In the 1850s and 1860s Gentiles monopolized the mercantile profession in Salt Lake valley. Conflict arose between the Mormons and anti-Mormon merchants for essentially five reasons: Mormon Church leaders believed merchants charged exorbitant prices, encouraged the coming of Johnston's army, falsely accused them for the "assassination" of two Salt Lake City Gentiles, supported Gentiles who were "jumping" Mormon land claims, and supported an adamantly anti-Mormon newspaper. Church leaders maintained that the motive behind these actions was essentially the destruction of their church; therefore, they levied a boycott against the anti-Mormon merchants in 1866.Because Church leaders felt the coming of the railroad would bring more Gentiles to Utah to fight against the Saints and because the merchants persisted in supporting an anti-Mormon press, Church leaders expanded the boycott in 1868 to include all Gentile merchants.The boycott was effective until Mormon patriotic support for the boycott wained and Gentile prices dropped. The boycott was officially lifted in 1882.

The Holy scriptures abound in references to the use of dance as a means of worship. It would seem that there is a need to understand how present day members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feel in regard to the kind of dancing referred to in the Scriptures.This study will be concerned with the production of "Desert Journey," a religious dance-drama depicting an episode from the Book of Mormon. A record of "Desert Journey" will be made with a movement notation system adapted from Motation, an architectual movement notation system developed by Laurence Halprin of San Francisco."Desert Journey" will be presented to a selected group of Latter-day Saint dance directors attending the 1965 June Quarterly Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their responses and attitudes toward the production as a means for religious worship will be determined with a questionnaire.The information gained from the production of "Desert Journey" and the responses to the questionnaires will be used to make suggestions for the effective production of religious dance-dramas in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the origin and development of the Southern States Mission of the Mormon Church as it relates to the Catawba Indians of York County. The primary purpose of this relationship was to teach the Indian people the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It is also the purpose of this study to show the significance of the change in the Catawba society resulting from this mission. From the time the first Mormon missionaries came into contact with the Catawbas, their lives have been deeply influenced by the teachings of the LDS Church. Every aspect of the Catawbas' lives was changed as a direct result of Mormonism.It was found that an enormous amount of courage, time, and effort was expended on the part of the Catawbas, as well as the Mormons, in developing this relationship. As a result, the Catawba Indians are atypical as compared with other Indian tribes in that they have much lower rates of alcoholism, drug addiction, crime, suicide, and illiteracy.

The purpose of this thesis has been to demonstrate as clearly as possible the full extent of Mormon Land in Missouri during the years 1831-1841. An identification has been made of the names of several thousand of these early Mormons and will further show the scope of Mormonism during this period. This study will add detail to what previous writers have stated about this trying period for Mormonism.As accurately as possible, the author has identified where the Mormon settlements were, through graphs and charts. It has been demonstrated that the Mormon population extended beyond the traditional areas they have historically "confined" to such as Jackson, Clay, Caldwell, Daviess and Carroll Counties. It is the desire of the writer to have the study used to further study of the Mormon decade in Missouri.

Religion is a major institution in society and for many, affiliation with a religious group shapes the way they view the world and the way they interact with other formal and informal institutions within society. In addition, particular behaviors are present during the processes an individual goes through when deciding to leave or switch their religious affiliation.There are a variety of new affiliations that these disaffiliated individuals can make. One alternative religious group that disaffected members of the LDS Church (Mormons) can form a new affiliation with is Evangelical Christianity, often referred to as the "Born Again Movement". This pattern of switching from one sect to another is the most dramatic form of switching as both the LDS Church and Evangelical Christianity are exclusive in nature.By focusing on this unique and exclusive form of switching, from Mormonism to Evangelical Christianity, the various reasons for disaffiliation and subsequent conversion, and the processes involved in switching can be understood.

After making a study of the pre-railroad Utah mail service, I have found it appropriate to categorize certain broad elements. This thesis is divided into eight parts, each part following in chronological order except for the one dealing with the Pony Express and the telegraph. Which covers approximately the same period of time as the chapter entitled "Resumption of the Mail." Though there was a most definite overlapping of time for these two historical phases, it would seem that there was adequate justification for making two chapters.The initial chapter in this thesis pertains to the unofficial mail, beginning in 1847. There was certain communication through and within the area of Utah before this, however; but there was no significant purpose to me in making a study of it at this time. My main objective deals with Utah from the beginning of its permanent settlements.The study deals with the following categories: (1) the unofficial mail between 1847 and 1850; (2) the beginning of the official mail in 1850; (3) the mail service during the middle of the 1850's; (4) the transition period between the early mail years and a more reliable service; (5) the resumption of the mail after certain significant difficulties; (6) the Pony Express and telegraph service; (7) the improvement in the transcontinental mail service through Utah as the routes from East to West were consolidated; (8) and finally, the concluding years up to the driving of the last spike of the first transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.The chief sources of information were government documents, contemporary newspapers, and miscellaneous materials from the archives of the Historian's Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. Much general and specific information was also obtained from reliable historians, past and present.There are maps, charts, tables, and portraits included in this thesis for added informaiton and interest.

This study was proposed to analyze articles referring to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the national magazine press. A "symbol coding" form of content analysis was used, in which each pertinent word or name was categorized, counted as indulgent or deprivatory and classified as to the thematic nature of the text.

From time to time some members of the Church knowingly or ignorantly circulate fallacious stories, rumors, or unsubstantiated reports of a sensational nature, which become more injurious than constructive. Also problems arise when the record of a person's spiritual experiences is published about by others. Often such material becomes garbled as it is passed from person to person. This study investigates some of these rumors and stories in an attempt to discern if there is any truth in them and to present statements of General Authorities as to the position the Church takes, if any, concerning the stories embraced in this thesis. Included also are suggested guidelines and criteria that one might use to attempt to validate or recognize the error of stories not included in this study and other stories that may be forthcoming.

The most interesting and important place in the world is where a man lives. His home becomes the finest place on earth regardless of its merits in relation to other habitats. After years of residence the history of the country takes on reality and significance and a long acquaintance reveals elements of romance and adventure that enhance ones love of his surroundings. This is one of the reasons for this thesis topic. During a young impressionable life the stories of Indians, trappers, pioneers, rustlers and polygamist, have been constantly a part of the environment of the author. Long trips in the mountains hunting, fishing, camping, and logging have added to this feeling of veneration and fondness for the country. Others have written many of these early events down but a complete synchronization does not appear in any one place. Added to the fondness for the region is a genuine feeling that here is a peculiar chapter in western American history that has not been completely written. This section of Idaho has been entirely neglected by most historiographers. Even the reports of the Territorial Governors were silent on the settlement and conquest of this region. Whether this neglect has been purposefully or innocently done is not fully clear.

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to determine if there is a difference between the returned missionaries' academic achievement before and after their missionary experience; and (2) to determine if there is a difference between returned missionaries and non-missionaries in scholastic aptitude, academic achievement, and vocational interest.