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March 28, 2024

Mormons Feel Threatened as Nauvoo City Council Member Calls for “Tar and Feathers”

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On June 17, 2017

Nauvoo, IL– (ECWd) –

Open Nauvoo Press Release– June 16, 2017 – Many Nauvoo citizens fear for their safety tonight after learning of statements made by Beverly Reynolds, Nauvoo City Councilwoman, who called for “people like this” to be tarred and feathered and run out of town.  The threats got even more graphic when she called for a return to the 1840’s. She said “[y]ou and I know what happened then”, referring to the murder of Mormon founder Joseph Smith and the expulsion of Mormons from Nauvoo,” [i]t could happen again,” she said ominously.

Members of the Nauvoo City Council are defending the embattled Mayor in spite of the alleged false official statements he has made regarding his business ownership, and its receipt of funds from the City for at least 10 years, and the Illinois State Police Investigation into these actions.

Reynold’s statement came as a public reply to fellow Councilwoman Brenda Adkisson who referred to newly arriving citizens of Nauvoo as “newcomers” and unwelcome guests and referred to herself and others as “insiders” and “family.” “Yes, God will deal with them, I am sure”, said Councilwoman Reynolds.

Nauvoo, Illinois is perhaps best known as the town that was established in the 1840’s by Mormon founder Joseph Smith.  Mobs killed Smith days after the Nauvoo City council decision to destroy a then existing newspaper.  The early saints were driven from the town and their Temple was burned to the ground. The saints have been gone for over 150 years, leaving the town in the hands of many who killed their leader. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In recent years the LDS population has risen sharply as a result of the re-building of the Nauvoo Temple by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Contact:
Robert Wright
Open Nauvoo
[email protected]

PO Box 134
Nauvoo, Illinois
Ph 309-333-6861

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22 Comments
  • Cicero
    Posted at 11:05h, 17 June

    I would very much like a more in depth explanation of what is happening, the conflict, context, and why is the Nauvoo City Council threatening Mormons?

    Apparently these are actual threats that are being targeted at Mormons, but why? What is the motive? The article doesn’t tell me.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 11:08h, 17 June

      It was a Press Release from OpenNauvoo.org

    • Eaton Valor
      Posted at 23:32h, 17 June

      Well you won’t get a fair and accurate story from OpenNauvoo.com. I’d wager you can poll the Mormons in Nauvoo and maybe 3 of them would feel a legitimate threat from the city council.
      Plus to be fair, the Mormon temple wasn’t burned to the ground. Yes, it was burned, but a tornado took it “to the ground.”

      • Bryan Sanders
        Posted at 16:24h, 19 June

        To be fair? It was burned beyond use as a building. It wasn’t a forest fire that caused the damage.

        And it doesn’t matter how many Mormons feel threatened, it’s that it came from a politician.

        She stated that if the religious group of a previously oppressed and attacked group keeps moving back to this city that there COULD be PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, TAR AND FEATHERING, MURDER, AND THEY COULD BE ILLEGALLY AND UNJUSTLY FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES, LAND, AND THEIR POSSESSIONS. AGAIN….

        This makes for an open threat based on their political position.

        • Marla Kucera
          Posted at 14:10h, 29 June

          agree 100%
          i’d like to find out more about this incident

          • heartensoul4u
            Posted at 13:11h, 07 July

            Perhaps my Facebook Note will shed light on the story . . . the untold Nauvoo story that is being ignored.

            https://www.facebook.com/notes/sharon-cohen/on-the-record/10155506459604320/

          • jmkraft
            Posted at 14:52h, 07 July

            I will publish this as a comment under the article on our website, edgarcountywatchdogs.com, however, I disagree with your interpretation of the opennauvoo.org website and its articles. Truth does sometimes hurt the feelings of those written about, and when they are friends and neighbors, it is sometime hard to believe, but truth it is. I encourage those readers to read each article on opennavuoo to include the public records with the articles and form your own opinions. Public officials often say they are doing nothing wrong, when the paper trail proves otherwise.

  • David
    Posted at 00:21h, 18 June

    Councilwoman Reynolds I suppose doesn’t understand the 14th Amendment of equal protection under the law. Sad how an elected official in this day, can hold these sectarian views. I’ve been to Northern Ireland and have seen neighborhoods separated by sixty foot “peace walls” of corrugated metal. We don’t want them here in Nauvoo. Her bigotry isn’t what we expect from our elected leaders in our valued democracy.

  • Nathan Ralph
    Posted at 13:04h, 18 June

    She never threatened anyone. She said it “could happen.” The author of this “could” stop sneaking around slandering lifelong Nauvoo citizens. I said “could,” it doesn’t mean it will happen or is even likely.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 14:39h, 18 June

      I think we all know it was a veiled threat.

    • Ely Reddington
      Posted at 14:01h, 19 June

      “I said…” Looks like Reynolds is using the alias of “Nathan Ralph.”

      Nathan, maybe you could enjoy tar and feathers?

    • Annonymous
      Posted at 14:51h, 20 June

      Lets go back to the basics.

      “Could” is defined by Oxford: “past of can”.
      • Used to indicate possibility:they could be right.

      You are trying to find justification for this statement. Imagine the outcry and rallying call by the SJW’s if a similar comment was made towards the lgbt or black community. My prediction from the left…oh thats just persecution complex.

  • Bob Hodges (@3DCrusader)
    Posted at 14:25h, 19 June

    Such reckless hostility and veiled threats (which is what this truly is) is shocking in this day and age. Let’s just tack on degenerate verbal buffoonery while we’re at it.

  • Patricia
    Posted at 20:50h, 19 June

    I have some dead ancestors there in Navoo, then a few more over the river from the last time Illinois politicians decided that Mormons were somehow at fault in their life choices and didn’t deserve to have their rights protected. It happened once, it will happen again, as long as people feel free to make these types of statements and encourage others to act on them..

  • Gone
    Posted at 13:19h, 25 June

    The comments made by Councilwoman Reynolds are disgusting. Her character is reminiscent of a lawless gangster, then that of a leader. Where have all the morals gone?

    • Margaret E Spoor
      Posted at 20:47h, 04 July

      No, her comments puts her in the same category as other politicians who use their position to cause trouble. These people want to do away with the rights that Americans have and make sure that we forget our rights.

  • Lynette Fackrell
    Posted at 13:53h, 29 June

    Reynolds should be removed from her position for making threats against American citizens and threats against their constitutional rights to have their right to religious freedom threatened in such a way. I have ancestors that were murdered for their religious beliefs and I find this disgusting and appalling.

  • Marla Kucera
    Posted at 14:10h, 29 June

    hi – can you please provide more context to this incident and what occurred before her statement? thank you!

  • Craig Blackwell
    Posted at 15:06h, 29 June

    the best thing to do is vote her out of office.

  • Russ Adler
    Posted at 17:24h, 29 June

    Threatened? Ha … Bring it hag and anyone else who thinks that they can!

  • DeeDee
    Posted at 12:37h, 05 July

    If this was said against any minority group all h*** would break loose. This is simply not acceptable in this day and age. Very un-american.

  • Judith Dearing
    Posted at 18:54h, 05 February

    My husband and I have thought of relocating to Nauvoo after we retire. No way we will now. And those who talk of Utah/Salt Lake and the “Mormons” disparagingly, SLCounty is much more anti LDS than anything else. Sad that it is that way. Sad to see this happening in what should be a nice small town. Shame on those who make it otherwise…on either side.

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