Mormonism: Delving into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The State of Utah provides this entry from the Utah History Encyclopedia, a concise history of the Mormons that covers the founding of the religion and the western trek from New York to west of the Mississippi River. There are some interesting facts in this summary, including information about the “Extermination Order” issued by the Governor of Missouri in 1838, which threatened to execute the Mormons if they did not leave the state. This order was not actually revoked until 1976.

ReligiousTolerance.org offers a history of Mormonism before 1839. This passage primarily focuses on Joseph Smith and his prophetic visions. ReligiousTolerance.org prides itself on its unbiased views on all religions. The site also has a link for the continued history of the faith from “1839 to now.” 

The Mormon History Association is affiliated with the American Historical Association and dedicated to the study of Mormon history. Its Web site offers “A Brief History of Mormonism,” discussing the beginning and evolution of Mormonism through Joseph Smith Jr., Brigham Young, and beyond. Although the Mormon History Association is a great resource for information on the history of Mormonism, the actual Web site doesn’t contain much additional information about the religion, other than details about the association itself. 

JosephSmith.net has everything you ever wanted to know about the founder of Mormonism. This Web site, put together by the Church, is extensive and easy to use. The site is quite informative, but keep in mind that as it’s a product of the Church, its portrayal of Joseph Smith is uniformly positive.

LDS.org offers this interactive and informative Web site called “The Pioneer Story.” Trace the route that the Mormon pioneers took on their westward trail and learn about each stop on their path.

September Dawn opened in theaters at the end of August 2007. The movie describes one of the most regrettable and controversial events in Mormon history: the Mountain Meadows Massacre on September 11, 1857, when Mormons in the Utah territory killed approximately 120 men, women, and children. The film’s Web site has a history of the incident, videos, downloads, and film information. The News & Reviews section is also a valuable resource, noting the reactions to the movie. Read the Church’s account of the event, or see Mitt Romney’s reaction to the movie.

Dummies.com presents this extremely helpful piece entitled “Understanding Polygamy in Mormon History,” which clears up the misconceptions surrounding the Mormons’ former practice of plural marriage. Adapted from Mormonism For Dummies, this Web page offers a history of Mormon polygamy, the Mormon arguments in favor of polygamy in the 19th century, and a section detailing the myths about Mormon polygamy. Explore the equally valuable related articles listed at the bottom of the page, such as “Contemplating the Mormon Worldview” and “What’s Not on the Mormon Menu,” about Mormon eating and drinking practices.

OnlineUtah.com goes into more depth than Dummies.com about the former Mormon practice of plural marriage. The layout of the site is not too pretty, but there are plenty of facts here regarding the history of this controversial subject. The site gathers this information from the Utah History Encyclopedia.

NPR describes the life of the infamous Warren Jeffs and his followers in this article from May 3, 2005. Jeffs is/was the leader of a fundamentalist Mormon splinter sect based on the Utah-Arizona border. The article also mentions the tenure of his father, Rulon Jeffs, the previous leader of the sect, who consolidated power and left behind “an estimated 75 widows and 65 children to mourn him.” The younger Jeffs was eventually arrested for arranging a marriage between an underage girl and her adult cousin. Here is an article from CNN.com reporting on Warren Jeffs’s arrest in August 2006; the New York Times has this article about Jeffs’s conviction in September 2007 (you will need a free online subscription); and ABC News explains how Jeffs will probably still retain tremendous influence over his sect, even behind prison bars.

The Rick A. Ross Institute is a nonprofit organization based in New Jersey, devoted to disseminating information and offering resources on “destructive cults, controversial groups and movements.” This page, dedicated to polygamist groups, has an immense amount of information and may be a bit overwhelming. There are subheadings to make the searching somewhat easier, with topics like “Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS),” “History of Mormon/American polygamy,” and “Polygamy and the Law.” If you want an extensive resource on the topic, this is the place to go.

Big Love is a recent HBO show that has brought more attention to Mormonism, even though the show does not highlight mainstream Mormonism. The show tracks the lives of Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) and his family, which includes three wives. The polygamist lifestyle, although discontinued by the Church in 1890, is still practiced by certain splinter sects who consider themselves fundamentalist Mormons, even though the Church does not label them Mormon. To get up to date on the series, read the “About the Show” section.