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Ecclesiastical Economics: Some Financial Considerations Of Mormon Settlement In Illinois, R Philip Reynolds

Librarian and Staff Publications

This article discusses financial aspects of Mormon settlements in Illinois between 1839 and 1846. Almost all discussion concerning Mormons during this time is limited to the city of Nauvoo itself although, Mormon contact in Illinois extended far beyond the city. Research about Mormon settlements outside the city often fails to relate the importance of these settlements to the success of Nauvoo. Nauvoo was plagued by shortages of hard currency and food. The need for lumber and grain mills to accommodate its explosive growth was constant. These economic realities drove many of the decisions concerning Mormon settlement and overshadowed the religious …