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A Latter-Day Saint Perspective On Evaluation, Courtney Miriam Glenn Peck
A Latter-Day Saint Perspective On Evaluation, Courtney Miriam Glenn Peck
Theses and Dissertations
Evaluation scholars argue that evaluation as a discipline has traditionally rested on the assumption that knowledge should and can be evaluated objectively. As a result, evaluation has focused too much on techniques and methods, becoming paramountly an objective and technical enterprise that disregards any personal or moral responsibility that evaluators have.
How would a Latter-day Saint perspective of evaluation reframe evaluation as a moral rather than technical enterprise? The doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides powerful insights for evaluation that place moral responsibility in the forefront of evaluation. Knowledge in an LDS perspective is not …
Addressing Mormon Female Communities: Working Towards A Woman's Capacity, Alyssa Snow Larson
Addressing Mormon Female Communities: Working Towards A Woman's Capacity, Alyssa Snow Larson
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis project explores the discourse in Mormon culture addressing Mormon female communities. The discussion is sociological rather than theological and examines the functional characteristics of discourse found in the tradition regarding women. It sets out to review a paradox in the discourse addressing Mormon women that has been documented over time. I examine how this paradox in Mormon discourse establishes and limits women's roles; to do so, I use personal examples and the experience provided by thirteen women whom I interviewed.
The thesis is divided into three main discussions: Community, Discursive Action and Cooperation. My methodology involves a theoretical …
Religiosity And Delinquency: A Test Of The Religious Ecology Hypothesis, S. Cory Harmon
Religiosity And Delinquency: A Test Of The Religious Ecology Hypothesis, S. Cory Harmon
Theses and Dissertations
Research testing the relationship between adolescent religiosity and delinquent behavior is inconclusive. Some studies show a significant negative relationship while others indicate no relationship. Stark (1996) asserts that the relationship between religiosity and delinquency is a function of community religiosity as opposed to personal religiosity. Thus, in areas of high religiosity, there will be a strong relationship, while areas of low religiosity will show no relationship. This study looks at the relationship between religiosity and delinquency of LDS youth in four different religious ecologies: Utah County (high religious ecology), the East coast (moderate religious ecology), the Pacific Northwest (low religious …
Dance And Doctrine: Shaker And Mormon Dancing As A Manifestation Of Doctrinal Views Of The Physical Body, Lindsy Stewart Cieslewicz
Dance And Doctrine: Shaker And Mormon Dancing As A Manifestation Of Doctrinal Views Of The Physical Body, Lindsy Stewart Cieslewicz
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis compares the dancing of the Shakers (The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance) and the Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) during the nineteenth century, as it was influenced by their doctrinal beliefs about the human body. Specifically, it examines how the role of the physical body in achieving mortal happiness and immortal salvation was viewed by each group and how these beliefs were reflected in their dancing. It describes the different forms of dancing performed by each religious group and how dance functioned as worship and recreation for the …
Religiosity And Physical Fitness: A Study Of Middle-Aged Mormon Men, Janette Olsen
Religiosity And Physical Fitness: A Study Of Middle-Aged Mormon Men, Janette Olsen
Theses and Dissertations
Research has related both physical fitness and religiosity to health. This study combined these ideas and examined the relationship between religiosity and physical fitness among middle aged Mormon men (n=110). Mormons are an ideal population for study because of their strict health code. Fitness variables were grip strength, waist/hip ratio, body mass index (BMI) and estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). A questionnaire assessed level of religiosity and separated subjects into two groups: highly religious (n=35) and less religious (n=14). Moderately religious subjects (n=61) were omitted. A one way ANOVA (between-groups design) found no significant differences in fitness variables between groups. …
The Meaning Of Religious Belief, Practice, And Community For Latter-Day Saint Fathers Of Children With Special Needs, Loren Dean Marks
The Meaning Of Religious Belief, Practice, And Community For Latter-Day Saint Fathers Of Children With Special Needs, Loren Dean Marks
Theses and Dissertations
While the tragedy of American fatherlessness has evoked a growing body of research, religious beliefs, practices, and communities have not been a significant part of the scholarly discussion. This article discusses possible reasons for this and reviews the religion and family literature with a focus on fathers. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 Latter-day Saint (LDS) fathers of children with special needs and analyzed to examine the meaning of religious experience for these fathers and their families. Analysis indicated three dimensions of religious experience: spiritual belief, religious practice, and faith community. The spiritual belief in an eternal perspective, including the …
Religious Couples' Reported Effects Of Prayer In Conflict Situations, Julie Ann Stout
Religious Couples' Reported Effects Of Prayer In Conflict Situations, Julie Ann Stout
Theses and Dissertations
For religious couples, the spiritual domain stands alongside the biological, psychological, and systemic domains as an influence upon interaction and mechanism for change. This study is a quantitative expansion of Butler, Gardner, and Bird's (1998) qualitative study, of the change dynamics of prayer. This study attempted to improve the generalizability of the Butler et al. (1998) study through its use of a larger, and religiously and geographically more diverse sample. This study investigated the effects of prayer during times of marital conflict through a quantitative methodology with a survey design. The researchers developed a survey based on the findings of …
Latter-Day Saint Fathers Of Children With Special Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Michael M. Olson
Latter-Day Saint Fathers Of Children With Special Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Michael M. Olson
Theses and Dissertations
This research, presents a qualitative study of six Latter-day Saint fathers of children with special needs. In-depth interviews were used to examine the demands and resources fathers draw upon in meeting the needs of their child(ren), the application of the conceptual ethic of fathering as generative work and crisis/stress theory, as well as an analysis of how fathers incorporated their religious beliefs, faith, and practices into fathering their special needs children. Narrative accounts are used to illustrate the results. These results are then applied to an integrated conceptual framework and clinical applications are made.
Creating High-Quality Marriages: A Qualitative Study Of Religious Couples, Jerry Lyman Redd
Creating High-Quality Marriages: A Qualitative Study Of Religious Couples, Jerry Lyman Redd
Theses and Dissertations
This study is a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with thirty-two couples who have been married for eight years. Although the couples in this sample have similar religious, economic, and cultural backgrounds, the quality of each marriage is quite different. Ten couples have exceptionally high-quality marriages, eighteen have average-quality marriages, three are struggling, and one couple has been divorced. The purpose of this study was to better understand what the ten couples with high-quality marriages are doing to create successful relationships. I conclude that high-quality marriages are created by a couple's participation in a particular process with a specific paradigm …
Reconsidering Solidarity In The Mormon Village, Todd L. Goodsell
Reconsidering Solidarity In The Mormon Village, Todd L. Goodsell
Theses and Dissertations
In what became a classic rural community study, Lowry Nelson concluded in his first Mormon village series in the 1920's that the Mormon village is characterized by an extraordinary sense of solidarity. He claimed that this strong solidarity can be primarily explained by four factors of the social group: leadership, conflict, cooperation, and ideology. After resurveying the Mormon village in 1950, he concluded that solidarity had declined. However, a few problems become apparent to the present researcher looking back upon Nelson's findings. One of them is that Nelson never had a clear definition of solidarity to begin with. Another is …
Utopian Marriage In Nineteenth-Century America: Public And Private Discourse, Brenda Olsen Andrus
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 …
Epideictic Rhetoric And The Formation Of Collective Identity: Nineteenth-Century Mormon Women In Praise Of Polygamy, Robbyn Thompson Scribner
Epideictic Rhetoric And The Formation Of Collective Identity: Nineteenth-Century Mormon Women In Praise Of Polygamy, Robbyn Thompson Scribner
Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis, I will proceed as follows: my first chapter will be a general overview of epideictic rhetoric, focusing on the limitations of how it has traditionally been viewed and understood by theorists. At the end of that chapter I will establish a working definition of epideictic which extends traditional views about how epideictic can function in certain types of writings, focusing on the important role of the speaker in epideictic rhetoric and how it can work in enabling a community to create a collective identity. In the remainder of the thesis, I will analyze two texts in which …
In Search Of A Transcendental Film Style: The Cinematic Art Form And The Mormon Motion Picture, Thomas J. Lefler
In Search Of A Transcendental Film Style: The Cinematic Art Form And The Mormon Motion Picture, Thomas J. Lefler
Theses and Dissertations
This project is an effort to establish a paradigm for reading and tracing transcendence in film art and film propaganda. It addresses the intersection of aesthetic and spiritual planes which is supported by a long and complex tradition of art within religious worship. The study selects a single film as a microcosm of larger issues of cinematic representation and spirituality, in particular the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). It makes a formalistic comparison of structural and and stylistic elements between a Mormon long-form narrative, Legacy (1994) with the classic Hollywood narrative on the one …
Nature Among The Mormons: An Ecocritical Approach To Mormon Literature, Gail D. Ballard
Nature Among The Mormons: An Ecocritical Approach To Mormon Literature, Gail D. Ballard
Theses and Dissertations
Increasingly, environmentalists have focused on Judeo-Christian tradition as the cause of Western culture's ecological crisis. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the charges against Judeo-Christian tradition and to show how the revealed doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide possible solutions to environmental challenges. The resulting Latter-day Saint environmental paradigm will be superimposed on selected Mormon literature to determine how effectively the doctrines taught by Church authorities filtered into popular Mormon culture.
Despite the inspired teachings of Latter-day Saint prophets, Mormons remain unimpressive in their environmental practices. My research will show that while …
Christian Feminist Publications And Structures Of Constraint: A Comparison Of Daughters Of Sarah And Exponent Ii Within The Contexts Of Neo-Evangelicalism And Mormonism, Sasha S. Cluff
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis uses content analysis to compare two conservative Christian feminist publications: Daughters of Sarah, produced by neo-evangelical feminists, and Exponent II, produced by Mormon feminists. Findings are based on insights from three main theories: Debra Minkoff's organization-environment perspective, Nancy Folbre's model of collective action based on structures of constraint, and the church-sect typology from the sociology of religion literature. Although both organizations similarly endeavor to integrate feminist and religious identities, the loose boundaries of evangelicalism allow Daughters of Sarah to explore a more liberal feminist agenda and interact with broader feminist sources while still remaining within the …
The International Diffusion Of The Mormon Church, Samuel Otterstrom
The International Diffusion Of The Mormon Church, Samuel Otterstrom
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis outlines the international diffusion and growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church. A model of Mormon spatial diffusion in foreign countries is developed incorporating both a functional and spatial perspective. The functional perspective includes supply and demand variables which influence the rate of growth of the Mormon Church in a country. The functional perspective is not fully explored in the thesis. The spatial perspective which the study concentrates on seeks to show a general spatial pattern related to the spread of the Church within countries.
The original diffusion of the Church to …
A Mormon Melting Pot: Ethnicity Acculturation In Cedar City, Utah, 1880-1915, Vida Leigh
A Mormon Melting Pot: Ethnicity Acculturation In Cedar City, Utah, 1880-1915, Vida Leigh
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis studies the ethnicity of the five ethnic groups found in Cedar City, Utah, during the 1880-to-1915 period. Those five groups were originally sent by Brigham Young to found the Iron Mission, as a two-fold project: (1) developing the iron mining industry, and (2) building a united community of Latter-day Saints.
The demographics, kinship, ties, marriage patterns, occupations, wealth, and elites in church government and society have been examined in detail through US censuses, Iron county assessment records, marriage records, Cedar City municipal records, LDS church records, diaries, histories, and personal histories. By comparing all the ethnic groups within …
The First London Mormons: 1840-1845: "What Am I And My Brethren Here For?", Lynne Watkins Jorgensen
The First London Mormons: 1840-1845: "What Am I And My Brethren Here For?", Lynne Watkins Jorgensen
Theses and Dissertations
Historians have determined that the visit to London by the early missionary-apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the greatest disappointment of their proselyting careers. This thesis shows that, though the mission to London was not numerically successful considering the potential conversion, it appealed to the dynamic, energetic, "middling-class" religious seeker who was produced by the strong nonconformist movement indigenous to London. A specific nonconformist group is identified as responding to the preaching of the early apostles. This thesis demonstrates that those few converts kept the Church alive in London during difficult years. It also shows …
Elder Stephen L. Richards On Peace And War: An Examination Of Elder Richards' Views On The Causes Of War And His Prescription For Peace, Based On The Analytical Framework Contained In Kenneth N. Waltz' Man, The State And War, Gordon John Stirling
Theses and Dissertations
In Man, the State and War, Kenneth N. Waltz claims that for a peace prescription to be valid, it must be based on a proper view of the causes of war. Waltz analyzes the validity of three basic causes of war: man himself, the characteristics of the nation-state, and the international system.
I have examined the views of Elder Stephen L Richards on peace and war in the context of the Waltz framework. Elders Richards believed that the failings of men were the primary causes of war. His prescription for peace was widespread acceptance of the Gospel. He disagreed …
The Mormon Waldensians, Diane Stokoe
The Mormon Waldensians, Diane Stokoe
Theses and Dissertations
The Waldensians are ancient Protestant Sectarians who have inhabited the Piedmont Region of the Cottian Alps for centuries. They claim to be the oldest Protestant Church in the world. Having survived 700 years of persecution, the Waldensians finally achieved religious liberty in 1848. Two years later Mormon church leader Lorenzo Snow and some other Elders entered the Protestant valleys on a proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One hundred-eighty-seven Waldensians were converted to Mormonism. Twenty years later, one-third of these Mormon Waldensians had been excommunicated, one-third had emigrated to Utah and one-third became inactive or …
Mormons, Lds Theology And The Nuclear Dilemma, Michael Henry Ballow
Mormons, Lds Theology And The Nuclear Dilemma, Michael Henry Ballow
Theses and Dissertations
LDS doctrine establishes three courses of action in conflict resolution: a) selective pacifism, b) action as proxy for God as prescribed under the doctrine of continuous revelation and c) absolute pacifism. Of these three, only absolute and selective pacifism are of practical use to the modern member of the LDS Church. Of the remaining two, government political decisions and technological momentum have moved current U.S. defense strategy and weaponry away from a defensive to an offense posture, thus invalidating the case of the selective pacifist and leaving only the absolutist's stand. Despite this development, however, the number of vocal pacifists …
Level Of Marital Adjustment And Spiritual Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saints, Robert W. Reynolds
Level Of Marital Adjustment And Spiritual Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saints, Robert W. Reynolds
Theses and Dissertations
This research will focus specifically on SWB [spiritual well being] among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). By virtue of his membership in this denomination, the researcher is more familiar with the theology, religious life and traditions of the LDS than those of any other denomination. Latter-day Saint theology has been well defined, and because of a fundamental belief in the prophetic ability of a single leader of the church, the doctrine and practices of the Latter-day Saints are consistent throughout the United States and the world.
Attitudes And Attained Esl Proficiency Among First Generation Swedish Mormon Immigrants, Cecilia Nihlen
Attitudes And Attained Esl Proficiency Among First Generation Swedish Mormon Immigrants, Cecilia Nihlen
Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis project, the relationship between attitudes toward target and native culture groups and attained ESL proficiency among immigrants was evaluated. The subjects were thirty adult native Swedes, all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who had spent an average of 29 years in the United States. Fourteen were members of a Swedish-speaking branch, while sixteen were members of English-speaking wards. Significant differences were found in immigrants' attitudes toward the culture groups. High English proficiency related positively with a more positive attitude toward the target culture group. Those demonstrating high proficiency viewed the general native …
Parental Control Of Children's Television: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Control And Family Home Evening, Marion Wixom Mccardell
Parental Control Of Children's Television: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Control And Family Home Evening, Marion Wixom Mccardell
Theses and Dissertations
This study was designed to examine the relationship between a secular behavior—television control—and a religious one—Family Home Evening. The findings show that there is a relationship, with those having favorable attitudes toward Family Home Evening and those who hold casual FHE's being most inclined to exercise positive control over their children's television viewing.
The Impact Of Polygamy Upon The Life Of James Yorgason: A Nineteenth-Century Mormon Bishop, Blaine M. Yorgason
The Impact Of Polygamy Upon The Life Of James Yorgason: A Nineteenth-Century Mormon Bishop, Blaine M. Yorgason
Theses and Dissertations
On August 2, 1875, James Yorgason, soon to be the Bishop of the Fountain Green Utah Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, took his first plural wife. In doing so he joined a rather elite group of Mormon men who were known as polygamists. Over the next thirteen years, as he built a financial empire to support them, he took five more plural wives, making him exceptional even among the elite.
But then in 1887 the Edmunds-Tucker law was passed and "The Raid" against Mormon polygamists began, the United States entered a time of monetary crisis …
For God And Country: Mormon Chaplains During World War Ii, Richard Maher
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 …
Dance In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints 1830-1940, Karl E. Wesson
Dance In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints 1830-1940, Karl E. Wesson
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to compile a history of dance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 1940.
The following subproblems have been investigated:
1. What was the history of dance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
2. What was the philosophy of dance in the LDS Church?
3. What were the dance forms, music, and attire in dance within the LDS church?
4. What was the contribution of the LDS Church towards the preservation of folk dances in America?
Basic Principles Of Orally Communicating The Gospel As Found In The Doctrine And Covenants, Reed Amussen Benson
Basic Principles Of Orally Communicating The Gospel As Found In The Doctrine And Covenants, Reed Amussen Benson
Theses and Dissertations
In view of the large lay ministry of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are called upon to preach and teach the gospel, this study was undertaken to see if the latter-day volume of scripture, the Doctrine and Covenants, revealed basic principles associated with the oral communication of the gospel.
These principles became evident through the frequency that they were mentioned and the emphasis they received. They were (1) righteousness, in particular diligence, humility and meekness, prayer and fasting; (2) knowledge; (3) authority; (4) the right means of communicating; (5) the correct message--with the gospel, testimony, and …
The Life And Contributions Of Zebedee Coltrin, Calvin Robert Stephens
The Life And Contributions Of Zebedee Coltrin, Calvin Robert Stephens
Theses and Dissertations
Zebedee Coltrin join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints January 9, 1831, and remained faithful to the teachings of the Church until his death on July 21, 1887. During those fifty-six years he played a prominent part in such significant events as the organization of the School of the Prophets, the march of Zion's Camp, and the organization of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He was called to be one of the Seven Presidents of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He spent sixteen years of his life doing missionary work.
He was one of the original …
Mormonism And War: An Interpretative Analysis Of Selected Mormon Thought Regarding Seven American Wars, R. Jeffrey Stott
Mormonism And War: An Interpretative Analysis Of Selected Mormon Thought Regarding Seven American Wars, R. Jeffrey Stott
Theses and Dissertations
America has been involved in seven major wars, but Mormonism's involvement in these wars has evaded scholarly attention. This has been unfortunate because, for the most part, individual Mormon leaders have taken very definite stands in relation to these struggles, and accompanying these stands have been very definite goals for the outcome of these wars. This, in turn, has prompted many of these LDS leaders to view the wars from a religious perspective.
This transcending religiosity combined the classical Christian wartime positions of the "just" and "righteous" war into one category. The third position however, pacifism, was also utilized during …