Redefining Stereotype in Mormonism
Primary sources are the priceless eyes and ears that our future descendants will have when they look to consider our ways, habits, and deeds. When one considers conditions of 19th century or before, one has even fewer primary sources on which to lean. Narrative accounts are often the only source of information for the historian, and so a crucial skill can be the interpretation, and deciphering, of the biases of the original writer. In Female Lives among Mormons, Ward gives the audience a rare insight to the reclusive livelihood and the beginnings of the Mormons Church. The autobiography portrays the culture and values that the Mormons initially practice are against American ideals. From the account of Ward, who lived through the beginnings of Mormonism, the common prejudice and stereotype of Mormonism in modern America is justifiable. One century later, David Brion Davis argued in Some Themes of Counter-Subversion that nativist writing is a common reflection of apparent religious intolerance in nineteenth century America, but he did not take into account that it is an autobiography. He argues that the reason why Mormon is prejudiced because it is “shrouded with secrecy, deemed extraneous forces that are allegedly threatening the heritage of Republican Ideology.” (Davis 209) He also contends that the members themselves are not “individually evil but they were blinded and corrupted by ideology that justified treason and gross immorality.” (Davis 208) and made a mistake by putting Mormonism, a new controversial religion into the same category as Catholicism and Freemasonry that have long roots of history.
Davis argued that the stereotype of Mormon leader which made him appears at times as “a virtual superman, he was never hindered by conscience or respect for traditional morality, were curiously superior to ordinary Americans in cunning.” Yet Davis failed to identify the reasoning behind such a stereotype. Ward believes that Smith is a schemer and liar who claims to have been endowed with superpowers and revelations from God, but he was never able to prove these special powers and only hears from God for his own benefits. He considered himself to be the master of others, denouncing equality. On the account of Ward who interacted with Smith acknowledges that members believed that he could “raise the dead” (Ward, 63) and even predict that a perfectly healthy young female member was “about to die” (63). He proceeded to have sex with her as the only way to be ‘saved’. Smith was often compared to Moses in Ward, and could perform more miracles than Jesus, with the purpose to satisfy his hunger for control and sexual exploitation. Moreover, he went on to seduce a young girl as young as sixteen to sleep with him (he was in his eighties), while having “a special revelation that he should have a wagon especially appropriated for his own use” (Ward 62) that night. How could Davis justify that the stereotype of the revered Mormon leader and founder was baseless when he is indeed manipulative and cunning to the extent of being a pedophiliac polygamist?
Davis claimed that the general public was being ignorant when they are faced with "irrepressible conflict with Mormonism, for it was said that either free institutions or Mormon despotism must ultimately annihilate the other.” (Davis 213) Again, he failed to comprehend the hierarchy and power given to the ‘supernatural’ leader of the Mormon. Smith has an absolute control over the congregation, and nothing serves as a check and balance over if he is an amoral leader. The Mormon congregation that travels with Smith considered him as “King, Prophet, and High Priest; consulted like an Oracle and obeyed like a God.” (Ward 48) Moreover he is acting like a dictator that where “each family was subject to supervision of all the rest at all times.” (Ward 53) Also Smith’s subordinates are a bunch of schemers and kidnappers that manipulates village girls to join the Church. Even Ellen who lost faith was unable to leave, rendered helpless with nowhere to go and fearful for her life that Smith will kill her (Ward 62). Therefore, we can clearly see the indications that Mormonism is practicing and promoting an oppressive despotism system which is against the American founding values of liberty and freedom.
Moreover, Davis theorized that the general public was being religiously intolerant of Mormon practice of polygamy, but he was unable to come up with a single argument why it should be allowed. Instead, he attacked the general public’s perception because “perversion of the sexual instinct seemed inevitable to accompany religious error.” (Davis 216) On the other hand, the fundamental Mormon teaching that “women can only be saved by their husbands, husband is saved by faith [and] therefore she couldn’t be saved to an unbelieving husband,” (Ward 48) allowing men to practice polygamy as to save more lives. When Ward seek enlightenment on the practice of polygamy, she was brushed off casually by the elders and left “in the dark” (Ward 49) this proved that the Mormon have no adequate justification to practice polygamy. Davis even agreed that polygamy “renders men coarse, tyrannical, brutal and heartless. It deals with sentiments of true manhood. It enslaves and ruins woman.” Yet he still argues that people are being intolerant, when he himself believed that polygamy is against American ideal of “democratic marriage, a respect for women, and cultivation of the finer sensibilities.” (Davis 217)
Davis should not have categorized Mormonism with Catholicism and Freemasonry because the stereotype of it is not as groundless as it seems. Ward had depicted her experience living with a congregation that is led by a manipulative sexual deviant that ruled oppressively. Davis did not personally live through what Ward had, nor did he investigate how Mormon stereotype came about. Rather, he analyzed nativist writings and concluded that people were being religiously intolerant and unaccepting. Also he did not realize, without such autobiography we wouldn’t have a primary source to learn about the past. The fact is, Mormonism in the eighteenth century indeed were against American ideals, or else it would not have renounced its practice of polygamy and internally formed cells that rejected some of Smith’s later teachings.

Bibliography
Davis, David Brion. “Some Themes of Counter-Subversion: An Analysis of Anti-Masonic, Anti-
Catholic, and Anti-Mormon Literature.” The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol.
47, No. 2 (1960): 205-224
Ward, Maria. Female Life Among the Mormons:A Narrative of Many Years’ Personal
Experiences by the Wife of a Mormon Elder, Recently from Utah. New York: Derby &
Jackson, 1857