Justin Dosey
Mormons in the 1830’s and 40’s The United States of America is said to be an “International melting pot,” inhabited by a number of culturally diverse people. Each and every distinct group has played their part in the development of nation whether ‘twas good or bad. I believe that the members of “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” (otherwise known as Mormons) have proved to be crucial to the growth of the U.S.A. in every aspect. After the establishment of religion in 1827, Mormons have been the target of persecution and discrimination by many. The bulk of this persecution occurred in 1836 when a group of rebel militia attacked Mormon headquarters located in Northern Missouri. This ambush against the Mormons sparked an onslaught of hate crimes to come. After being exiled from Missouri and Illinois, Brigham Young led an intrepid party of immigrants into the Great Salt Lake valley in 1847. The population grew rapidly, and by 1849, the Mormons had managed to form a civil government with Young at the helm. This brief summary has set the stage for this report, where I will evaluate Mormons of the 1830’s and 40’s and enlighten you on their beliefs, culture, and impact throughout American History.

Establishment of Religion
The establishment of the LDS church is a very interesting story that many people do not understand. “In the spring of 1820, a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees near his home in Palmyra, New York, and prayed to learn which church he should join. In answer to his prayer, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him, just as heavenly beings had appeared to prophets like Moses and Paul in biblical times.” Joseph learned that the Church originally organized by Jesus Christ was no longer on the earth. Joseph Smith was chosen by God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth. During the next 10 years, Joseph was visited by other heavenly messengers, translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God, and received divine authority to organize the Church. The Church was organized in Fayette, New York, on 6 April 1830, under the leadership of Joseph Smith. It has grown to an organization with members and congregations throughout the world.
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens...I say, if you were to see him to-day, you would see him like a man in form -- like yourselves, in all the person, image, and very form as a man....it is necessary that we should understand the character and being of God, and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity, I will refute that idea, and will take away and do away the veil, so that you may see. and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did." This quote from Joseph Smith is a perfect example of a Mormon belief that many people dispute. People thought that Smith was crazy for prophesying that God and Jesus were human with flesh and bones. Many people disagree with Mormon beliefs purely because they are misinformed. False rumors surround the religion due to the fact that some people are ignorant. "We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice..” The Religious beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have been the same since the establishment of the church in 1827. At the core of a Mormon’s testimony is faith in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and Joseph Smith’s restoration of the true church on earth. A basic belief in these truths is the foundation of a testimony of the Mormon Church. Mormons believe and strive to follow the Ten Commandments and the Articles of Faith, which outline more basic Mormon beliefs. Because members of the Mormon Church believe in a modern day prophet, they are open to revelation from the Lord to change or expand the Church. Membership in the Mormon Church influences every aspect of the lives of its members.
Mormons follow The Word of Wisdom, a commandment that forbids drinking alcohol, coffee, tea, or using tobacco or illegal drugs. The law of tithing was later given to the people. Mormons believe in dressing modesty. Mormons refrain from recreating or shopping on Sundays in order to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. Living the Mormon lifestyle is easy when one has a true and strong testimony of the fundamental beliefs of the true and revealed gospel. Living these commandments brings joy and stability, freedom, and safety to followers of Christ.

The beginning of hate crimes.
The wholesome and righteous lifestyle that Mormon’s display on an everyday bases is the main cause of their churches rapid expansion. The church has grown to over 14.1 billion members around the globe, and without the Latter Day Saints of the 1830’s and 40’s this success would not have been possible. The unbelievable barrage of persecution and cruelty that the early Mormons faced was unreal. This passage below accurately displays one example that members faced:
“In the jails at Richmond and Liberty, Joseph and the other prisoners endured inhuman depravity and degradation. They lived in unsanitary conditions, were fed poisoned food which caused them to vomit, were almost fed "Mormon meat", (which turned out to be human flesh), and were forced to listen as guards bragged about how they sexually violated Mormon women in the crudest terms. While still chained up Joseph severely rebuked the guards and they apologized. Back at Far West, survivors were told they would never see Joseph alive again, and the 6,000 residents were driven out of the state in the dead of winter. This was the setting that caused Joseph Smith to lament from the jail's hay-strewn floor to The Lord.” Missourians inflicted these animosities upon members, for reasons that not many people can explain, or even understand. They commited hate crimes, because they thought the Mormons were “evil.” As indicated in the following statement from a mob announcement in 1839:
"We, the undersigned, citizens of Jackson County, believing that an important crisis is at hand, as regards our civil society, in consequence of a pretended religious sect of people, that have settled and are still settling in our county, styling themselves Mormons: and intending as we do to rid our society, peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must: and believing as we do, that the arm of the civil law does not afford us a guarantee, or at least a sufficient one, against the evils which are now inflicted upon us, and seem to be increasing by the said religious sect; deem it expedient and of the highest importance, to form ourselves into a company for the better and easier accomplishment of our purpose; a purpose which we deem it almost superfluous to say, is justified as well by the law of nature as by the law of self- preservation.”(Palmer 2002) This violence led to a conflict in 1838, known as the “Mormon War.” Which was a territorial conflict between Latter Day Saints and their neighbors in the northwestern region of Missouri. Sidney Rigdon uttered this statement in his famous 4th of July speech in 1838:
“And that mob that comes on us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination; for we will follow them until the last drop of their blood is spilled; or else they will have to exterminate us, for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed.”
Joseph Smith approved of the speech and it was subsequently printed in The Far West, a weekly newspaper, and the church's own Elders' Journal. A few months after Rigdon’s Speech, the first skirmish between the two sides erupted, which is known as the “Gallatin Election Day Battle.” At the start of the brawl, Mormon John Butler let out a call, "Oh yes, you Danites, here is a job for us!" Which rallied the Mormons and allowed them to drive off their opponents. Missourians perceived this attack as Mormon aggression, and officially declared War. The following passage is from Congrave Jackson to the Citizens of Howard County: “The war is commenced; blood has been shed. They shed it. They waylayed and fired upon a body of the citizens of Carroll County, & wounded some. They are the aggressors. They have been guilty of high treason, they have violated the laws and shed the blood of our citizens, and we think this one of the cases of emergency in which the people ought to take the execution of justice in their own hands. Speedy action is necessary. The progress of their imposition, insult and oppression ought to be checked in the beginning. The people must act together. They must act energetically.”

The war waged from August 6, 1838 to November 1, 1838, and ended with surrender by Joseph Smith at Far West. During the entire 3 month conflict a total of 22 Mormons were killed. Although the death toll was nominal, Mormons lost much more than a few good men. Everything that they once loved and cherished was stripped from them. The members were left defenseless and forced to evacuate the place they once called home.

A new beginning
Bruised and battered by hate crimes, The Mormons began a trek to Utah led by Brigham Young. When Brigham Young and 3,000 Mormons set out for Utah on February 4, 1846, expedition leaders expected to reach their goal by the coming winter. But unforeseen difficulties forced the Mormons to abandon their original schedule. “The journey was split into two sections: Nauvoo to Omaha, Nebraska in 1846; and, Omaha to the Salt Lake Valley of Utah in 1847.” The first section - 265 miles - tested the Mormons most severely. Although plans had already been made for the first group to leave Nauvoo in the spring of 1846, rumors of federal persecution and revocation of the Nauvoo city charter persuaded Brigham Young to begin the move earlier than expected. February that year in Iowa was marked by harsh weather and bitter cold. With 500 wagons, the Mormons grimly faced miles of axle-deep mud bogs and rough, obscure trails. Many of the emigrants were unskilled in trail life and leadership was disorganized. Because of the hurried departure, important provisions had been left behind by many families.
“All of these factors combined to cause difficulties on a day-to-day basis. Yet as the Mormons forged ahead, they became more organized and began traveling in groups of 10s, 50s or 100s. To make things easier on Mormons who had delayed their departure from Nauvoo, improvements were made to the route along the way. Settlements such as Garden Grove and Mt. Pisgah were established to provide way stations for the coming immigration. Finally, by June 13, 1846, the first group of Mormons reached the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa. It had taken 120 days to cross 265 miles for an average of 2.25 miles a day. Some of these Mormons stayed in Council Bluffs, which was renamed Kanesville, while others crossed the Missouri and established Winter Quarters in present-day Omaha. Brigham Young decided that the original plan to reach the Rockies by fall was now impossible. The Mormons would be staying on the Missouri until the following spring. Winter Quarters would prove to be a harsh stopping place during the winter of 1846-1847.” By the time the spring of 1847 approached in Winter Quarters, nearly 400 Mormon lives had been lost to various causes. Yet there was a vital bit of good news during their stay. The news came when the famous Jesuit, Father Pierre Jean de Smet, passed through Winter Quarters on his way east. The Jesuit was one of the few white men who had ever seen the Great Salt Lake. His information on routes and conditions was extended freely to the Mormons, who eagerly anticipated their next move west. On April 5, 1847, Brigham Young led the first Mormon wagon train out of Winter Quarters bound for Utah. Conditions, timing, experience and organization were on the Mormons' side this time and the trip went much easier than the previous year's trial. “148 people, three of whom were women, 72 wagons, and a large collection of livestock made up this first group.” For this first leg of the journey, the Mormons generally followed the Oregon Trail, also known as the Great Platte River Road. The well-beaten route took them along the Platte River through Nebraska, then along the North Platte River to Fort Caspar, then across Wyoming to Fort Bridger.
At Fort Bridger on July 9, the Mormons left the Oregon Trail with 116 miles left to go. The previous year, the Reed-Donner party had blazed a route across Utah on their way to California. The Mormons took advantage of this route and followed it through the Wasatch Range and into the Great Salt Lake region. Yet this last 116 miles were the most difficult of the entire journey. The people were filthy and weary and both wagons and livestock were weakened from the previous 1,000 miles of trail. The Wasatch Range proved to be a formidable barrier with its brush-choked canyons and steep passes. Finally, on July 24, 1847, the first group of Mormons arrived at their new home in the Great Salt Lake Valley. Immediately, the Mormons began establishing the makings of a town and planted crops in preparation for the coming Mormon emigrants. From 1847 to 1869, until the completion of the transcontinental railroad, nearly 70,000 Mormons would make the journey along the Mormon Trail. The Trek to Utah is known as one of the greatest movements in American history. The westward expansion of the pioneers was riddled with harsh conditions. But through shear will and determination the Mormon were able to endure. However, the main objective of this report is to elaborate upon the social, economical and political effects that the LDS culture introduced to our nation.

Social Influence?
The first area that I would like to expand on is the social aspect. Per usual the average Mormon family in the 1840’s was the model of perfection. At this point in history, American society had never seen moral standards that were so high. Due to this Mormons were classified as “different.” And for most of its history, the Church has had to reconcile its own beliefs and moral standards with the reality that these beliefs were not shared by the majority of persons around them. As a result, the Church developed a new approach to social issues that focused on living as examples to those around them, in their individual communities and on selective social action in regard to morally informed issues such as pornography, alcohol, and marriage. The values that they withheld made it difficult to follow, due to the wickedness that surrounded them. However, some people realized the religions righteousness and converted to Mormonism immediately. Latter Day Saints members carried themselves with a righteous demeanor, which correlated directly with the churches rapid expansion, and their influences on society. However they also affected our nation by their specific “social order.” The Mormon social order, referred to by some scholars as a theocratic-democracy, embodied a unique combination of democracy, hierarchy, and authoritarianism. All adult males possessed the franchise. Moreover, “Mormonism did not possess a priesthood or organized, specially trained, and paid clergy. In effect, it obliterated the distinction between clergy and laity by making all adult males from the age of twelve members of the priesthood who could ascend as they matured from the lowest to the highest rank or "quorum" of the priesthood.” After Brigham Young, the position of president and prophet devolved on the eldest surviving member of the Council of Twelve Apostles. Females, though "sealed" as "saints," were not admitted to the priesthood nor granted the right to vote, though they did have a series of special, gender-based roles and associations. At the core of the Mormon social order, especially as it developed in the Desert Kingdom of remote and isolated Utah, was its unique familial organization rooted in the practice of polygamy. The extraordinary motion and mobility of American society that launched thousands upon thousands of families into a kind of rootless nomadism destroyed most vestiges of the broader kinship networks that had characterized much of eighteenth-century America. Again and again, in diaries and letters as well as in newspapers and tracts of various description, Americans decried the evils of "isolated households." The familial organization of Mormon society countered this society by incorporating its members into a resolutely patriarchal structure that seemed not only to restore but to extend and strengthen patriarchal authority and the scope and power of kinship by grounding it in Hebraic models drawn from the Old Testament and reinforced by the ongoing revelations to the Mormon prophet. Mormonism was organizationally, culturally, and intellectually comprehensive, cohesive, and complete. To many it proved a welcome antidote to a highly fluid society of individualism in which people sought improvement and prosperity for themselves and their families at the same time as they craved a sense of belonging and sought out various forms of community. The comprehensiveness of Mormonism, moreover, combined with its self-contained isolation and sense of itself as different, superior, and exclusive, provided its adherents with a sense of identity, belonging, and esteem comparable to that which Afro-Christian religions provided enslaved African Americans and which Roman Catholicism provided nineteenth-century Irish immigrants. Although the Mormons of the 1830’s and 40’s were righteous and had a positive influence upon the citizen’s of our nation, there still remained several sources of anti-Mormon hostility. The passage below accurately depicts some of that hostility. “Most Protestant Americans perceived Mormonism as an alien and threatening force, almost as "un-American" outsiders at odds with "native" American values and beliefs as the Roman Catholic Irish immigrants. The Mormons exhibited a sense of exclusiveness, superiority and righteousness --they condemned all existing forms of Christianity as false religions. But, unlike such exclusive, doctrinally idiosyncratic groups as the Shakers who provoked opposition and ridicule but little violence, the Mormons before the migration to Utah seemed to run counter as well to basic American democratic values and practices. Like the Masons and the "Monster Bank," the Mormons seemed to those who drove them out of Missouri and Illinois to represent an illegitimate concentration of power. Mormonism seemed a mysterious cult, cloaked in secrecy and bent on assembling illegitimate, almost monopolistic power that would prevent ordinary non-Mormons from fulfilling their dreams of democratic self-improvement and rise. And like Roman Catholicism, it seemed an un-American and antidemocratic form of religion whose adherents were under the dominion of an autocratic "prophet" who not only controlled belief but also dictated how believers should vote in secular elections.”

Political Contribution? Along with influencing America socially, Latter Day Saints also played a major roll in politics. In 1844, Joseph Smith ran for president of the United States, but his campaign was cut short by his murder in June of that year. “Smith espoused a theodemocracy in which he would lead the nation according to the will of God, which he would know through revelation, while maintaining most of the rights that then existed for American citizens.” After the Mormons moved to Utah in 1847, Brigham Young served as territorial governor, but was eventually replaced because the federal government suspected that a Mormon "rebellion" was in the offing. While Mormons dominated Utah politics and society, they were unable to control it completely. Mormons continued to dominate American politics in the 20th century. Apostle Ezra Taft Benson served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Eisenhower, and many Mormons have served as U.S. Senators and members of Congress, including the current Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid. Although Reid is a Democrat, the vast majority of Mormons who have served as nationally-elected representatives have been Republicans and have shaped public policy in accordance with the Church's socially conservative teachings. This is basically a precursor to the 2012 presidential election, where Mitt Romney (who is Mormon) is a leading candidate for the republican office. Leaders of the Mormon religion hold themselves with great dignity. They live by the motto “Choose The Right,” and I believe that as citizens of America, we can all agree that this is exactly what we need in today’s Government. As you can see Mormonism has contributed immensely to the political aspect of our Nation, and there is a chance, that through Mitt Romney, they will gain the presidency in the upcoming election.

Mormonism and Its Contribution to Westward Expansion!
The Latter Day Saints were one of the principal forces in the settlement of the West. ‘They were the most systematic, organized, disciplined and successful pioneers in our history.” Paving the way for westward expansion by settling several “livable,” cities throughout the Country. Aside from Salt Lake City, the Mormons founded more than 350 communities, from Idaho to Mexico and west to California. These provinces made travel west extremely convenient for pioneers to come. Mormons were also able to form strong bonds with Native American’s. Their efforts proved monumental to the (short-lived) friendship between Whites and Indians.

Conclusion
The Latter Day Saints were the most courageous group in American History. They were able to overcome hardships, and contribute to every aspect of American development, through righteousness and devotion to God. Under the great leadership of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young members found the strength to confront every difficulty with complete and utter control.
The main goal of the church, was, and always will be the spread of their gospel. And, “Since the establishment of religion in 1827… the Mormon church has grown to an unbelievable 6.1 million members.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints represents the epitome of “success,” and their contributions to America in the 30’s and 40’s are unbelievable. The Mormons have left their mark on our Nation, as one of the most diligent yet misunderstood in history.
In summation, I believe that the LDS church has played a monumental roll in the development of our Country, and without the Mormons of the 1830’s and 40’s our Nation would be in shambles.

Bibliography
Abanes, Richard, One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (Salt Lake City: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002), 127.
Baugh, Alexander, L. A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, (BYU Studies, 2000), 82-83.
Bushman, Richard, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (New York City: Signature, 2007), 4.
Congrave Jackson to The Citizens of Howard County, 7th October 1838, Letter Addressing Citizens of War against Mormons.
Corrill, John. A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (St. Louis: Signature, 1839) 45.
DeVoto, Bernard, The Year of Decision: 1846 (New York City, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, 2002), 82–86
Jessee, Dean. The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1984), 17.
Johnson, Clark V., Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 1833–1838 Missouri Conflict (Provo: BYU Publishing, 1992), 19.
LeSueur, Stephen, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Provo: University of Missouri Press, 1987), 231.
McGee, Joseph H., Story of the Grand River Country (Missouri: Gallatin, 1909), 21

Palmer, Grant, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins (Salt Lake City: Signature Books,
2002), 45-47.
Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994), 5.
Thorp, Joseph, Early Days in the West Along the Missouri One Hundred Years Ago. (Missouri: liberty, 1924), 26-27.
Cannon, Donald Q, and Lyndon W. Cook, eds.,The Far West Record: Minutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret Books, 1982), 93.

The Development of A Nation: Influences of Mormons in the 1830’s and 40’s
By: Justin Dosey

History 102
Professor Jahnel
May 2nd, 2012

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[ 1 ]. Corrill, John. A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (St. Louis: Signature, 1839) 45.
[ 2 ]. Palmer, Grant, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002), 45.
[ 3 ]. Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994), 5.
[ 4 ]. Bushman, Richard, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (New York City: Signature, 2007), 221.
[ 5 ]. Thorp, Joseph, Early Days in the West Along the Missouri One Hundred Years Ago. (Missouri: liberty, 1924), 26-27.
[ 6 ]. McGee, Joseph H., Story of the Grand River Country (Missouri: Gallatin, 1909), 21
[ 7 ]. LeSueur, Stephen, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Provo: University of
Missouri Press, 1987), 231.
[ 8 ]. Baugh, Alexander, L. A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, (BYU Studies, 2000), 82-83.
[ 9 ]. Congrave Jackson to The Citizens of Howard County, 7th October 1838, Letter Addressing Citizens of War against Mormons.
[ 10 ]. 10 Abanes, Richard, One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (Salt Lake City: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002), 127.
[ 11 ]. 11 Cannon, Donald Q, and Lyndon W. Cook, eds.,The Far West Record: Minutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret Books, 1982), 93.
[ 12 ]. McGee, Joseph H., Story of the Grand River Country (Missouri: Gallatin, 1909), 21
[ 13 ]. Jessee, Dean. The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1984), 17.
[ 14 ]. Jenkins, James H., Casus Belli: Ten Factors That Contributed to the Outbreak of the 1838 'Mormon War' in Missouri, Independence (Missouri: Blue and Grey Press, 1989),
[ 15 ]. DeVoto, Bernard, The Year of Decision: 1846 (New York City, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, 2002), 82–86.
[ 16 ]. Van Wagoner, Richard S., Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (Salt Lake City: Platte publishing, 1994).