Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1973 Mormon Myth or Monopoly: A Contemporary Study to Determine the Perceived Influence of the Mormon Church on Utah Politics Douglas S. Foxley Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Foxley, Douglas S., "Mormon Myth or Monopoly: A Contemporary Study to Determine the Perceived Influence of the Mormon Church on Utah Politics" (1973). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 7651. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7651 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MORMON MYTH OR MONOPOLY:A CONTEMPORARY STUDY TO DETERMINE THE PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF THE MORMONCHURCH ON UTAH POLlTlCS by Douglas S. Foxley A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Political Science Utah State University Logan, Utah 1973 ii To My Parents, G. Melvin and Beth S. Foxley iii \CKNOWLEDGEMENTS In preparing this thesis, I am most grateful to my parents for their encouragement and support which has enabled me to complete this work. I especially appreciate Dr. Dan E. Jones, for his willingness to give of his time and talents in aiding me throughout this study. Also, I thank all of the members of the Department of Political Science for the help which they have given me through the years; and to the Bureau of Government and Opinion Research and its most competent secretary, Ellen Gertsch, I say thank ~ so much. To Drs. Calvin W. Hiibner and Charles S. Peterson, I express my gratitude for serving on my committee. And to my sister, Susan F. Wilson, I say thanks for helping me when I needed it the most. Douglas S. Foxley iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii LIST OF TABLES vi ABSTRACT ix THE MORMON MYTH OR MONOPOLY 1 Introduction • 1 General Design. 3 Hypotheses 4 UTAH HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 5 The Pre-Statehood Period, 1847-1896 5 The Statehood to World War II Period, 1869-1940 11 World War II to the Present, 1940-1973 17 METHODOLOGY 21 FINDINGS 27 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 49 Involvement in Moral and Political Issues 51 Belief in a Separation of Church and State 54 Non-Existence of a Separation of Church and State 55 Perceived Influence of Mormon Church on Utah Politics 56 Conclusions 57 BIBLIOGRAPHY 59 Books 59 Articles 60 Government Documents and Publications 61 Theses and Dissertations 61 Newspapers 62 Miscellaneous 62 Interviews . • 62 V TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page APPENDIX 63 VITA 69 •, .. '" vi LTf':' Q'!;' "' .'lLES Tab l e Page 1. Percentage comparisons of de~ographic data wi_th re spect to area, s ex, and religion, obtained in this suryey with . actual data obtained by government, Church, and private sources . 28 2. How Utahns feel about religious organization involvement in moral issues . 30 3. How Utahns feel about religious involvement in political issues . • • . .. 30 4. Opinions by religion regarding religious involvement in moral issues . 31 5. Opinions by religion regarding religious involvement in political issues . 32 6. Opinions regarding religious involvement in moral issues by education . • . 32 7. Opinions regarding religious involvement in political issues by education . 33 8. Specific areas in which respondents felt religious organizations should become involved .•...•... 33 9. How Utahns feel about the concept of a separation of church and state . • . • • • • 34 10. Area breakdown of Utahn's opinions towards the idea of a separation of church and state . • .•••. 35 11. Difference between sexes towards the belief in a separation of church and state • • • • • • • • • • • . 35 12. Variations in responses by different religious groupings to the separation of church and state question •••.•• 36 13. Difference in answers elicited by various educational levels to the separation of church and state question •• 37 14. Occupational breakdown of Utahn's opinions to the separation of church and state question •••• 37 15. Breakdown by income to belief in the concept of a separation of church and state question •••• 38 vii Table Page 16. Statewide responses about the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah . • . • 38 17. Area breakdown of Utahn's opinions about the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah . 39 18. Variation in responses given by different religious group­ ings to the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah . • . 40 19. Breakdown by political party affiliation to the question about the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah . 40 20. Educational grouping run-down to question about existence of a separation of church and state in Utah ....•.. 41 21. Difference between occupational groupings answers towards the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah • . • . • . • . • 42 22. Variations in answers given by different age groups to the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah question • . • . • . 42 23. Income breakdown of Utahn's opinions towards the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah .. 43 24. Statewide breakdown of responses given to the question about how much influence the Mormon Church has on Utah politics . .. 44 25. Area run-down of the various responses given to the question about how much influence the predominant faith has on Utah politics . 44 26. Variations in the responses given by different religious groupings about the influence of the predominant faith on Utah politics • • . • . • • • • 45 27. Breakdown by age categories towards the question of how much influence the predominant faith of Utah has on its politics . • . • • . • • • . • . 46 viii Table Page 28. Breakdown by party affiliation to the question of how much influence the predominant faith of Uta .• has on its politics . • . • . 46 29. Variations in the responses gi ,,.~.n by difference educational levels to question of how much influence ~ke pr~clomlrtarttid!th hd~ ott Utah poi!t!ts , . , 1 , • , 47 30. Breakdown by occupation of answers given about the in- fluence of the predominant faith on Utah politics . • . 48 31. Income groupings responses by percentages to the question of how much influence the Church has on Utah politics 48 32. How Utahns feel about religious organization involvement in moral issues 53 33. How Utahns feel about religious involvement in Political Issues 53 34. How Utahns feel about the concept of a separation of church and state 55 35. Statewide responses about the existence of a separation of church and state in Utah . 55 36. Statewide breakdown of responses given to the question about how much influence the Mormon Church has on Utah politics . • • . • . 56 ix ABSTRACT Mormon Myth or Monopoly: A Contemporary Study to Determine the Perceived Influence of the Mormon Church on Utah Politics by Douglas S. Foxley Utah State University, 1973 Major Professor: Dr. Dan E. Jones Department: Political Science The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes, opinions, and beliefs of Utah residents concerning what role, if any, the L.D.S. Church should play in Utah politics; if they believe in the concept of a separation of church and state; whether they feel a separation of church and state exists in Utah; and how much influence they p e r­ ceive the predominant faith of the state has on its politics. Thus, the four following hypotheses were designed: 1. Utah residents will perceive that churches should be involved in moral, but not political issues. 2. Utah residents will perceive that there should be a separation of church and state. 3. Utahns will perceive that a separation of church and state does not exist in Utah. 4. Utah residents will perceive that the predominant faith of this state has cpnsiderable influence on Utah politics. In order that these hypotheses could be tested, an instrument was designed and pre-tested; a random-systematic sample was drawn from X all Utah telephone directories; interviews were conducted; responses were recorded and computerized and reported in this study. (79 pages) CHAPTER I THE MORMON MYTH OR MONOPOLY Introduction Since the arrival of the first group of Mormon pioneers in Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, there allegedly has been constant inter­ action between the polity and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day . 1 Sa1.nts. This has created a state of constant friction between the 2 Mormons and non-Mormons concerning the role the Church should take in the politics of the Beehive State and in which areas Church leaders 3 should attempt to influence their membership. Some critics of the Church feel that a separation of church and state does not exist in Utah. They feel that the Church has total control or a "monopoly" over the political process, whereas certain Mormons feel that the monopoly charge is purely a "myth" and that there is a separation of church and state in Utah. Furthermore, they contend that the Church has little or no political influence over its membership or the politics of Utah. 1 For the sake of brevity, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church will be referred to as such, L,D.S., or "the Church." 2 Non-L.D.S. are often called gentiles in this state. Hence, when the word "gentiles" is used in this study, it refers to the non-L.D.S. population in the state. 3 In his book, Interest Groups in Italian Politics, (Princeton University Press, New Haven, Conn., 1964), p. 16, Joseph G.