Religion Commons^™

"I Was Not Ready To Die Yet": William Stowell's Utah War Ordeal, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D., R. Devan Jensen

Faculty Publications

In the fall of 1857, young wives Cynthia Jane Stowell and Sophronia Stowell bade fare­well to their husband, William R. R. Stowell, a lieutenant in the Utah militia working to hinder the US Army from entering Utah Territory. That winter they received word that William had been captured and was being held prisoner at Camp Scott, in present-day Wyoming. The Utah War arose from a complex web of causes and motivations: federal and Utah territorial authorities often clashed regarding Mormon authority and influence in the territorial court sys­tem, the mail service, policies regarding American-Indian relations, polygamy, and the moral character …

Utah’S Role In Protecting The Mormon Trail During The Civil War, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This chapter (from the 2015 book “Far Away in the West: Reflections on the Mormon Pioneer Trail” published by the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center) sets the stage for Utah Territory’s role protecting the Mormon Trail during the Civil War by outlining the Utah War (1857-1858). This essay begins by comparing and contracting Washington, DC’s wartime interest in the trail with that of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Utah Territory. The essay then outlines the changing parties who were responsible for the trail between 1861 and 1865 – the U.S. Army (spring-summer 1861), no one …

The Living Earth: A Nineteenth-Century Latter-Day Saint Perspective, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

By studying the worldview of Mormons living in the nineteenth century, we can better understand their interpretation of nature and their relationship to it. For Mormons of that era, the earth was alive and deeply affected by the attitudes and actions of the humans living upon it. Nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints spoke frequently of the earth, its nature, and its relationship to humanity. They referred to the earth in anthropomorphic terms. It was a living orb endowed with intelligence and feelings. The earth’s life paralleled that of the humans who lived on it. So entwined were the lives of the earth …

Prophets Rendering Christlike Service: Looking To Peter As An Example, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This chapter (from the 2014 book “An Eye of Faith,” a festschrift for Dr. Richard O. Cowan, published by the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center) shares examples of prophetic service from Peter the Apostle to each of the prophets of the Restoration—from Joseph Smith, Jr. to Thomas S. Monson. Many of the stories included about modern prophets are not widely known.

Mormon Motivation For Enlisting In The Civil War, Brant Ellsworth, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of several Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Union and Confederate soldiers who served in the American Civil War.

Ben E. Rich: Sharing The Gospel Creatively, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The life and missionary work of Ben E. Rich. President of the Southern States Mission and the States Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

Utah And The Civil War Press, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of how Mormons were treated in the national press during the American Civil War with an emphasis on polygamy, statehood requests, loyalty, and Brigham Young.

This chapter was originally published (and reprinted in "Civil War Saints" with permission):

Kenneth L. Alford, “Utah and the Civil War Press.” Utah Historical Quarterly 80, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 75–92.

What's In A Name? The Establishment Of Camp Douglas, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D., William P. Mackinnon

Faculty Publications

A discussion of the establishment (1862) of Camp Douglas, Utah Territory -- named by Col. Patrick Edward Connor after U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas.

Indian Relations In Utah During The Civil War, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of native American (Indian) relations in Utah Territory during the Civil War, including the differing policies of Mormon president Brigham Young and U.S. Army commander Colonel Patrick Edward Connor, the January 1863 Bear River Massacre (called the Battle of Bear River at that time), Indian superintendents, treaties, and reservations.

Latter-Day Saint Poetry And Songs Of The Utah War, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

During the Utah War (1857–58), Latter‐day Saints wrote and published a large number of poems and song expressing their loyalty to the Church, anger at the federal government, and defiance of the United States soldiers who were marching toward Utah Territory. This article places those poems and stories in context and shares many of them.

The Salt Lake Theatre: Brigham's Playhouse, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D., Robert C. Freeman Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A history of the Salt Lake Theatre (dedicated in 1862).

Camp Douglas: Keeping A Watchful Eye On The Saints, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of the establishment (1862) and early years of Camp Douglas, Utah Territory. Discusses the tense relationship between Brigham Young and Colonel (later Brigadier General) Patrick Edward Connor, U.S. Army commander of Camp Douglas.

Review Of Innocent Blood: Essential Narratives Of The Mountain Meadows Massacre, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

A review of the book Innocent Blood: Essential Narratives of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, edited by David L. Bigler and Will Bagley (Norman, Okla.: Arthur H. Clark, 2008), the twelfth volume of the Kingdom in the West book series.

The Youngs At West Point, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

In 1871, Willard Young, eleventh son of Brigham Young, was the first Mormon to receive an appointment to West Point Academy. His attendance at the military academy drew national attention and criticism from opponents of polygamy. Despite the opposition, he soon gained the respect of his classmates and graduated fourth in his class. He returned to teach engineering in 1879, served in the Spanish-American War, earning a commendation from President McKinley, and during World War I was supervisor of army engineering work on the Missouri River. In 1877, one of Brigham's grandsons, Richard W. Young, was the second Mormon to …

Cousin Laman In The Wilderness: The Beginnings Of Brigham Young's Indian Policy, Richard E. Bennett

Faculty Publications

Historians of the American West have observed that compared with most other mid-19th century American overlanders, whether Oregon-bound farmers or California Agronauts, the Mormons enjoyed a relatively more amicable, more peaceful relationship with the American Indian. Furthermore several contend with cause that Brigham Young was the principal architect of peace with the Ute, Shoshoni, Navaho, Hopi, and other tribes in the deserts and valleys of "Deseret," the Mormon Zion in the Great Basin Kingdom. Leonard Arrington, Davis Bitton, James Allen, and other modern writers have argued that Young pursued a conciliatory (if not self protective and condescending) policy toward the …