Mormon Studies Commons^™

Direct And Mediating Relationships Between Divine Grace, Legalism, And Mental Health, Branwyn H. Mccormick

Senior Honors Theses

Positive psychology has popularized the integration of religious ideas into psychological treatment. According to the literature, the experience of divine grace is correlated with favorable mental health outcomes, whereas legalistic attitudes are correlated with adverse mental health outcomes. It has also been found that the experience of divine grace is a mediator between legalism and mental health. However, the constructs of divine grace and legalism have both been relatively unexplored aside from a few studies using Latter-day Saints (LDS) populations. The current study seeks to analyze relationships between divine grace, legalism, and mental health using a conservative evangelical Christian population. …

From Mission To Competition: The Experiences Of 10 Lds Missionary Student-Athletes Returning To Competition In The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, Matthew J. Moore, Leslee A. Fisher, Lindsey A. Miossi, Zach T. Smith, Jacob C. Jensen,

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

The purpose of the current study was to explore the experiences of LDS missionary student-athletes returning to competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (DI). Using Consensual Qualitative Research methods (CQR; Hill, 2012) including a semi-structured interview guide, 10 DI student-athletes/returned LDS missionaries were interviewed regarding their experience (i.e., mean age of 25 years; baseball, cross-country/track and field, football, and swimming). A research team with five members constructed four domains and 16 categories representing DI student-athlete/returned LDS missionary chronological identity changes during this experience: (a) the development of an LDS missionary identity; (b) challenges associated with returning …

The Mountain Meadows Massacre: Examining The Tragedy From A Social Psychological Perspective, Spencer C. Black

Theses and Dissertations

In September 1857, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints massacred emigrants traveling through southern Utah to California. The perpetrators, who were also members of the Cedar City militia, slaughtered one hundred and twenty men, women, and children. They only spared seventeen young children. Historians have written at length about this event. In this paper, I analyze the Mountain Meadows Massacre through the perspective of social-psychological constructs. In particular, I use the constructs of human motivation, moral disengagement, group behavior, and obedience to authority to help provide further understanding regarding how seemingly ordinary Christian people committed such …

Clark Memorandum: Fall 2020, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• A Feast of Fat Things
• And When He Came to Himself
• No Other Gods Before Me
• The Economics of Goodness

Read on Issuu

Perceptions Of Child Wellbeing And Attitudes Towards Polygamy Between Members And Non-Members Of The Lds Church, Mccall Bowcut Lyon

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Perceptions of the wellbeing of children in polygamous families and attitudes toward polygamy in general were examined in this study, with comparisons between individuals who have a history of membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and individuals who have never been members of the LDS church. No significant differences were found between members and non-members. Comparisons were also made between current and past members of the LDS church, resulting in only one significant difference: support/opposition for the legalization of polygamy. These results suggest that having a recent religious history of practicing polygamy does not necessarily …

A 17-Year Longitudinal Study Of Religion And Mental Health In A Mormon Sample, Jeremy D. Bartz, P. Scott Richards, Timothy B. Smith, Lane Fischer

Faculty Publications

In 1984, 1987, and 2001, data were collected on a religiously devout group of college students (N=53) in an effort to better understand the process of religious development and the relationship between religiosity and mental health. This study analyzes those data by examining the relationship between devoutness and psychopathology over time, the correlations between intrinsic religiosity and indices of psychopathology, the stability of religious motivations over the course of adulthood, and the stability of two different religious development styles that were identified in 1984. This study found that (1) these religiously devout individuals have consistently fallen within the normal range …

Measuring Prejudiced Attitudes Toward Mexicans In Latter-Day Saint Missionaries During Missionary Service In The American Southwest, Jared A. Montoya

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the foundations of prejudiced attitudes toward Mexicans held by White Americans and to investigate a means of reducing it, paying specific attention to prejudice found within a subpopulation of White Americans. The origins of American prejudice toward Mexicans are outlined using both historical and psychological explanations. An understanding of these origins leads to the notion that increased favorable contact is the best method for reducing prejudice. A field study focusing on prejudice toward Mexicans among ecclesiastical volunteers demonstrated that missionary service can be considered a means of favorable contact. Eighty-one White American …

From The Individual To Individualism: A Critique Of The Helping Professions, Timothy B. Smith, Matthew R. Draper

Faculty Publications

Individualistic values characterize contemporary society and many popular approaches to mental health treatment. This paper critiques the individualistic values embedded in the helping professions that implicitly contradict the teachings ofJesus Christ, the surest foundation for mental health interventions. Members of AMCAP are encouraged to search out and replace problematic values that contradict gospel teachings which have been integrated into contemporary mental health practice.

Time As Motivation: Selected Theories As Compared To Modern Revelation, Jill Judkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes that human beings by virtue of living in each new present moment are motivated to develop strategies to secure the best possible outcome in their lived experience. A personal account of the phenomenological experience of time is presented and a brief history is given. The implications associated with being thrown into the present moment make apparent the weaknesses of the current assumptions that the slices of the present moment form a continuity of past and future and create a coherent synthesis of life. The assumption that human beings are intentional, goal-directed, and prone to seek meaning in …

Making Friends To Last A Lifetime: An Ethnographic Study Of Parasocial Relationships And Soap Opera Characters, Emmalee Elizabeth Haight Pryor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to build theory about parasocial relationships and to examine what affect, if any, religion had on parasocial relationships. Using qualitative methods, the researcher watched the show three times with five women followed by an in-depth interview. The women chosen were LDS stay-at-home moms who had watched a soap opera for at least a year.
From this data came several surprising findings about religion and soap opera viewing. The women said they did not feel guilty about the content of the shows, rather the time required to watch. This guilt was alleviated by structuring their …

Dating Behavior Of Latter-Day Saint Male Returned Missionaries: A Process Of Managing Desires, Nancy C. Mclaughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Each year thousands of Latter-day Saint males return to their homes after serving a two year religious mission. According to Latter-day Saint doctrine and cultural beliefs, these young men are expected to resume a normal life including dating and involvement in romantic relationships. Research and Latter-day Saint doctrine related to the dating behavior of returned missionaries (RMs) is reviewed. Most previous research has emphasized the quantitative analysis of single aspects of RMs dating behavior such as dating frequency and social status. In an attempt to add to this field of research, this qualitative analysis explored the attitudes and experiences of …

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.

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 …

Risk-Taking Predispositions Among Mormon Women: Improving Communication About Health And Environmental Risks, Shelly Nicholls

Theses and Dissertations

This study measures risk-taking predisposition among a conservative religious population of women, in this instance Mormon women. Risk taking is defined as a recognition of some probability of negative consequences to an action, which can include the loss of a potential reward as well as a punishment. A risk-taking predisposition results when individuals are not risk aversive but, in fact, enjoy risk taking.

Survey research collected at two conferences in Utah reveal the likelihood of moderate levels of rebellious and adventurous risk-taking predisposition among the over 500 Mormon women respondents. It is suggested that religious affiliation or economic and educational …

Other-Centeredness And Depression In A Sample Of Mormon Women, Janice G. Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

Other-centeredness and depression were examined to see if a relationship existed between the two. One scale measuring other-centeredness and another measuring depression were given to a sample of married Mormon women who did not work outside the home. Other-centeredness and depression were significantly negatively correlated. The women scoring in the top one-third of the range of other-centeredness scores suffered no depression on the depression scale. The factor most predictive for depression was the relationship the women had with her husband, and other-centeredness was found to overlap with this variable to some extent. The factors of health, income, and education were …

The Level And Determinants Of Burnout Of Mormon Mothers In A Utah Suburban Town, Christina Mordock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine burnout in Mormon mothers in a suburban Utah town. Specifically the amount and some determinants of burnout among these Mormon women was studied. A random sample of 266 Mormon mothers completed a questionnaire and a modified version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) which consisted of three subscales, (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment), and two categories in each subscale (Frequency and Intensity). The subjects scored in the moderately burned out category in each subscale. Significant relationships were found between the amount of burnout and the following: the age of the mother, …

Effects Of A Parent/Teen Workshop, Roberta Magarrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of a parent-teen structured family facilitation program (PAT). The study compared pre and post workshop scores on a number of dependent variables in a workshop, a replication of the workshop, and a comparison group.
Analysis of the data revealed no significant differences from pretest to post test in either of the groups. However when the groups were combined there were some statistically significant differences from pretest to post test. The fathers increased in their ability to transfer control while the mothers decreased in kindness. A few post hoc analyses …

Assessment Of Influence That The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Has On Exercise Habit Of Members Living In Utah County, Gary L. Preston

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified and analyzed the influence the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had on the decision of 309 respondents to exercise. The data obtained from the questionaires were analyzed using chi-square to compare males and females. Within the limitations of this study, the following conclusions were justified: women were more influenced by the LDS Church to exercise than men; LDS males and females exercised more than average American adults; walking, jogging, and aerobic dance were the most popular choices of LDS exercisers; and, there is a need to improve the awareness of LDS members concerning the Physical …

Parental Induction, Coercion, And Support And Adolescent Church Attendance, Stephen B. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

The study was an effort to determine the relationship between certain parental behaviors and church attendance of children of high school age. Eight parental factors, each consisting of certain behaviors, were used: support, coercion, positive induction, and negative induction for each parent.

Data were gathered with a self-report instrument which was mailed to a random sample of high school students in Sanpete County, Utah.

There were moderate correlations at high levels of significance between four of the parental factors and children's church attendance. Factor analysis demonstrated structural equivalence between six of the eight factors in this study and previous ones. …

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.

Changes In Scholastic Achievement And Intelligence Of Indian Children Enrolled In A Foster Placement Program, Linda Ouida Willson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the long-term effects of the Indian Placement Program on the enrolled students' scholastic achievement as measured by standardized tests given in the schools. It also examines intelligence test scores and changes in them during years in the Program. The following effects on achievement were also examined: sex, age and grade at initial placement, and the child's adjustment as measured by number of foster homes in which he had been placed.

The Godbeite Movement: A Dissent Against Temporal Control, Grant H. Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

The approach of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 posed several real and imagined threats to the Mormon Kingdom in the Great Basin. The Pacific Railroad ended Mormon geographic isolation and brought economic competition from the States. The railroad also made it possible for miners to get to the gold fields faster and with the heave equipment necessary to make Utah mining profitable. Sensing the political problems and the social and moral evils that would accompany the railroad, the Mormon leaders, in hopes of meeting these problems, counseled to extend their economic goal of self-sufficiency. Through stepped-up cooperation and unity they …

A Study Of The Concerns Of Eleventh And Twelfth Grade Seminary Students By Sex And Grade In Areas Covered By The Thirty-Five Directional Objectives Of The Lds Seminary System, M. Richard Maxfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the concerns of eleventh and twelfth grade L.D.S. Seminary students in areas covered by each of the thirty-five directional objectives of the L.D.S. Seminary System and to determine whether significant differences occur on the basis of grade and sex. A student inventory was constructed to measure concerns. The question of which directional objectives cause the greatest concern was to be answered for each male and female, junior and senior group. Five null hypotheses were formulated hypothesizing no differences in concerns between juniors and seniors, male and female groups.
The student inventory was …

A Comparison Of A Selected Group Of Lds Seminary Teachers In Relation To Nine Criteria For Measuring Religious Maturity, Gilbert W. Hull

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis was designed as a follow up of a study completed in 1959 which developed nine criteria for measuring religious maturity. The objective of this study was to develop a scale based on the nine criteria and administer it to seminary teachers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to explore the possibility of measuring differences in religious maturity. It was assumed that younger teachers who obtained a degree in a human behaviorally-oriented field of study would show the greatest level of religious maturity.

A Study Of Boy Scout And Aaronic Priesthood Activity (Boys Age Twelve To Fourteen) In Selected Lds Wards, Orval Leonard Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This study had two main purposes. Its first is to test the theoretical proposition that there is a carry-over into other systems of behavior as a result of group cohesion. For example, as scouting activities increased, Aaronic Priesthood activities increased. And according to the reference group theory, individuals join reference groups to fulfill certain needs, wants, goals, etc. In an active Boy Scout program many of these needs, wants, and goals are satisfied as the boys participate in the activities outlined by the Boy Scouts of America. Furthermore, once these needs are satisfied, change toward conformity tends to carry over …

The Relationship Of Orthodoxy And Prejudice Among Seminary Students Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Donald Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

Research of the relationship between orthodoxy and prejudice is not clear. Some studies report those who acknowledge church membership to be less tolerant than those who do not. Other investigators find either slight differences or no differences among the attitudes of members of different religions. Still others find important differences in acceptance of orthodox religious beliefs and attitudes toward minority groups.

A Personality Comparison Of Students Born In The Mormon Church And Those Who Have Been Converted, Grant Broadbent Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The study of personality and its many facets is one of several significant areas in the field of psychology, which is being studied in detail. Personality, as a construct, is not often well defined and less often well understood, since it is a composite of such varied factors as perception, motivation, learning, culture and so on. Because of this present lack of clarity it must and will be discussed, written about, and experimented with until a clear, operant definition, acceptable to psychology, has been devised.

Certain Basic Concepts In The Educational Philosophy Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints 1830-1930, Wendell O. Rich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study is an attempt to search out and define, where possible, certain basic concepts in the educational philosophy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints during its first century from 1830 to 1930. Commonly known as the Mormon Church, the membership numbered approximately one million two hundred thousand in 1954. While concentrated largely in the Western United States area, it has many congregations across the United States and scattered in countries throughout the world. Showing an active interest in education, the Church has sponsored a program both formal and informal in nature. This program, with its accompanying …