Today, according to official LDS statistics, Utah is home to more than 2 million Mormons, or about one-third of the total number of Mormons in the United States. Yes, absolutely. They set out from Nauvoo in April 1846, but were forced to spend several months camped along the Missouri River between Iowa and Nebraska. Since that day, Mormon cultural and heritage has made Utah a unique place to visit, today, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members comprise about 60 percent of the state's population. Having grown up in Utah as both a born and bred Mormon and an OG Bravoholic, ... that “perfection is attainable” was a part of Utah culture long before Bravo’s cameras started rolling. Jensen says he sees his LDS patients experience their mental illnesses in unique ways because of church culture. Since that day, Mormon cultural and heritage has made Utah a unique place to visit, today, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members comprise about 60 percent of the state's population. On June 27, 1844, a mob gathered at the jail and killed Smith and his brother Hyrum. Each stake has a “tabernacle,” or stake centre, with one or more chapels and recreational and cultural facilities. Biography. As the faith spread around the world, many of its more distinctive practices followed. Cu… President Millard Fillmore appointed Young as territorial governor, a decision made “largely as a matter of practicality,” Bowman points out, as Young had essentially been governing Deseret (as he called it) and the Mormon Church as one entity for three years already. At the time, the region was part of Mexico, with limited oversight by the Mexican government. Dance companies in Utah include Ballet West, which features classical ballet, and the Repertory Dance Theatre, which features modern dance; both are based in Salt Lake City. Why all the hostility against Smith and his fellow Mormons? Dallas Jensen is a practicing psychologist in Provo, Utah. (If it were just about beer for me I would have gone back years ago.) Are your neighbors your “family”? Mormons, even with their domination, have made Utah an incredibly safe and wonderful place to live. Mormon culture in Utah not Christlike. “It didn’t seem to be wanted by any other white people,” Bowman says of Young’s chosen spot. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. But for everyone to feel safe, we need to be valued and respected, especially when it comes to religious and personal beliefs. Mormons, through their callings, develop the ability to lead and follow, teach, and be instructed. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Britannica now has a site just for parents! By: Kylea Custer. In 1847, Brigham Young and the first party of Latter-day Saint (known as Mormon) emigrants reached the desolate Salt Lake Valley. Top leaders from the Utah-based faith known widely as the Mormon church said they are concerned about political and cultural divisions in the United States and … And Brigham Young, who emerged as de facto leader after Smith’s death, had just the place in mind. Suspicions of theocracy, and particularly of the Mormon practice of polygamy, which the church made public in 1852, “really inflamed the animus of Americans—particularly Protestants—against the Mormons,” Bowman says. In popular music, the Osmonds, a family of singing siblings from Provo, first gained fame in the 1960s and ’70s and continued to perform in various groupings (the Osmond Brothers, Donny and Marie) and as soloists into the 21st century. There are also notable Mormon temples in St. George, Manti, Provo, South Jordan, Ogden, and Logan. Federal courtrooms sat empty, while Mormon leaders filled the territorial legislature. Then in mid-1843, after Missouri’s governor blamed a failed assassination attempt on Mormon agitators, the governor of Illinois, Thomas Ford, agreed to extradite Smith to face trial. Recently, Mormons have won or have been finalists in many singing, music, and dance competitions in the U.S. and elsewhere. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. The "Mormon Culture" in Utah may be thick, and have it's pros and cons, but all in all I think it's a wonderful culture to be a part of. Lisa Janssen is a college graduate whose family moved to Utah from California when she … If you don't know anything about Utah-Mormon culture many of the jokes won't make sense but it is a good look at what the culture is like. When Utah becomes part of the U.S., Young sees an opportunity to control a state government. For the next two decades, wagon trains bearing thousands of Mormon immigrants followed Young’s westward trail. Because of its strong Mormon influence, Utah holds primarily conservative views. The annual Utah Shakespearean Festival is held in Cedar City. Did Utah foster a culture of violence in the 19th century? The basic beliefs and traditions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) have a cultural impact that distinguishes church members, practices and activities. The culture of Utah revolves heavily around its most influential group, the Mormons. Old Deseret Village, in This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City, is a reconstructed Old West town containing original buildings and furnishings. Mormon culture emphasizes closely knit family life, widespread interest in family genealogy, prohibitions against consumption of alcoholic beverages and use of tobacco, a relatively small amount of nightlife, and participation in sports and personal-development programs. But in early 1848, Mexico ceded some 525,000 square miles of its territory to the United States at the end of the Mexican-American War, including all or parts of present-day Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming—and Utah. Practices common to Mormons include studying scriptures, praying daily, fastingregularly, attending Sunday worship services, participating in church programs and activities on weekdays, and refraining from work on Sundays whe… Every county holds a fair in the autumn, highlighted by displays and competitions, concessions, and often a rodeo. Over time, both Mormons and non-Mormons alike wondered why coffee and tea had made the no-no list, and the consensus was that it must be the caffeine, which can be an addictive substance. Each ward, or occasionally two or three wards together, owns a chapel with a centre for collective worship, classrooms, a basketball court, and a dance hall. Jailed in Missouri, Smith was allowed to escape to Illinois, where he helped build Nauvoo into a thriving city. Forced to flee anti-Mormon hostility in New York, Ohio and Missouri, in 1839 Smith and other church members arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River. In the ensuing uproar, Smith was convinced to turn himself in at the county seat in Carthage to face a hearing. Jump to Subtopic: Question: Was Utah was a hotbed of violence, murder, and lawlessness that can be attributed to Mormon doctrine and practices? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which performed for the first time in 1847, now consists of about 325 members with trained but nonprofessional voices; it presents concerts and national weekly radio and television broadcasts. The Utah Arts Council, founded in 1899, is the oldest state arts agency in the country. As another answer to this question (Toby Dillon’s) notes, 63% of the state is Mormon. And the mountains ringing the valley were stocked with freshwater streams and creeks that could nourish crops, despite the saltiness of the Great Salt Lake itself. It also made the Mormons a useful political foil for Washington politicians, some of whom likened the religion to another highly divisive institution: slavery. Growing up Non-Mormon in Utah . © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. These culminate biennially in a large drama festival in Salt Lake City. The major universities have symphonies and choral groups performing in winter, as well as summer festivals and concerts. Mormon Heritage. Size (approx. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. I am an active Mormon, and I hate the Utah Mormon culture. When Young and his followers first arrived in the Great Salt Lake, the region was still part of Mexican territory. City/State: Salt Lake City,UT (Utah) County: Salt Lake: Type/Era: Postcard, Chrome: Publisher: Intermountain Tourist Supply, Inc. The Mormon church emphasizes folk drama in its youth organization; more than 2,000 wards produce at least one play a year, many of them written locally. The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith. Utah is one of 18 control states, where the state has a monopoly over the wholesaling and retailing of all alcoholic beverages. “There was not a large Native American presence, but there was the potential for agriculture, and for supporting a large population.”, In a later account of their arrival, the future LDS leader Wilford Woodruff wrote that Young paused and gazed down at the valley for several minutes when they first arrived, and “he saw the future glory of Zion and of Israel, as they would be, planted in the valleys of these mountains.”, Sheet music cover for a song titled “If You Saw What I Saw, You’d Go To Utah!” by Howard Patrick, 1917. The culture is geographically concentrated in the Mormon Corridor in the United States, and is present to a lesser extent in many places of the world where Latter-day Saints live. These views are reflected in their alcohol laws, which are the most conservative in the USA. The built it. Smith evaded extradition for a while, and even began planning a run for president of the United States in 1844. Held annually in January in and around Park City, the Sundance Film Festival is widely considered the most important American showcase for independently produced motion pictures. In 1857, President James Buchanan declared the Utah Territory to be in rebellion, and ordered federal troops to Salt Lake City to force Young to step down in favor of a non-Mormon governor. Young largely ignored the federal agents the Fillmore administration sent to Utah, and did what he wanted. The University of Utah Children’s Dance Theatre and the Brigham Young University folk-dance troupes are well known. Utah is now home to more than 2 million Mormons, or about one-third of the total number of Mormons in the United States. U.S. Mormon leader and founder of Salt Lake City in Utah, Brigham Young. But when a local newspaper, the Nauvoo Expositor, published a front page article criticizing the Mormon doctrine of polygamy, Smith ordered its printing press smashed. Young, and 148 Mormons, crossed into the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. > How is the Mormon culture outside Utah? The most famous buildings in Utah are the many-spired Mormon Temple and the turtleback Mormon Tabernacle, both in Salt Lake City. Once Woodruff had formally renounced polygamy on behalf of the LDS, Congress’ attitude changed greatly, and the path to statehood became considerably clearer. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is world-famous. In 1887, the Edmunds-Tucker Act took square aim at the Mormon church itself, disincorporating it and authorizing the federal government to seize much of its property. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! not exclusively referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Among the performing arts, music is emphasized. 'Cultural Mormons' Adjust The Lifestyle But Keep The Label Some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints choose to leave the faith but not the community. Founded in Park City in 1981 by actor, director, and prominent Utah resident Robert Redford and others, the Sundance Institute supports the development of independent motion picture projects and filmmakers, as well as (since 1984) theatrical projects and playwrights. Despite warnings about the region’s unsuitability for agriculture and the hostile Native Americans living near the smaller, freshwater Utah Lake, the Mormons were drawn to the low population of the Salt Lake Valley. Wood engraving of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmation ceremony, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1853. Utah becomes the 45th state. Though the Mormons had been considering migrating West, beyond the reach of the United States government, before their founder’s murder, the crime solidified this intention. In 1847, Brigham Young and the first party of Latter-day Saint (known as Mormon) emigrants reached the desolate Salt Lake Valley. In the 1880s and early 1890s, more than 1,000 Mormon men would be convicted of charges relating to plural marriage. (Credit: Sheridan Libraries/Levy/Gado/Getty Images). When spring came, Young and an advance group of 143 men, three women and two children left the winter camp and headed for their final destination. “They tended to vote in blocs, they tended to consolidate all their economic activity within their own communities. Question: Did Brigham Young create a 'culture of violence' in 19th century Utah … We believe that singing is an important form of worship and prayer to God. Utah gained an early start in drama with the opening of the Salt Lake Theater in 1862. Though during the Civil War these laws were not pursued, Bowman says, this changed in the decade after that conflict. Joseph Smith is jailed and killed by an angry mob. For practicing Mormons, that means easing up on preaching to or pressuring your unsuspecting non-member neighbors. Every year, Utah celebrates Pioneer Day on July 24 in honor of the Mormon pioneers who settled the Salt Lake Valley in the mid-1800s. “The Mormons were fairly clannish, you might say,” Matthew Bowman, professor of history at Henderson State University and author of The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith, explains. The Western Historical Quarterly, the official publication of the Western History Association, is published by Utah State University. Almost every town has a small museum or historical building that similarly dates to the mid-1800s. Noted for its unique architecture and its exceptional acoustical qualities, it is used as a house of worship and for the presentation of cultural concerts and nationwide radio broadcasts. The church is divided into “stakes” consisting of 6 to 10 local congregations, or “wards,” of about 500 members each. Ross is the author of “To Mormons with Love: A little something from the new girl in Utah,” a non-fiction book she wrote about the Mormon vs. non-Mormon culture after several years of living in Utah. Two years later, Young led the Mormons on their great trek westward through the wilderness some 1,300 miles to the Rocky Mountains—a rite of passage they saw as necessary in order to find their promised land. Assimilation into the Union and later developments. Top leaders from the Utah-based faith known widely as the Mormon church said they are concerned about political and cultural divisions in the United States and urged members to set aside partisan differences and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. The lowest number of Mormons is found in New Jersey where they make up only … In the 1874 case Reynolds v. United States, in which Young’s secretary, George Reynolds, tested the constitutionality of an 1862 anti-bigamy law, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Constitution does not protect polygamy. After the Mormon church banned polygamy in 1890 in exchange for the recognition of Utah as a state, polygamists went underground, some moving to Mexico, others settling in Short Creek. (Credit: Culture Club/Getty Images). The Utah State Historical Society has a collection of manuscripts, publications, and photographs and publishes the Utah Historical Quarterly, monographs, and full-volume diaries. It holds up to 8,000 people and has rare acoustical qualities that enrich the sounds of its world-famous organ, with some 11,600 pipes. 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