Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Sister Saints: Mormon Women Since The End Of Polygamy By Colleen Mcdannell, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

BYU Studies Quarterly

Because of its freshness and clarity, I predict that Colleen McDannell’s Sister Saints, a history of modern Latter-day Saint women, will become a standard in religious studies courses and perhaps in book clubs among Latter-day Saints as well. It is unquestionably a “crossover” book. General readers will appreciate its lively stories and well-balanced arguments, and students at any level will profit from its detailed endnotes and chapter-by-chapter bibliographic essays. The book is fair-minded but never wimpy. It will provoke discussion in and out of the academy.

A House Full Of Females: Plural Marriage And Women's Rights In Early Mormonism, 1835-1870, Lowell C. Bennion

BYU Studies Quarterly

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.

Textual Studies Of The Doctrine And Covenants: The Plural Marriage Revelation, Brian C. Hales

BYU Studies Quarterly

Textual Studies of the Doctrine and Covenants: The Plural Marriage Revelation By William Victor Smith

Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2018.

The Polygamous Wives Writing Club: From The Diaries Of Mormon Pioneer Women, Andrea G. Radke-Moss

BYU Studies Quarterly

Paula Kelly Harline. The Polygamous Wives Writing Club: From the Diaries of Mormon Pioneer Women.

New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward A Better Understanding, M. Scott Bradshaw

BYU Studies Quarterly

Brian C. Hales and Laura H. Hales. Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding.

Draper, Utah: Greg Kofford Books, 2015.

Suffrage By Jenifer Nii, Directed By Cheryl Ann Cluff, Melissa L. Larson, Cheryl Ann Cluff, Jenifer Nii

BYU Studies Quarterly

Jenifer Nii's new and original play Suffrage, set in 1880s territorial Utah, is the story of Frances (played by April Fossen) and Ruth (played by Sarah Young), two plural wives in a household under siege by the federal government. Their husband, Benjamin, is in prison awaiting trial, and his five wives and numerous children must find ways to make ends meet. Frances is stalwart and traditional, loving her sister wives' children as she does her own and thinking constantly of her dear husband and his welfare. Considerably younger, Ruth is a firecracker of high ideals and modern thought, getting deeply …

Probing The High Prevalence Of Polygyny In St. George, 1861–1880: An Introduction, Davis Bitton, Lowell C. Bennion, Kathryn M. Daynes, Val Lambson

BYU Studies Quarterly

This is the introduction to a trilogy of articles that interpret and map the unusually high incidence of polygamy (or polygyny, the proper term) that characterized St. George, Utah, from its founding in 1861 through the federal census of 1880. Polygamy was practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the 1840s to 1890.

The first, and most theoretical, of the three papers, by Bitton and Lambson, recognizes for the first time in Mormon studies the limits that demography imposed upon the number of Latter-day Saints who could have practiced plural marriage during the pioneer …

Mapping The Extent Of Plural Marriage In St. George, 1861–1880, Lowell C. Bennion

BYU Studies Quarterly

This article is one of a set on the practice of polygamy in St. George, Utah, from 1861 to 1880. It asks why polygamy rates in that Mormon settlement exceed the demographic limits produced by Bitton and Lambson in their article "Demographic Limits of Nineteenth-Century Mormon Polygyny." Bitton and Lambson suggest that "those willing to accept an assignment to settle in St. George were very committed Mormons, and those who remained in St. George after having observed conditions firsthand were more committed still. Very committed Mormons were much more likely to practice polygamy than were others."

Using case studies of …

Plural Marriage In St. George: A Summary And An Invitation, Kathryn M. Daynes, Lowel C. Bennion, Davis Bitton, Val Lambson

BYU Studies Quarterly

This is a short summary of three papers in this issue of BYU Studies Quarterly offering new insights into the importance of polygyny, or polygamy, in nineteenth-century Mormondom. The Bitton-Lambson article derives theoretical limits on the sustainability of polygyny, suggesting that, given the parameters observed in nineteenth-century Utah, a prevalence exceeding 15 to 20 percent of males and 25 to 30 percent of females is implausible. Bennion's paper provides detailed information on how prevalent polygyny was in St. George and in its wide hinterland. It also includes a number of personal stories to shed light on who the settlers were, …

Demographic Limits Of Nineteenth-Century Mormon Polygyny, Val Lambson, Davis Bitton

BYU Studies Quarterly

What percentage of nineteenth-century Mormons practiced polygyny? Estimates of the answer have evolved as have the methods of posing the question. The authors use a simple demographic model to derive mathematical limits on polygyny prevalence. These limits provide benchmarks from which to assess whether polygyny prevalence in a given context is high or low compared to what is sustainable. If prevalence is high, the model may suggest where to look for reasons. Furthermore, where data are of low quality, the benchmarks provide a check on the reliability of the reported prevalence.

Many factors—such as differences in marriageable age, mortality, population …

Striving To Live The Principle In Utah's First Temple City: A Snapshot Of Polygamy In St. George, Utah, In June 1880, Kathryn M. Daynes

BYU Studies Quarterly

This article is one of a set on the practice of polygamy in the Mormon settlement of St. George, Utah, from 1861 to 1880. For years researchers have known that St. George had an unusually high percentage of its population living in polygamous households and have been grappling with the reason why and what those high percentages tell us about the practice of plural marriage in Utah generally.

The demographic work to understand the lives of those families in plural marriage is labor intensive, and this article provides only a snapshot of it in June 1880, when Daniel Handley McAllister …

The Persistence Of Polygamy, Scattering Of The Saints, And Modern Polygamy In The United States, Lara Burton, John C. Hamer, Cardell K. Jacobson, Craig L. Foster, Eric A. Eliason, Newell G. Bringhurst

BYU Studies Quarterly

NEWELL G. BRINGHURST, CRAIG L. FOSTER, editors. The Persistence of Polygamy: Joseph Smith and the Origins of Mormon Polygamy. Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books, 2010.

NEWELL G. BRINGHURST, JOHN C. HAMER. Scattering of the Saints: Schism within Mormonism. Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books, 2007.

CARDELL K. JACOBSON, LARA BURTON. Modern Polygamy in the United States: Historical, Cultural, and Legal Issues.New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Each of these three anthologies collects a variety of scholarly articles on the interrelated topics of Mormon schismatic groups, contemporary polygamy, and the history of plural marriage. Each book is geared not only to …

The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall, Angela Hallstrom

BYU Studies Quarterly

Brady Udall's The Lonely Polygamist, published in 2010, arrived amid a wave of pop-culture interest in the polygamist lifestyle: HBO's Big Love was gearing up for its finale; TLC's reality show Sister Wives had just hit the airwaves; and real-life stories of Warren Jeffs, child brides, and FLDS compounds were common tabloid fare. Although Udall had been at work on his novel for many years before polygamy became a hot cultural topic, some skeptical readers--Mormon and non-Mormon alike--wondered if the novel's intentions were more sensational than literary. Once reviews began rolling in, however, it became clear that The Lonely Polygamist …

Nauvoo Polygamy: " . . But We Called It Celestial Marriage", Thomas G. Alexander

BYU Studies Quarterly

Although focusing on the introduction of plural marriage by Joseph Smith, Nauvoo Polygamy is also an analysis of the background of pre-Mormon polygamy, a consideration of the expansion of the institution, and the testimony of those who entered it. Significantly, it is the first attempt since Todd Compton's In Sacred Loneliness to provide a critical list and analysis of the women whom Joseph married. It is not, however, an attempt to provide a statistical analysis of plural marriage, and its consideration of the operation of plural family life is much shorter than we find in the works of Kathryn Daynes …

Touring Polygamous Utah With Elizabeth W. Kane, Winter 1872–1873, Lowell C. Bennion, Thomas R. Carter

BYU Studies Quarterly

This article, originally a lecture given at Brigham Young University in 2009, was published as part of a special issue of BYU Studies featuring Thomas L. Kane. Although Kane was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was an advocate for the Mormon cause and a trusted friend of Mormon leaders for almost forty years. Bennion and Carter consider the ideas presented by Elizabeth Kane, Thomas's wife, who expressed her dismay with plural marriage in her writings about her visit to Utah in 1872–73. The authors combine Elizabeth's views with their interest in Mormon …

Polygamy On The Pedernales: Lyman Wight's Mormon Villages In Antebellum Texas, 1845 To 1858, Melvin C. Johnson, Ken Driggs

BYU Studies Quarterly

Polygamy on the Pedernales is about the Mormon settlements in Texas during the 1840s and 1850s, whose primary allegiance was to Lyman Wight. Christened the "Wild Ram of the Mountains" by the New York Sun, Wight was ordained an Apostle by Joseph Smith in 1841. Because he was "charismatic, intensely personal, and often domineering in his dealings with others," writes author Melvin C. Johnson, "the Wild Ram became influential with Joseph Smith." Wight's group broke with Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve, and they pursued Wight's vision of a Latter-day Saint safe haven in Texas, which Wight …

Letters On Mormon Polygamy And Progeny: Eliza R. Snow And Martin Luther Holbrook, 1866–1869, Jill Mulvay Derr, Matthew J. Grow

BYU Studies Quarterly

Almost from their inception, cinematic media and technologies have been accepted and appropriated with surprising enthusiasm by Iranians and Mormons alike. Both cultures appear to have embraced cinema as a natural outgrowth of their lively and longstanding appreciation for art and family-oriented entertainment in general. The author finds that the artistic progress and quality of Mormon cinema as of 2009 has thus far, with few exceptions, fallen short of its potential, while Iranian film artists have made an astonishing number of spiritually profound, culturally insightful, and cinematically sophisticated films despite having formidable obstacles. The author encourages Mormon filmmakers to attain …

Doing The Works Of Abraham: Mormon Polygamy, Its Origin, Practice, And Demise. Kingdom In The West: The Mormons And The American Frontier, Volume 9, B. Carmon Hardy, Kathryn M. Daynes

BYU Studies Quarterly

Joining a significant topic with one of its preeminent scholars is a certain formula for an important book. Such is Doing the Works of Abraham by B. Carmon Hardy. Polygamy shaped nineteenth-century Mormonism's relationship with the remainder of the world, and Hardy has written numerous articles and books on the topic, including Solemn Covenant, named Best Book of the Year for 1992 by the Mormon History Association. The publication of this documentary history of nineteenth-century plural marriage is thus a major event in the ongoing scholarship on the topic.

The subtitle of the book accurately reflects the scope of the …

Big Love, Season 1 (2006) And Season 2 (2007) By Mark V. Olsen And Will Scheffer, Creators, Kent R. Bean

BYU Studies Quarterly

Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, creators. Big Love, season 1 (2006) and season 2 (2007). HBO Pictures.

Brian C. Hales. Modern Polygamy And Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations After The Manifesto., J. Michael Hunter

BYU Studies Quarterly

Brian C. Hales. Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2006

More Wives Than One: Transformation Of The Mormon Marriage System, 1840-1910 Kathryn M. Daynes, Sarah Barringer Gordon

BYU Studies Quarterly

Kathryn M. Daynes. More Wives Than One: Transformation of the Mormon Marriage System, 1840-1910. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001.

A Mysterious Image: Brigham Young With An Unknown Wife, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Robert F. Schwartz

BYU Studies Quarterly

Of the hundreds of images of Brigham Young, until recently only two were known that show Brigham posing with one of his wives. While rumors of a third such images have existed for some time, no one could find a copy of it until this year. What we found was a photograph of the original daguerreotype (fig. 1); the original itself, printed on a small coper plate, is still missing. This rumored image was mysterious not only because it had disappeared but also because the wife's face on the daguerreotype had been completely obliterated. Unanswered questions regarding its damage make …

The Mormon Question: Polygamy And Constitutional Conflict In Nineteenth-Century America Sarah Barringer Gordon, Terryl L. Givens

BYU Studies Quarterly

Sarah Barringer Gordon. The Mormon Question: Polygamy and Constitutional Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002.

The Mormon Question: Polygamy And Constitutional Conflict In Nineteenth-Century America Sarah Barringer Gordon, Nathan B. Oman

BYU Studies Quarterly

Sarah Barringer Gordon. The Mormon Question: Polygamy and Constitutional Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 2002.

Kidnapped From That Land: The Government Raids On The Short Creek Polygamists By Martha Sonntag Bradley, Ray Jay Davis

BYU Studies Quarterly

Martha Sonntag Bradley. Kidnapped from That Land: The Government Raids on the Short Creek Polygamists. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1993. xii; 260 pp. Illustrations, appendices, bibliography, index. $29.95.

Letters Of Catharine Cottam Romney, Plural Wife By Jennifer Moulton Hansen; Mormon Odyssey: The Story Of Ida Hunt Udall, Plural Wife Edited By Maria S. Ellsworth; Prisoner For Polygamy: The Memoirs And Letters Of Rudger Clawson At The Utah Territorial Penitentiary, 1884-87 Edited By Stan Larson, Kathryn M. Daynes

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

A Sermon In The Desert: Belief And Behavior In Early St. George, Utah Larry M. Logue, Armand L. Mauss

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Mormon Polygamous Families: Life In The Principle Jessie L. Embry, Kahlile Mehr

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Polygamist's Wife: The True Story Of One Woman's Struggle With Modern-Day Polygamy Melissa Merrill {Pseud.}, Elouise M. Bell

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Eliza R. Snow's “Sketch Of My Life”: Reminiscences Of One Of Joseph Smith's Plural Wives, Spencer J. Palmer

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.