Mormons Moving to Salt Lake City
During the nineteenth century there were many different types of people moving west over America. One of these groups was the religious group, the Mormons. The religion was originally founded by Joseph Smith in the early nineteenth century. He first started of with very few followers but quickly many people started to come round to Smiths way of thinking. After developing the religion in Palmyra, Joseph Smith and his followers moved to Kirtland.
In Kirtland the Mormons were going from strength to strength and by 1831 Mormonism had over 1000 members. However the growing number of businesses of the Mormons was also growing and soon the non-Mormons began to grow
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Their wish for a peaceful life was not going to happen in Missouri. Eventually the governor of Missourideclared the Mormons public enemies and Joseph Smith was imprisoned. Rumours soon spread of how the Mormons were befriending Indians and trying to convert them to Mormonism. Also people started talking about how the Mormons apparently were freeing slaves. This caused public outburst and the Governor stated that the Mormons must be, "Exterminated or driven form the state if necessary for the public good". Again the Mormons were driven out of another state.
In Nauvoo, Illinois things were looking up for the Mormons and by 1844 they had built one of the largest cities in Illinois. Missionaries were sent to Europe to gain converts. Over 35,000 people joined the Mormons in Nauvoo from Europe. However Joseph Smith made a statement that was to start his downfall. In 1844 he declared that only certain Mormons could practise Polygamy. His own people turned against him and had him imprisoned, declaring him a false prophet. Also non-Mormons were outraged at this knew knowledge that they practised polygamy and matters were made worse when Joseph Smith declared he was running for President. On 27 June 1845 a mob attacked the jail where Joseph Smith was and shot him dead. They roamed the countryside hunting down the Mormons. Except there was hope for the Mormons, this hope came
Political and social conflicts ascended as many more LDS members moved into Missouri. Missourians were afraid the Mormons would influence their local governments and way of life to much. Public speeches were given by both sides increasing tensions. On July 4, 1838, Sidney Rigdon, a high ranked church member, gave a speech on the Mormons’ behalf. The speech was a response to the mob attacks the Mormons had been experiencing (Scianna).
Walker, Turley, and Leonard explain the reasons for high tension in Utah a different way. Instead of focusing about problems with the church like Denton, they explain about things happening around the church. They focus on how news of a coming U.S. army puts fear in the people. They quote Heber C. Kimball as saying “that the army wanted to take Mormon women back to the States” (Walker, Turley, Leonard 44). Also, the authors describe how Brigham Young also makes it seem like the second coming, where Christ comes to destroy the wicked, is near and that the people need to prepare for it. They also mention Brigham Young’s strict war policy. Within this war policy, they were to be frugal with all their supplies, and not sell or trade any of it to those of
Smith was sent to jail and was later killed by a mob of Non Mormons.
Two of these denominations were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the African Methodist Episcopal. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - commonly known as Mormons was founded by Joseph Smith; he was inspired to create a new church faction by the revivals he experienced in the western area of New York called the "Burned Over District-" implying it had been "scorched" by so many revivals. Although not regarded as a splinter off from an existing Protestant denomination but a restoration of primitive Christianity having distinctive post-biblical doctrines, the Mormon Church is now a flourishing, worldwide denomination. On the other hand, during the revivals, Baptists and Methodists converted large numbers of blacks. However, because of the mistreatment they received from their fellow believers, under the leadership of Richard Allen, the black population broke away from the Methodist church while creating their own denomination; the African Methodist Episcopal.10 Both churches mentioned above, having developed and sprouted out other denominations over the years, still stand even today.
of a holy book he said had been engraved on gold plates by an American
Member of the church prefer to be recognized as Latter Day Saints though there are many different ways to call them both politely and discriminatory. The above way is however the most common and acceptable. The church of Jesus Christ for latter day saints was made official in 1830 by Joseph Smith he and another man by the name of James J Strang would go on to change the name in different ways over the years until there deaths. The church was formed in New York April,6 1830 It is said that James S strang claimed he was ordained by angels and asked to take over the matriarch for the church and he felt Joseph Smiths presence this claim just so happened to take place the same hour Joseph Smith was murdered even though he and James were over 200 miles away from each other . Members of the church have
This research will address the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, a sect of Mormonism based in Utah, Warren Jeffs and his cult of fear. Warren Jeffs had control over ten thousands of followers for nearly a decade. Warren Jeffs coerced young girls into polygamous marriages with older men. Jeffs is estimated to have over 70 wives. The media was shunned, and he created a hidden community where polygamy was prized above anything else. In 2007, after there was a two year FBI manhunt, Jeffs was convicted as an accomplice to rape. Warren Jeff's rise to power effort led to his fallout. Even after his conviction his followers believed that he was innocent and held onto his beliefs and practices.
In September of 1857, roughly 120 members of the “Baker-Fancher” party - a California bound wagon-train from Arkansas – decided to set up camp in Mountain Meadows, Utah Territory. The newly-arrived settlers were denied water access and grazing land by the LDS throughout Utah, and thus welcomed the lush pastures and pristine streams of Mountain Meadows. However, unbeknownst to them, an increasingly malevolent Mormon presence planned on retributive bloodshed.
A homegrown religion originating in the late 1820s, Mormonism arose as a rejection of the existing Christian sects and a return to what the Mormons considered to be pure Christianity. Similarly, the members believed their desire for a new kind of government stemmed from their disillusionment with what they believed was a corrupt government and a desire for the reestablishment of true American values and the original intent of the founding fathers. This sentiment is epitomized by Joseph Smith’s presidential platform, which states “No honest man can doubt for a moment, the glory of American liberty is on the wane; and that calamity and confusion will sooner or later destroy the
The Mormon faith dates back to the year 1830 when Joseph Smith, the founder along with 5 other men gathered together to form what they initially called The Church of Christ. This was later changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
During the Second Great Awakening many Americans were stirred by passionate religious movements and Mormonism was one of them. Although it initially began as a revelation given to Joseph Smith, his strong beliefs led to powerful revivals in the New York area that drew people from across the northeast. Despite strong interest and numerous converters to the faith, the Mormon community would not remain in the New York area for long. Though they had an objective of spreading Mormonism throughout America and other parts of the world, this was only part of the reason for their move west. Religious persecution, government issues, spiritual revelation, financial problems, and land disputes ultimately led to their decision to settle in Utah.
D: Introduction As a teacher living in a highly religious state, it is important for me to know more about the main religions in Utah. The two most prevalent, being the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and the Catholic faith. I would like to know more about their beliefs, holidays, and family traditions. Some of the main beliefs in the LDS culture are Jesus is the Savior of all man, The Word of Wisdom, and the church was restored by their Prophet Joseph Smith. Some of the main beliefs for the Catholic faith are the Bible, the different Saints, and baptism. There are many holidays that are celebrated by both religions. Both Catholics and LDS members celebrate Christmas and Easter. The LDS faith in Utah has a special state
Mormonism was founded in the 1820s’ by Joseph Smith. Smith, wanting to expand his religious following migrated to Illinois where he established a settlement that included a temple of worship and a village (Green 57). In Illinois the Mormon peoples’ were met with threats, violence, and occasionally they were even killed. This was the case for their leader Joseph Smith; Smith was met with disgust from non-mormons when he attempted to run for presidency and his church riddled with scandal when the word of polygamy got out. With his tarnished reputation, Smith was ultimately murdered by an outraged mob, who then threatened other Mormons that if they did not leave they would be met with the same fate (Mormons into the West). With that warning, the Mormons picked a new leader, Brigham Young, who wanted to flee the American Border. Young set for travel with his new followers to the Great Salt Lake, which at the time was located in Mexico.
He provided a good example due to the Market Revolution in the early 1800s. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormonism, created another model of a religious utopia (Keene, 301). Smith grew up in western New York, where the fires of the Great Awakening burned hot. In Smith’s Christian Religion environment, had a revelation on which Mormonism was based (Keene, 301). The Book of Mormon was published in Palmyra, New York, in 1830 and this town became the site of one of the earliest Mormon communities (Keene 301). Smith was influenced by the widespread belief that the millennium was at hand, bringing with it an end to debt and the return of Christ and a new era of peace, happiness, and prosperity. Smith’s revelations detail struck a resonant chord with small farmers and etc whose experience with the expanding market economy had been largely negative (Keene 301). The revelation attracted thousands of followers. Joseph Smith members were popularly known as Mormons. With the exception of the first generation of Mormon converts, American society does not seem to have been receptive to him; they were pushed from one location to another, and eventually after Smith’s assassination, they moved to Utah. Prior to their exodus the Mormons endured a long period of internal dissension and harassment by their non-Mormon