History Commons^™

Orson Pratt And The Expansion Of The Doctrine And Covenants, Brian C. Passantino

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a faith that is distinguished by its religious texts. The nickname "Mormon," that has been applied to adherents of the faith, comes from the name of its most cherished canonical book, the Book of Mormon. Aside from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, Latter-day Saints accept two other books of scriptures – the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants. These four books constitute the authorized scriptures of the faith, or as they refer to them, "the standard works."

My thesis focuses on the book entitled the Doctrine …

Captivity, Adoption, Marriage And Identity: Native American Children In Mormon Homes, 1847-1900., Michael Kay Bennion

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Indigenes of North America's Great Basin developed a way of life based on the available resources the Basin provided. Their culture and customs provided a stable means of understanding and interacting with nature and men. Their myths elaborated on expectations, hopes, and fears, in real and metaphorical ways, as evidenced by stories of the trickster Coyote. As Great Basin bands contacted Europeans, they adjusted their resource gathering based on new technologies, such as horses and guns, as well as their myths to cope with change. This process entailed some adjustment in their perceptions of the world around them and …

Fact, Fiction And Family Tradition: The Life Of Edward Partridge (1793-1840), The First Bishop Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Sherilyn Farnes

Theses and Dissertations

Edward Partridge (1793-1840) became the first bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1831, two months after joining the church. He served in this capacity until his death in 1840. The first chapter examines his preparation for his role as bishop. Having no precedent to follow, he drew extensively upon his background and experiences in civic leadership, business management, and property ownership in order to succeed in his assignment. Partridge moved to Missouri in 1831 at the forefront of Mormon settlement in the state, where on behalf of the church he ultimately purchased hundreds of acres, …

"Real, Live Mormon Women": Understanding The Role Of Early Twentieth-Century Lds Lady Missionaries, Kelly Lelegren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Missionary work has long been an important aspect of Christianity. At least as early as the 1870's, Protestant women began journeys to foreign lands to work as missionaries and teach people about Christianity, both the spiritual dimension and the lifestyle. These were primarily independent women who sought to enlarge the women's sphere from the confined, domestic life to which they were accustomed and because of its decline by the 1930's, historians have often labeled these missions as a "feminist movement."

Meanwhile, in 1898, their counterparts from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also began filling missions, but with …

Emma Hale Smith Bidamon: A Study Of How The Enigma Was Forgotten, Christine Hegstrom Merrill

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

"Beyond history's garden gates, the thick jungle of the past remains, and memory's trails lead off into it" (Richard White). Historians throughout time have had to decipher and toil between memory and history as they have reconstructed the past-laboring with the similarities between the two, as well as major differences. With these historical studies have come theories about memory and history, with new divisions within each category, from private to public to historical memory and from autobiographical to biographical histories. This paper originated as a biographical study of Emma Hale Smith Bidamon, a leading figure in the early days of …

The Silent Majority: Conservative Perception, Mobilization, And Rhetoric At The Utah State International Women's Year Conference, Jenny Lynn Mcgee Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Held in 1977, the Utah State International Women's Year (IWY) Conference became a battleground. Mobilized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and conservative groups, 14,000 women revolted against the state coordinating committee. Chaired by Jan Tyler, Utah's IWY committee tried to plan the conference to include both liberals and conservatives; however, they found themselves overwhelmed by the audience. The participants rejected all nationally formulated resolutions, voted against or reworded workshop sponsored resolutions, and elected to the National IWY Conference an overwhelmingly LDS, conservative slate of delegates. Mobilization of conservatives at Utah's meeting was complex. The LDS …

The World And Joseph Smith, Lane D. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

It is felt by some historians that Joseph Smith was a product of his environment; that his teachings were the amplifications of religious doctrines surrounding his life experience in early America.
Some writings which have been published show similarities between Joseph's "Mormonism" and contemporary religions.
It should be rememebered, however, that if Joseph Smith's call, as restorer, were all that he professed it to be (and he was not alone in that profession), there would, indeed, exist paralleling truths surrounding his "restored" gospel. For, as Joseph tells us, the gospel was preached from the beginning. If that is true, we …

A History Of Formal Religious Instruction By The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Alberta, 1890-1960, Phyllip G. Redd

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to bring to light and to assemble the history of formal religious instruction by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alberta, Canada, for the period 1890 to 1960.