In his later work, Grey portrayed Mormonism more neutrally -- but here, in this book, those evil polyandering men are villains, plain and simple. Well, ewww -- there's a reason why the Mormons generally gave it up, and don't think being part of the union was really all there was to it. Really, gross That said, here in Riders of the Purple Sage -- and in the sequel, The Rainbow Trail -- the Mormon men take it on the chin. They're heavies, here -- villains who use their religion as an excuse for greed and lust. Great adventure for those who don't mind thinking about the development of mores in the twentieth century. First published in 1912. Considered by many criticS to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called "the most popular western novel of all time."