An Irrelevant Question

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

Since everyone's making lists and talking about right-wing nuts and the 
like, I have a question that someone here might be able to address:

Sherlock Holmes fans (speaking of influential writings!) know that the
first Sherlock Holmes story, A STUDY IN SCARLET, includes an extended
digression on the past of the American characters who show up in London
to perpetrate bloody deeds.  The thing is, they're all Mormons!
There's quite a bit of backstory about how the one who actually did the
killing was a Mormon only because Brigham Young and co. picked him and
his young daughter up in the dessert on the way to Utah.  Then, when
said dad refused to let her get married off to one of the more repulsive
polygamists of the tribe, Brighma sicced a secret society on father and
daughter to enforce the Lord's Will.

I'm curious--Is this all just the rantings of someone afraid of yet another
religious cult, or where the Mormons actually as fascistic as portrayed?

Steely?

Anyone?

Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)