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Episode Description
Dr. Paul Reeve joins host Adam Camac to discuss the origins and history of Mormonism in Utah, how life in Utah has been shaped by Mormonism, and how the influence of Mormonism can be seen in Utah today. Paul is the Simmons Chair of Mormon Studies in the History Department at the University of Utah where he teaches courses on Utah history, Mormon history, and the history of the American West. He is the author of Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness, and he is Project Manager and General Editor of a digital database, Century of Black Mormons, designed to name and identify all known Black Mormons baptized into the faith between 1830 and 1930.
1:32 – The founding of Mormonism, Mormonism as it developed in upstate New York, the origins of Mormonism and how Mormonism came about, Joseph Smith
3:48 – What the Second Great Awakening was and how it was connected to the founding of Mormonism
7:09 – Whether the terms Mormonism, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and LDS Church are all the same or if there are differences and distinctions between these terms
11:10 – The LDS Church and its place in Christianity, why some outsiders view it as a non-Christian cult while others view it as a Christian faith
16:39 – What caused early followers of the LDS Church to leave Upstate New York, go to Illinois, and then later settle in Utah and start spreading their religion across the American West
25:11 – Polygamy and its connection to the LDS Church, how views on polygamy have changed within the LDS Church over the years
34:10 – Brigham Young, who he was, and what his legacy is
38:03 – Utah War or Mormon War of 1857-1858, Mountain Meadows Massacre
44:36 – Members of the LDS Church getting married and having kids at younger ages, the health code for followers of the LDS Church
50:50 – Role of mission trips and proselytization efforts and how they factor into the LDS mission and the lives of LDS Church members
53:46 – The connection between the LDS Church and the Republican Party, how the Republican Party changed from previously being the anti-Mormon party of the 1800s to being extremely popular among Mormons today, why so many LDS Church members vote for Republican candidates, why LDS Church members tend to prefer more moderate Republican candidates
1:01:59 – Statistics that demonstrate how common LDS membership is in Utah and neighboring states in the American West and how influential and significant the LDS Church is in Utah in the present day
1:04:49 – Mormons in other states in the American West besides Utah, what leadership within the LDS Church looks like, who Russell M. Nelson (the current leader of the LDS Church) is
1:09:25 – Why people who become president of the LDS Church tend to be older than leaders in a lot of other areas of society
1:11:22 – Related and recommended resources
Books and Resources Mentioned
Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness by Paul Reeve
Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia edited by Paul Reeve and Ardis Parshall
Century of Black Mormons Database
Paul Reeve’s Faculty Page at the University of Utah
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