Reading in Zion: Book Cultures of Mormon Youth, 1869–1890 Tyler A

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Reading in Zion: Book Cultures of Mormon Youth, 1869–1890 Tyler A Reading in Zion: Book Cultures of Mormon Youth, 1869–1890 Tyler A. Balli Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In History Monique Dufour (Chair) Melanie Kiechle Carmen M. K. Gitre David J. Whittaker May 13, 2020 Blacksburg, VA Keywords: Mormonism, book history, reading, print culture, manuscript newspapers, generational crisis, gender, Utah Territory Copyright © 2020 Tyler A. Balli Reading in Zion: Book Cultures of Mormon Youth, 1869–1890 Tyler A. Balli ABSTRACT This thesis examines the feelings of generational anxiety in the Mormon community from 1869 to 1890 and how those feelings intersected with ideas about reading. During this time, older members of the Mormon community in Utah Territory feared how changes in and threats to Mormon society might negatively affect young people’s beliefs, abilities, knowledge, and adherence to their parents’ religion. Older Mormons recognized a potential ally and enemy in books, newspapers, and other reading materials, which they believed could dramatically shape young people for good or for ill depending on the quality of the material. This thesis argues these older Mormons borrowed many elements from other US literary cultures and repurposed them for distinctly Mormon ends, including achieving theosis (chapter 1), navigating changing dynamics in Mormon families (chapter 2), and building their utopic society, Zion (chapter 3). This research adds to the work of those scholars who have combined the history of Mormonism with book history. It incorporates the voices of everyday Mormons to bring into focus the entire ecosystem of reading for young Mormons by focusing not only on fiction but also on biography, scripture, “Church works,” history, and other genres. It examines not only discourse but also institutionalized programs and actions, such as the 1888 MIA Course of Reading (chapter 4), that shaped Mormons’ world of reading. Such an examination begins to sharpen our understanding of the relationship of print and religion in America and what reading meant to Mormons. ii Reading in Zion: Book Cultures of Mormon Youth, 1869–1890 Tyler A. Balli GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT The years from 1869 to 1890 constituted a time of change and worry for the Mormon community in Utah Territory. The completion of the transcontinental railroad and the federal government’s increasingly vehement attacks on Mormon polygamy, among other factors, led to worries among older Mormons about the future of their community. They particularly worried about the commitment of the upcoming generation of Mormons, who had not converted to the faith but had just been born into it. This thesis examines how those feelings of worry intersected with ideas about reading. Older Mormons recognized a potential ally in reading materials that could help young people become believing, productive members who would help ensure the future of their community. This thesis argues these older Mormons borrowed many elements from other US literary cultures and repurposed them for distinctly Mormon ends, including achieving theosis (chapter 1), navigating changing dynamics in Mormon families (chapter 2), and building their utopic society, Zion (chapter 3). It examines not only the rhetoric surrounding “good” or “bad” reading but also the institutionalized programs and actions, such as the 1888 MIA Course of Reading (chapter 4), that shaped Mormons’ world of reading. Such an examination begins to sharpen our understanding of the relationship of print and religion in America and what reading meant to Mormons. iii Acknowledgments I have many people to thank, not only for their assistance in writing and developing this thesis but also for their encouragement and support in helping me grow as a historian. I am grateful to the Department of History at Virginia Tech for the funding that made my research possible. Linda Fountaine, Heath Furrow, and Debbie Osborne did so much to help me navigate graduate school, and Matt Heaton, as the director of graduate studies, did so much to keep me on track to graduate and to help me become a professional. I am also thankful to all of the professors at Virginia Tech who taught me during graduate seminars: Robert Stephens, Jessica Taylor, Brett Shadle, Monique Dufour, Melanie Kiechle, Matt Heaton, Marian Mollin, and Ashley Reed. Their enthusiasm, curiosity, and insight sparked new ideas in me and shaped how I approached researching and writing about this topic. They also showed a genuine interest in me, my family, and my aspirations; their guidance and interest has truly supported me in life beyond the classroom. I’m particularly thankful for the assistance of my committee. Melanie Kiechle, Carmen M. K. Gitre, and David J. Whittaker all patiently listened to and read my words, even when I was still struggling to figure out what I was saying. Special thanks go to my adviser, Monique Dufour. She introduced me into the world of book history and was always enthusiastic as she discussed my research with me. I’m grateful for her guidance and encouragement. My fellow cohort members—Emily Stewart, John Legg, and L. T. Wilkerson—provided a great support system. I’m grateful for their friendship throughout this process. I would also like to thank the staff at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City and the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in Provo, Utah. Elise Reynolds at the Church History Library was particularly helpful in pointing me toward some important sources. iv Last, I want to thank all members of my family. My parents, brothers, sisters, and their families always created an environment that fostered interesting questions and discussions. That environment is largely responsible for my drive as a learner. I thank them for their love, support, and interest in my project. Special thanks go to Mom and Dad, who always inspired me to read and learn and encouraged me to go to graduate school. And of course, I could not have done any of this without the unfailing support of Katelyn, Abby, and Emmy—my favorite readers. It is for them that this thesis is dedicated. v Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii General Audience Abstract ............................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: “We May Improve Ourselves . and Gain Many Steps towards Everlasting Life”: Becoming Exalted Beings ............................................................................................................. 30 Chapter 2: Books, Reading, and the Navigation of Mormon Masculinity, Femininity, Marriage, and Parenthood .............................................................................................................................. 67 Chapter 3: “Polished Instruments in the Hands of Our Father in Heaven”: Becoming Useful Members of Zion ......................................................................................................................... 113 Chapter 4: The MIA Course of Reading, Navigating Change, and Making the People of the Books .......................................................................................................................................... 147 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 183 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 188 vi Introduction “With the near approach of the steam horse in the year 1869,” said Susa Young Gates, a prominent leader, writer, and editor in Utah, “came the forerunners of its presence. Books multiplied, but so also did saloons.”1 Books and saloons. Such a statement encapsulates the hopes and fears that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (popularly known as Mormons) held regarding the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Her words begin to tell a story about an older generation’s fear and hope for a younger generation— the generation that represented the future of the community. In the latter decades of the nineteenth century, a time of flux, a time that seemed threatening, older members of the Mormon community in Utah feared how changes and threats might negatively affect young people: their beliefs, their use of time, their abilities, their knowledge, and their adherence to their parents’ religion. Older Mormons recognized a potential ally and enemy in books, newspapers, and other reading materials,2 which could dramatically shape young people for good or for ill depending on the quality of the material. Through words, actions, and programs these older Mormons sought to prescribe and proscribe reading that would effect positive changes in the community’s young people. It is within this context that Mormons, young and old, sought to navigate the issues of the day,
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