The problem in this study was to investigate the effect that home recreational activities have on the attitudes of family members toward a family home evening program. A questionnaire was constructed to gather data regarding these attitudes. The questionnaire was then administered randomly to 250 families residing in Sharon East, Sharon West, Provo, and Provo East Stakes in Provo, Utah. All of the families were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were families of one or more children and held regular family home evening.The findings indicate that the children had a more positive attitude toward family home evening when recreational activities were prevalent. The study also indicates that the participation of family members will be greater if recreational activities are a part of family home evening.

The purpose of this study is to measure the amount of social distance found in a typical Mormon community, and to investigate the influence of the so-called "Mormon Church" upon the prejudices of its members towards other races and religions. It also aims to experiment with a techique for re-conditioning social distance in order to increase the degree of sympathetic understanding of persons for other groups of people.

Joseph Smith, prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated that when he was fourteen years old he had received a visitation from two members of the Godhead: the Father and the Son. He was alone when he went into the woods to pray, and was therefore the only witness to the manifestation of these personages. He also declared that when he was seventeen years old he was visited by an angel named Moroni. Again he was without witnesses. For a first-hand account of these two experiences we must rely on a single source, Joseph Smith. All other sources of the story of his visions of Moroni and the Father and Son are secondary since they have been retold after the authors had hear Joseph's story.Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rely upon the story of Joseph Smith as a foundation of their faith. Details left by Joseph himself, however, are only sketchy in nature, making a historical analysis of the events highly difficult. Further problems arise when accounts by other writers who knew Joseph Smith not only fill in a few missing details, but also sometimes present some conflicting details. A survey of these sources and problems, together with an analysis of Joseph Smith's several efforts to re-tell the story, would be helpful to "Mormons" and "non-Mormons" alike in determining what consistent "threads" might run through all the stories, as well as pin-pointing what historical problems may still remain in correlating various accounts. This thesis is not an effort to prove beyond all doubt that Joseph Smith was telling the truth, for this cannot be done by empirical methods. It is simply an effort to analyze as objectively as possible the various sources and to suggest possible reasons for some of the problems and conflicts. It also shows that Joseph Smith was consistent in his recitation of the major aspects of his story over the years.

This thesis compares the dancing of the Shakers (The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance) and the Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) during the nineteenth century, as it was influenced by their doctrinal beliefs about the human body. Specifically, it examines how the role of the physical body in achieving mortal happiness and immortal salvation was viewed by each group and how these beliefs were reflected in their dancing. It describes the different forms of dancing performed by each religious group and how dance functioned as worship and recreation for the members of each religion during the nineteenth century.Research for this study was taken from primary and secondary sources, including a large number of Shaker and Mormon journals, diaries, and autobiographies. Major doctrinal works from each religion were also consulted to compile a summary of doctrinal beliefs about the physical body for each religion.This study found that the dancing of the Shakers reflected doctrinal beliefs of the need to be freed from the corrupt human body. In contrast, the dancing of the Mormons exhibited the Latter-day Saint belief in celebrating the body. The doctrines of each religion about the role of the body in attaining mortal joy and immortal salvation were easily recognizable in the dances that the two groups performed. Although beliefs about the body cannot be considered in isolation of other motivational factors, they can be used as a means of studying how and why particular religious or cultural groups dance. This method of evaluating dance, as a function of beliefs or ideologies about the human body, is given as a possible method for studying other cultural or societal groups who dance and whose beliefs about the body may be reliably gathered.

The practice of polygamy among the Mormons during the nineteenth century was vigorously prosecuted by the federal government in response to the demands of those whose political and economic goals could best be served through exploitation of the national attitude toward polygamy. Hundreds of men served prison terms for practicing what they believed was their religious obligation. This study of the sentences from the prison admission records has focused on the comparative severity of the judges, examines age as an influencing factor in sentencing, and compares the sentences of the polygamists with those for crimes against person and property.The results show which judges were most severe; that some deference was shown the aged, and that judges who gave severe maximum sentences to polygamists did not give such sentences in equal proportion to those convicted of crimes against person and property. The major influence appears to be the selection of the judge in the first place, to be severe or lenient, in response to national attitude against, or influential sympathy for the Mormons.

This thesis examined the differences between 30 clinical and 30 non-clinical Mormon married couples on the perceived and ideal cohesion scores on the FACES III family typology instrument. Two three-way analyses of variance were done to examine these differences. the results provided evidence that there were significant differences between cohesion scores in clinical and non-clinical couples Both the clinical and non-clinical ideal scores fell close to the enmeshed end of the cohesion dimension of the Circumplex Model. The mean perceived cohesion scores, however, showed a difference between the clinical and non-clinical couples. The clinical couple mean scores fell in the disengaged category while the non-clinical couple cohesion mean scores were in the connected category, close to the enmeshed category cut-off score.

It has been observed that not all L.D.S. Seminary students are active in church attendance. There is little doubt in the minds of educators that parents affect a great deal the activities of their children.The purpose of the study was to learn what relationship, if any, existed between a seminary student's church attendance and the church activities of his parents, and to find out which, if any, of five specific areas of parental church activity had the most positive effect on a student's church attendance.Based on his experience in the church, the writer chose the following areas of church activity as the ones most likely to affect a seminary student's church attendance,1. the parents have been married in the temple.2. the parents hold a church position.3. the parents have served a regular mission.4. the parents have served a stake mission.5. the parents attend church regularly.Information cards were sent to every seminary in the church and were completed by approximately 60,000 students. A 5 per cent stratified sample was used in tabulating the data for the study. These cards were designed to obtain information about the church attendance of the seminary students and the church activities of their parents.

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South America between 1945 and 1960 shows growth in numbers of members and strength of those members. The church grew more than 1000 percent during those fifteen years and almost half of all South American branches came under the direction of local, native leadership. The three new missions organized were evidence of the growth being made. Church building was stepped up and Church literature in Spanish and Portuguese became plentiful.Some problems encountered were opposition of the prevailing church, misunderstandings with government, and the inefficiency of transportation and services. Visits of General Authorities inspired members and missionaries and gave direction to the work, and new and inovative proselyting techniques were employed, such as sports and music programs, which helped the work flourish. Lamanite areas in South America that were opened were found to be among the most receptive to the gospel message.

Teton Valley, throughout many centuries, has attracted several occupance groups, each interacting with the environment in various ways for various reasons. Indian and explorer contact did little to alter the surroundings. More frequent contact came, however, as trappers and traders visited the valley to trap beaver and meet in rendezvous.The end of intensified fur trapping slowed contact with the basin. Government personnel, a painter, a few squawmen and horse thieves were the only inhabitants because Indians, remoteness, and harsh climatic conditions kept others out until 1882 when permanent agricultural settlers entered the valley. Hundreds of people followed, many of whom were Mormons from Utah. During this sequence major changes took place. Unique Mormon settlement patterns developed. Increase in agricultural and industrial productivity and population continued until the 1940's, but as enterprises failed people moved out. In the late 1960's the need for a new drawing force was recognized. A ski resort was built, attracting people to the valley to take advantage of the newly created recreational facilities, towns, and businesses.

American Indians in Mormon arts suffer from the imposition of the white man's traditional ideas, images and stereotypes. An examination of Mormon literature since 1941, Mormon hymns and music, and Mormon visual arts reveals little consideration of Native American values: tribal affiliation, significance of place and community, myth and ritual. While the mainstream of American art has incorporated Native American values into Indian representations, and even found a place for Native American artists, Mormon arts adhere to historical misinterpretations, despite a number of fine Mormon Native American artists.