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The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In National Periodicals, 1982-1990, Matthew E. Morrison Jan 2005

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In National Periodicals, 1982-1990, Matthew E. Morrison

Theses and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has continued to receive exposure in national periodicals. This thesis will explore that image from 1982 to 1990. During those years, the church continued to grow in membership and expand its existing programs.

National periodicals can assist in assessing the public image of the Church because they help "mould public attitudes by presenting facts and views on issues in exactly the same way at the same time throughout the entire country." In this manner, they help to form the public opinion about the Church. They also reflect existing opinions because magazine publishers …


An Analysis Of The Newspaper Coverage Of Latter-Day Saint Temples Announced Or Built Within The United States From October 1997 Through December 2004, Kevan L. Gurr Jan 2005

An Analysis Of The Newspaper Coverage Of Latter-Day Saint Temples Announced Or Built Within The United States From October 1997 Through December 2004, Kevan L. Gurr

Theses and Dissertations

President Gordon B. Hinckley, the fifteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, excited the membership of the Church by increasing the number of temples available to members. He announced that the Church would construct smaller buildings – as compared with existing temples at the time – thereby allowing for greater numbers of temples to be built. He set a goal to build 50 temples in a two and half-year period: double the number the Church had ever attempted to build in any decade. Thirty-four of these temples were built in the United States, and newspapers – …


The Rhetoric Of The Frontier And The Frontier Of Rhetoric, Carly Kay Paul Apr 2004

The Rhetoric Of The Frontier And The Frontier Of Rhetoric, Carly Kay Paul

Theses and Dissertations

The definition of rhetoric has recently been expanded to include elements of experience, particularly the experiences that landscape provides. One landscape that has rhetorical significance is the American frontier, both in Colonial times and in the nineteenth century. The frontier had a rhetorical impact on women, in particular, giving them freedom to change their roles and achieve economic, political, and social success. Because of the tremendous significance of the frontier in women's lives, a new definition of frontiers emphasizes conditions such as opportunity for change, a dangerous and uncertain atmosphere, a freedom of thought and action, and an ability to …


Latter-Day Saints In Popular National Periodicals 1970-1981, Adam H. Nielson Aug 2003

Latter-Day Saints In Popular National Periodicals 1970-1981, Adam H. Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

The public image of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the product of several factors. This thesis investigates that image as presented in national periodicals from 1970 to 1981. During this time "Mormons" and "Mormonism" was a popular topic as the religion gained notoriety, and as an awareness of its peculiar beliefs and practices increased.

The rationale for using national magazines to assess public image is the assumption that they "reflect prevailing points of view" and help "formulate public opinion." Since popular attitudes are one of the factors that influence how the Church is accepted in the …


A History Of The Concepts Of Zion And New Jerusalem In America From Early Colonialism To 1835 With A Comparison To The Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Ryan S. Gardner Jan 2002

A History Of The Concepts Of Zion And New Jerusalem In America From Early Colonialism To 1835 With A Comparison To The Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Ryan S. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the role that the idea of Zion has played in the first three centuries of American religion. Millenarian themes, such as building New Jerusalem, were common religious themes in seventeenth- to nineteenth-century America. Understanding the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding this vital subject will be helpful for historians, scholars, and teachers.

When the Puritan colonists came to the New World in the early seventeenth century, they sought not only a land of religious liberty, but also a land of ultimate religious achievement: the establishment of Zion and/or New Jerusalem. Many of …


Dorothea Lange In Utah, 1936-1938: A Portrait Of Utah's Great Depression, James R. Swensen Jan 2000

Dorothea Lange In Utah, 1936-1938: A Portrait Of Utah's Great Depression, James R. Swensen

Theses and Dissertations

In his 1978 biography of Dorothea Lange, Milton Meltzer appraised Lange's 1936 photography in Utah as nothing more than mundane work done for the benefit of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and not for her own benefit as a photographer. Yet, her work in Utah encapsulates the aspirations, goals, and styles of Lange, and gives insight into her vision as a photographer and representative of the New Deal. Through carefully composed photographs, Lange shows the hardships and hope of life in Utah during the Great Depression.

This thesis investigates Lange's photographs in order to gain a greater understanding of the …


Reclaiming A Sacred Domain: An Ethnographic Study Of Mormon Women Overcoming The Media-Supported Message Of Acceptable Birth Practice Through Giving Birth At Home, Celeste Elain Witt Jan 2000

Reclaiming A Sacred Domain: An Ethnographic Study Of Mormon Women Overcoming The Media-Supported Message Of Acceptable Birth Practice Through Giving Birth At Home, Celeste Elain Witt

Theses and Dissertations

This study ethnographically explores the experiences of 30 American Mormon women who chose to give birth at home, a practice which differs from the culturally expected birth practice supported by most media birth scenes. The dominant birth practice among American Mormon women aligns with the biomedical birth system nearly universally practiced in the United States.
Recent research indicates that the biomedical model is supported by most media portrayals of birth (Elson 1997b). Mormon women who had given birth at home with a midwife were located and invited to participate. A semi-structured interview guide was used to frame the research process. …


Becoming Mormon Men: Male Rites Of Passage And The Rise Of Mormonism In Nineteenth-Century America, Bruce R. Lott Jan 2000

Becoming Mormon Men: Male Rites Of Passage And The Rise Of Mormonism In Nineteenth-Century America, Bruce R. Lott

Theses and Dissertations

The evidence presented in this thesis supports a view of the first Mormon men as coming from the agrarian majority of early nineteenth-century American farmers and artisans who embraced a set of manly ideals that differed significantly, in many ways, from those embraced by their middle-class contemporaries. These men's life writings attest to boyhood experiences of working alongside their fathers as soon as they were physically able, and subsequently of acting as substitute farmers and breadwinners as well as being put out to work outside the direct supervision of their fathers. Such experiences enabled them to frequently follow in the …


Utopian Marriage In Nineteenth-Century America: Public And Private Discourse, Brenda Olsen Andrus Jan 1998

Utopian Marriage In Nineteenth-Century America: Public And Private Discourse, Brenda Olsen Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a rhetorical analysis of utopian discourse about marriage in mid-nineteenth-century America. Although utopian communities are usually approached within the fields of history and sociology, a rhetorical analysis adds to the discussion by uncovering the discursive complexity of marriage beliefs within a rapidly changing culture. Discursive features of the Shaker, Oneida Community and Latter-day Saint texts are outlined and compared according to the following format:

Chapter One examines the textures of conflict within the dominant culture's views of marriage and gender roles in nineteenth-century America, with a brief overview of reform efforts of the day. This chapter provides …


A Model Of Delinquency Among Lds Adolescents: The Effect Of Peer Influences, Religiosity, Personality Traits, School Experiences, And Family Characteristics, Janice Garrett Jan 1997

A Model Of Delinquency Among Lds Adolescents: The Effect Of Peer Influences, Religiosity, Personality Traits, School Experiences, And Family Characteristics, Janice Garrett

Theses and Dissertations

This study tested a multivariate model, which included peer influences, religiosity, personality traits, school experiences, and family characteristics, in predicting juvenile delinquency. The model compared two samples of youth belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S.). A mail questionnaire and three follow-up mailings were sent to 1,078 youth living in the Pacific Northwest and 1,849 youth living in Utah county. The overall response rate for the sample was 63 percent. Extensive measures were used in assessing the variables included in the model. Structural equation modeling (LISREL) was used in the analysis because of its capacity to …


Effects Of A Parent/Teen Workshop, Roberta Magarrell Jan 1989

Effects Of A Parent/Teen Workshop, Roberta Magarrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of a parent-teen structured family facilitation program (PAT). The study compared pre and post workshop scores on a number of dependent variables in a workshop, a replication of the workshop, and a comparison group.
Analysis of the data revealed no significant differences from pretest to post test in either of the groups. However when the groups were combined there were some statistically significant differences from pretest to post test. The fathers increased in their ability to transfer control while the mothers decreased in kindness. A few post hoc analyses …


Radicals And Immigrants: Senator William H. King's Response To Nativism, 1917-1924, Craig D. Galli Jan 1984

Radicals And Immigrants: Senator William H. King's Response To Nativism, 1917-1924, Craig D. Galli

Theses and Dissertations

When Senator William Henry King took office in 1917, Utah and the nation were apprehensive about the presence of large numbers of foreign born aliens and citizens. Utah's King joined the wartime hysteria and promoted many nativistic policies directed against the foreign born population. During the post-war Red Scare he continued his crusade, concentrating on the suppression of Bolsheviks and the Industrial Workers of the World.

But when Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1924--a nativistic law designed to curtail the immigration of southern and eastern Europeans--King was the bill's only opponent from the West or South. Since anti-radicalism and …


Belle S. Spafford: Leader Of Women, Gayle Morby Chandler Jan 1983

Belle S. Spafford: Leader Of Women, Gayle Morby Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

This historical/descriptive study analyzes the speaking career of Belle S. Spafford and attempts to document the relationship between her speaking and her influence with her peers. For over fifty years, the dedicated woman served as a spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the National Council of Women, briding the gap between the secular and religious world of women. A rhetorical analysis of four speeches indicates the following findings: Mrs. Spafford appealed to her audiences through a focus on shared values; she had credibility because of her positions of authority and used it wisely; she effectively …


Mccarthyism In Utah, Richard Swanson Jan 1977

Mccarthyism In Utah, Richard Swanson

Theses and Dissertations

The exaggerated anti-Communist crusade of Senator Joseph McCarthy allegedly gained the support of a majority of Americans during the early 1950's. It is historically important and interesting to question that supposition by considering the character of McCarthy's following in each state. This study shows that in Utah sympathy for the second Red Scare abounded and evidences of McCarthyism were readily apparent.

Three indicators illustrate Utah's support for the Wisconsin senator. The defeat of Elbert Thomas in 1950 dramatically epitomizes the successful use of incriminating allegations effectively employed by McCarthy. The election, or re-election, of McCarthy supporters and the defeat of …


For God And Country: Mormon Chaplains During World War Ii, Richard Maher Jan 1975

For God And Country: Mormon Chaplains During World War Ii, Richard Maher

Theses and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a lay church inasmuch as it has no professionally trained ministers. Because of this, the Chaplains Corps during World War II questioned whether members of the Mormon faith could serve effectively as chaplains. The answer to the effectiveness of Mormon chaplains is found in their performance as many received high praise from their superiors.
During the Second World War, the Mormon Church provided the military services with a total of 45 chaplains, and although only 45 served, they saw duty in all theaters of war and served at such major …


Bryan, Populism And Utah, Herbert E. Cihak Jan 1975

Bryan, Populism And Utah, Herbert E. Cihak

Theses and Dissertations

William Jennings Bryan exercised great political power for thirty years in America. Through his efforts the Democratic Party power base was broadened to include Jews, Negroes businessmen, and farmers. Bryan's call for political and social reform found many supporters in the State of Utah.

It is difficult to assess what actually caused William J. Bryan to lose the 1900 Presidential election in Utah. Yet, we must put to rest the conclusion that he lost solely because silver was an unimportant issue to the Utah electorate in 1900. The powerful influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on …


Changes In Scholastic Achievement And Intelligence Of Indian Children Enrolled In A Foster Placement Program, Linda Ouida Willson Jan 1973

Changes In Scholastic Achievement And Intelligence Of Indian Children Enrolled In A Foster Placement Program, Linda Ouida Willson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the long-term effects of the Indian Placement Program on the enrolled students' scholastic achievement as measured by standardized tests given in the schools. It also examines intelligence test scores and changes in them during years in the Program. The following effects on achievement were also examined: sex, age and grade at initial placement, and the child's adjustment as measured by number of foster homes in which he had been placed.


George Romney In 1968, From Front-Runner To Drop-Out, An Analysis Of Cause, Richard M. Eyre Jan 1969

George Romney In 1968, From Front-Runner To Drop-Out, An Analysis Of Cause, Richard M. Eyre

Theses and Dissertations

The meteoric political decline of George Romney is unparalleled in political history and in the history of presidential campaigning. In the space of one year, the man evolved from the overwhelming presidential favorite of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike to a presidential drop out, criticized severely and even mocked by press and public alike.

There are many opinions as to why this phenomenon occurred. The press has opinions, the public has opinions, and the people closest to George Romney have opinions.

A step by step analysis of Romney's campaign casts light on these opinions and completely discredits some while validating …


Zadok Knapp Judd: Soldier, Colonizer, Missionary To The Lamanites, Derrel Wesley Judd Jan 1968

Zadok Knapp Judd: Soldier, Colonizer, Missionary To The Lamanites, Derrel Wesley Judd

Theses and Dissertations

Zadok's membership in the church directed the course of his life, and he contributed to the success of those movements of the church in which he participated.


Constitutional Rights And The Mormon Appeals For National Redress Of The Missouri Grievances, Lynn D. Stewart Jan 1967

Constitutional Rights And The Mormon Appeals For National Redress Of The Missouri Grievances, Lynn D. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to trace the efforts of the Mormon people to obtain redress from the national government for the losses of life and property which they had suffered and the hardships which they had endured while residing in the state of Missouri during the 1830's. The Mormon appeals to Congress and the President are considered and an evaluation is made of the Mormon view of the national government's responsibility for the protection of individual rights.

The information for this study was obtained from the Church Historian's Office, the Brigham Young University Library, the University of Utah Library, the Utah …


A Course Of Study For The Lds Indian Seminary Program Of Northern America For Junior High School Students, Eldred Bruce Preece Jan 1967

A Course Of Study For The Lds Indian Seminary Program Of Northern America For Junior High School Students, Eldred Bruce Preece

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of writing this teacher's manual was to provide a course of study for the junior high school Indian Seminary students living mainly in Northern climes of North America. In more recent years, a greater emphasis by the Church has been placed on preaching the Gospel to Northern Indian tribes, as evidenced by the organization of the Northern Indian Mission in 1964. With the conversion of hundreds of Lamanites, came also the need to provide religious education and character development for the children of these new converts and for the children of older Church members. Many non-LDS students, with …


Levi Ward Hancock: Pioneer, Soldier, Political And Religious Leader Of Early Utah, Dennis A. Clegg Jan 1966

Levi Ward Hancock: Pioneer, Soldier, Political And Religious Leader Of Early Utah, Dennis A. Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

Prominent in the pioneering and settlement of early Utah were many men of great ability. Among them was Levi Ward Hancock. He became a dedicated spiritual leader in the Mormon Church.

The life of Levi Hancock began in Springfield, Massachusetts, on April 7, 1803. His father moved about quite often in his attempts to provide a better livelihood for his family. Each move took them farther west. It was while they were living in Ohio that the Hancock family heard the Mormon missionaries preach their new gospel. Levi joined this frontier religion.

Joining the Mormon Church changed the whole course …


A Study Of Early Utah-Montana Trade, Transportation, And Communication, 1847-1881, L. Kay Edrington Jan 1959

A Study Of Early Utah-Montana Trade, Transportation, And Communication, 1847-1881, L. Kay Edrington

Theses and Dissertations

Only a few hardy men had ventured into America's intermountain west prior to the year 1847. Arriving in this year, the Mormons, under Brigham Young, slowly conquered parts of the Great Basin and within a few years had produced a self-sustaining agricultural economy. production of a surplus in farm products awaited only the emergence of a "foreign" market. This market was soon forthcoming.

The developing process of Utah-Montana relations from 1847 through 1881 was a natural occurance. From the very first, men from Utah traveled northward. The Mormon experiment at Ft. Lemhi during the late 1850's was a prime example …


A Study Of The Speaking Of B. H. Roberts, Utah's Blacksmith Orator, R. Wayne Pace Jan 1957

A Study Of The Speaking Of B. H. Roberts, Utah's Blacksmith Orator, R. Wayne Pace

Theses and Dissertations

The Mormon Church has continued to grow in size and prominence since 1830 when Joseph Smith announced the formation of this new Christian organization.

The struggle to gain recognition for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) among the body of Christian groups has been a vigorous and energetic one. Out of the band of closely knit followers have developed leaders who were particularly gifted at proclaiming and defending the beliefs of this faith.

One of the men who was foremost in advancing the views of the Mormon people during the years 1880 to 1930 was Brigham Henry …


Freighting Between The Missouri River And Utah - 1847-1869, George Lofstrom Strebel Jan 1954

Freighting Between The Missouri River And Utah - 1847-1869, George Lofstrom Strebel

Theses and Dissertations

The problem for this thesis was undertaken because of an intense interest which the writer has in general Western History and more particularly in the History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As the thousands of emigrants moved west to make their homes, they brought with them only enough supplies to support themselves for a relatively short time. When those supplies were gone they needed replacements in order not to bring hardships to the settlers. Where were these precious supplies to come from? Some few principally agricultural products could be produced, but by far the largest portion …