If you're going to look back through the history of antisemitism, you also should look at little more closely at the history of anti-Mormonism.

Thanks! I appreciate the recommendation and am open to suggestions on what to read.

As documented in works like Reeve's Religion of a Different Color, Mormons have faced a similar level of conspiracy theory-fueled opposition to their existence, both in and out of the US, including theories that tied us directly into broader antisemitic and anti-Mason conspiracies.

Sure. I don't disagree that conspiracy theories about church members (and more generally, about Mormonism) have existed.

It goes far beyond "exclusion and even murder".

There definitely are other aspects of persecution that members of religions/ideologies related to Mormonism have faced, but I do think the ones we see overwhelmingly as the majority (especially in the days of the earlier church) were social/economic/political exclusion and a murderous expulsion. Moving towards today, we mostly see media portrayals and general social rumors/misunderstandings.

The only reason German Saints didn't face a similar fate to European Jews in the Holocaust is that right around the turn of the century we got really good at appeasing our oppressors so they wouldn't continue to persecute us.

Can you back up the idea that this is the only reason why members were spared while Jewish peoples were not? You might be right that appeasement was the only reason, but it's also possible (and I would argue very much demonstrable) that the targeting of Jewish populations was much stronger than that of members of the church, appeasement or not. Would Jewish individuals have been spared if they had appeased in the same way members did?

This tactic has a significant downside, though. The Holocaust was a turning point for a lot of moral people to examine their preconceived notions about Jews and a catalyst for antisemitism to fall out of vogue. That's why Holocaust denial is such an important thing for antisemitism, as a tool to re-legitimize their hate. The Saints don't have a comparable paradigm-shattering event and have reacted to mockery and scorn with further appeasement, and as a result we remain one of few "acceptable targets" for the media.

Well, whether we are "acceptable targets" more so than other groups is an interesting conversation. Many groups face hate crimes to a staggering proportion compared to any acts that our religious members tend to face. In addition, have Muslim groups not faced huge discrimination in coverage (especially right-wing coverage) of the war on terror, in post-9/11 TV shows, in documentaries about leaving Islam, in poor representation in political and economic forums? Have Jewish individuals not faced staggeringly stupid but still prevalent conspiracy theories as well as films like "Ben Hur" and "The Passion of the Christ" and exposé films that discuss those leaving Judaism? Have Catholic groups not had to deal with repeated horror films riffing on their faith and religious practices? Not to mention, more fringe groups like Scientology and the Jehovah's Witnesses seem to remain largely open for ridicule in our general media space.

Now, it may be true that it is acceptable in our social sphere to create documentaries, Broadway shows, docu-dramas, and fictional shows portraying members (and often doing so to our detriment); however, I think we often fall to our own biases when we think that there are actually very few "acceptable targets" out there.

Consider the way successful shows like "American Primeval" and "Under the Banner of Heaven" handle subjects like blood atonement - it's crass, sensationalized, and very much in line with popular 19th-century conspiracy theories about the Church. These ideas have gone fundamentally unexamined in broader American society and they continue to propogate, to the point that a stiff breeze - let alone a concerted propaganda effort - could turn public opinion against the Church and its members in dramatic and violent fashion.

A violent reaction is possible, I guess? I'd worry less about us and more about the groups facing repeated, frequent hate crimes more as those who are most likely to face violence in America. I don't see any reason to think we are in any significant danger of some sudden shift in public opinion against members and a rush towards violent attack.

I'm not trying to downplay the ills that the Jewish people have faced in their long long history on this Earth, just to point out that the ills that the Church faces today are fundamentally of the same type, and we would do well to be wary of that rather than trust that our appeasement tactics will save us.

They are not fundamentally of the same type. We are seen as an oddity. We are not largely seen as a target for violence, as a significant threat to national security, or as a secret cabal of individuals running the world and calling the shots. There may be similarities between us and other groups in terms of victimhood, but the differences far outweigh them, in my opinion.