What is the American Primeval-LDS Church controversy about? Details explored

Movies or series based on religion or culture have always found themselves surrounded by backlashes and controversies. This time, it's Netflix's historical drama based on the Mormon religion, American Primeval, that has landed on controversy.

Directed by Peter Berg, American Primeval is based on certain true events of the Mountain Meadow Massacre during the Utah War in 1857. It portrays the violent fights between the Native Americans, Mormons, and the US government.

The violent drama features Betty Gilpin, Kim Coates, Taylor Kitsch, Shea Whigham, and Shawnee Pourier. The six-episode mini-series follows a mother (Betty Gilpin) and her young son's (Preston Mota) journey across the state while encountering violent clashes between the groups. However, the LDS church has slammed the makers about the portrayal of their leader, Brigham Young (Kim Coates), and their religion.

---

What did the LDS church say about American Primeval?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement via X slamming the Netflix series American Primeval and labeling it as a "dangerously misleading historical fiction." Even though the statement did not mention the name of the series in the statement, it was made quite obvious that it was referring to the recently released Netflix series.

The statement read,

"While historical fiction can be illuminating, this drama is dangerously misleading.

It also slammed the portrayal of Brigham Young, the church's second president and an important character in the series. The statement continued,

"Brigham Young, a revered prophet and courageous partner, is by any historical standard egregiously mischaracterized as a villainous violent fanatic."

Apart from that, the statement also highlighted the fact that the series misrepresented the Mountain Meadow Massacre. As per the LDS church, the series portrayed the event in such a way that it inaccurately portrayed a whole faith group. They have also noted that the church is ready to share the truth of what happened during the Meadows Massacre. The church leaders stated that inaccurate representation of any faith group could lead to division or even violence.

The statement also included the church's 100-year-old President Russell M. Nelson's plea for everybody to be peacemakers and promote peace,

"The savior's message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade and inspire-no matter how difficult the situation."

While the church has not denied the occurrence of the Meadows Massacre, their concern lies in the portrayal of the event and that of their leader, Brigham Young, in the Netflix series.

Some historians and authors have also slammed the portrayal of Mormons in American Primeval. For instance, the church's historian Matt Grow called the series "deeply misguided," and author Barabara Jones Brown has also stated that the series has left her "feeling confused and frustrated."

---

What did American Primeval director Peter Berg say about the controversy?

American Primeval director Peter Berg has shared his views on the ongoing controversy. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said,

"We never said we are making a documentary and that it's all based on 100 percent on facts. There are many liberties taken."

Berg agreed that the show is not meant to highlight historical accuracy, pointing out that the Meadows massacre shown is quite different from what happened in real life. He said,

"It is not a literal depiction of the Meadows Massacre because that massacre took over three days and ours takes place quickly. I've heard some of the pushback but I haven't heard anyone from the Mormon side deny that the Meadows Massacre happened and the Mormons did it."

Berg also responded to the criticism that he got for the portrayal of LDS church leader Brigham Young. He clarified that while researching for the series, he came to know about Brigham Young and found it quite interesting. He said,

"The more we researched the Meadows Massacre, that took us down a Brigham Young rabbit hole. "

He claimed that before researching, he never knew about the Mormon's armed militia or their aggressive nature. Berg continued,

"I'm empathetic to Brigham Young and the LDS church but the Meadows Massacre did happen and they were involved. And from the research I've done, Brigham Young knew about that before it happened."

Tune in to SoapCentral for more updates.