Ben, Hoss and Joe travel to Beehive to complete a large horse purchase from rancher Heber Clauson, a Mormon who has two wives, Susannah and Elizabeth. Hoss and Joe at first are confused by the workings of Mormonism, and after Ben explains they too become friends with Heber and his clan.
The Cartwrights quickly learn that they have been harassed by the local townspeople, who proclaim themselves as Christians. In fact, they soon learn the Clausons are ... "The Persecuted."
Two key individuals are leading the harassment campaign against the Clausons, though not necessarily for the same reasons. The Rev. Robert Parley, a fire-and-brimstone preacher who believes Mormonism is a wicked religion and all who practice it will go to Hell, inflames the population to the point where a hate campaign begins. The town's boss, the mean, cruel Grant Carbo, works with Parley ... but only because he has tried all these years to court Susannah, but has long since been rebuffed, and he's running short on patience in trying to nab his prize.
Rev. Parley and Carbo work together to burn the Clausons' house down, forcing them to flee into the desert. But complicating matters is that Elizabeth is pregnant with Heber's child ... and hers is a difficult pregnancy and her already delicate health is aggravated by the rough wagon trip over the mountains. Elizabeth goes into labor, forcing the wagon train to stop and allowing their pursuers to catch up. Meanwhile, Ben uses his newly purchased horses to create a diversion to ward off Carbo and his gang.
Carbo ambushes Heber by shooting him in the back, giving him no chance to defend himself. Carbo then goes for his prize and actually grabs her with plans to rape her ... until Joe shows up demanding that he let her go. Carbo refuses to budge and when he tries to ambush Joe, he finds the littlest Cartwright is faster on the draw. Carbo eventually succumbs to his injuries. Shortly thereafter, Rev. Parley shows up for the final persecution, and begins ordering the others to kill Susannah and Elizabeth, who is desperately in labor and in need of a doctor. Susannah then begins scolding Parley and the others, scoffing at their claims that they are Christian and have used their self-proclaimed identity to cause several deaths, and that they are still afraid of Carbo even though he is now dead.
One of Carbo's friends, who was starting to grow tired of Parley, then admits that Carbo never really did like the preacher, and that he was using him to get what he wanted: Susannah. He then denounces Parley ... and the others follow suit. Parley realizes he's lost control of them and begs them to reconsider, but they ignore him and ride away. Ben then tells Parley point blank, "Reverend, you ought to worry about your own soul!" The last shot of Parley is him running after the Carbo gang, collapsing in the desert several times as they ride off in the distance.
The threats now gone, the Cartwrights are now able to tend to Elizabeth. Joe goes into town and returns with another preacher and his wife, and a doctor. The doctor and Ben help Elizabeth deliver a healthy young boy, but she dies shortly after giving birth. The preacher is able to convince an initially skeptical Susannah that he has only good intentions and tells her that she is welcome in his home and church.
In the final scene, the Cartwrights reflect on the situation, hopeful that in the future, the infant Clauson is able to grow up in a world where there is no judgment or persecution over things such as religion.
Note: This episode was originally shown in two parts, on October 2 and 9, 1966. Because of the single story and plot, tropes applying to both parts are included in one episode description.
Tropes associated with this episode:
- Death by Childbirth: One of Heber Clauson's wives, Elizabeth, has fallen ill with pregnancy-related complications (a condition today that might be pre-eclampsia) and it is up to Joe and Hoss to bring a doctor and legitimate minister to town to assist in helping deliver a healthy baby. Sadly, Elizabeth dies shortly after giving birth ... but in a moment of hope, the preacher offers their home and a place in their church.
- Exotic Extended Marriage: The Cartwrights help a Mormon rancher who has two wives against the locals, who are outraged at their presence.
- Fire and Brimstone Hell: What the fanatical Rev. Parley believes in, and holds the territory in his charismatic grasp. Eventually, his followers — upon realizing that he ordered the murder of Heber Clauson — turn their backs on him.
- Heal Thyself: Ben's final retort to Rev. Parley when the preacher claims he was only trying to save souls.
- Heel Realization: As Carbo’s friends watch him stalk Heber and Susannah, one of them — Mr. Menken — tells one of the others he’s grown tired of Carbo and admits he doesn’t care if the Clausons are Mormon, and that they in reality don’t bother anyone.
- House Fire: A lynch mob, inflamed by the passionate, judgmental hatred of Mormons by their self-appointed minister, Rev. Robert Parley, and the town's boss, Grant Carbo, burns down the Clausons' home.
- I Did What I Had to Do: When Rev. Parley realizes he's lost control of the Carbo gang, he futilely tries to justify his strong persecution of the Clausons by saying he was just trying to "save their souls." Ben refuses to accept Parley's explanation.
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: The Cartwrights frantically trying to get the nine-months pregnant Elizabeth to safety while being pursued by Rev. Parley and the Carbo gang.
- Karmic Death: The episode's main villain, Grant Carbo, who killed Heber Clauson in cold blood, is shot and killed by Joe when he tries to ambush the youngest Cartwright. (As noted on the Ponderosa Scenery fansite, the shooting of Carbo is completely justified, as he twice tries to shoot at Joe when he had a choice to surrender peacefully.)
- My God, What Have We Done: During the final confrontation with Heber's two widows, Elizabeth and Susannah, Rev. Parley orders their deaths, even though Elizabeth is desperately ill and in labor. The truth about Grant Carbo comes out and that his motives were much darker — let's just say Carbo wanted Elizabeth for his own — and that he never truly did have interest in Parley's persecution of the Clausons. The remaining gang members realize the errors of their ways and, having seen enough people die and another one whose life hangs in the balance, tell Parley they no longer want anything to do with him.
- New Neighbors As The Plot Demands: The Cartwrights' new friends, the Clausons.
- Orphan's Ordeal: The baby boy Elizabeth delivers becomes one, as her husband, Heber, had been killed earlier in a shootout with the town boss. Joe delivers the episode's moral, hoping that by the time the baby becomes old enough to know, he hopes he'll be living in a more tolerant society.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Rev. Parley, in his fall from Grace, is peppered by these, by Susannah, Carbo’s gang — one of them tells him he makes him sick — and finally Ben. The overriding idea of it all: That he is judgmental and his harassment has led to at least two deaths and an imminent third death, and that he’d better worry about his own soul.
