Question

Why have many Mormons historically experienced persecution? Option 1: Mormons were intolerant of any religion besides their own. Option 2: Non-Mormons were afraid of the religion's guiding principles and large following. Option 3: Mormons insisted on settling down in towns in which they were not welcome. Option 4: Mormons encouraged the institution of enslavement and actively fought to keep it.

Answer 1

Mormons were historically persecuted because of non-Mormons' mistrust of their religious practices such as secret rituals and polygamy, as well as fear of their potential political domination due to block voting and strong community leadership.

Step-by-step explanation:

Reasons for Historical Persecution of Mormons

Historically, many Mormons have experienced persecution due to a variety of factors stemming from religious and socio-political differences with the surrounding non-Mormon populations. Hostility arose from mistrust towards Mormon secret rituals, their new religious text, which reopened the canon of the Bible, and the practice of plural marriage, also known as polygamy. Furthermore, there was fear that the Mormon community's block voting would lead to a local quasi-theocracy. This was compounded by the growing power of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, as he established independent institutions in Nauvoo, Illinois, contributing to local non-Mormons' concern about possible Mormon political dominance.

When considering the provided options in the question, Option 2: Non-Mormons were afraid of the religion's guiding principles and large following, seems to be the most accurate reason why Mormons historically experienced persecution. This includes fears of the impact of Mormonism on local governance and the overarching power of their leaders, leading to violence and expulsions such as the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri and the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.