The purpose of the study is to analyze the Latter-day Saint concept of Zion and the Priesthood Correlation Program in order to determine how they are related and to what extent the Correlation Program is attempting to prepare the Church for the establishment of Zion.

This study sought to determine whether the change in the LDS Church practice of black Priesthood denial on June 8, 1978, was voluntary or was a result of external and internal pressures against the Church. Four official statements given by the First Presidency of the Church were examined using Karlyn Kohrs Campbell's seven elements of rhetorical action. It was determined that external and internal pressures from the NAACP, civil rights activists, and dissonant LDS believers, against the Church's practice of black Priesthood denial, were the motivations behind the change in Church practice.

Held in 1977, the Utah State International Women's Year (IWY) Conference became a battleground. Mobilized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and conservative groups, 14,000 women revolted against the state coordinating committee. Chaired by Jan Tyler, Utah's IWY committee tried to plan the conference to include both liberals and conservatives; however, they found themselves overwhelmed by the audience. The participants rejected all nationally formulated resolutions, voted against or reworded workshop sponsored resolutions, and elected to the National IWY Conference an overwhelmingly LDS, conservative slate of delegates. Mobilization of conservatives at Utah's meeting was complex. The LDS Church enlisted the help of state representative Georgia Peterson to encourage LDS members to attend and to promote a slate of conservative LDS women. Concurrently, Dennis Kerr and the Conservative Caucus mobilized conservatives through political channels to encourage attendance. Conservatives were suspicious of the National IWY Committee and Utah's IWY committee, their motives, and practices. They feared resolutions would be passed that they did not endorse. Conservatives believed this meeting was part of a national conspiracy to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. In addition, they wanted delegates who would represent them and their values at the National IWY Conference in Houston. While some conservatives voted blindly against resolutions, the rhetoric within workshops shows that many women who attended the conference had defendable reasons for rejecting resolutions. These conservatives opposed resolutions that favored increased taxes, federal control, reverse discrimination, the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, and homosexuality. Conservatives rewrote or altered resolutions to advocate local control, community involvement, reform of government agencies, protection of traditional gender roles, and volunteerism. Understanding conservatives' motivations and rhetoric in this conference explains why they acted the way they did and their objections to many liberal tenets. Conservatives saw Utah's meeting as a battleground, and they came prepared to fight.

The material in this study is a follow-up of a thesis done by Paul C. Richards entitled, "A Study of Evidences Related to LDS Church History as Reflected in Volumes I through XIII of the Journal of Discourse." That same basic format has been employed in treating the last thirteen volumes of the Discourses. The Discourses contains addresses delivered by General Authorities of the LDS Church and others from 1854 to 1886. Until Richards did his thesis, no one had compiled an index of those volumes that dealt exclusively with history related to the LDS Church. This study completes the historical index.From the historical index a study was made to discover the quantity and quality of historical information contained in the Discourses. The volumes were found to contain a great deal of valuable reminiscent and contemporary historical information. In general, the historical references were recognized to be accurate. The Discourses was found to offer significant insights into better understanding of the people and events in the history of the Church.

From 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) endured the hardships of existing as a religious organization under a Communist regime. An evaluation of the LDS Church within the category of general and minority religions, which serves as a microcosmic evaluation of religion in the GDR, constitutes one part of this study. The uniqueness of the LDS Church and its experience - especially its American ties, ironically earlier a liability and later an asset - make it a candidate for a more independent evaluation, and the second part of this study. The social aspect of religion in the GDR, as it related to those of faith - including the lives of LDS members, constitutes the final aspect of this study. The Leipzig branch of the LDS Church, upon which most of this reserach is based, serves as an example of religious conformity, while proving itself socially, politically, and culturally unique. By placing the LDS Church in the context of religion in general, as well as examinng the atypical experience of the Leipzig branch, a greater understanding can be had of the religious, political and social life within the former German Democratic Republic.

Polygamy was the key issue which acted to popularize opposition to the Latter-day Saint Church during the years 1905-1936. As a result of the continuing controversy over the so-called "Mormon Question," secular moviemakers in this period planned or actually produced nearly forty motion pictures containing Mormon characterizations. Although several important pro-LDS movies were made (some with Church assistance), the anti-Mormon photoplay dominated the silent film era portrait of the Saints. Murder and polygamy as basic themes provide clear reference to traditional literary and theatrical images. Early attempts by Utah and Church officials to censor the offending pictures were unsuccessful. Following World War I, U. S. Senator Reed Smoot was able to effect the suppression of a number of anti-Mormon productions. After the Church reaffirmed its plural marriage ban in the mid-1920s, the anti-polygamy movement died out. As the polemical film aimed at the Church was abandoned, the Saints gradually took on a more favorable screen image.

This thesis is a choreographic exploration that illuminates and defines moments in the lives of women who are mentioned in the Book of Mormon. These women are Sariah; the wife of King Lamoni and Abish, her servant; and the Ammonite mothers of Helaman's two thousand stripling warriors. It is through these stories that their faith was evident. By understanding the roles these women played in the history of the Book of Mormon, we can use their example to strengthen our own testimonies.It was discovered through this process that, although one can read about the life of another, a deeper understanding comes through the creation and expression of movement. Communication skills were also developed as choreography was created depicting a specific moment without being flamboyant and disruptive. The greatest discovery, however, came from the overwhelming positive response received from the performers and the audience. Many expressed the emotions they felt during and after the performance, describing it as “one of the greatest spiritual experiences they have had through dance.”

To the religiously minded, few things carry greater importance than a connection to the divine. For centuries, the literature of prophets and the work of gifted artists have served to create a liminal space where man and Maker can meet. The advent of cinema and the creation of the Internet pose unique questions for the artist seeking to lead an audience toward an encounter with God. In a modern world where discretionary time is dominated by on-demand video streaming, the value of understanding cinema and its myriad potential is particularly relevant. As a religious organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has eagerly (and to a certain extent, uniquely) embraced and used film to further its aims. This thesis will further the conversation already begun on the topic of spirituality in official LDS Church productions, particularly adding new analysis regarding the form and content of more recent institutionally produced films. How do stylistic trends in recent official film productions of the LDS Church relate to the broader academic and theological discussion regarding cinematic spirituality? After the introduction and thesis overview in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 will provide a survey of prominent works regarding cinematic spirituality. Theories that entertain how movies speak to human spirits are varied and highly subjective. Many theories about what makes a work "spiritual" grow from particular religious traditions and are informed by that theorist's beliefs about God's nature. Some theories are dependent on loosely measured criteria (editing pace, complexity of music, distance between camera and subject, etc.), while others rely almost entirely on the "feeling" a work conveys (which may or may not be determined by objectively measurable parts).Chapter 3 relates the prominent theories laid out in Chapter 2 to the cinematic efforts made by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the past two decades. Examining the form and content of these media projects will reveal trends that indicate inherent assumptions on the part of the LDS Church's media department regarding the purpose and potential of spirituality and film. Chapter 4 explores how the Church's typical approach compares and contrasts with films made by independent Latter-day Saint filmmakers. Some stylistic possibilities will be derived from the efforts of Mormon artists more generally and may have implications for how Latter-day Saint films could help spiritually engage audiences.

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