Mormon Church

The 1830 publication of the “Book of Mormon” by Joseph Smith, officially established the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ believe that Smith, under divine guidance, translated a set of golden plates into the Book of Mormon. This was the first of several literary works that were said to contain proper doctrine of the beliefs and views of the Mormon religion. Throughout the development of the Church, several aspects of the Mormon religion have caused many of its members to be persecuted by outside parties. During the last half of the nineteenth-century the government formed strict laws to thwart the strong beliefs of polygamy until church leaders denounced the practice. In the twentieth century the Church came under fire because of its controversial ideas considering African Americans. Ideas of Caucasian supremacy can be found throughout doctrines and scripture that exist in important Church documents. Until recently the Latter-day Saint Church had denied the priesthood, as well as several other religious practices to anyone that was of African decent. Heavy criticism from both non-Mormon and Mormon parties mounted until 1978, when then Church president Spencer Kimball an

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Large-scale employment prospects in Utah were created by the existence of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads.

As the separation of the slave and non-slave states approached, the Mormon Church came under increasing fire for the practice of polygamy. Athletic contest that involved the church-owned Brigham Young University began to be plagued by demonstrations. Lowry Nelson, a Mormon sociologist, published an article in Nation magazine condemning the “unfortunate policy” in an attempt to force Church leaders to address their racist concepts15. Church elders viewed Dialogue from an “uneasy “perspective16. The righteous people came to be called the Nephites, while the nomadic dissidents were called Lamanites. The Church was largely antislavery, and Missouri citizens were quick to notice the differences in the newly formed Church.

While outside pressures were mounting against the practice of black priesthood denial, several prominent liberal members of the Church began to express their dislike of the practice.

The inability of the Church to avoid social pressures was most likely the main reason for the revelation. census taken in 1860 calculated that Twenty-nine slaves resided in the Utah territory8. Republicans sought out to fight against the moral injustices of plural marriage and the subordinate role of African Americans in society. Citizens in upstate New York accused Abel of murder and offered a reward for his apprehension, but fortunately he was able to clear his name and was aloud to leave un-harmed. The Civil rights movement received full support from the government and many popular non-Mormon religious denominations.

Church leaders believe the present-day Indians to be descendants of the Lamanites. By the beginning of the sixties Civil Right advocates began to picket in front of the Capitol Building in an effort to persuade the governing body to pass equal right acts.

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