American History Hit

Episode: When the Mormons Rebelled Against America

Host: Don Wildman
Guest: Prof. Peter Coviello (University of Illinois, author of Make Yourselves Gods)
Release Date: April 13, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Don Wildman and historian Prof. Peter Coviello explore the so-called Mormon Rebellion in mid-19th century America. The discussion uncovers the foundational beliefs, persecution, migration, and eventual confrontation between Mormon settlers in Utah and the U.S. federal government—culminating in what became known as the Utah War and its aftermath. The episode also addresses the theological and social underpinnings of Mormonism, the fraught dynamic with Native Americans, and how the legacy of this rebellion shaped both the Mormon experience and the broader American narrative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of Mormonism and Persecution (04:42–13:37)

• Founding by Joseph Smith (1830):
  • Smith’s vision after finding “golden plates” in upstate New York leads to the Book of Mormon and the origins of a new, controversial faith.
  • Coviello: “Mormonism is founded by Joseph Smith when he happens upon the golden plates in western New York State, undergoes a spiritual transformation. These plates contain a religious history of this ancient American religion.” [04:42]
• Unique Theological Claims:
  • Humanity is seen as capable of becoming divine; God is embodied and akin to a sibling to humankind.
  • Coviello paraphrasing Smith: “God is not only this, not this, like, radically other, occasionally malevolent figure. God is rather a sibling human.” [07:04]
• Persecution and Westward Migration:
  • Driven out of numerous states due to charges of heresy, polygamy, and “perversity.”
  • Extermination Order:
    • Illinois Governor Lilburn Boggs ordered Mormons to be “exterminated or driven from the state.” [07:36]
  • Formation of Nauvoo, a semi-autonomous city-state—an oasis and a flashpoint for further controversy.
• Polygamy:
  • Emerges as key teaching under Smith; kept secret due to its inflammatory nature.
  • Polygamy set Mormons at odds with mainstream American values and became central to why they were targeted.
  • Notable framing: “Polygamy really is a major issue for Americans... when the wider US found out about polygamy in the 1850s, they were horrified.” (Wildman, [12:47])

2. Migration to Utah and Creation of “Deseret” (17:30–22:05)

• Brigham Young Leads the Saints West:
  • Following Smith’s assassination, Young leads the group to Utah (then Mexican territory).
  • The area is chosen for its remoteness—a “saving distance” from American society and its upheavals.
• State of Deseret:
  • An attempted Mormon theocracy, invoking biblical and American pioneer motifs.
  • “Deseret” comes from the Book of Mormon and means “honeybee,” symbolizing industriousness and self-reliance.
  • Coviello: “And Deseret translates... by honeybee, like those brought by the original Jaredites from Jerusalem.” [21:09]
• After Mexican-American War:
  • Utah becomes U.S. territory with federal oversight, intensifying conflict over who governs.

3. The Utah War ("Mormon Rebellion") and The Federal Standoff (22:18–33:37)

• Nature of the Rebellion:

  • More a standoff over sovereignty than outright war, as Mormons strive for autonomy but face growing federal encroachment over issues like polygamy and governance.
  • Coviello: “What the Mormons want is… the protected, if limited sovereignty of statehood… what they have is a territory, which is much, much more disputed.” [22:18]

• Buchanan Sends in the Army:

  • President Buchanan dispatches nearly a third of the U.S. Army to Utah (c. 2,500–3,000 troops).
  • “Brigham Young is in open rebellion against The United States of America… Buchanan is fighting a war of extermination.” (Coviello paraphrasing both sides, [24:23])

• Mormon Resistance:

  • Rather than pitched battles, Mormons engage in scorched earth tactics, evacuation, and harassment of federal supply lines.

• The Mountain Meadows Massacre (1857):

  • Mormon militia (Nauvoo Legion) and Paiute allies massacre over 120 emigrant settlers traveling through Utah.
  • Attempts made to cover up by blaming Native Americans.
  • Lasting effect on Mormon reputation: “A cover up was attempted trying to shift the blame to Native Americans nearby. It has the effect of damaging the Mormon moral standing even further.” (Wildman, [27:34])

• Resolution:

  • U.S. Army enters Salt Lake City unopposed; negotiated settlement, with Brigham Young accepting federal authority.
  • Press dubs the episode “Buchanan’s Blunder.”

4. Brigham Young’s Legacy (29:45–32:25)

• Young as Organizer:
  • Contrasted with Joseph Smith’s charismatic, theological bent, Young is pragmatic—a colonizer and systematizer:
  • “Brigham Young is an organizer… he distributes authority carefully. And that makes him very shrewd.” (Coviello, [30:30])
• Consolidation of Mormon Society:
  • Under Young, the church becomes more patriarchal, systematized, and creates widespread settlements across the West as a buffer against federal incursion.
• Aftermath of the Rebellion:
  • Young made territorial governor, but full reconciliation with America is decades away, tied to the fate of Mormon practices—especially polygamy.

5. Suppression of Polygamy and Integration into America (34:45–43:19)

• Postwar Federal Legal Assaults:
  • Series of Congressional acts (Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act 1862, Edmunds Act 1882, Edmunds-Tucker Act 1887) relentlessly criminalize polygamy and seize Mormon assets.
  • Coviello: “A series of acts… that criminalize polygamy… and make all but impossible the continued existence of the Mormons… inside the federal fold.” [35:04]
• Path to Statehood:
  • Under massive pressure and facing dissolution, the LDS Church president Wilford Woodruff issues the 1890 Manifesto ending plural marriage:
    • “The federal government threatened to murder everyone. And that had a pretty normalizing effect...” (Coviello, [39:35])
    • Woodruff’s letter (1889): “We are now, politically speaking, the dependent or ward of the United States… In a state capacity, we should be freed from such dependency.” [39:35]
• Statehood Achieved:
  • Utah admitted as a state in 1896.
  • Mormons transition from “peculiar people” to patriotic symbols—a deep irony given their earlier opposition.

6. The Mormon-Native American Relationship (41:28–43:27)

• Complex, Fraught Identifications:
  • Mormons see themselves as both religious exiles and colonial empire-builders.
  • Sometimes positioned as allies of Native tribes, sometimes as participants in displacement or violence.
  • Coviello: “They had been better than the federal government, but of course that's a tremendously low bar… It's hard to over describe the fraughtness of Mormon native relation in the west in the 19th century.” [42:13–43:19]

7. Legacy and Modern Resonance (43:27–47:08)

• Religious Schism and Assimilation:
  • Mainstream Mormons renounce polygamy for statehood, but fundamentalist offshoots persist.
  • Transition from a “counter-Protestant” faith resisting the U.S. to one hailed (by Harold Bloom) as “the American religion.”
• Lasting Ironies:
  • Wildman: “Huge patriotism... If there’s ever a place I think as patriotic, it’s the state of Utah. You know, it’s the Mormons. The irony is unbelievable.” [45:19]
• Ongoing Tensions:
  • Some Mormons see the end of plural marriage as a betrayal; fundamentalist fringe continues today.
  • The arc from rebellion and near annihilation to integration and even emblematic “American-ness” is presented as both unique and instructive about national identity and religious freedom.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mormon Theology:
  • “God is rather a sibling human. A person that you are the God. And persons are different in degree, but not in kind.” — Jack Myers paraphrased by Coviello, [07:04]
• On Persecution:
  • “The Mormons... cannot be blamed for thinking of themselves as persecuted and as persons that the state and elements of the state are free to murder.” — Coviello, [11:41]
• On Interactions with Federal Authority:
  • “Brigham Young will say, Buchanan is fighting a war of extermination. And in a certain way, both of them are correct. They're both of them pretty near on to right.” — Coviello, [24:50]
• On Statehood:
  • “We are now, politically speaking, the dependent or ward of the United States. But in a state capacity, we should be freed from such dependency.” — Quoting Woodruff’s letter, [39:35]
• On Americanization:
  • “A people who really were willing to stake their lives on their opposition to the imperial United States become like avatars of good citizenship.” — Coviello, [45:15]
• On Irony:
  • “It’s nice not have a third of the federal government ringing your city.” — Coviello, [47:05]

Suggested Timestamps for Important Segments

• Origins, Theology, Persecution: 04:42–13:37
• Migration to Utah, Deseret: 17:30–22:05
• Utah War Standoff: 22:18–33:37
• Brigham Young’s Leadership: 29:45–32:25
• Suppression of Polygamy — Legal Campaign: 34:45–39:35
• Utah Statehood and Assimilation: 43:27–47:08

Conclusion

This episode delivers a nuanced account of how Mormonism’s foundational distinctiveness, theological radicalism, and early persecution led to a dramatic confrontation with the United States—both a literal and symbolic “rebellion” that ultimately resolved through adaptation, compromise, and transformation. The conversation shines in tying together issues of faith, governance, American identity, and the complex entanglement with other marginalized groups. For history enthusiasts or those exploring the intersection of religion and American expansion, this is essential listening.