Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of Latter-Day Saints 1830-1900, By Leonard J. Arrington

Susanna Metzger
Essay 1
around 2000

Mormon history goes back into the beginning of the nineteenth century. The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, claimed to have been visited by angels, and to have translated from gold plates a 600-page record of America’s early settlers. Most Mormons come from New England, and strongly believed they needed to establish Zion, God’s kingdom, on earth.

Economics played an important part in the early history of the church, and material wealth was as important to them as spirituality. Mormonism was founded in New York, but shortly moved to Jackson County, Missouri. While there, the church devised a stewardship plan of their possessions, to help the well being of the entire church body. They also began to design a meticulous city. But they were driven out of Missouri, so they migrated to Kirtland, Ohio, where their headquarters were.

In Kirtland, they established a banking system, but after its failure, they moved to Far West, Missouri. Being driven from there, they settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. They prospered in Nauvoo until Joseph Smith and his brother were assassinated, and once more, the Mormons were driven away. They set up camps in Iowa, and sent out a Mormon battalion in order to earn money. They continued on pioneering until they reached Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. Once there, they built a village and set up their own resources in order to be independent. They realized cooperation and unity was the key to their independence, so they stressed the importance of that in their business, colonization, and their church.

The Mormons served in church without pay, being expected to earn wages elsewhere. Brigham Young was the head of the Mormon Church, and under him, bishops. The bishops were heads over separate churches, or wards, and in each ward were teachers. A council of 50 was established, who worked in political circles. Something of great importance to every good Mormon is a mission, and every male was called to serve one. It could last two to five years, and the called one must pay for it himself. Economics were very important to the Mormon Church; it was the framework to their society.