Since becoming a student at brigham young university in September, 1965, the writer has been interested in the area of persuasion as it relates to public speaking, and especially as it relates to stake missionary activities. The purpose in this thesis is to determine selected characteristics of converts as listeners from Brigham Young University to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and compare them with characteristics determined by Audience Analysis by Wayne C. Minnick in his book "The Art of Persuasion".

A history of the early movements of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New England has never been written. The purpose of this study is to write that history showing the introduction, growth, and development of missionary activities of the Church in this area from 1830 to 1850.

In recent years the Brigham Young University Motion Picture Studio has been producing films with the specific purpose of appealing to the non-member or non-LDS (an abbreviation for Latter-Day Saint or Mormon) person. As a part of the Church's missionary program, these films are designed to persuade, convince and bring about conversion to the teachings of the Mormon Church. Consequently, in many phases of film production there is a bias factor. Members of the Church (employees of the Brigham Young University Motion Picture Studio) are endeavoring to determine the most effective themes and techniques to utilize in communicating to a non-LDS audience. The member, with his set attitudes and opinions, is attempting to understand and persuade the non-member. Because of this bias or slant, the following questions can be raised for examination: 1. Does an LDS produced non-member or missionary oriented film effectively communicate to the non-LDS person? 2. Do LDS produced films, designed as a missionary tool, cause a shift of attitudes within the non-member? 3. How do non-LDS people respond to the technical aspects (acting, visual effects) of an LDS produced film?

This thesis is specially concerned with the section of the Church now called Mar Thoma Syrian Church; it has therefore to leave out of consideration the various groups which live apart from that section, once the occasions of separation have been noticed. Thus we shall see that the Syrian Church has a loose-knit unity until 1653; for the last fifty years that period under Roman Control. Then about half of the Christians became Jacobite in allegiance. The work of the Christian Missionary Society, missionaries in the nineteenth century, led the coversion of a few families to the Anglican faith and the formation of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. We shall see more about this Church later on in this thesis.

The study was designed to be a critical assessment of the Snow-Machalek Conversion Typology. Data were collected from Mormon converts in the British Isles, and an attempt was made to apply the typology to these converts. It was assumed that if the typology could be effectively applied to Mormon converts, strong correlations would be found between its dimensions and quantitative measures of conversion. It was also assumed that social integration of converts would play an important part in the conversion process. The application of the typology proved to be very difficult; however, some dimensions seemed to be more useful than others. Social integration was very important for British converts to Mormonism. An alternative theoretical emphasis to the study of conversion is offered which stresses the importance of social integration in the development of a new global perspective.

One of John Taylor's most significant achievements during his mission to France, 1849-1851, was the publication of a French-language Latter-day Saint periodical, the Etoile du Déséret. Appearing in twelve issues from May 1851 to December 1852, the Etoile served a variety of functions for the earliest missionaries and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France. A study of its historical context and of its contents allows readers a glimpse into the circumstances under which the missionaries labored and into the needs of the growing Church. Furthermore, the Etoile provides a vivid example of John Taylor's spiritual leadership, proselytizing methods, and preaching skills.The French Mission was established in 1850, three years after the arrival of the Latter-day Saints in the Salt Lake Valley and two years after a revolution had removed the French monarchy from power and instituted a republic. Although civilization was just taking root in the Great Basin, several members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles departed on foreign missions in the fall of 1849, including John Taylor. Elder Taylor, his companion Curtis E. Bolton, and early convert Louis A. Bertrand took advantage of the liberties granted in the French constitution of 1848 in order to inaugurate their publication. The periodical allowed them to spread their message farther than they could have otherwise, since their proselytizing was limited by governmental restrictions and Taylor's difficulties in speaking French.The contents of the Etoile du Déséret reveal that the missionaries used their periodical to introduce Latter-day Saint doctrine and news to readers, in addition to communicating with and instructing fledgling members of the Church. Historical details included in the text allow contemporary readers to create a timeline of events in the early French Mission, such as the establishment of a new branch and the publication of the Book of Mormon in French.This thesis contends that the twelve issues of the Etoile du Déséret considered together reveal a systematic preaching method in John Taylor's writings, personal and spiritual growth on the part of the men who worked on the publication, and the situation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during its earliest years in France.

This work is a biography of William Clayton, an early missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a pioneer to the Great Basin. He was also a prominent individual in the political and economic development in the State of Deseret and the Territory of Utah. The purpose of the study is to write an account of Clayton's life and to show his contributions to both religious and profane history.

This thesis is a set of materials in colloquial Aymara, an indigenous language spoken by nearly one million people on the "altiplano" of Bolivia and southeastern Peru. It is designed for use by missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assigned to the Bolivia Mission. It was prepared on the assumption that missionaries will have completed approximately three weeks of intensive Spanish language training prior to beginning this course.Each lesson has a pre-class module which previews the vocabulary, grammar, and memorization assignments found in the in-class module, and increases the student's listening comprehension. The in-class module is divided into cycles, each of which begins with a microwave model and subsequent explanation of the grammar point under consideration. The repetition drills are followed by response drills, where answers must correspond to the truth value established in the preceding repetition drill. Controlled conversations, personalized questions and activities follow which are designed to lead the student step by step toward practical and meaningful communication.

Due to the L.D.S. philosophy concerning the origin and destiny of the American Indians, Brigham Young felt the gospel should be taught to the various Indian tribes. Thus, at the spring semi-annual conference of the Church in 1855, a number of men were called as missionaries and assigned to establish five Indian missions. Four of these, Elk Mountain, Las Vegas, White Mountain, and Salmon River, were in or near the Utah-Idaho region and the fifth was in the Indian Territory.

The history of Mormon Exhibits in world expositions is an important chapter in the over-all accounting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints total missionary program. In seeking more proficient means for accomplishing this task, involvement in world expositions offered a fresh opportunity to which the Church quickly responded. Finances, inexperience, non-acceptance by the world religious community and struggle for security appeared to be significant obstacles to extensive activity in early world's fairs. Eventually as the Church strengthened, it became less the national spectacle and significantly was given its first real world's fair opportunity in an exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute at the 1909 exposition. The first totally religious Mormon exhibit was at Chicago in 1933 and the first Mormon pavilion was built for the 1935 San Diego Exposition. The Church has since sponsored five pavilions and has noted that from the standpoint of number of people influenced, compared to missionary man-hours expended, there has been no greater success experienced by the Church than in recent world fair involvements.