The purpose of this study was to determine the cultural and religious behavior of the Navaho Indians which caused animosity, resistance, or indifference to the religious teachings of the Latter-day Saints.Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for many years, have been in frequent contact with the Navaho Indians. Thousands of Navaho youth have been enrolled in the Indian seminary program of the Church. Hundreds of other students have been involved in the Indian student placement program and the Brigham Young University Indian education program. Furthermore, the Church has contacted much of the population of the Navaho tribe through its vast missionary program. In spite of these vigorous attempts to convert the Navahos to the Mormon faith, areas of conflict have continued to exist.

As indicated by the title, this study presents a history of Federal Legislation against Mormon polygamy prior to 1890 and of certain United States Supreme Court decisions supporting such legislation. Of necessity, the subject had to be limited, emphasis being placed upon three legislative acts and upon a few leading court decisions.

Research has related both physical fitness and religiosity to health. This study combined these ideas and examined the relationship between religiosity and physical fitness among middle aged Mormon men (n=110). Mormons are an ideal population for study because of their strict health code. Fitness variables were grip strength, waist/hip ratio, body mass index (BMI) and estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). A questionnaire assessed level of religiosity and separated subjects into two groups: highly religious (n=35) and less religious (n=14). Moderately religious subjects (n=61) were omitted. A one way ANOVA (between-groups design) found no significant differences in fitness variables between groups. Results indicate that fitness and religiosity do not appear to be related among Mormon men. These factors were found to be related in Mormon women (Blakemore, 1997:16). Therefore, an increase in religiosity may be associated with improved physical fitness for Mormon women, however, based on this study no such association can be made for Mormon men.

Many agricultural communities have developed in Utah since the first settlement, but many no longer exist today. Some of these early communities experienced a "boom and bust," while others struggled for several years and were eventually abandoned. Johns Valley is a good example of these historic communities, as it experienced rapid growth and times of success and prosperity, yet it struggled and was eventually abandoned. The situation in Johns Valley, from its early settlement to its demise, demonstrates the hope of the people who settled there and their efforts to make Johns Valley a productive and successful area. History also shows the growth of the area and the development of communities, with schools, churches, businesses, and other institutions - as was the case with most historic agricultural communities of Utah. Despite the hope and hard work, these agricultural communities could not overcome the environment, or other factors that led to their demise. Dry farming was the main source of economic activity in Johns Valley and farmers had to rely upon adequate precipitation for crop growth. Dry farming is a technique often practiced in drier climates where irrigation is not readily available. Such areas do not have adequate precipitation in a single year, but in consecutive years there is often sufficient moisture for crop production. The main objective in dry farming is to maintain the soil in such a way that the soil will absorb and retain as much water as possible. The primary technique of dry farming is to allow the soil to remain fallow every other year. This practice allows the soil to store up water for two years so that there will be sufficient water for one year of crops. Regardless of the hope and efforts of the farmers in Johns Valley, they too could not overcome the environment. Annual precipitation was often insufficient for dry farming in Johns Valley. Also, the erratic nature of the precipitation added to the downfall of farming activity in the valley, as adequate precipitation could not be relied upon from year to year or from month to month. Additionally, with Johns Valley being located 7,500 feet above mean sea level, the growing season was often too short to adequately allow crops to mature and produce a good yield. Other factors perhaps added to the discouragement of the people of Johns Valley, but the insufficient and erratic nature of the precipitation, coupled with the short growing season, were major factors in the abandonment of the area. The people of the valley voted to leave the area and sell their land and farms to the federal government.

Leonard J. Arrington and Jon Haupt have identified seven stereotypes of Mormons in nineteenth century American fiction which influenced public opinion about them, ultimately resulting in anti-Mormon legislation. Since westerns were also extremely popular in Germany, the writings of two popular German novelists of the eighteen hundreds, Amalie Schoppe and Balduin Mollhausen, were analyzed to determine whether their Mormon characters are similarly stereotyped. Mormon stereotypes associated with adventure writing were found in the works of both authors, but not those associated with polemical novels. It was concluded that their writing still had an adverse effect on public opinion, though the state churches also influenced anti-Mormon policy in Germany.

This is a study of certain high school and college students to the thirteen Fireside Programs given under the direction of the General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the first three months of 1960. The purposes of this study are twofold: (1) to study the reactions to the fireside program and (2) to study the change in conduct of the audience through the addresses and discussions.

No description available.

This thesis is a study of the events that occurred during the first five months of Fort Duchesne, Utah, between August and December 1886. The primary focus is on Frederick William Benteen, one of the heroes who fought and survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The three Ute tribes--Uintah, White River, and Uncompahgne--are also discussed as they pertain to Fort Duchesne.A difficulty arose the first day a site was chosen at Fort Duchesne. Surprisingly, it did not involve the Indians, but the post commander. The central problem is what caused the long delay in building the fort. This study presents several possible theories as to why troops were still billeted in tents during the winter months of December and January. These include Major Benteen's inexperience as a construction engineer commander and his insatiable drinking habit he had acquired.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of International and Area Studies. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-189).

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of History. / Electronic thesis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [147]-158). Also available in print ed.