Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1956 The Mormon Reformation of 1856-1857 Howard Clair Searle Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Searle, Howard Clair, "The Mormon Reformation of 1856-1857" (1956). Theses and Dissertations. 5099. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5099 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. t5ta THE MORMON reformation OF 1856 1857 A thesis presented to the department of history brigham young university provo utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree mastermaster of science 251sby howard clairglair searleseariesearie june 1956 acknowledgments an espresexpresexpressionslonalonaionof gratitude is due dr Rriehardrichardehardchardpollypoliypoll thesis chairman for his many kindly suggestions to the writer during the preparation of this manuscript special thanks is also extended to dr jay hunt and dr B vestwest belnap for their valuable assistance special acknowledgment is made to the staff of the brigham young university library and to A william lund assistant church historian and his helpful colleagues at the church historianhistorians office deep appreciation is also expressed to nona jean searle my devoted helper and typist throughout the preparation of this thesis howard clair searle iilail MauleAPLETABLE OF CONTENTS chapter page I1 THE NEED FORTBE THE MORMON reformation 1 the establishment of the IVivormonmormonormon church the church in ohio and missouri the church in illinois the exodus to utah conditions that prompted the reformation oonGomoomcomparisongomparisonparison of mormon and nonmormonnon mormon morality objectivesobjejobje etiveselivesof the reformation II11 eheTHE INCEPTION AND SPREAD OF THE reformation 22 early suggestions of a reformation Inaugurinauguratinauguralinaugurationation of the reformation at kaysvillewaysvilleKaysville responsibilityrespenspons imiity for beginning the reformation the reformation carried to farmington reformation preached in salt lake city reformation preached in centervilleCenterville and bountiful the reformation in spanish fork spreadofspread of the reformation throughout utah the death of jedediah grant the reformation preached in the legislature the reformation reaches remote branches and missions the duration of the reformation THE NATURE OF THE iliIII111 reformation 0 0 0 9 54 repentance cleanliness catechism rebaptism the law of consecration the sacrament plural marriage excessive spirit of excitement spiritofspirit of severity and retributeretributioni on blood atonement retributi music and poetry IV TBETHE EFFECTSE CTSOFcesCTS OF THE reformation 90 reaction of non mormons iv page reaction of the church to certain do- ctrines and practices possible influence on the mountain meadows massacre effect upon individuals effect upon the church bibliography 114 ABSTRACT 118 vy CHAPTER I1 THE NEED FOR THE MORMON reformation the great reformatreformationionaon which spread quickly through out the church of jesus christ of latter day saints in 1856 and 185751857 wawasis a strenuous effort to promote a moral and spir- itual awakening among the members of the church in utah to understand the conditions that gave rise to this wave of reli biousgious enthusiasm one must be familiar with the stormy early history of the L doD S people the establishment of the L D S church the founder of the church joseph smith was born under pioneer conditions in vermont and spent most of his life on the frontier the church had its beginnings in western new york where the smith family had moved to clear new land and secure a more suitable livelihood the spiritual condition of these early settlers in new york became a matter of great concern to the religious leaders of the day and in the early 1800s1800 a religious crusade was started to convert the unconverted tt in 1820 this revivalist movement reached palmyra new york where the smith farm was located and under the impetus of the eloquent and frenzied preaching mrs smith and three of the children joined the 1 2 presbyterian church joseph then fourteen years of age listened to the conflicting arguments of the different preach ers and became greatly confused and troubled for he felt that all the contending sects could not be right while laboring under this tremendous problem joseph one day read the following passage from the first chapter of james in the bible if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of god that giveth to all men liberally and upbraidethupbraideth not and it shall be given him he reported that this passage came with great power to his heart and he solemnly resolved to ask god for wisdom in accordance with his determination he retired to a grove of trees near his home to pray he relates the following vision that came as an answer to his supplication there I1 saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun which descended gradually until it fell upon me when the light rested upon me I1 saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air one of them spake unto me calling me by name and said pointing to the other this is my beloved son hear himhimi 1 I asked the personages who stood above me in the lighialighilight which of all the sects was right and which I1 should join I1 was answered that I1 must join none of them for they were all wrong I11 joseph smith was also told that if he were faithful the falnessfulness of the gospel would be restored through him at a future time three years arteafterarterr this first vision young joseph smith 1 thehe pearl of great price salt lake city church of jesus christ of latterlatterdayday saints 1928 p 48 3 reported a visitation by an angel who announced himself as moroni an ancient prophet and historian of the people who lived on the american continent the angel revealed to joseph the hiding place of a volume of metal plates which he declared contained not only a history of the ancient inhabitants of the american continent but also a falnessfulness of the gospel of jesus christ according to josephs account the angel visited him on subsequent occasions until he was able to obtain the plates and translate them into the english language this record known as the book of mormon was published in 1830 and became the basis of much of the doctrine of the church the following year on april ath6th the church of jesus christ of latter day saintsSaints was organized at fayette newyorknew york with six members because of their acceptance of the book of mormon the members of this church were referred to by out siders as Morcormonsmormonsmons and the church itself as the mormon church under the direction of joseph smith missionary work was zealously undertaken and the membership increased at a rapid rate the church in ohio and missouri the members of this new faith suffered much persecution because of their unique beliefs and claims and it soon became necessary for them to join the move westward and settle in ohio the headquarters of the church was established at kirtland near the shores of lake erie from kirtland ohio the latter day saints branched 4 out and established settlements at jackson county missouri then on the extreme western frontier they believed this land was to be a place of their inheritance where they could estabbestab lish zion and become a mighty people and with great industry they began to clear the land and establish homes this mormon ideal was not to be realized at this time however for fric tion soon developed with the missourians who resented the mormon social and political unity their yankee background and their exclusive claims to jackson county asaa their promised land As political religious and social differences were agitated mobs were organized that soon began pillaging the mormon settlements the church leaders were tarred and feath- ered and hundreds of the saints were forced to leave their homes the mobsters were resisted on a few occasions but this only increased the intensity of their raids the citizens of neighboring clay county who had their sympathy aroused by the outrages committed against the Morcormonsmormonsmons invited them to make temporary homes in their vicinity until they could find a permanentapermanent place to live the offer was accepted and the saints built temporary log cabins and worked for the old settlers to make a livelihood in december of 1836 the missouri legislature created caldwell county out of the wild unbroken prairie country to the northeast of clay county and designated it as a IT itmormonmormon county the legislature saw in the plan a method to dispose of the mormons and isolate them out of the way but the church members regarded it as a great opportunity to establish their 5 homes unmolested with new hope the saints bought lands and began to lay out their cities in two years far west the chief settlement of caldwell county had a population of five thousand much of this growth was due to an influx of saints from ohio including the prophet joseph smith who came in 1838 As the number of latterlatterdayday saints in caldwell county increased friction again developed and the persecution was repeated the saints