, and good neighbors. Sadly their leadership and their own lack of knowledge of the sum total of the LDS, has had them over many a barrels over their history.
In a time when land was literally all a man had, a threat to that, be it for or against a Protestant, Catholic, Jew or LDS was a serious consideration in a man's actions. Land was something a man would die for, and more over kill for. Indeed not much has changed, we still will kill if we face an intruder in our house, at least most around here would.
This article makes a very valid point, the attitude towards the LDS was not about doctrine, but about land and threats to a way of life. There is plenty of wrong to go around for both sides.
SURE it was!
Gov. Boggs and Gov. Ford. Anti-Mormon’s favorite Democrats.