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THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 NEW YORK - BOSTON : CHICAGO - DALLAS 
 ATLANTA + SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 MACMILLAN & CO., LimitTED 
 LONDON + BOMBAY + CALCUTTA 
 MELBOURNE 
 
 THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Lt. 
 TORONTO 
 
AOARY OF PRI 
 <ul GF PRiner 1 
 
 
 
 
 NOY 121925 
 
 THE 
 FRUITS OF 
 MORMONISM 
 
 
 
 7 
 % 4 
 SMasicar seuss 
 
 BY 
 
 FRANKLIN STEWART HARRIS, Pu.D. 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 “THE PRINCIPLES OF AGRONOMY’; “THE YOUNG MAN AND HIS VOCATION’’; 
 
 “THE SUGAR BEET IN AMERICA’; “SOIL ALKALI’; “SCIENTIFIC 
 RESEARCH AND HUMAN WELFARE,”’ ETC. 
 
 AND 
 
 NEWBERN ISAAC BUTT, B.S. 
 
 JOINT AUTHOR OF 
 “SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND HUMAN WELFARE’’ 
 
 joew ork 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 1925 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
CopyricHT, 1925, 
 By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 
 
 
 
 Set up and electrotyped. 
 Published October, 1925. 
 
 Printed in the United States of America by 
 J. J. LITTLE AND IVES COMPANY, NEW YORK 
 
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather 
 grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 
 
 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good frut; 
 but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruat. 
 
 A good tree cannot bring forth evil frut, neither 
 can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
 
 Every tree that bringeth not forth good frust is hewn 
 down, and cast into the fire. 
 
 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 
 
 —Matthew 7:16-20 
 

 
 
 
 
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PREFACE 
 
 Tux present study of “The Fruits of Mormonism” 
 erew out of an insistant demand for the real facts 
 concerning conditions existing among the people 
 belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- 
 day Saints. The opinions of people who have not 
 had the opportunity of studying Mormonism at first 
 hand have been so divergent that the honest seeker 
 after the truth has become very much confused and 
 he is calling for facts that are dependable. 
 
 The authors have spent a number of years gath- 
 ering the material contained in this volume and 
 they have had the best possible opportunity of 
 making personal observations in every part of 
 “Mormondom.” 
 
 In this inquiry no attempt has been made to 
 determine the truth or falsity of Mormonism as a 
 religion. No special consideration has been given 
 to the theological teachings of the Church; we have 
 been concerned with the pragmatic test showing its 
 results and accomplishments. 
 
 It has been our aim to make an examination in a 
 scientific manner of the results of Mormonism after 
 nearly a century of operation. Our point of view 
 has been that of the scientist who sets the thing 
 
 vill 
 
Vill PREFACE 
 
 apart and examines it critically, using all available 
 statistical material that can be verified by other 
 workers. An especial attempt has been made to 
 eliminate as nearly as possible all personal bias, and 
 to present the truth as nearly as it can be discovered 
 from the well-established and well-recognized sources 
 of information. 
 
 We have purposely left out of consideration 
 material that might seem to be prejudiced or that 
 might have the flavor of propaganda either for or 
 against the system. We have tried to use only the 
 material that would be admitted as evidence by any 
 impartial student of human affairs. 
 
 No attempt has been made to compare this Church 
 with any other as to doctrine; we have concerned 
 ourselves entirely with the accomplishment and con- 
 ditions of the people who have been adherents of 
 the Church. In other words, we have sought to dis- 
 cover the place the people living under Mormonism 
 hold when compared with other peoples of the 
 country in those qualities and conditions which enter 
 into human welfare. 
 
 The chief sources of material have been the reports 
 of the United States Census Bureau and the official 
 reports of various state, county, and municipal 
 statistic-gathering agencies. 
 
 Practically all compilations have been made from 
 original sources, and every attempt has been made 
 to verify the truth of all quotations. 
 
 The authors are under particular obligations to 
 
PREFACE 1X 
 
 Dr. John A. Widtsoe, formerly President of the 
 University of Utah, and of the Utah Agricultural 
 College, and at present a member of the Council of 
 Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of 
 Latter-day Saints; to Dr. Adam 8. Bennion, Super- 
 intendent of Church Schools; to Dr. George H. 
 Brimhall, President-Emeritus; Dr. H. M. Wood- 
 ward, Professor of Education ; Prof. John C. Swen- 
 son, Professor of Economics and Sociology; Lowry 
 Nelson, Director of Extension Work at the Brigham 
 -Young University; and to Rev. Charles McCoard, 
 pastor of the Community Church of Provo, Utah. 
 All of these have read the manuscript and have 
 offered valuable suggestions. 
 

 
 
 
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CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 Le 
 
 INTRODUCTORY RA EAVEN Hired fabiata eth, NOR ile Gane & 
 
 Errect of PuitosopHy oF MorMONISM ON THE 
 Lives of Irs MeMBERS . - - - + © © + 
 
 EpUCATION AMONG THE MorMONS .. .- - - 
 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AMONG THE MorMons 
 
 THe MormMons AS CoLONIZERS . - + + = « 
 
 ArrrrupE or MorMoNS TOWARD GOVERNMENT . .- 
 PATRIOTISM OF THE MorMONS . - - + = * 
 Crarity WorK AMONG THE MorMONS . - - -; 
 Heattu oF THE MoRMONS .- - + «© © = 
 MorMoNn WoMEN AS MoTHERS - - + + © > 
 
 MarrIAGE AND DIvoRCE AMONG THE MorRMONS. .- 
 CHASTITY AMONG THE MorMONS. . - + «+ > 
 A Srupy or INSANITY AMONG THE Mormons . .- 
 
 Ture RELATION oF Mormons TO CRIME. . - + 
 
 105 
 116 
 125 
 130 
 

 
THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
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THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 GAC alee Ran) 
 INTRODUCTORY 
 
 Since the very dawn of history men have held 
 antagonistic opinions which have resulted in quar- 
 rels and strife. During primitive times this ten- 
 dency manifested itself in a condition of practically 
 continuous warfare between groups of people. As 
 time went on actual fighting was gradually replaced 
 by a tendency on the part of each group to separate 
 itself from all the rest; those not belonging to the 
 group were largely ostracized. There was no greater 
 shame than to be thrown off from a particular group 
 or caste. Our word “outcast” with all its unsavory 
 implications comes to us from a time when it was a 
 disgrace to be eliminated from a restricted caste and 
 thrown out into the great outside world of people 
 for whom no sympathy was felt. 
 
 All of those from other lands were supposed to be 
 bad; or at best they were queer. Our word “out- 
 landish,” meaning barbarous or uncouth, originally 
 meant simply persons from other lands. If they 
 came from other places they must be inferior. 
 
 This condition resulted largely from the fact that 
 
 1 
 
2 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 there was very little opportunity for a sympathetic 
 understanding of one people by another. Travel 
 was very limited, and the fact that brigandage and 
 robbery were common made the presence of 
 strangers unwelcome. As a result those living in 
 remote parts were looked upon with suspicion, and 
 there was little or no attempt made to get the point 
 of view of the other person. In those days distant 
 pastures may have looked as green as they do today, 
 but certainly distant peoples were not regarded with 
 favor. | 
 
 Even in our enlightened age with every facility 
 for education and travel, these deep-seated preju- 
 dices tend to remain. It is difficult for us to realize 
 that in Finland there is less illiteracy than in our 
 own country, or that in heathen China there is a 
 civilization with a stability greater than that 
 enjoyed in many countries which consider them- 
 selves to be among the most enlightened. We sim- 
 ply cannot get out of our minds that relic of bar- 
 barism—prejudice—which induces us to believe that 
 people with whom we are acquainted are good and 
 those with whom we are unacquainted are bad. 
 
 Fortunately, however, we are living in a time 
 when facts are gradually replacing prejudice. This 
 is becoming a scientific age, and science calls for the 
 truth regardless of preconceived ideas or sentiments. 
 It calls for the facts as nearly as they are discover- 
 able and draws its conclusions on a basis of these 
 facts. 
 
INTRODUCTORY 3 
 
 The great advances that have been made in 
 science during recent times have come about largely 
 as a result of quantitative measurements. When 
 things could be compared only approximately very 
 little progress was made; but as soon as exact 
 methods of weights and measurements were adopted 
 progress came by leaps and bounds. In the progress 
 of science thousands of years of rough estimates 
 were not equal to a single decade of exact measure- 
 ments. 
 
 In the physical sciences methods of measuring 
 matter and energy have reached a high state of 
 perfection, and as a result progress is very rapid. 
 In the social sciences our methods are not so well 
 standardized; only the beginnings have been made. 
 There is, however, just as much need for the 
 methods of science in studying social problems as in 
 unlocking the secrets of the physical world. For- 
 tunately much attention is now being given to the 
 exact methods of studying groups of people so that 
 even now we do not need to rely wholly upon 
 guesses concerning social progress; there are a few 
 definite measuring rods available. 
 
 For nearly a century there has been in this coun- 
 try a movement that has attracted attention 
 throughout the world. It has had applied to it 
 enough prejudice to do full justice to the most 
 primitive age. A person might easily believe him- 
 self living in prehistoric times instead of in the 
 twentieth century if he considered only the methods 
 
A THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 of judgment that have frequently been used in 
 connection with this movement. 
 
 In the year 1830 in the State of New York a 
 church was organized. It was designated as the 
 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it 
 soon became popularly known as “Mormonism” 
 because of a standard book called the Book of Mor- 
 mon adopted by the Church. The name “Mormon” 
 as a designator of this religious body has never been 
 official, and in a sense it is a misnomer, but since it 
 is well known it will be used here interchangeably 
 with the correct designation. 
 
 This church on account of its claims to modern 
 revelation became the center of rather bitter local 
 attacks and its members were subjected to relentless 
 persecution; but in spite of this persecution Mor- 
 monism has steadily grown until it has become 
 known for “good or evil” throughout the world. 
 
 If a person should at the present time set out to 
 ask people about this movement he could get many 
 different shades of estimates regarding it. Unfor- 
 tunately most of these estimates would be based on 
 a very meager understanding of the real truth. 
 Divergent opinions are the rule where the facts are 
 unknown or disregarded. Realizing that there are 
 many who are anxious to know just what the condi- 
 tions are where Mormonism prevails, a study has 
 been made to determine the facts as nearly as possi- 
 ble. Exact quantitative figures have been sought 
 
INTRODUCTORY 5 
 
 in order to make the study conform to the best 
 scientific methods. 
 
 If there are those who have made up their minds 
 to be hostile to Mormonism they should have the 
 facts in order that their hostility may not be dissi- 
 pated in the dark; likewise those who are friendly 
 will want to know the facts in order that their efforts 
 may have more intelligent direction. The spirit of 
 the real student however is not that of the hostile 
 adversary nor of the blind champion; it is rather 
 that of the investigator who is anxious to discover 
 the facts, weigh the evidence, and base his conclu- 
 sions on his findings. | 
 
 It is believed that the material contained in this 
 volume will be of value to all interested in Mor- 
 monism be they friends or foes; or be they among 
 those whose attitude is undetermined pending an 
 investigation. 
 
CHAPTER 2 
 
 EFFECT OF PHILOSOPHY OF MORMONISM ON THE 
 LIVES OF ITS MEMBERS 
 
 Tum real foundation of any system of religion is 
 its philosophy: its explanation of the past, the 
 present, and the future. Tied up with it will be the 
 hopes of reward and the fears of punishment. The 
 motive behind the actions of man is very greatly 
 influenced by some sort of philosophy and this 
 philosophy is really a crystallization of religious 
 ideas and ideals. It is evident then that in a scien- 
 tific study of any people and its accomplishments 
 it becomes highly desirable to inquire into its funda- 
 mental beliefs in order to find the actuating motives. 
 
 In this study of the fruits of Mormonism we are 
 not especially concerned with the religious beliefs 
 of the Church except in so far as they influence the 
 practices and conditions of the people. In other 
 words, we are not making a study of theological 
 doctrines, but rather of practical accomplishments. 
 In doing this, however, we must inquire somewhat 
 into the fundamental teachings in order to see 
 what their probable effects are on the lives of the 
 
 adherents. 
 6 
 
PHILOSOPHY OF MORMONISM 7 
 
 Let us see, then, what are the real basic principles 
 of Mormon philosophy. For this information we 
 should go to original sources such as the teachings 
 of the leaders. Even a cursory glance at the standard 
 works shows that Mormon philosophy is funda- 
 mentally Christian philosophy. The fact that the 
 Church styles itself the Church of Jesus Christ of 
 Latter-day Saints clearly indicates its Christian 
 nature. The Church claims to be the real church 
 of Christ established in the latter days through His 
 direct command and after a pattern outlined by 
 Him. It adheres to all of the teachings given to 
 His followers in Judea and also to other scriptures 
 which it claims are additional records of His teach- 
 ings in which the gospel is explained in greater 
 fullness than that found in the New Testament. 
 
 The essence of Christ’s teaching was the injunc- 
 tion to give to others where one is blessed with 
 abundance instead of living for self alone; to do 
 unto others as one would be done by; to live a 
 simple life of service, unencumbered by hypocrisy 
 or needless ritual; to keep in constant communica- 
 tion with the Father in Heaven by prayer coming 
 from the heart; and to be doers, and not merely 
 teachers of the word of God. These fundamentals 
 of the teachings of Christ are also the fundamentals 
 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
 Whatever He has taught becomes automatically part 
 of the doctrine of His church. Mormonism accepts 
 all of His teachings. 
 
8 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 Following the teachings and example of Christ, 
 the Mormon church holds to the doctrine of a resur- 
 rection of the body and it affirms that the status of 
 the individual in the future life will be determined 
 by the kind of life lived while on this earth. In 
 other words, it holds that the Great Beyond is not 
 merely a place where all are automatically made 
 equal, but that it is a place of progress where each 
 person takes up the work begun here on earth, with 
 nothing added, and strives to make progress toward 
 the goal reached by our Father in Heaven. 
 
 It is evident that a philosophy of this sort is 
 almost sure to have an uplifting effect on those who 
 adhere to it. If all of their present actions are 
 expected to influence their status throughout all 
 eternity, the living of a righteous life becomes a 
 serious matter. 
 
 The Mormon philosophy of marriage has been 
 the subject of relentless attack, probably in large 
 measure because it has not been thoroughly under- 
 stood. The belief concerning marriage is closely 
 tied up with the doctrines of resurrection and 
 salvation which have just been discussed. It is held 
 that the family relation continues in the hereafter 
 and that one of the elements in celestial joy is the 
 proper marital condition. Just as a worthy family 
 here is one of the greatest sources of happiness, it is 
 believed that one’s posterity will throughout all 
 eternity be one of the important elements in con- 
 tentment. Plural marriage, which was at one time 
 
PHILOSOPHY OF MORMONISM g 
 
 practiced to a limited extent in the Mormon church, 
 found its justification in the possibility it afforded 
 for a large posterity which would contribute to 
 eternal joy. 
 
 The placing of the entire marriage relation and 
 family unity as an eternal covenant to be held 
 sacred, not only for the years of life on the earth 
 but also after resurrection, has had a stabilizing 
 effect on the family life. It has had its decided 
 influence in lowering the divorce rate and increasing 
 the birth rate as well as in causing those who enter 
 into this “celestial order of marriage” to regard any 
 infraction of strict chastity as a much more serious 
 offense than it is regarded by many who consider 
 marriage as merely a temporary contract to be dis- 
 regarded at will. 
 
 The doctrine in the philosophy of Mormonism 
 which is probably most far reaching in its effect on 
 the lives of its adherents is that of eternal progres- 
 sion. The gist of this doctrine is that man may 
 continue to grow in learning and wisdom throughout 
 all eternity and that this progress may eventually 
 enable him to attain a state of perfection approach- 
 ing that now held by God, Himself. In other words, 
 all the progress a person makes 1s not confined to 
 his three-score-and-ten years of earthly existence. 
 In the future life conditions for progress will be even 
 better than they are here, and the same joy which 
 accompanies advancement during life will continue 
 in eternity. 
 
10 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 The doctrine of eternal progression e¢arries with 
 it the idea that whatever knowledge a person gains 
 in life will be his after his resurrection. It considers 
 it impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance. 
 Further, salvation and exaltation are exactly in 
 proportion to knowledge and intelligence which help 
 to place man in harmony with the great laws of the 
 universe—laws that God has discovered and has 
 learned to use for His own advancement. 
 
 This point of view is so thoroughly tied up with 
 the necessity for individual effort that it exerts a 
 profound influence on all the actions of those who 
 believe in it. Salvation is changed from the view 
 of an external bestowal conditioned largely by a 
 limited number of infringements of the command- 
 ments to a stage of progress dependent entirely on 
 individual effort. A religion when looked at from 
 this point of view tends to be a living, dynamic force 
 entering into the daily actions of men and women. 
 
 The Mormon principle of eternal progression 
 should make of Mormon men and women individuals 
 who seek each day to place themselves on a higher 
 plane of progress. 
 
 This leads to the doctrine of continued revelation 
 which is one of the corner-stones of Mormon philos- 
 ophy. Stated in simple form, this doctrine teaches 
 that God reveals Himself to His children on earth 
 from time to time as He thinks necessary. Anciently 
 through His prophets He revealed His mind and will 
 to His children. Many of these revelations have 
 
PHILOSOPHY OF MORMONISM 11 
 
 been gathered together and made into a book of 
 ancient scriptures which we call the Bible. Through- 
 out the world where they have been seriously 
 studied, these scriptures have been a great aid in 
 helping mankind to progress to a higher civilization 
 and to look forward to a great future life. 
 
 Since conditions in the world are constantly 
 changing it would seem that, if there is a kind 
 Father watching over His children, new divine 
 instructions will be needed from time to time in 
 order that guidance may be had under the new 
 situations which are continually arising. The reve- 
 lations given through Moses were not sufficient for 
 all time; hence new divine teachings were given 
 when Christ came to earth. Many of the Christian 
 sects claim that Christ brought the final revelations 
 to earth although it is not clear why more should 
 not be given except that a chapter in the Bible says 
 the book of revelation is closed. The Latter-day 
 Saints claim that this wording merely refers to that 
 specific book or time, and that revelations from God 
 have been given since then and will continue to be 
 given in the future. It is claimed that within the 
 past hundred years God has given revelations which 
 help to make more plain the teachings of Christ and 
 the ancient prophets, and also to impart specific 
 instruction for the guidance of the Church in modern 
 times. The belief is expressed concisely in the ninth 
 Article of Faith of the Church which says: “We 
 believe all that God has revealed, all that He does 
 
12 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal 
 many great and important things pertaining to the 
 Kingdom of God.” 
 
 Let us briefly consider what effect this kind of 
 belief would likely have on the lives of those who 
 hold it. In the first place, the Church would become 
 a dynamic and not a static organization; it would 
 become an organization which could be used to meet 
 the problems of the day instead of confining itself 
 entirely to the interest of past generations. This 
 would very likely give a general attitude of open- 
 mindedness not possible where it was thought that 
 all truth had been restored and confined in ancient 
 archives. 
 
 Going hand in hand with the spiritual phases of 
 Mormon philosophy are a number of practical doc- 
 trines which are designed to promote man’s temporal 
 welfare. One of these is what is called the Word of 
 Wisdom, found in Section 89 of the Doctrine and 
 Covenants. This revelation given February 27, 
 1833, teaches that certain things are not good for 
 man. It mentions particularly “wine or strong 
 drink” and tobacco; it also gives wholesome advice 
 regarding foods. Modern science is substantiating 
 the wisdom of this advice given at a time when very 
 little was known about the principles of nutrition. 
 
 Growing out of this Word of Wisdom and backed 
 by other statements in the Doctrine and Covenants * 
 
 1Sec. 59:20. (The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of mod- 
 ern revelations, and is one of the “standard works” of the Church.) 
 
PHILOSOPHY OF MORMONISM 13 
 
 a sentiment has arisen among members of the 
 Church strongly condemning any intemperance or 
 excess which would injure the body or lower the 
 efficiency of the individual. Thus caring for the 
 body has taken its place as a religious principle 
 which affects the welfare of the soul. Because the 
 body and spirit taken together are considered as the 
 soul of man, it is thought that anything that tends 
 to degrade the body, automatically retards the prog- 
 ress of the individual, and consequently helps defeat 
 the individual’s progress toward the great goal of life. 
 Those who follow the Word of Wisdom refrain from 
 the use of all intoxicants, from tobacco, from tea and 
 coffee and from anything else that is known to be 
 injurious to the body. They also avoid over-eating, 
 over-working or any other excess. This means that 
 the Mormon people, if they are living according to 
 the rules of the Church, are temperate and that 
 they avoid over-indulgence in every form. Of course, 
 there are those professing membership in the Church 
 who may break all rules, but there is no doubt that 
 the teachings of the Church in these practical affairs 
 have a salutary influence on the methods of living 
 of hundreds of thousands of its members. 
 
 One of the cardinal principles of the Church is 
 that it welcomes truth from whatever source it may 
 come. This idea is expressed in the thirteenth 
 Article of Faith in the following words: “If there is 
 anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or 
 praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” By this 
 
14 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 principle the Church holds itself open to receive the 
 teachings of science, but does not consider it a duty 
 to pass on the truth or falsity of any of the theories 
 of science, which must by its own methods discover 
 its truths; but when the truth is once established the 
 Church is ready to welcome it no matter what its 
 import may be. 
 
 One of the outstanding features in the organiza- 
 tion of the Mormon Church is that every member 
 is supposed to be an active worker. There is no paid 
 clergy and any person may be called upon to perform 
 the work of the Church. Among those who preside 
 in the local units, called wards, may be found busi- 
 ness men, lawyers, doctors, farmers, school teachers, 
 and others who earn their living at their regular 
 occupations and devote as much of their spare time 
 as is needed to the Church. The missionary work is 
 also carried on by men and women who are called 
 into the service and who not only give their time 
 gratuitously but also pay their own expenses. 
 
 This active functioning of all members means that 
 the entire organization is exceedingly democratic. 
 It does not mean that responsibility is not central- 
 ized; on the contrary the duties of the officers are 
 well defined, but each person whether officer or 
 member may at any time be called upon for almost 
 any kind of service. Any man in a Mormon audi- 
 ence might be called upon to speak, and it is 
 probable that if he were so called he would have 
 something worth while to say. This makes Mor- 
 
PHILOSOPHY OF MORMONISM 15 
 
 monism decidedly a religion for the people and not 
 for the priest. It is a religion that is understood 
 and can be defended by an unusually large number 
 of its members. 
 
 The above are but a few of the tenets of Mormon 
 philosophy that might be discussed; but these are 
 typical of the fundamental teachings of the Church 
 and it is believed that an understanding of these 
 doctrines will help in interpreting the motives that 
 actuate its members. The philosophy of a people 
 will guide its actions and will ultimately determine 
 its accomplishments. 
 
CHAPTER 3 
 EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS 
 
 Never before in the history of the world has it 
 been so apparent that ignorance must give way to 
 intelligence. The forces of nature must be harnessed 
 for the use of man; disease must be banished from 
 the earth; and men must learn to live and work 
 together in peace. These results can be attained 
 only through the aid of universal education; and 
 that people which most rapidly prepares itself 
 through education to secure these conditions will 
 lead the procession of those who are marching 
 toward a higher civilization. In our study of the 
 effect of Mormonism on its members, it will be well 
 to consider what is being done among this people in 
 education, since the answer to this question will in 
 large measure give a clue to the station they will 
 occupy among the future inhabitants of the world. 
 Their attitude toward education is of first concern. 
 
 Among the doctrines and teachings of the Church 
 are found such statements as: “A man is saved no 
 faster than he gains intelligence,” “The glory of God 
 is intelligence,’ “If a person gains more knowledge 
 and intelligence in this life through his diligence 
 
 16 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS 17 
 
 and obedience than another he will have so much 
 the advantage in the world to come.” ! The view 
 of the Latter-Day Saints that God wishes man to 
 strive to learn all the great secrets of the universe 
 which He, at present, knows, and try to correlate 
 these discoveries with His will, and the view that 
 every fact learned in this world will be retained and 
 added to the sum total of intelligence in the here- 
 after, should give this people unusual zeal in gaining 
 an education. 
 
 In accordance with the doctrines mentioned 
 above, the Mormon Church has fostered education 
 almost from the year of its founding in 1830. 
 Committees began to select and write school books 
 for special use in the Church schools as early as 1831. 
 So great was the demand for education that only a 
 portion of those calling for schooling could be accom- 
 modated in 1835. Even during the troublesome 
 years from 1835 to 1847 when the people were com- 
 pelled by persecution to move to a new locality 
 every few years, schools were established at each 
 new place of settlement. At Nauvoo, Illinois, the 
 schools were becoming important, and a great uni- 
 versity was being planned, when the Mormons were 
 driven from the State. 
 
 In the isolated region of the Rocky Mountains 
 after the perilous migration with ox teams across 
 the Great American Desert, one of the first concerns 
 of the people was the establishment of schools. The 
 
 *Doc. and Cov., 88: 77-79; 88: 118; 90: 15; 130: 18-19. 
 
18 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 first of the pioneers reached Utah in late July, 1847, 
 and it required a great amount of effort to plant 
 and harvest crops, haul timber for houses from 
 the neighboring mountains, and do other urgent 
 tasks, but there was a school held that first winter. 
 In 1849, when the City of Salt Lake was incor- 
 porated, one of the ordinances provided for the 
 establishment of common schools. Although its 
 instruction was not of a university grade until later, 
 the University of Deseret (later Utah) was founded 
 less than three years after the arrival of the pioneers 
 in the territory. The common schools were sup- 
 ported by tuition until the latter part of the 
 seventies and the first part of the eighties. 
 
 High school work, outside of a limited amount in 
 the two cities, Ogden and Salt Lake, was almost 
 entirely confined to the Mormon Church until after 
 the first years of the present century. The census 
 of 1890, which gives both public and private stu- 
 dents, shows that there were in Utah 418 secondary 
 students in public schools and 2476 in private ones, 
 or in other words 85.6 per cent of all secondary 
 students were in some kind of private schools. The 
 average for the whole United States was 48.8 per 
 cent. There were 11.9 secondary students in Utah 
 private schools in each 1000 general population, 
 whereas the average for all states was only 4.7. 
 
 The curriculum of Mormon schools today, as in 
 the past, shows that the courses of study are essen- 
 tially the same as those of the public schools except 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS | 19 
 
 that theology is added. The Church does not try 
 to dominate the public educational system even in 
 regions where its members predominate. The main 
 concern is that everyone be given a well rounded 
 education of a satisfactory nature. When efficient 
 public schools were established in Utah, the grade 
 schools of the Church were gradually eliminated 
 until today only about 15 per cent of the total 
 students in Mormon schools belong to grades below 
 the high school and most of these are in schools used 
 for teacher training or they are in communities 
 where public schools are not adequate. The same 
 policy of retrenchment is being followed today with 
 high schools and most of the Church support is now 
 reserved for the higher educational institutions, 
 where it is most needed. In this way needless 
 duplication of teaching equipment is avoided and 
 the tax upon the people for education is held at a 
 minimum. 
 
 In order to arrive at the true status of education 
 among the Mormons it is necessary to make com- 
 parisons with other sections of the United States. 
 This can be done by using statistics gathered by the 
 U. 8. Census Bureau and also by the U. S. Bureau 
 of Education. The Mormon Church has records of 
 the number of student members in all institutions 
 for the year ending in 1922 and for Church institu- 
 tions before that time. 
 
 Present Educational Conditions in Utah: Literacy. 
 A negative expression of education is that of illit- 
 
99 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 eracy. The government considers this item of such 
 importance that it has been included in the regular 
 10 year census enumeration for several decades. 
 Since the 1920 enumeration is considered the most 
 accurate one yet made, and because the previous 
 ones show somewhat the same facts, only this year 
 will be considered here. 
 
 In 1920 there were eight states which had a lower 
 percentage of total illiterates than Utah. Of the 
 persons native to the state,, however, Missouri with 
 a percentage of 0.2 illiterates is the only one posi- 
 tively above Utah, although there were four states 
 and the District of Columbia with 0.3 per cent, the 
 same as Utah. It is thus seen that the native popu- 
 lation of Utah ranks among the best states in point 
 of literacy. 
 
 If the counties of Utah are grouped according to 
 the percentage of Mormons they contained in 1916,” 
 
 2The U. §. Government has reported the number of members 
 of the various churches during the three years 1890, 1906, and 
 1916. The Census for 1916 is used throughout this study because 
 it is the latest authoritative report, and it is also more accurate 
 than either of the former ones. The 1906 Census is rejected even 
 where the data seem to call for the use of the membership during 
 that time because it seems obviously incomplete for “Mormons” ; 
 this is especially noticeable when the separate counties of Utah 
 are compared for the three periods. The rate of growth of the 
 “Mormon” Church between 1890 and 1916 as given by the U. §. 
 Census corresponds fairly well with that of the Mormon Church 
 statistics, whereas the U. S. Census for 1906 is markedly out of 
 place when compared with Mormon figures or with the theoretical 
 rate of growth. The 1916 Census is about 0.7 per cent below 
 that of the Mormon official statistics for membership in Utah. 
 For grouping of counties see Figure 9, p. 133. 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS 21. 
 
 the results given in the following table are ob- 
 tained: 
 
 TABLE SHOWING ILLITERACY IN Groups or Utan CouNTIES WITH 
 DIFFERENT Proportion oF Mormons 
 Atta fhe Sa AAT eM AN la Ret asd le AR Na ML TRIS RIEL O RE RL DS 
 Per Cent of Mormons Illiteracy Illiteracy 
 
 in Counties Total Population | Native Population 
 A DOV GOUT asa cits ci Atha nlet 1.03 0.32 
 ALS ED Voss CE USI Read ee 122 0.36 
 DVRS BA AL ME gi 1.14 0.61 
 EIS Mie AGT GA an en ey 1.94 0.24 
 7b ES nk bal Aig eR 6.09 0.58 
 
 
 
 The section of the above table which relates to 
 the total population indicates a distinctive rela- 
 tionship in which the counties with the largest pro- 
 portion of Mormons appear to be less illiterate than 
 the other. The section dealing with the native white 
 population is not so distinctive although the rela- 
 tionship tends to be the same as for total illiterates. 
 The group including counties with 47 to 57 per cent 
 Mormons includes Salt Lake City and Ogden with 
 a native white illiteracy of only 0.22 and 0.27 per 
 cents respectively and the large population lowers 
 the rate for the whole group. The total number of 
 native white illiterates in the groups in the table 
 was only 90 to 307 and these small numbers do not 
 make close comparisons of much significance. The 
 numbers for total illiterates on the other hand were 
 from 351 to 3266 and are therefore of more weight. 
 
 Per Cent of Children Attending School. The most 
 
22 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 important item in insuring education for the present 
 generation is to get the children to go to “the foun- 
 tains of education.” This item of course is largely 
 dependent upon the attitude the parents take 
 toward learning. Laws with regard to education 
 may be passed but, if a great number of the parents 
 look with disfavor upon the laws, they will not be 
 enforced. | 
 
 To compare school attendance in Utah with other 
 states the 1920 census figures are useful. Attendance 
 is reported for the age periods 7-13, 14-15, 16-17, 
 _ and 18-20. Utah had 95.5 per cent of her population 
 of ages 7-13 attending school as compared with 90.6 
 for the whole United States. Massachusetts, Ohio, 
 and Rhode Island, with percentages of 96.1, 96.0, 
 and 95.6 respectively were the only states exceeding 
 Utah. In percentage of school attendance for the 
 age groups above 13 years, Utah held first rank 
 among the states. The rates for Utah and the 
 average for the United States for these groups are 
 as follows: 
 
 
 
 Per Cent ATTENDING ScHooL At AGE GRouP 
 
 7-13 14-15 16-17 18-20 
 
 TGA Neo ioral. 95.5 93.7 714 24.7 
 DBS ti eee mee 90.6 79.9 42.9 148 
 
 
 
 The State of Utah, with the exception of the first 
 age group, then, stands at the head of all states in 
 school attendance. But is this due to the Mormons? 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS | 23 
 
 A classification of the counties into those with dif- 
 ferent percentages of Mormons as was done above 
 for illiteracy should help to illuminate this point. 
 Such a listing gives the results shown in the follow- 
 ing table: 
 
 TaBLE SHOWING Per Cent or ScHooL CHILDREN ATTENDING ScHOOL 
 
 1920 sy Ack GrRouPS AND IN CoUNTIES WITH GIVEN 
 PERCENTAGES OF MorMONS 
 
 Percentage of Age Groups 
 Mormons in A 
 
 Counties 7-13 14-15 16-17 18-20 
 Above 90.......... 96.6 95.6 78.2 29.5 
 BORO te cys Sie Ss, 96.2 93.8 72.9 27.9 
 Bisvo css cones; 96.3 95.4 77.5 29.3 
 oY PSTY Rig Te ah Se a 95.1 93.2 68.3 223 
 eed Ce eet hee ie, 92.8 89.3 60.8 14.9 
 
 A study of this table shows that, with the excep- 
 tion of the third group from the top (61-73 per cent 
 Mormons) which has a better school attendance 
 than the second group, there is a decrease in the per 
 cent of children attending school at every school 
 age, aS the percentage of Mormons in the counties 
 decreases. Stated in another way, the figures indi- 
 cate that school attendance among the Mormon 
 population is considerably above the average of the 
 State. Both of the groups of counties with less than 
 60 per cent of Mormons fell below the average for 
 the State in all age groups, whereas the upper three 
 groups of Mormon counties are all above the state 
 average. No state in the Union exceeded, at any 
 
24. THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 age group, the percentage attendance of the Utah 
 counties which contained more than 60 per cent 
 Mormons. 
 
 It will be seen from the table that the great 
 superiority of the Mormons over the others lies in 
 the high proportion of the older age groups attend- 
 ing school. All are expected to attend school in 
 Utah until they are over 17 years of age unless they 
 can give satisfactory evidence that this would work 
 a hardship on themselves or those dependent on 
 them. In the age group 16-17 it appears that the 
 parents in the counties high in Mormons found 
 fewer excuses for allowing their children to miss 
 school than did those in counties low in Mormons. 
 The superiority of the high Mormon counties is 
 still manifested in the attendance in the group above 
 the compulsory school age. All these indications 
 point in the same direction; the Mormons maintain 
 a very favorable attitude toward education. 
 
 Factors of Education. Excellent as are these 
 figures, they are faulty in the fact that they do not 
 indicate the extent to which the children attend 
 school. To secure more complete data recourse 
 must be had to the special educational facts com- 
 piled by the U. 8. Bureau of Education. Reports of 
 the public school systems, and to an extent the 
 private schools also, are published biennially. 
 
 Perhaps the most important factor in school work 
 is regular attendance. Irregularity in this respect 
 means that a training in continuous lines cannot be 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS = 25 
 
 given, and without this the value of school training 
 is reduced. 
 
 In the school year 1919-1920 * the average daily 
 attendance of all Utah children between the ages of 
 5 and 18 was 72.6 per cent as compared with 58.2 
 for the whole United States. Oregon with 76 per 
 cent attendance was the only state showing a better 
 record than Utah. In this item during the school 
 years ending in 1918 and 1910 and 1900 Utah ranked 
 ninth, thirteenth, and tenth respectively. 
 
 Learning is more or less an absorptive process and 
 the longer an unsaturated mind remains in contact 
 with knowledge the more of it is held and becomes 
 of permanent use. Therefore the total number of 
 days each child attends school during each year 
 influences the amount learned. The best school 
 records are those with the longest daily attendance 
 per year. For the school year ending in 1920 3 the 
 average number of days attended by each child of 
 school age was 120.8 in Utah and 94.3 for the whole 
 United States. California with 123.2 and the Dis- 
 trict of Columbia with 121.1 were the only localities 
 with a greater average number of days attended than 
 Utah. There were 21 states which kept their schools 
 open a greater number of days during the year than 
 did Utah (166.4 days) but only the two were able 
 to get a greater aggregate number of days’ schooling 
 for their children. The rank among the 49 states 
 
 * Bur. Education Bul. 1922, No. 29, p. 16. 
 “Ayres: An Index Number for State School Systems, 
 
26 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 held by Utah with respect to the number of days 
 attended during the year 1918, 1910, and 1900 
 was tenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth respectively, 
 whereas in the number of days schools were 
 kept open the rank was nineteenth, twentieth, and 
 twenty-first.* 
 
 While it is not altogether true that “a little learn- 
 ing is a dangerous thing,” it is true that for the 
 average person the value of each addition in learning 
 after the first becomes magnified in its true value 
 to the person and to society, much beyond what is 
 indicated by school grades. For this reason the pro- 
 portion of children who continue their education 
 beyond the grade schools is of vital importance. The 
 government reports *® show that there was in 1920 
 an average of 35.7 secondary students to each 1000 
 persons living in Utah. The average for the United 
 States was 19.3 and no state other than Utah was 
 higher than 32.3 per 1000. 
 
 Under present conditions in most localities the 
 iron hand of the law is used to persuade our youth 
 of the advantages of the school room until they have 
 received a diploma from the eighth grade after which 
 freedom of will is granted. If the student, or in 
 many cases the parent, has been convinced of the. 
 advantage of further education, he plods along 
 through the higher schools as though unaware that 
 the iron hand no longer threatened. In the form of 
 
 * Ayres: An Index Number for State School Systems. 
 * Bur. Education Bulletin 1923, No. 16, p. 37, 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS 27 
 
 the proportion of secondary to total students in all 
 grades, educators use this choice of the students re- 
 garding further education as a measuring stick of the 
 efficiency of educational systems. If this is done for 
 the public schools of Utah for 1920,° the percentage 
 of secondary students is 12 as compared with 10.2 
 for the whole United States and Utah holds place 
 17 from the top among the states. It is hardly fair 
 to compare Utah in this way, however, as she has 
 nearly 20 per cent of her secondary students in 
 private schools, whereas the average for the whole 
 country is only 9, and only a few states have as large 
 a proportion of private secondary students as Utah. 
 If both public and private schools are considered 
 the percentage of secondary students in Utah is 14.8, 
 and in the whole United States the average 1s 10.4. 
 Only six states have a larger proportion than Utah. 
 Counting both public and secondary students, there 
 were 9 states exceeding the proportion which Utah 
 had in 1918.7 
 
 A vital factor in an educational system is the 
 financial support given the schools by the people. 
 Good instructors and equipment greatly increase the 
 efficiency of the schooling, and without a liberal 
 supply of money appropriated for education the best 
 grade of teachers and equipment are not to be 
 expected. In 1920* Utah spent 3.8 per cent of the 
 
 * Ibid., p. 5. 
 
 7 Bur. Education Bulletin 1919, No. 90, p. 39. 
 
 § Financial statistics of Public Education in the U. S. 1910-1920. 
 Mabel Newcomer, Macmillan, pp. 33, 43, 
 
28 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 total earnings of its people to support its schools, 
 whereas the average for all states was 1.6 per cent, 
 and only two states spent a larger proportion for 
 schools than did Utah. The expenditure for school 
 purposes in Utah amounted to $18.26 per capita; 
 that for the whole United States, $9.94. When it is 
 remembered that the secondary schools are much 
 more expensive than the grades, and that the pro- 
 portion of secondary students supported from pri- 
 vate funds in Utah is more than double the average 
 for the whole United States it is seen that Utah is 
 very liberal in its support of schools. 
 
 In comparing expenditures for school purposes 
 educators more commonly use the expenditure per 
 child of school age than that for the total population 
 and the large proportion of children to total popula- 
 tion in Utah gives her a lower standing than the 
 figures in the above paragraph would indicate. In 
 the two years 1918 and 1920 there were 13 states 
 which spent more than $40.67 and $46.43, the figures 
 for state expenditures per child of school age for 
 public schools in Utah. 
 
 General Efficiency of Utah Schools. In order to 
 make general comparisons involving the school Sys- 
 tems in different states, educators frequently use 
 what is known as the Ayres Index Number, a num- 
 ber which is supposed to combine the main factors 
 affecting the efficiency of school systems into a single 
 mathematical expression. This number is an aver- 
 age of 10 factors of which the following five are 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS 29 
 
 educational in nature: (1) Per cent of school popu- 
 lation in daily attendance, (2) Average days’ attend- 
 ance by each child of school age, (8) Average days 
 schools are kept open, (4) Per cent of total students 
 attending high schools, and (5) Per cent that boys 
 were of girls in high school. The other five factors 
 which depend upon the money spent for education, 
 are as follows: (6) Average annual expenditure per 
 child attending, (7) Average annual expenditure per 
 child of school age, (8) Average annual expenditure 
 per teacher employed, (9) Expenditure per pupil for 
 purposes other than teachers’ salaries, and (10) 
 Expenditure per teacher for salaries. These factors 
 are worked out from statistics found in the U. 5. 
 Bureau of Education publications for the various 
 years, and include only statistics from public schools. 
 A study of the above factors will show that the most 
 vital ones to a good school system are the first four 
 and the seventh. If these are good the rest are likely 
 to be good also. Where all five of the financial 
 factors are used and: given equal weight with the 
 educational factors, an undue weight is likely to be 
 given to financial matters. 
 
 Using the Ayres index with all factors, Utah when 
 compared with all other states, held rank 28 in 1890, 
 11 in 1900, 9 in 1910 and 1916, and 8 in 1918 ® and 
 1920.1° The private school systems in Utah have 
 had more or less influence on this apparent increase 
 
 ° Ayres: An Index Number for State School Systems. 
 ” From Bur. Education Bul. 1922, No. 29. 
 
30 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 in relative efficiency as compared with other states. 
 At the beginning of the present century when there 
 were relatively few public secondary schools in Utah 
 the private, or parochial, schools of this class were 
 handling nearly two-thirds of all the expensive 
 secondary students.11 | 
 
 According to the U. S. Census for 1890, Utah had 
 90.3 private students per 1000 population whereas 
 the average for all states was only 12.9 and no other 
 state had such a relatively high private enrollment. 
 This condition, since the Ayres index number con- 
 siders only public students, lowered Utah’s rank 
 unjustifiably. During the last few decades the 
 Mormon Church has been gradually eliminating the 
 grade and secondary students from its schools, and 
 this accounts for not a little of the apparent increase 
 in relative standing of Utah among the states in 
 education. 
 
 If only the first five of the educational factors of 
 the Ayres index numbers are averaged for 1920 12 
 it is found that Utah ranked fourth among the 
 states, and if the private secondary students are also 
 included, third. Counting the private secondary 
 students Utah held this place in 1918 also. If only 
 the public secondary students are considered as is 
 done in Ayres’ book1* Utah, for these first five 
 factors, ranked only thirteenth in 1918. 
 
 “See Reports of the Commissioner of Education. 
 “From Bur. Education Bul. 1922, No. 29. 
 * An Index Number for State School Systems, p. 55. 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS  3l 
 
 As mentioned above, the first four and the seventh 
 of the Ayres factors are the most vital ones in judg- 
 ing the value of school systems. For the year 1920, 
 an average of those factors in which the private as 
 well as the public secondary students are considered 
 gives Utah position 5 instead of 8 among the states 
 as determined by using all ten of the factors. 
 
 Higher Education Among the Mormons. Still 
 another test which will help to determine the atti- 
 tude of a people toward education is the relative 
 number who attend the higher institutions of learn- 
 ing. A meager relative number indicates either a 
 lack of capability for higher learning or a negative 
 attitude. An organization which takes a positive 
 stand either way toward an issue will have more or 
 less influence upon the attitude of its members. If 
 any one is not favorable to ordinary education he 
 should look with particular disfavor upon higher 
 education because such education means .that the 
 most comprehensive views of all phases of science, 
 philosophy and education are likely to be gained. 
 Therefore if education, even -in its fullest meaning, 
 is discouraged by the Mormons this fact should be 
 indicated by a relatively small number of student 
 members attending the higher institutions of 
 learning. 
 
 As far as is known only three public surveys of 
 the United States have been made which will throw 
 any light on this subject and these surveys cover 
 only the states and do not give information so that 
 
32 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 we can segregate the Mormons. However, as the 
 Mormons constitute about two-thirds of the popula- 
 tion of Utah,'* any unusual tendency should be indi- 
 cated by the State as a whole. The surveys referred 
 to were made for the school years 1896-97, 1920-21 
 and 1922-23.15 Besides these the Mormon Church 
 gathered statistics on the number of members 
 attending such institutions in 1922. 
 
 The survey of 1896-97 shows that the State of 
 Utah had 791 inhabitants for each student attending 
 higher institutions in that year. There were 19 
 states with as high or a higher proportion of their 
 population attending colleges. 
 
 In the 1920-21 survey Utah had one college 
 student for each 137 inhabitants. The District of 
 Columbia, Oregon, and Iowa, were the only other 
 localities which had a larger proportionate number 
 of students. A high quality of colleges and univer- 
 sities in Utah is indicated by the fact that 83.5 per 
 cent of all college students reporting Utah as their 
 state of residence were attending Utah institutions. 
 California and Oregon were the only states with a 
 higher percentage of native students attending local 
 colleges than had Utah. 
 
 The 1922-23 survey of higher educational institu- 
 tions was the most complete one made thus far. In 
 it Utah is credited with one college student for each 
 
 ™ Religious Bodies, 1916, and Estimates of Population of the 
 U. S., 1910-1923. 
 
 “U. S. Bureau of Education Bulletin 1922, Number 18, and 
 School and Society 21, pp. 415-422. 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS 33 
 
 99 general population, the largest proportion of any 
 state in the Union. The average for the United 
 States was one student to each 212 population, and 
 the District of Columbia with one student to each 
 103 population was next in rank to Utah. A per- 
 centage of 86.7 Utah students attending colleges in 
 Utah gave the State fourth place among all states 
 in this regard. 
 
 The great institutions in California, Illinois, New 
 York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, in which 
 are found most of the students who reside in Utah, 
 but who are attending school elsewhere, are, for the 
 most part, training only those students who have 
 secured all the education available along their line 
 of study in Utah. Educators of national renown in 
 some of these great institutions have stated that the 
 quality of the students from Utah is, on the average, 
 of the highest grade found in these universities. 
 Several of the highest scholarship awards given in 
 the United States have gone to students from Utah. 
 
 To throw the light of this investigation more 
 directly upon the Mormons, let us examine the 
 statistics on college students officially gathered by 
 them. Unfortunately the records showing student 
 members attending all institutions of learning were 
 gathered between the dates of the recent surveys 
 made by the U.S. Government so that a direct com- 
 parison cannot be made. The students attending 
 schools of this Church have been kept for many 
 years and the number attending in 1921-22 when 
 
34. THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 the complete survey was made of all students does 
 not indicate an abnormal number to have been 
 attending other institutions. In that school year 
 there was one college student for each 117 members, 
 or arate which would place the Mormons among the 
 upper two or three states in proportion of college 
 students, according to which year the comparison 
 was made. 
 
 To sum up the evidence brought out in this dis- 
 cussion concerning the attitude of the Mormons 
 toward education, it may be said that the State of 
 Utah is one of the highest states in the United States 
 in literacy, and the counties high in Mormons are 
 considerably better in this regard than the others. 
 Both the U. 8. Bureau of Census and the U. S. 
 Bureau of Education reports indicate that Utah is 
 among the very highest states in the percentage of 
 children attending school. Data from the Census 
 Bureau show that the counties of Utah high in 
 Mormons are above the average in percentage of 
 children attending school and counties low in 
 Mormons are below the average in this regard. In 
 the average number of days the children attended 
 school during the year 1920 the State of Utah held 
 second place among all states. Utah held sixth 
 place in the proportion of children attending school 
 beyond the elementary grades. The proportion of 
 public money coming from state funds spent for 
 educational purposes in Utah was the highest in the 
 United States in 1919, and the percentage of the 
 
EDUCATION AMONG THE MORMONS | 35 
 total income of Utah spent for education is high. 
 However, because of the greater relative number of 
 children, the expenditure per child of school age is 
 not so great as that of several other states. The 
 Ayres index numbers indicate Utah to rank among 
 the best states in the nation in general efficiency of 
 school systems. In the school year ending in 1921 
 there were only two states with a larger proportion 
 of their residents attending colleges and universities 
 than Utah, and in the year ending in 1923 Utah had 
 the largest proportion in the United States. Figures 
 gathered by the Mormon Church indicate that 
 college and university attendance among its mem- 
 bers is at least equal and probably superior to that 
 for the entire State of Utah. 
 
CHAPTER 4 
 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AMONG THE MORMONS 
 
 THE world never takes down her sign: “Leaders 
 wanted—men who have the ability and inclination 
 to do big, progressive things for the benefit of others 
 as well as for themselves.” It is when men of out- 
 standing ability step forward in answer to this call 
 that we find our homes, our cities, our state, and our 
 nation making forward strides. Other things being 
 equal, the most satisfactory living conditions are 
 found where the greatest number of good leaders are 
 found. It is possible to produce superior leaders 
 by correctly training those who have a proper 
 heritage for doing big things; conversely, potential 
 leaders may fail to develop if they are not properly 
 trained. For these reasons, any system which tends 
 to bring out the latent possibilities of men must be 
 looked upon with favor. 
 
 Does the Mormon Church tend to develop leader- 
 ship? To answer such a question is somewhat 
 difficult because of a lack of definite standards which 
 can be applied in making comparisons. For the 
 superior type of leaders who are known nationally, 
 
 however, we can make comparisons from the number 
 36 
 
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 37 
 
 of persons included in “Who’s Who in America.” In 
 the 1922-23 edition of this publication the birth 
 places are given on page 19. The proportion of 
 those men who were born in Utah should indicate 
 to an extent the influence which the Mormons have 
 exerted in producing national leaders, because the 
 Mormons constituted a large portion of the popula- 
 tion of Utah when these leaders were born and 
 reared. 
 
 In proportioning the leaders to the population so 
 as to make a comparison, the average number of 
 inhabitants at the time the leaders were born and 
 being trained should give the most fair basis. As 
 the average age of those in “Who’s Who” is 50 to 55 
 years, the average population of the states during 
 the Census periods, 1860 to 1880, with a double 
 weight for the year 1870 was used as the most satis- 
 factory for this purpose. 
 
 Calculating to a base of 100,000 population, it is 
 found that Utah produced 78 leaders as compared 
 with 54 for the whole United States. The six New 
 England states all produced a larger proportion of 
 prominent persons than did Utah, but Utah led all 
 others. That the place held by Utah is not peculiar 
 to the West is seen from the fact that Colorado, 
 with a rate of 60 and Nebraska with 59, were the 
 only states other than Utah, west of the Missouri 
 River with a rate as high as the average of the 
 United States. The rates for other states in the 
 Rocky Mountain division are: Montana, 48; Idaho, 
 
38 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 34; Wyoming, 46; New Mexico, 8; Arizona, 4; and 
 Nevada, 52. 
 
 The leaders from Utah represent a wide field of 
 activity. Among them are found statesmen, judges, 
 lawyers, governors, prominent business men, physi- 
 clans, educators, directors of experiment stations, 
 college presidents, artists, writers, musicians, drama- 
 tists, etc. Their quality is attested by the prominent 
 positions many of them are holding, both in the 
 State and in other states throughout the nation. 
 Many large schools of higher learning have Utah 
 born and trained men on their faculties, and a large 
 proportion of this class of professors in Utah are 
 native products. 
 
 While the proportion of Mormons included in 
 “Who’s Who” cannot be calculated, as above, be- 
 cause there is no accurate record of the Mormon 
 population prior to 1890, it may be stated that in 
 proportion to the present population the Mormons 
 included in “Who’s Who” more than equal the per 
 cent from the State of Utah. It may be inferred 
 from this that the exceptionally high proportion of 
 leaders coming from Utah is, to no small extent, 
 due to some influence which the Mormon Church 
 has upon its members. 
 
 Other evidence that the Mormon organization is 
 productive of leaders is found in statements of 
 observers. Governor McConnell of Idaho, in answer 
 to an inquiry concerning the Mormons, said:! “My 
 
 *A letter dated Aug. 18, 1896. 
 
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 39 
 
 experience among the Mormons, and my informa- 
 tion as to the working of their church organization, 
 have led me to believe that for practical Christian 
 results, they have the best organization on earth.” 
 Bishop Tuttle of the Episcopal Church in talking 
 about the Mormon organization wrote:? “Much sat- 
 isfaction is given to the self-assertion, ambition, and 
 desire for leadership, natural to man. There is 
 strength in this. Furthermore may it not be said, 
 and might not bishops and rectors of our own 
 Church be profited by taking heed to the saying, 
 that intelligent interest and loyalty and devotion of 
 disciples are sure to be promoted by according to 
 them some authority and devolving upon them 
 responsibility.” 
 
 After visiting Utah and seeing the work being 
 done by Utah Scout organizations, George J. Fisher, 
 Deputy Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts 
 of America, wrote a letter stating that:? “Utah 
 excels in the number of boys reached in proportion 
 to the population. In many communities practi- 
 cally all of the boys available are scouts. There 
 are more boys of advanced rank and a greater per- 
 centage of Eagle scouts than in any other section of 
 America. Scouting reaches the boys not only in the 
 large centers of the State, but in the remotest 
 villages. . . . Scouting is raising up a fine breed of 
 boys in Utah. It is giving them splendid executive 
 
 ?New York Sun. 
 *Improvement Era, Vol. 27, pp. 71-72. 
 
40 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 training that will fit them for effective leadership. 
 ... That state is a great state which gives to its 
 youth its first attention. Utah excels in that regard. 
 The secret of it all is that splendid, high-motived 
 men are giving themselves unselfishly to the boys of 
 the state. ... Utah is setting standards for the 
 whole country. Utah is repeating history. Just as 
 she developed the early scouts, the great heroes of 
 pioneer days, so now she is raising up boys scouts, 
 caught by the same spirit of enterprise, by the same 
 spirit of adventure. . . . The Mormon Church is the 
 largest factor in this splendid achievement. She it 
 is that is furnishing men and vision and ideals to the 
 young men throughout the state, and they as scout- 
 masters in the great majority are inspiring the youth 
 of the state to become good scouts.” 
 
 In the quotations given above are found some of 
 the factors which help to explain the development 
 of leadership among the Latter-day Saints. The 
 Church lays great stress on brotherly love. Not only 
 is it urged from the pulpit, but it is also brought 
 into the daily lives by meetings several times a week, 
 by a commingling of members from widely separated 
 regions at general conferences, by monthly visits of 
 the families by the “Ward Teachers,” * and by other 
 means whereby the members learn to know the 
 problems and therefore to sympathize with fellow 
 
 *Ward teachers are members of the local church organization 
 or “ward” who are asked to visit each house in a given area and 
 discuss religious or other subjects with the families. 
 
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 41 
 
 members as brothers and sisters. When this spirit 
 is established people are likely to feel it their duty 
 to offer brotherly assistance if it is perceived that 
 such assistance will be helpful. The authorities of 
 the Church, most of whom receive no compensation 
 for their services, set the example by devoting prac- 
 tically all of the time not necessary for their regular 
 business to giving aid to those who seem to need 
 their assistance. 
 
 Opportunity to develop the latent qualities of 
 leadership are so numerous in the Church organiza- 
 tions that any one with qualifications need not be 
 held back for want of work. The Church is divided 
 into wards which, on the average, contain slightly 
 over 400 members, and in each ward are at least a 
 dozen organizations to which those of various capa- 
 bilities may belong. Most of these organizations 
 require a president, counselors, secretary, treasurer, 
 and, as occasion arises, special committees. As these 
 offices are filled by those who receive the popular 
 vote, they are held by those with the qualities of 
 leadership. Advancement in station is likely to 
 occur as fast as power to fill higher positions is 
 demonstrated. The initiative taken by members of 
 the organizations when called upon to do the various 
 duties, such as teaching at a class meeting or creating 
 a widespread interest in some project that is under- 
 taken, is one of the methods for singling out leaders, 
 although special qualities in any line of endeavor 
 are taken into account. Because the organizations 
 
42 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 vary in purpose from those which are purely theo- 
 logical to organizations like scouting, which are in 
 no sense sectarian in their activities, there is an 
 opportunity to develop almost any latent talent. 
 Many of those who have become prominent in the 
 various arts and professions first discovered their 
 talents by working in these organizations. Latter- 
 day Saint missionaries, because of the nature of their 
 work, gain a type of experience in self-reliance, in 
 public speaking, and in dealing with men which fits 
 them for leadership in almost any activity. 
 
 As a summary of this chapter, it may be said 
 that the Mormons have produced prominent men in 
 nearly every line of endeavor. Utah exceeds all 
 states, except those in the New England division, in 
 proportion of men who have attained distinction as 
 indicated by having their names in “Who’s Who in 
 America,” and the Mormon part of the population 
 has the highest percentage in this record. The lead- 
 ership which has been evident in many civic and 
 professional activities is developed in the Mormon 
 Church, not only by the teachings of the Church, 
 but also by the practice in leadership which is 
 afforded by the many auxiliary organizations which 
 are fostered by the Church. 
 
CE AY By 
 THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS 
 
 Tue history of the Mormon Church is largely a 
 record of the colonization of new lands. When the 
 Church was organized in 1830 in western New York 
 that part of the country was essentially an unsettled 
 frontier. Shortly afterward the body of the Church 
 moved to Ohio, then to Missouri, and later to 
 Illinois. In each of these places new lands were 
 brought under cultivation and thriving communities 
 were made to replace unsubdued forest and prairie. 
 
 These people had scarcely built up the City of 
 Nauvoo, Illinois, when the persecutions became so 
 intense that it was decided to move west into the 
 unpromising wilderness where they could serve God 
 in their own way unmolested. 
 
 This exodus is described by Bancroft the historian 
 as follows:? 
 
 “There is no parallel in the world’s history in this 
 migration from Nauvoo. The exodus from Egypt was 
 from a heathen land, a land of idolaters, to a fertile 
 region designated by the Lord for His chosen people, 
 
 * History of Utah, pp. 217-18. 
 43 
 
44 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 the land of Canaan. The pilgrim fathers in flying to 
 America came from a bigoted and despotic people— 
 making few pretentions to civil or religious liberty. It 
 was from these same people who had fled from old-world 
 persecutions that they might enjoy liberty of conscience 
 in the wilds of America, from their descendents and 
 associations, that other of their descendents, who claimed 
 the right to differ from them in opinion and practice, 
 were now fleeing.” 
 
 The country to which they went was one inhabited 
 by roving tribes of Indians; it was so desolate and 
 forbidding that Daniel Webster had declared it unfit 
 for any use except for wild animals. 
 
 The situation they met was described as follows 
 by Captain Howard Stansbury, who made extensive 
 explorations of the Great Basin for the United States 
 Government about four years after the Mormon 
 ploneers arrived at their destination :? 
 
 “One of the most unpleasant characteristics of the 
 whole country . . . is the entire absence of trees from 
 the landscape. The weary traveller plods along, day 
 after day, and week after week, his eye resting upon 
 naught but interminable plains, bald and naked hills, or 
 bold and rugged mountains; the shady grove, the bab- 
 bling brook, the dense and solemn forest, are things 
 unknown here; and should he by chance light upon 
 some solitary cottonwood, or pitch his tent among some 
 stunted willows, the opportunity is hailed with joy, as 
 that of unusual good fortune.” 
 
 * Explorations and Survey of the Valley of the Great Salt Lake 
 (1852), p. 129, 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS = 45 
 
 Stansbury described the conditions he found a few 
 years after the Mormons had entered this wilderness 
 as follows: 
 
 “Nothing can exceed the appearance of prosperity, 
 peaceful harmony, and cheerful contentment that per- 
 vade the whole community. Ever since the first year 
 of privations, provisions have been abundant, and want 
 of the necessities and even comforts of life is a thing 
 unknown. A design was at one time entertained (more, 
 I believe, as a prospective measure than anything else) 
 to set apart a fund for the purpose of erecting a poor- 
 house; but after strict inquiry, it was found that there 
 were in the whole population but two persons who could 
 be considered as objects of public charity, and the plan 
 was in consequence abandoned. 
 
 “This happy state of universally diffused prosperity, 
 is commented on by themselves, as an evidence of the 
 smiles of Heaven and of the special favor of the Deity; 
 but I think it may be most clearly accounted for in the 
 admirable discipline and ready obedience of a large body 
 of industrious and intelligent men, and the wise councils 
 of prudent and sagacious leaders, producing a oneness 
 and concentration of action, the result of which has 
 astonished even those by whom it has been effected. 
 The happy consequences of this system of united and 
 well-directed action, under one leading and controlling 
 mind, is most prominently apparent in the erection of 
 public buildings, opening of roads, the construction of 
 bridges, and the preparation of the country for the speedy 
 occupation of a large and rapidly growing population, 
 shortly to be still further augmented by an immigration, 
 even now on their way, from almost every country in 
 Kurope. 
 
 *Ibid., p. 133. 
 
46 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 “Upon the personal character of the leader of this 
 singular people, it may not, perhaps, be proper for me 
 to comment in a communication like the present. I may 
 nevertheless be pardoned for saying, that, to me, Presi- 
 dent Young appeared to be a man of clear, sound sense, 
 fully alive to the responsibilities of the station he oc- 
 cupiles, sincerely devoted to the good name and interests 
 of the people over which he presides, sensitively jealous 
 of the least attempt to undervalue or misrepresent them, 
 and indefatigable in devising ways and means for their 
 moral, mental and physical elevation. He appeared to 
 possess the unlimited personal and official confidence of 
 his people; while both he and his two counselors, forming 
 the presidency of the church, seemed to have but one 
 object in view—the prosperity and peace of the society 
 over which they presided.” 
 
 Continuing, he says: 
 
 “When it is remembered that within the space of four 
 years this country was but a wild and dreary wilderness, 
 where the howl of the wolf and the yell of the miserable 
 Indian alone awoke the echoes of the mountains, and 
 where the bear, the deer, and the antelope roamed se- 
 curely over what is now a compact and populous city; 
 that the physical obstacles to the occupation of a region 
 so unpromising were sufficient to discourage the most 
 Sanguine imagination and to appal the stoutest, heart,— 
 the mind is filled with wonder at witnessing the im- 
 mense results which have been accomplished in so short 
 a time, and from a beginning apparently so insignifi- 
 cant... 
 
 “A residence of a year in the midst of the Mormon 
 community, during the greater part of which period I 
 
 * Ibid., p. 144. 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS 47 
 
 was in constant intercourse with both rulers and people, 
 afforded much opportunity for ascertaining the real 
 facts of the case.” 
 
 Professor Richard T. Ely, the noted economist, 
 discusses the success of the Mormons as colonizers 
 and the reasons for this success as follows: ® 
 
 “Anything drearier than the scene which must have 
 greeted them when they reached the valleys among the 
 mountains of Utah can scarcely be imagined. It was 
 apparently a desert waste, covered with sage-brushes. 
 They were obliged to depend upon themselves, but that 
 they had the social cement of their religion binding them 
 together and bringing about submission to the leadership, 
 explain the wonderful achievements of the Mormons 
 in making the desert blossom like the rose, and bringing 
 modest and frugal comfort to their large following. We 
 have a marvelous combination of physiographic condi- 
 tions and social organization in the development of Utah 
 under the guidance of Mormonism. The agriculture 
 pursued was irrigation agriculture, which for its success is 
 dependent upon a compact: society, well knit together. 
 Individualism was out of the question under these con- 
 ditions, and in Mormonism we find precisely the cohesive 
 strength. of religion needed at that junction to secure 
 economic success. 
 
 “Agriculture was made the foundation of the economic 
 life, and consciously so. Brigham Young discouraged 
 mining and adventurous pursuits, because he had a 
 theory of socio-economic development in accordance 
 with which agriculture should come first, manufactur- 
 ing second, and mining later. It was essential that 
 food should be produced first of all, and also there was 
 
 * Harper's Magazine, v. 106 (1903), pp. 667-678. 
 
48 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 a desire that settled habits should be acquired. Another 
 peculiarity of the situation, namely, that the land could 
 be made to yield a harvest only by means of irrigation, 
 has just been mentioned, and the Mormons thus became 
 the pioneers of modern irrigation in the United States, 
 the second great step being taken when Greeley, Colo- 
 rado, was established. We find in these conditions many 
 peculiarities differentiating Utah from the other arid 
 states, and, indeed from the country as a whole, although 
 in the influence of religion there is a suggestion of many 
 older movements of colonization. Agriculture was in 
 Utah, and is still, the chief industry, whereas in the other 
 Western States it has frequently been subordinated to 
 mining. 
 
 “The Mormons had already practised codperation in 
 their former settlements in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, 
 and it was manifest to them that they must act together 
 in their new home among the mountains. The dangers 
 from the Indians as well as the dangers from the ele- 
 ments, and their pressing needs, brought them into close 
 economic relationship. Their idea was first to establish 
 centers of population in villages and cities, and to go 
 out from the cities to cultivate the land. Salt Lake 
 City, the pioneer settlement, has been typical, although, 
 in minor details, there have been some variations in 
 other settlements. Salt Lake City was divided into ten- 
 acre blocks, and each block was divided into eight lots, 
 so that within the city itself each owner should have 
 an acre and a quarter to cultivate, and in the early days, 
 the cultivation of the home garden was a very important 
 item in the maintenance of the family. First of all, in 
 the settlement the central plot was reserved for common 
 purposes. A fort was constructed, and within the fort 
 the houses were built, the houses themselves constituting 
 the walls of the fort. From this central reservation, the 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS 49 
 
 settlement extended outwards very quickly, as settlers 
 increased, and dangers from the Indians disappeared. 
 It was necessary at once to construct highways and build 
 ditches, in order by these means to reach the timber 
 in the mountains and to turn water on the land. 
 
 “The codperation in these works was frequently, and 
 perhaps generally, informal, and it was always under the 
 direct influence of the Church, through which came what 
 has been termed the ‘cohesive strength of religion.’ 
 Inasmuch as, according to the Mormons, all life is held 
 to be sacred, and work under the guidance of the Church 
 a religious act, it is not strange that, when it seemed to 
 be the most pressing thing, any of the leaders should in 
 their religious gatherings speak about irrigation or bridge- 
 building. Brigham Young, acting always under the guid- 
 ance of the Lord, as he claimed, directed in detail works 
 calculated to convey a common benefit. On Sunday, 
 preaching in any settlement such as Provo, for example, 
 he might say, ‘Tomorrow I want one hundred men and 
 fifty teams to meet and work on the irrigating ditch.’ 
 Or the forces might be rallied for the construction of a 
 road into a canyon of the mountains. Generally, but 
 not always, an account was kept of the work of each one, 
 and if it was for an irrigating-ditch he was given a 
 corresponding interest in the ditch. But the water was 
 connected with the land, the ditches were owned by the 
 farmers. They were codperative undertakings which 
 were part and parcel of agriculture. Even to this day, 
 the Mormons look with little favor upon speculative irri- 
 gating enterprises. In one important case, when a large 
 ditch was constructed by capitalists, the farmers in the 
 surrounding country simply starved the capitalists out by 
 refusing to make any use of the water, and then they 
 bought out the bankrupt enterprise at a low price. Water 
 was by the early customs and laws of Deseret, as their 
 
50 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 State was first called, and then later by the Territory of 
 Utah, held to be public property; and Professor Mead, 
 in his work on irrigation, holds up the early practices of 
 the Mormons as a model, from which they have departed 
 in subsequent times only to their own disadvantage.” 
 
 Another place in this same article Professor Ely 
 attributes the accomplishments of this people to 
 the willingness of the individuals to sacrifice, and to 
 the perfect organization which they have. ‘These 
 are his statements: 
 
 “We find in Mormonism, to a larger degree than I 
 have ever seen in any other body of people, an illustra- 
 tion of the individual who is willing to sacrifice himself 
 for the whole, and it is a religious sanction which impels 
 him to do so. On the other hand, the interests of the 
 future are ever in mind, and to them the present is 
 subordinated, the final goal being the millennium, and 
 the setting up of the kingdom of the Lord in Jackson 
 County, Missouri; for it is there that the great restoration 
 is to take place. 
 
 “So far as I can judge from what I have seen, the 
 organization of the Mormons is the most nearly perfect 
 piece of social mechanism which I have ever in anyway 
 come in contact, excepting alone the German Army. 
 The Mormons, indeed, speak of their whole social organi- 
 zation as an army, the reserve being those at home, and 
 the fighting force being the missionaries in the field. 
 We have faith, authority, obedience, operating through 
 this marvelous social mechanism, and touching life at all 
 points, inasmuch as the Mormon creed recognizes no 
 interest as external to the Church, and regards Church 
 and state as actually one.” 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS 51 
 
 The teachings of the Church all tended to promote 
 
 cooperation. This is illustrated by the following 
 
 epistle issued by the apostles at Winter Quarters, 
 
 December 23, 1846, as their followers wended their 
 way westward: 
 
 “It is the duty of the rich saints everywhere, to assist 
 the poor, according to their ability to gather; and if 
 choose, with a covenant and promise that the poor thus 
 helped shall pay as soon as they are able. It is also the 
 duty of the rich, those who have the intelligence and the 
 means, to come home forthwith and establish factories, 
 and all kinds of machinery, that will tend to give em- 
 ployment to the poor, and produce those articles which 
 are necessary for the comfort, convenience, health and 
 happiness of the people; and no one need to be at a loss 
 concerning his duty in these matters, if he will walk so 
 humbly before God as to keep the small still whisperings 
 of the Holy Ghost within continually.” 
 
 Another observer of the Mormon system of colo- 
 nization, Charles Ellis,* has this to say: 
 
 “Christianity has given martyrs to its cause—so has 
 Mormonism, and Mormonism has given help, home and 
 happiness to many thousands of Christians who would 
 have known neither without its helping hand. Very early 
 in the career of the Mormon Church the principle of 
 cooperation was set up as the line along which the 
 Church should work for the ‘Brotherhood of man,’ and 
 while it has never been realized as anticipated, several 
 attempts have been made that have been at least, par- 
 tially successful, even against bitter opposition by gov- 
 ernment officials and anti-Mormons in general. . 
 
 ° Christian and Mormon Doctrines, pp. 32-35. 
 
52 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 Owing to the many adversities against which the Church 
 and people have had to struggle, the principle of co- 
 operation may be said to be yet largely latent, but it ig 
 deep rooted in the minds of the people that the time is 
 sure to come when codperation will exist wherever it can 
 be made practicable among the Mormons. . . . Below 
 it is the theological belief that this world, practically 
 as it is now, is to be the home of the people who lived 
 upon it in mortal life, through that endless life upon 
 which they will enter ‘in the resurrection,’ and codpera- 
 tion will then be the rule. . . . Brigham Young, all 
 admit, was a wonderful colonizer. Yet his work was all 
 done to carry out this idea of an eternal life on this 
 very world. His policy has been followed. The Mormon 
 leaders have bought land for the Church in most of 
 these mountain states and territories, as well as in 
 Mexico and Canada. Why? Because they, for their 
 people, could buy vastly more advantageously than the 
 individuals could. But that land the Church sells on easy 
 terms to its immigrants, and so welcomes them by co- 
 operation and brotherhood. 
 
 “Whether Mormonism is right or wrong, its this-world- 
 religion of codperation and brotherhood-of-man seems 
 to have been and to continue to be good for the Mormon 
 people——and why should we not all admit the fact? 
 Mormonism is a practical every-day religion of this 
 life and this world looking upon the advancement of 
 its people here as the best preparation for that eternal 
 life they expect to live on this same world ‘in the resur- 
 rection.’ All peoples have equal right to form and hold 
 their opinions as to the meaning and purpose of this 
 life and that which is to come, and, therefore, it strikes 
 me that among religious sects Mormonism has achieved 
 sufficient success to give it a pull strong enough to with- 
 stand all ministerial and political misrepresentation and 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS 53 
 
 abuse. If I were a Mormon I should not be uneasy as 
 to the result.” 
 
 When the Mormon pioneers first reached Salt 
 Lake Valley there was the natural tendency to settle 
 down all together in one community where the 
 advantages of a large population could be obtained, 
 but it soon became evident that the only way to 
 settle up the country was to have groups of families 
 go out into the surrounding country and build it up. 
 Consequently scouts were sent out to explore all of 
 the surrounding territory, and very soon different 
 families volunteered to go to the various districts. 
 These people did not allow their personal prefer- 
 ences to count; they were willing to go anywhere 
 that seemed best to the authorities, because they 
 knew that the authorities had the welfare of every 
 person in mind when they asked them to do 
 anything. 
 
 It was in this spirit that Mormon communities 
 were built up through all parts of Utah and the 
 surrounding states and even in Mexico and Canada. 
 This method of reaching out and making new settle- 
 ments is thus described by Bancroft:7 
 
 “Instead of merely adding suburb to suburb, all cluster- 
 ing around the parent center, as might have been done 
 by other communities, the Church dignitaries, while yet 
 Salt Lake City was but a village, ordered parties of the 
 brethren, some of them still barely rested from their 
 toilsome journey across the plains, to start afresh for 
 
 * History of Utah, pp. 319-320. 
 
o4 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 remote and unprotected portions of a then unknown 
 country. As new locations were needed, exploring parties 
 were sent forth, and when a site was selected, a small 
 company, usually of volunteers, was placed in charge of 
 an elder and ordered to make ready the proposed settle- 
 ment. Care was taken that the various crafts should be 
 represented in due proportion, and that the expedition 
 should be well supplied with provisions, implements, and 
 live-stock. . . . Thus equipped and selected, the settlers, 
 with their marvelous energy and thrift, made more prog- 
 ress and suffered less privation in reclaiming the waste 
 lands of their wilderness than did the Spaniards in the 
 garden spots of Mexico and Central America, or the 
 English in the most favored regions near the Atlantic 
 seaboard.” 
 
 The number of communities built up under the 
 Mormon system of colonization was given by Webb 
 in 1916 as follows: 
 
 “There are at the present time 615 cities, towns, vil- 
 lages, and neighborhoods (or 706 regularly organized 
 wards) in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which 
 have been founded and built up principally by the fru- 
 gality, industry and unison of the Mormon people, di- 
 rected by the authorities of the Church. Of these settle- 
 ments 333 are situated in Utah, 166 in Idaho, 31 in Ari- 
 zona, 6 in Colorado, 10 in Nevada, 27 in Wyoming, 7 in 
 Oregon, 5 in New Mexico, 22 in Alberta, Canada, and 
 8 in Old Mexico.” 
 
 These settlements, or colonies, were practically 
 always successful. It is doubtful if in all the history 
 of the colonization there was ever such a high per- 
 
 ®*The Real Mormonism, p. 135. 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS — 55 
 
 centage of successes as among the Mormon pioneers 
 of the West. The utter unselfishness with which 
 they went into the thing; their industry, frugality, 
 and sobriety; and their wise leadership were all fac- 
 tors in this success. The absence of any one of these 
 would have resulted in disaster. 
 
 When one considers how the settlers struggled 
 against drought and alkali on the one hand and with 
 canal-destroying floods and lack of transportation 
 on the other, one is led to marvel at what was 
 accomplished. No one who has any knowledge of 
 the real facts can fail to be profoundly impressed 
 that here is a people that possesses the fundamental 
 qualities of real colonizers. Certainly they fill many 
 of the requirements outlined by Professor Carver in 
 his excellent book, ‘“The Religion Worth Having.” 
 
 To quote from him:® 
 
 “That is the best religion which (1) acts most power- 
 fully as a spur to energy, and (2) directs that energy 
 most productively. That is the most productive expendi- 
 ture of energy which supports the most life and supports 
 it most abundantly, which gives the largest control over 
 the forces of nature and the most complete dominion 
 over the world, and which enables men to control what- 
 ever environment happens to surround them and to live 
 comfortably in it.” 
 
 Again on page 23: 
 
 “The religion which stimulates to high endeavor and 
 develops the latent energy of its people, and directs that 
 
 pat RR 
 
56 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 energy wisely and productively, will succeed because the 
 people who are fortunate enough to possess it will suc- 
 ceed and hold dominion over the world.” 
 
 Continuing on page 40, 
 
 “One of the greatest lessons of history is that the 
 peoples who have succumbed to the insidious appeal to 
 self-indulgence have grown weak and have lost ground 
 as compared with the more virile and rugged peoples who 
 have retained a simpler and sturdier view of life.” 
 
 He discusses the church that succeeds best in the 
 following terms:?° 
 
 “The church that can say to the unchurched, ‘Our way 
 is best because it works best. Our people are efficient, 
 prosperous, and happy because we are a body who aid 
 one another in the productive life. We waste none of our 
 substance in vice, luxury, or ostentation. We do not 
 dissipate our energy in brawling, gambling, or unwhole- 
 some habits. We conserve our resources of body and 
 mind and devote them to the upbuilding of the Kingdom 
 of God, which is not a mystical but a real kingdom. It 
 is a body of people dominated by ideals of productivity, 
 which is mutual service. We do not strive for the things 
 which satisfy but for a moment and then leave a bad 
 taste, we strive for the things which build us up and 
 - enable us and our children to be strong, to flourish, and 
 to conquer. We strive to make ourselves worthy to re- 
 ceive the world by fitting ourselves to use the world more 
 productively than others. We believe that obedience to 
 God means obedience to the laws of nature, which are 
 but the uniform manifestations of His will; and we try 
 by painstaking study to acquire the most complete and 
 exact knowledge of that will, in order that we may con- 
 
 ® Pp, 108-9. 
 
THE MORMONS AS COLONIZERS _ 57 
 
 form ourselves to it. We believe that reverence for 
 God is respect for these laws, that meekness is teachable- 
 ness and willingness to learn by observation and experi- 
 ence. By practicing this kind of meekness, or teachable- 
 ness, we believe that we shall inherit the earth; whereas, 
 the unmeek, the unteachable, the pigheaded, who are 
 dominated by pride of tradition, shall not. We offer 
 you hard work, frugal fare, severe discipline, but a share 
 in the conquest of the world for the religion of the 
 productive life.” 
 
 The Mormon Church as an organization has con- 
 tributed largely of its means to assist new settlers 
 in establishing enterprises for which the individuals 
 did not have sufficient capital. This applied par- 
 ticularly to the construction of irrigation canals and 
 other similar efforts. The pioneer settlers had their 
 teams and could do a large amount of work but did 
 not have means with which to buy powder for blast- 
 ing and other necessities that required cash. This 
 need was frequently supplied by the Church and as 
 a result projects that could not have succeeded 
 under any other arrangement became highly suc- 
 cessful and farms were developed in the midst of the 
 desert. Manufacturing and other activities to pro- 
 mote home industry have always been encouraged 
 by the Church and as a result its communities have 
 been largely self-sustaining. 
 
 These are some of the elements that have con- 
 tributed to the success of the Mormons as colonizers 
 when others, who have been interested only in the 
 speculative side of the project, have failed. 
 
Repel raat bed Shel Se 
 ATTITUDE OF THE MORMONS TOWARDS GOVERNMENT 
 
 THE present generation has seen tremendous up- 
 heavals in many of the governments of the world. 
 Successful revolutions have been overthrown by 
 counter revolutions until the political complexion of 
 the world has been drastically changed. These 
 upheavals have led some people to doubt the value 
 of governments, and they have advocated a complete 
 change in the entire political and social order. 
 
 It is true that great changes have been wrought, 
 many of them for good and many for ill, but no 
 thinking person can doubt the value of some form 
 of government as a means of safeguarding human 
 rights. The purpose of governments is to give all 
 of us a chance to live happy lives. They ward off 
 enemies who would swoop down upon our homes, 
 murdering our loved ones and carrying away the 
 products of our toil; they give us recourse from the 
 impositions of powerful combinations of men who 
 would, by insidious methods deprive us of the full 
 benefit of our industry; and they develop or con- 
 serve the resources in their domain as seems wise, 
 
 58 
 
ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOVERNMENT = 59 
 
 so that we can enjoy those gifts of nature which God 
 meant for all. Where organizations come in conflict 
 with fair governments, they are a menace to the 
 people and deserve the early oblivion which usually 
 comes to them. 
 
 In making a study of any church it is therefore 
 wise to inquire into its attitude toward the institu- 
 tion of government. In our study of Mormonism 
 we must apply this test. 
 
 From published statements concerning civil gov- 
 ernments, it appears that the Mormons have very 
 definite convictions on the subject. One of the 
 thirteen Articles of Faith of the Church says: “We 
 believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, 
 and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining 
 the law.” The Church holds that obedience is not 
 only one of the first principles of Heaven, but that 
 it is also ohe of the most necessary principles of 
 earthly well being. This belief includes obedience 
 to God’s will, to civil governments, to rules of 
 
 -society, and to all who hold authoritative positions 
 of any type. A rather full statement of the beliefs 
 of the Latter-day Saints regarding laws was formu- 
 lated in 1835 and is given in Section 1384 of their 
 Doctrine and Covenants as follows: 
 
 “1. We believe that governments were instituted of 
 God for the benefit of man; and that He holds men ac- 
 countable for their acts in relation to them, both in mak- 
 ing laws and administering them, for the good and 
 safety of society. 
 
60 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 “2. We believe that no government can exist in peace, 
 except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will 
 secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, 
 the right and control of property, and the protection of 
 life. 
 
 “3. We believe that all governments necessarily re- 
 quire civil officers and magistrates to enforce the laws 
 of the same; and that such as will administer the law in 
 equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the 
 voice of the people of a republic, or the will of the 
 sovereign. 
 
 “4. We believe that religion is instituted of God; and 
 that men are amenable to Him, and to Him only, for the 
 exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them 
 to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but 
 we do not believe that human law has a right to inter- 
 fere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the con- 
 sciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private 
 devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, 
 but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but 
 never suppress the freedom of the soul. 
 
 “5. We believe that all men are bound to sustain and 
 uphold the respective governments in which they reside, 
 while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights 
 by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and 
 rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, 
 and should be punished accordingly; and that all govern- 
 ments have a right to enact such laws as in their own 
 judgments are best calculated to secure the public in- 
 terest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the 
 freedom of conscience. 
 
 “6. We believe that every man should be honored in 
 his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed 
 for the protection of the innocent and the punishment 
 of the guilty; and that to the laws all men owe respect 
 
ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOVERNMENT 61 
 
 and deference, as without them peace and harmony 
 would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws 
 being instituted for the express purpose of regulating 
 our interests as individuals and nations, between man 
 and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing 
 rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to 
 be answered by man to his Maker. 
 
 “7. We believe that rulers, states, and governments 
 have a right, and are bound to enact laws for the pro- 
 tection of all citizens in the free exercise of their religious 
 belief; but we do not believe that they have a right in 
 justice to deprive citizens of this privilege, or proscribe 
 them in their opinions, so long as a regard and reverence 
 are shown to the laws and such religious opinions do not 
 justify sedition nor conspiracy. 
 
 “8. We believe that the commission of crime should 
 be punished according to the nature of the offense; that 
 murder, treason, robbery, theft, and the breach of the 
 general peace, in all respects, should be punished ac- 
 cording to their criminality and their tendency to evil 
 among men, by the laws of that government in which the 
 offense is committed; and for the public peace and tran- 
 quillity all men should step forward and use their ability 
 in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment. 
 
 “9. We do not believe it just to mingle religious in- 
 fluence with civil government, whereby one religious 
 society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual 
 privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as 
 citizens, denied. 
 
 “10. We believe that all religious societies have a right 
 to deal with their members for disorderly conduct, ac- 
 cording to the rules and regulations of such societies; 
 provided that such dealings be for fellowship and good 
 standing; but we do not believe that any religious society 
 has authority to try men on the right of property or life, 
 
62 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 to take from them this world’s goods, or to put them 
 in jeopardy of either life or limb, or to inflict any 
 physical punishment upon them. They can only excom- 
 municate them from their society, and withdraw from 
 them their fellowship. 
 
 “11. We believe that men should appeal to the civil law 
 for redress of all wrongs and grievances, where personal 
 abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character 
 infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; 
 but we believe that all men are justified in defending 
 themselves, their friends, and property, and the govern- 
 ment, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of 
 all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal 
 cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded. 
 
 “12. We believe it just to preach the gospel to the 
 nations of the earth, and warn the righteous to save 
 themselves from the corruption of the world; but we do 
 not believe it right to interfere with bond servants, 
 neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them contrary 
 to the will and wish of their masters, nor to meddle 
 with or influence them in the least to cause them to be 
 dissatisfied with their situations in this life, thereby 
 jeopardizing the lives of men; such interference we be- 
 lieve to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to the 
 peace of every government allowing human beings to be 
 held in servitude.” 
 
 That the above doctrines are accepted as guiding 
 principles by the Latter-day Saints in their attitude 
 toward governments is strongly indicated by their 
 excellent record with regard to criminal indictments 
 as discussed in another chapter, in their loyal atti- 
 tude toward the U. S. Government in time of war 
 given in another section, and in their more than 
 
ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOVERNMENT 63 
 
 ordinary efforts to influence laws for the benefit of 
 society by a full exercise of their voting rights. In a 
 few cases the Mormons have objected to certain laws 
 which seemed to have been made especially to 
 thwart their happiness, but in such cases after the 
 laws were tested in the highest tribunals of the land 
 and found constitutional they willingly submitted 
 to them. In several instances the laws instituted 
 especially for the purpose of bringing extra hardship 
 upon the Mormons were repealed by the supreme 
 courts; A. B. Carlton in his “Wonderlands of the 
 Wild West’’+ cites three such cases. Judge Kinney, 
 who served on the Supreme Court bench for ten 
 years following 1853, said on resigning: “I am happy 
 in being able to state that I found no difficulty in 
 Utah in administering the law, except where its 
 administration has been thwarted by Executive 
 interference. . . . I repeat, gentlemen, that the law 
 is, and can be maintained in this Territory, and that 
 there is more vigilance here in arresting and bringing 
 criminals to trial and punishment than in any 
 country where I have ever resided.” 2 Statements 
 to the same effect have been made by various other 
 observers who have made impartial studies of the 
 Mormons. ) 
 
 In brief, it may be stated that the Mormons as a 
 people strive to sustain the laws of whatever gov- 
 ernment they are living under. Their belief that 
 
 BE DiOol=a0u: 
 * Hist. of Utah, Whitney, v. 2, pp. 102-3. 
 
64 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 “he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to 
 break the laws of the land,’ ? is probably a vital 
 influence in maintaining their excellent records for 
 good citizenship. 
 
 * Doc. and Cov. 58: 21. 
 
CHAPTER 7 
 PATRIOTISM OF THE MORMONS 
 
 THE success of the republican form of government 
 is dependent on the patriotism of its citizens. If 
 they do not have a comprehensive idea of what is 
 best for the country, and if they do not place the in- 
 terest of the country above party, class, or sectional 
 and selfish interest, the government is doomed to 
 anarchy and ruin. This interest of the country in- 
 cludes, of course, a willingness on the part of the 
 citizens to give their services and to sacrifice their 
 own interests where the welfare of the country is 
 threatened. Good citizenship means a high degree 
 of patriotism. If the above idea of patriotism is ac- 
 cepted, a tangible expression of it might be found in 
 any one of a number of activities. It might be ex- 
 pressed negatively in lawlessness, or in lack of re- 
 gard for the rights of others, or it might be manifest 
 in many acts which are known to be detrimental to 
 the welfare of the country. 
 
 In this study of patriotism among the Latter-day 
 Saints, an investigation will be made of the avail- 
 able data which will show the manner in which the 
 
 people responded to the call of the nation in times of 
 65 
 
66 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 war, when the interest of the whole country is, or 
 should be centered on a single purpose. 
 
 The attitude the Mormons take toward war in 
 general was expressed by Joseph F. Smith, a former 
 President, in 1914, as follows: 1 “ ‘Peace on earth, 
 and good will to men is our slogan. That is our prin- 
 ciple. That is the principle of the Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ. And while I think it is wrong, wickedly 
 wrong, to force war upon any nation, or upon any 
 people, I believe it is righteous and just for every 
 people to defend their own lives and their own liber- 
 ties, and their own homes, with the last drop of their 
 blood. I believe it is right, and I believe that the 
 Lord will sustain any people in defending their own 
 liberty to worship according to the dictates of their 
 conscience, and people trying to preserve their 
 wives and their children from the ravages of war.” 
 This general idea is incorporated in the Mormon 
 doctrines.’ 
 
 The “peace on earth, and good will to men” atti- 
 tude of the Mormons was well illustrated in their 
 treatment of the Indians in early days. Instead of 
 antagonizing and fighting them, as was done in many 
 pioneering colonies of America, they were befriended 
 and, whenever this was feasible, fed almost the same 
 as unfortunate members of the colony. 
 
 Unfortunately there is no information in sufficient 
 detail to show the patriotism of the Mormon people 
 
 * Relief Soo. Mg., v. 2 (1914), No. 1, p. 13. 
 2 Doc. and Cov. 98: 34-87. 
 
PATRIOTISM OF THE MORMONS _ 67 
 
 separate from others, even in Utah, and as will be 
 noted in the studies of criminals, insane, divorces, 
 etc., the Mormons are distinctive in their reactions. 
 Since the Mormons compose about 62 per cent of 
 the total population of Utah, or 92 per cent of all 
 expressing their religious inclination, a study of the 
 records of the State as a whole will show any 
 unusual tendency of the Mormons. 
 
 During the World War the first call made by the 
 U. S. Government was for volunteers and the re- 
 sponse to this call may be taken to indicate the 
 voluntary willingness with which the men chose to 
 stand up for the rights of our nation. The second 
 report of the Provost Marshal General to the Secre- 
 tary of War® shows that Utah was one of the 12 
 states which had more than furnished their net 
 quotas before December 31, 1917. Utah had over- 
 subscribed a larger proportion than any State except 
 Maine and Idaho. 
 
 Of the gross quotas the average percentage of 
 enlistments for the whole United States was 40.4 
 while that for Utah was 51.9 per cent. There were 
 13 states with a higher percentage of enlistments 
 to the gross quota. Utah was one of the 15 states 
 which furnished more enlistments than the net 
 quotas called for. 
 
 At the end of the second registration period in 
 1918, the average percentage of enlistments in the 
 army to the total increment was 21.75 for the whole 
 
 *See Statistical Abstract of the U. S., 1918, p. 743. 
 
68 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 United States and 27.47 for Utah; only 7 states in 
 the Union showed a better percentage than Utah.* 
 Utah held fifteenth place in percentage of enlist- 
 ments to the Navy at that time. In the Marine 
 Corps during the whole War Utah furnished more 
 volunteers in proportion to her population than did 
 any other state. 
 
 As the War ended before many of the Utah troops 
 were on the fighting lines, little can be said about 
 the actual fighting, but those who were engaged in 
 the Ninety-first Division, which saved the day for 
 the allied forces at the Argonne Forest, were highly 
 commended for their valor. 
 
 The various money drives made by the Govern- 
 ment were very important to the welfare of the 
 nation during the War. In the Liberty and Victory 
 Loan drives, Utah oversubscribed in every case, the 
 quota of $61,275,000 for all drives being exceeded by 
 $11,275,000 or over 18 per cent. The Mormon 
 Church as a body had subscribed $500,000 for Lib- 
 erty Bonds by 1918, and throughout every campaign 
 the Mormon officials urged the members to loan and 
 give freely whenever the Government asked. The 
 Red Cross drives were oversubscribed for in Utah by 
 about one-third. The only failure made in these 
 money campaigns was for War Savings Stamps, and 
 in this regard Utah furnished a per capita amount 
 exceeded in only 16 of the 52 states and cities.® 
 
 * Tbid., p. 737. 
 °Tbid., p. 636. Cal. and Penn. divided into two parts; District 
 of Columbia and New York City considered separately. 
 
PATRIOTISM OF THE MORMONS _ 69 
 
 Conservation of foodstuffs and activity of all who 
 were not called to the colors was of vital importance. 
 After Carl Vrooman of the U. S. Food Administra- 
 tion, who had come to Utah to organize the work, 
 saw conditions in Utah, he said: “You were already 
 prepared and at work before the word came for us 
 to begin. I came to advise but now I can only 
 praise. I have seen so far in my travels nothing 
 like the work Utah is doing in conservation, and I 
 shall carry the story of it to other states.”® The 
 Honorable W. W. Armstrong, of the U. S. Food 
 Commission, said: ®° “For me to undertake the re- 
 organization of the conservation forces in the State 
 at this time would be like trying to ‘paint a lily.’ 
 The forces now organized are doubtless working 
 more effectively than similar committees will be able 
 to work in any State in the Union; and, while not a 
 Mormon myself, I can not refrain from paying the 
 Mormon Church and the Mormon people the com- 
 pliment that they are now, through the professional 
 and practical energetic local defense committees, 
 providing the government with a model of efficiency 
 in organization of food conservation; and I only 
 wish every State in the Union had the nucleus of 
 such organization.” The various Mormon Church 
 organizations took up patriotic work according to 
 the nature of the organization. The 45,000 women 
 belonging to the Relief Society were among the first 
 in the Nation to sign the Hoover Pledge Cards; they 
 
 *From Utah’s Loyalty and War Record. 
 
70 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 delivered to the Government 100,000 bushels of 
 wheat which had been kept as a reserve according to 
 former plans; they raised crops; they preserved 
 foods; and they subscribed heavily to war funds 
 both as a body and as individuals. Similarly the 
 Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association, 
 the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association, 
 and the Primary Associations, all took active parts. 
 
 Besides the World War the Mormons have had 
 opportunity to show their loyalty to the Nation in 
 the Spanish War, the Civil War, and the War with 
 Mexico. In the Spanish War, Utah furnished two 
 volunteer troops where but one was called for. 
 Their terms of enlistment expired while they were 
 still fighting insurgents in the Philippines; but they 
 fought on until they were no longer needed. 
 
 In the Civil War, although the Mormons continu- 
 ously vouched their loyalty to the Government, they 
 were not asked to contribute to the fighting forces, 
 but readily assented to the request to furnish armed 
 men to help protect the western country from 
 Indians and other lawless parties, so that the whole 
 strength of the United States Army could be held 
 for active field service. 
 
 The so-called Mexican War occurred in 1846 
 shortly after the Mormons had been expelled by 
 mobs from Illinois, and while they were on their 
 way to the Rocky Mountains. Although the whole 
 group of Mormon men were needed in this exodus 
 to the Rocky Mountains, when the Government 
 
PATRIOTISM OF THE MORMONS- 71 
 
 called for 500 men, this number was almost immedi- 
 ately dispatched across what is now the South- 
 western States to California. 
 
 Impartial observers who have been among or near 
 the Mormons during critical periods of the Nation’s 
 history have given no positive evidence that the 
 Mormons were other than loyal, whereas there are 
 many who have gained an intimate view of the 
 Mormons who classify them with our most loyal 
 citizens. Senator Thomas of Colorado, in speaking 
 of the Mormons in the Senate in 1919, says: 7 
 “During the (World) War resistance to the draft 
 occasionally punctured our dispatches and the ex- 
 pression of toleration or friendliness to the enemy 
 was one of the commonest of occurrences. But 
 during that critical period upon no occasion which 
 I can remember did the people of Utah, Mormon 
 and Gentile, fail to whole-heartedly, loyally, and 
 enthusiastically respond to every call made by the 
 Government for soldiers or for money. Not in a 
 single instance did this people falter. Their splen- 
 did youth were given up freely to our armies, and 
 the blood of their boys sanctifies the soil of every 
 battlefield in France. 
 
 “Every loan drive was responded to, not by the 
 quota, but far beyond it, and in everything that con- 
 tributed to good citizenship, to patriotism, to loy- 
 alty, and to love of country, these people were ever 
 conspicuous; and it is due to them, as one of the 
 
 *Cong. Rec., Nov. 11, 1919. 
 
72 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 representatives from a neighboring state wherein 
 many of these people are located, and are among 
 our best citizens, that I do so.” 
 
 Writing at an earlier period Bancroft ® says: “It 
 is not true that the Mormons are not good citizens, 
 law abiding and patriotic. Even when hunted down 
 and robbed and butchered by the enemies of their 
 faith, they have not retaliated. (On this point they 
 are naturally very sore.) When deprived of those 
 sacred rights given to them in common with all 
 American citizens, when disenfranchised, their 
 homes broken up, their families scattered, the hus- 
 band and father seized, fined, and imprisoned, they 
 have not defended themselves by violence, but have 
 left their cause to God and their country. Such 
 treatment did not estrange them from their country. 
 Out among the wilds of the Rocky Mountains in 
 1849 they did not try to set up an independent gov- 
 ernment as a disloyal people might have done. In 
 incorporating Salt Lake City in that year the ordi- 
 nance reads: ‘The mayor, alderman and councilors 
 before entering upon their duties, shall take and 
 subscribe an oath or affirmation that they will 
 support the Constitution of the United States.” 
 
 From the above discussion it is seen that the 
 Mormons have willingly come to the aid of their 
 country and sacrificed their lives for its welfare in 
 every national crisis. They have liberally supported 
 the Government by furnishing funds for war activi- 
 
 * History of Utah, pp. 390-92. 
 
PATRIOTISM OF THE MORMONS 73 
 
 ties, and by conserving foodstuffs. The machinery 
 of government has not been willfuly clogged by an 
 undue number of Mormon adherents. If we accept 
 the statement of former President Woodrow Wilson 
 that “The real test of a community is not what it 
 does under compulsion of law, but what it does of 
 its own volition,” ® then the Mormons must be 
 adjudged patriotic because when they reached Utah, 
 hardly before it became property of the United 
 States, they raised the Stars and Stripes over the 
 land and proclaimed their allegiance to our country. 
 
 °Wit and Wisdom of Woodrow Wilson. 
 
CHAPTER 8 
 CHARITY WORK AMONG THE MORMONS 
 
 Tue foremost sociologists of today are in agree- 
 ment with the teachings of Christ that the essen- 
 tials to human progress are the strengthening of the 
 weak, the enriching of the impoverished, and the 
 redeeming of the low in society. It is obvious that 
 neither spiritual nor temporal progress can be fully 
 attained when a portion of the people is suffering 
 from lack of the necessities of life. One of the big 
 problems of the world today is to make a distribu- 
 tion of charity to those who are deserving without 
 including those who wish to be helped merely 
 because they are not willing to put forth an effort 
 to earn a living. Charity may be a great boon to 
 society, but if unwisely given it may do untold harm. 
 
 The spirit of helpfulness among the Latter-day 
 Saints is very strong. Phil Robinson, a writer who 
 made a thorough study of the Mormons several 
 decades ago, said: ! “Charity, unquestioning, sim- 
 ple-hearted, charity, is one of the secrets of the 
 strength of this wonderful fabric of Mormonism. 
 The Mormons are, more nearly than any other com- 
 
 * Sinners and Saints, p. 195. 
 74 
 
CHARITY WORK 75 
 
 munity in the world on such a scale, one family.” 
 The Mormon leaders have always urged their fol- 
 lowers to give freely for worthy charitable purposes, 
 although they do not express themselves as favoring 
 promiscuous giving to everyone who begs alms. 
 They encourage the giving to worthy poor through 
 the charitable institutions of the Church. 
 
 The organization of the Mormon Church for char- 
 itable purposes is perhaps unequaled by any other 
 large body of people. Each family in a Mormon 
 community is visited monthly by Ward Teachers 
 who, among other things, inquire concerning the 
 welfare of the people. If any are found in distress, 
 this fact is reported to the proper church authorities 
 and aid is at once given to worthy cases. 
 
 Instead of giving outright to able-bodied families 
 they are ordinarily provided with work if it is ob- 
 tainable. The church authorities frequently make 
 inquiries throughout the communities concerning 
 the labor market, and willing workers are told where 
 suitable employment may be secured. This is espe- 
 cially advantageous to newcomers who are not 
 acquainted with industrial conditions of the new 
 environment. During dull times the authorities 
 have created work by taking commercial contracts, 
 by opening up a new business, or by going forward 
 with improvements which would othewise wait till 
 later. 
 
 When work cannot be obtained and families are 
 likely to suffer, food or money is given outright. 
 
76 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 Sometimes the recipients, upon “recovering theix 
 financial feet” freely return the help given them, 
 although no obligation is attached to such charity. 
 The closeness with which the members are bound 
 together socially makes it comparatively easy for 
 the authorities to discover all who are in need; this 
 allows them to aid many who are in distress but who 
 are too proud to make requests for charity. Not 
 infrequently in such cases charity is given by 
 neighbors in such a way as to avoid embarrassment. 
 
 Aid is sometimes given through the organizations 
 known as priesthood quorums. Where a member is 
 ill others may volunteer to take care of his crops or 
 otherwise lend their services. Occasionally a quo- 
 rum has kept a fellow member from financial ruin 
 by timely aid. 
 
 Besides the temporary sort of charity referred to 
 above, there are many partially or wholly dependent 
 widows, aged married couples, cripples, and others 
 who are helped by Mormon charitable organizations. 
 Free hospital treatment is given to hundreds of poor 
 people not otherwise able to afford such services. 
 
 The women’s Relief Society, organized in 1842, 
 was one of the first strong organizations of women in 
 America. From the first the members of this society 
 have aided those who have needed assistance in their 
 communities. This society is not known so much 
 for its cold charity as for its motherly spirit. When 
 death comes to a family, these women are usually 
 among the first to offer sympathy, and while they 
 
CHARITY WORK 77 
 
 are offering this sympathy, if circumstances seem to 
 warrant, they are preparing the body for burial, 
 perhaps making the burial clothes and furnishing 
 other things needed by the bereft family. Simi- 
 larly, in maternity cases the members of this Society 
 frequently hold sewing bees in the home of ex- 
 pectant mothers who have not been able, because 
 of sickness or otherwise, to be fully prepared. Upon 
 arriving in the world many a baby has had a rela- 
 tively complete outfit and a nurse to take care 
 of it until its mother became strong, where it would 
 have had neither, except for the aid of the Relief 
 Society. 
 
 When some member of the community without 
 means of support is confined with a lingering disease 
 such as chronic rheumatism, it is not uncommon for 
 the Relief Society members to take shifts by the 
 bedside of the unfortunate one, sometimes a mem- 
 ber being present at all hours of the day and night 
 for months at a time. 
 
 Like other charitable organizations, the Relief 
 Society distributes special gifts at Thanksgiving and 
 Christmas. To meet the expenses of these special 
 occasions the members often hold fairs, dances, or 
 other entertainments, although much is met from 
 the regular donations to the society by the mem- 
 bers of the Church. Sometimes the Society mem- 
 bers make purchases from their own purses and they 
 donate their services entirely without pay. Special 
 Relief Society drives are at times made to secure 
 
78 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 funds, clothing, or foodstuffs to send to sufferers of 
 disasters such as those of the San Francisco fire, 
 Japanese earthquake, and the suffering people in 
 Europe and the Near East following the World 
 War. 
 
 The full extent of the charity dispensed by the 
 Mormon Relief Society cannot be easily expressed 
 in terms which will be adequately conveyed to those 
 unacquainted with it because of its unlimited 
 variety and the unexpressed values such as its 
 motherly sympathy. The society extends its serv- 
 ices alike to Gentile and Mormon member of the 
 community; many a non-Mormon has gained his 
 first warm feeling toward the Mormon church 
 because of the charitable acts of these women. 
 
 Besides the more or less direct charity mentioned 
 above, there is also the indirect type in which need 
 for aid is avoided by making the individuals feel 
 more responsible for their own welfare and that of 
 their families. They are forcibly reminded of the 
 disadvantages of wrong practices, such as intemper- — 
 ance, which tend to lower their efficiency. They are 
 taught that industry and a struggle for a higher type 
 of life are the key notes to success both here and 
 hereafter, and any advantage gained here will be 
 maintained in the life to come. The advice of the 
 authorities, many of whom are experienced business 
 men, is frequently given to members who might 
 otherwise be victimized by worthless investments. 
 Thus it is seen that on every hand guidance is 
 
CHARITY WORK ao 
 
 offered which is intended to lessen the need for 
 direct charity. 
 
 In collecting for charity as well as in dispensing 
 it the methods differ somewhat from ordinary ones. 
 The largest fund for charitable purposes comes from 
 Fast Sunday donations. Once a month the Latter- 
 day Saints have what is called Fast Sunday, when 
 all members are supposed to fast for one or more 
 meals and the value of uneaten meals is given for 
 use of the poor. There is nothing compulsory about 
 either missing the meals or giving the value of the 
 meals to the poor, and in cases where missing meals 
 might prove injurious, this practice is not advised. 
 The next largest sum comes from the tithing, a vol- 
 untary contribution of one-tenth of each person’s 
 income which is given for the maintenance of the 
 Church. The published report of expenditures for 
 1921 gives the proportion of the tithing used for 
 charitable purposes as nearly 10 per cent. The third 
 source of income for charity is from funds collected 
 by the Relief Societies mentioned above. Contribu- 
 tions to any of these funds was formerly, and to a 
 lesser extent today, in the form of flour, farm 
 produce, preserved fruit, clothing or any other thing 
 of value that might be used by the needy. Today 
 the larger part of the contributions is made in the 
 form of cash. 
 
 Despite the fact that the dependent class is pro- 
 portionately small in Mormon communities, the 
 total expenditure for charitable purposes according 
 
80 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 to the 1921 report was about $727,000. Some of 
 this was for charity in foreign lands. When it is 
 remembered that practically none of the contribu- 
 tions comes in large sums from wealthy benefactors, 
 but from practically all the members in amounts 
 somewhat proportionate to their wealth, a contri- 
 bution of this size from a group of people no larger 
 than the Mormons indicates a liberality for such a 
 purpose. 
 
 Besides the above charitable work, the Mormons 
 have an enviable position for their contributions to 
 national and world relief movements. Utah has 
 always ranked high in Red Cross drives. In 1923 
 she went well over her quota in the Japanese relief 
 movement in spite of the fact that she had just 
 finished a drive for relief of local communities which 
 had been devastated by floods. And later in the 
 same year, when contributions were requested for 
 the relief in Europe and the Near East, Utah was 
 highly commended for the ease with which she 
 furnished her quota. 
 
CHAPTER 9 
 HEALTH OF THE MORMONS 
 
 To speak of health in connection with a religion 
 is perhaps unusual. The Latter-day Saints, how- 
 ever, claim that because of the Word of Wisdom 
 given to them through the founder of the Church, 
 and because of their freedom from excesses and im- 
 proper living, those who follow their religion are 
 unusually healthy and long lived. The Word of 
 Wisdom which was received by revelation in 1833 
 before modern scientific investigations in nutrition 
 had begun, put a ban on wine or other alcoholic 
 liquids as beverages; it forbade the use of tobacco; 
 it condemned the excessive use of meat; and it 
 recommended wheat, vegetables, and fruits as espe- 
 cially good for man. This Word of Wisdom formed 
 a basis for instruction in everything that would pro- 
 mote human health. Excesses of all kinds were for- 
 bidden. Growing out of this, instruction in sanita- 
 tion, hygiene, and other health-promoting topics 
 has gone hand in hand with religious instruction in 
 the services of the Latter-day Saints. 
 
 Another belief strong in the minds of the Mor- 
 mons is that by faith and prayer the sick may be 
 
 81 
 
82 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 healed. As arule the people understand and respect 
 the laws of sanitation and health, as known by the 
 medical world of today, but they believe that heal- 
 ing can be done by the “laying on of hands, by the 
 gift of the Holy Ghost” today as much as it could 
 be done at the time when Christ was on earth. Very 
 many of the Latter-day Saints testify that either 
 they or some of their close friends or relatives have 
 been benefited by the power of prayer. 
 
 In making a study of health such as the present 
 one, it would be highly desirable that the extent of 
 sickness be considered, but lacking this information, 
 we must content ourselves with death rates. The 
 latter are given annually in the U. S. Bureau of 
 Census “Mortality Statistics for the Registration 
 Area,” and are, of course, an indirect measure of 
 health. In order to avoid the great irregularities 
 which sometimes occur in individual years for a 
 given locality only death statistics covering a period 
 of more than five years are included in this study. 
 Except where otherwise stated, the ten-year period 
 of 1911 to 1920 is used throughout. 
 
 For the sake of those not well acquainted with 
 death statistics it should be mentioned that indi- 
 vidual causes of deaths are more carefully taken in 
 some states than in others. Utah is one of the more 
 careful ones. In 19201 there were only five states 
 that performed a higher per cent of autopsies to 
 make sure of the cause of death, and only one state 
 
 * Mortality Statistics, 1920, p. 70. 
 
HEALTH OF THE MORMONS 83 
 
 which made a higher per cent of tests other than 
 autopsy for this purpose. The Census Bureau ques- 
 tioned only 1.5 per cent of the causes as given for 
 deaths in Utah as compared with 3.7 for all states, 
 and Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio were the only ones 
 with a smaller proportion questioned than Utah.? 
 It is seldom advisable, without first making adjust- 
 ments, to make exceedingly close studies of death 
 rates of populations differing greatly in occupations, 
 proportion of very young, or very old people, or 
 other factors which influence to a greater or lesser 
 extent the death rate. 
 
 In Figure 1 the ten-year average death rate per 
 1000 population is given for states with over five 
 years’ record. It is seen that Utah stands third 
 from the top with a rate of 11.0. The average for 
 all states was 14.0 for all classes, or 13.6 for whites. 
 A study of the individual years? shows that while 
 Washington had a lower rate than Utah every one 
 of the ten years, Minnesota was lower only six of 
 the years, and no other state had a better showing 
 than Utah, more than three or four of the ten years. 
 
 The Mountain States, of course, have external 
 conditions most similar to those of Utah, and other 
 things being equal, the death rates should be about 
 the same. It will be noted from Figure I that Mon- 
 tana has a slightly higher and Colorado a consider- 
 ably higher rate than Utah. 
 
 * Ibid., p. 69. 
 “U.S. Bureau Census “Mortality Rates,” 1910-1920, pp. 234-258, 
 
84 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 A more detailed analysis of the rates for the 
 Mountain States, together with the average for the 
 
 Deaths per 1,000 
 
 White Total YAN Wek it pecs yr ki Ld ae Vs fs: 
 
 Average of Regis- 
 
 tration Area 13.6 14.0 
 Washington 9.8 100 
 Minnesota 10.6 10.7 
 Utah 11.0 
 Wisconsin, 11.4 11.4 
 Montana HP 4 11.6 
 Kansas (7 yrs.) 11.3 11.6 
 Missouri 12.4 13.0 
 Colorado 13.0 13.1 
 Kentucky p22 13.2 
 Michigan 13.3 13.3 
 Indiana 13.2 13.4 
 Ohio 13.2 13.5 
 California 13.8 14.0 
 Virginia (8 yrs ) 12:2 14.6 
 New Jersey 14.5 14.8 
 Pennsylvania 14.9 15.1 
 Connecticut 15.2 15.3 
 New York 15.2 15.4 
 Massachusetts 15.3 15.4 
 Vermont 15.9 
 Maine 15.9 
 Rhode Island 15.7 15.9 
 Maryland 14.8 16.5 
 New Hampshire 16.8 
 
 
 
 FIGURE 1. DEATH RATE PER 1000 GENERAL POPULATION. AVERAGE OF 
 THE TEN YEARS, 1911 To 1920. INCLUDES ONLY STATES WITH OVER 
 FIVE YEARS RECORD. DATA FROM MORTALITY STATISTICS, U. 8S. BUREAU 
 OF CENSUS. 
 
 Registration Area, is shown in Figure 2. Colorado 
 resembles Utah more than Montana in occupation 
 of the people and most other conditions, except that 
 Utah has a larger proportion of children, and a 
 
DEATH RATES 
 
 
 
 eee HEHEHE 
 Bee Cee 
 
 NOILVINdOd 0001 Y3d SALVE HLVIG 
 
 1914 1915 
 
 1913 
 
 
 
 1912 
 
 1911 
 
 thay 
 
 FIGURE 2. DEATH RATES PER 1000 POPULATION 
 COLORADO, AND MONTANA DURING EACH OF THB 10 years, 1911 To 
 
 1920. DATA FROM MORTALITY STATISTICS, U. 8. BUREAU OF CENSUS. 
 
 , TOTAL VU. 8., 
 
 IN UTAH 
 
 85 
 
86 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 larger proportion of inhabitants born within the 
 state. It is seen from the Figure that Utah has been 
 distinctly lower in death rate than Colorado every 
 year. The difference varied from less than 1 per 
 1000 in 1916 to over 5 in 1918. On the other hand, 
 Montana’s rate during four of the ten years was 
 lower than that of Utah. The differences in the 
 nature of the population makes a comparison of this 
 state with Utah of less significance than that of 
 Colorado. 
 
 The discussion so far brings out the point that 
 Utah ranks among the best states in rate of mor- 
 tality. Let us now see whether this low mortality 
 is traceable to the Mormon portion of the state. A 
 study of the counties arranged according to the per- 
 centage of Mormons as was done in the study of 
 education should prove interesting in this regard. 
 However, the fact that, in sparsely settled sections 
 where there are no hospitals and medical help is not 
 available, the people go to other counties for treat- 
 ment, makes such a study less definite than might 
 be wished. To eliminate part of this difficulty, 
 counties with less than 5000 population are not 
 considered in the following discussion, and the re- 
 maining counties are put into only two groups so 
 that there will be as much balancing of irregularities 
 as possible. 
 
 Figure 3 shows the Utah counties grouped into 
 those with over 80 per cent Mormons and those with 
 a smaller proportion. The average of the upper 
 
HEALTH OF THE MORMONS 87 
 
 group is seen to be 9.6 deaths per 1000 population, 
 whereas that for the lower one is 11.0. This ten- 
 dency for the death rate to be less in the counties 
 Deaths per 
 
 1,000 
 Population ~ 
 
 Average Rural Utah. 10.2 B& 
 Average First 
 
 Ten Counties 9.6 
 Juab 9.8 
 Davis 8.6 
 Sanpete 10.2 
 Iron 10.4 
 Washington 8.9 
 Cache 9.7 
 Sevier 10.7 
 Boxelder 9.2 
 Millard 9.0 
 Wasatch & Duchesne 9.0 
 
 Average Second 
 
 
 
 Nine Counties 11.0 XXX AAA  N1AA101WNW. 
 Emery 8.7 pS SiS 8 
 
 Utah 10.8 
 
 Beaver 11.7 
 
 Weber 8.9 
 
 Summit 12.8 
 
 Uinta & Daggett, 11.0 
 
 Salt Lake 12.0 
 
 Tooele 10.0 
 
 Carbon 11.0 
 
 FIGURE 3. DEATH RATE PER 1000 POPULATION IN UTAH COUNTIES 
 WITH OVER 5000 POPULATION, ARRANGED ACCORDING TO PER CENT MOR- 
 MONS IN THE COUNTIES IN 1916. AVERAGE FOR THE 10 Years 1911 To 
 1920. RURAL PARTS ONLY OF SALT LAKE AND WEBER COUNTIES. DATA 
 FROM MORTALITY STATISTICS, U. 8. BUREAU OF CENSUS. 
 
 with most Mormons could not well be expected to 
 be a regular gradation according to the proportion 
 of Mormons because of the movement of the sick 
 and injured population to hospitals, etc. Davis 
 county in the upper group and Weber county (rural 
 part only) in the second are perhaps low because of 
 movement to hospitals of Ogden and Salt Lake City. 
 
88 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 The records of the Mormon Church should give 
 more positive evidence of mortality among the Mor- 
 mons, because regardless of the place of death the 
 record is obtained by the local authorities. The rate 
 among the members, which of course includes many 
 persons outside of Utah, was 9.0 per 1000 for the 
 ten-year period under consideration. This is slightly 
 below the average for the counties with over 80 per 
 cent of Mormons and 2.0 per 1000 or 18 per cent 
 below the average for the 9 counties with less than 
 80 per cent. 
 
 All of the evidence presented points to a low 
 general death rate among the Mormons. The exact 
 reason for this low death rate is more difficult to 
 point out with no more evidence than is now 
 available, 
 
 The influence of the Word of Wisdom should be 
 especialy apparent in the death rate from tubercu- 
 losis, pneumonia, and other diseases where the life 
 or death of the victim depends upon vitality unim- 
 paired by alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs or stimu- 
 lants. Cancer of the buccal cavity, especially of the 
 lower lip, is commonly ascribed to smoking or the 
 use of hot drinks. Acute nephritis and Bright’s dis- 
 ease or other diseases of the kidneys are likely to be 
 more prevalent among heavy meat eaters and those 
 who use alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, etc., although 
 other factors such as exposure to cold, or to acute 
 diseases may overweigh the above contributing 
 causes. 
 
HEALTH OF THE MORMONS 89 
 
 It is hazardous to make close comparisons of the 
 death rates in different states by specific causes 
 except where the symptoms can be clearly diagnosed 
 as they can in cancer of the external organs, and to a 
 lesser extent tuberculosis, and a few others. Medical 
 authorities claim that where the cause of the death 
 is internal, and especially where a good diagnosti- 
 cian is not called before the death, from 10 to 20 per 
 cent or more of the cases are likely to be classified 
 under the wrong cause. For this reason, and also 
 because there are often several factors which pre- 
 dispose the victim, only very rough conclusions can 
 be drawn from statistics of deaths as affected by 
 abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, hot drinks, or 
 moderation in diet in other ways. 
 
 No comparison of violent deaths or those due to 
 contagious diseases, such as scarlet fever where the 
 course of the disease is short, would be of real value 
 in such a study. A large part of these diseases also 
 occur in the early ages and often before the victim 
 has had a chance to be affected by the Word of 
 Wisdom. With the exception of violent deaths and 
 perhaps one or two of the quick acting contagious 
 diseases, the death rate in Utah is low, in comparison 
 with the average, from all causes.* The causes of 
 death which will be compared in this study are 
 those which usually occur in middle or later life, 
 because it is this class of deaths that is most likely 
 to be affected by the sort of life lived by the victim. 
 
 *Mortality Rates, 1910-1920, pp. 234-258. 
 
90 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 Tuberculosis can be pretty well diagnosed by 
 modern medical science. It ordinarily does not 
 cause sickness and death except where the body has 
 in some way been lowered in its resistance. Few 
 suffer from it where they live sane lives free from 
 stimulants, or excesses of any kind. Tuberculosis 
 of the lungs is the main tubercular disease causing 
 death and is perhaps the easiest to diagnose. The 
 death rate from this form of tuberculosis in Utah 
 did not exceed 42.2 per 100,000 population in the 
 10-year period ending in 1920, whereas that for the 
 Registration area was never below 100.8 and in 1911 
 was up to 138.2. In no year of this 10-year period 
 did any state have a lower rate than Utah. The 
 average for Utah was about 38 and the Mormon 
 population appears to have a much lower rate than 
 this as the Church records ® indicate a rate of only 
 11.5 for these years. 
 
 While it cannot be positively stated that tobacco 
 and hot drinks are factors in the cause of cancer of 
 the buccal cavity, this is the opinion of many who 
 have studied the question thoroughly. For the 
 Registration area, the number of deaths per 100,000 
 population from this cause during the 10-year period 
 under consideration is given as 3.05, whereas that 
 for Utah was 2.07 and the only state with a lower 
 rate was Kentucky. There is reason for believing 
 that the low rate in the latter state is partly due to 
 
 * Mortality Records kept in L. D. §S. Bishop’s Office. 
 * Mortality Statistics, 1911-1920, U. S. Bur. Census, 
 
HEALTH OF THE MORMONS 91 
 
 error in classifying because the rate for cancer of 
 the skin, under which cancer of the buccal cavity 
 might be classified, was 3.10 in Kentucky as com- 
 pared with 1.99 for Utah, and the classification as 
 given in Kentucky is questioned nearly six times as 
 frequently as in Utah. The records of the Church 
 indicate the rate among its members to be 1.18 for 
 this period. 
 
 While the significance of the fact is not plain 
 because of a lack of understanding of cancer by the 
 medical world, it might be mentioned that Utah is 
 low in all forms of cancer and the Mormons’ rate is 
 about one-third lower than that of the State of 
 Utah. 
 
 As indicated above, acute nephritis and Bright’s 
 disease seem to be influenced by the excessive use 
 of protein or meat. If the Mormon teachings against 
 the use of large quantities of meat are observed, 
 there should be evidence of it in their death rate 
 from this cause. The records of the Census Bureau 7 
 for the 10-year period give the death rate per 
 100,000 population for the whole United States as 
 approximately 100 as compared with 66 for Utah. 
 During this period three states had a lower average 
 rate than Utah, but no state has had a lower rate 
 than Utah in all years. The Mormon Church gives 
 the rate among its members as 46, indicating that it 
 is the Mormons that have most influence in giving 
 Utah its low rate. 
 
 * Ibid. 
 
92 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 A more detailed analysis of the death rates in 
 Utah as compared with other states will not be 
 attempted. Before closing this discussion, however, 
 it might be mentioned that in spite of the high death 
 rate by accident and other violent causes in Utah, 
 the rate for suicide and homicide are low and the 
 Mormon records show a rate for both of these causes 
 which is less than half that of the State of Utah. 
 
 In conclusion it can be said that the death rate 
 among the Mormons is considerably below the aver- 
 age of the United States. The rates of Minnesota 
 and Washington are lower than the State of Utah, 
 but the Mormon records give a rate which is some- 
 what below even the rural parts of these states. 
 With the exception of those causes which involve 
 large proportions of persons at the younger ages 
 where Utah would naturally be high because of the 
 large proportion of children, Utah stands well in the 
 top ranks of states with low death rates from pre- 
 ventable causes. The low death rates for tubercu- 
 losis, cancer of the buccal cavity, kidney diseases, 
 and perhaps other causes, seem to indicate that the 
 freedom from stimulants, drugs, and excesses of 
 other kinds among the Latter-day Saints is having 
 a beneficial effect upon their health. 
 
CHAPTER 10 
 MORMON WOMEN AS MOTHERS 
 
 EER since the organization of the Church of Jesus 
 Christ of Latter-day Saints, its followers have placed 
 great emphasis on the family and the home; there 
 has never been race suicide among this people, even 
 during periods of adversity. This condition may be 
 partially understood from a discussion of two funda- 
 mental conceptions of the members of the Church. 
 The first has to do with their philosophy of the 
 future world, which teaches that eternal joy is 
 dependent on continual progression and that joy 
 and progression are added to by a large posterity. 
 Just as a man and his wife on earth find their 
 greatest happiness in the development and the ac- 
 complishments of their children, so it is thought that 
 eternal bliss is affected by the number and the 
 progress of one’s descendants. Thus a large family 
 becomes a means not only of earthly happiness, but 
 also an aid to eternal exaltation. 
 
 The other explanation of attention given the 
 family among the Mormon people may be found in 
 their general attitude toward the homely virtues as 
 
 contrasted with the fleeting pleasures that accom- 
 93 
 
94 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 pany personal indulgence and selfishness. In the 
 Mormon community one never sees special honors 
 bestowed for selfishness. On the other hand, self- 
 sacrifice and doing for others is always given the 
 highest respect. The sturdy human qualities are 
 the ones that are honored. These qualities and 
 tendencies naturally lead to the home and the 
 family, and one finds in the religious service of the 
 Latter-day Saints a large amount of time spent in 
 discussion of the duties and obligations of members 
 of the family to one another. 
 
 Let us make an examination of the statistics 
 which relate to some phases of family life to see 
 how these principles of belief work out in practice. 
 First, let us consider the size of the family. The 
 U.S. Bureau of Census reports the average number 
 of persons to a family in Utah in 1920 (the relation- 
 ships are much the same during other Census years) 
 to be 4.6, whereas the average for the whole United 
 States is 4.3. Eight of the states in the Southern 
 groups had average families as large as or slightly 
 larger than Utah, but the only Northern state with 
 a larger average family was North Dakota with 4.8 
 persons per family. This comparison allows some 
 doubt as to the exact number of children, however, 
 because every unmarried person, even those with no 
 known relatives, is included in the average family. 
 
 A more satisfactory idea of the relative number 
 of children in the birth registration part of the 
 United States is found in the U. S. Census Bu- 
 
MORMON WOMEN AS MOTHERS 95 
 
 reau’s Birth Statistics.1 Yearly reports are made in 
 these publications of the number of children now 
 
 Children 
 rae Bath 1 Z 3 4 
 Registration Area 2.9 3.3 rer RENARD ANAL ZIP We 
 ELT oe Se ee 
 North. Carolina 3.4 3.9 TE eae Sn 
 South Carolina Be} 3.8 eT | a 
 Virginia 3.3 Ne 
 Kentucky 3.1 3.6 EERIE ePID RST LP BAO VIS LTO ty i A | Enea 
 Utah 3.2 350 le — 
 Pennsylvania 3.0. 3.5 ee ee 
 Maine ? 3.4 —— ee 
 Maryland 2.9 SP 4 SRSA SAME US TO BHD 
 Voreons 2.9 3.4 TORIES I TS 
 New Hampshire ” 3.3 REE ETMaRoe | — 
 Minnesota , 3.0 aa koi Ra eRvORERTOERINIaNNE! — 
 Connecticut 2.9 3.3 LIRA Tame cameamneasaN 
 Wisconsin 2.9 3.3 es ae 
 Nebraska 3.0 3.2 SEEGERS 
 Michigan 2.8 3.2 jeoencssensrmpascapnm eres csmrmaererngeny 
 Indiana 2.8 ee oe 
 Kansas 2.8 3.1 ee 
 New Jersey 2.7 3.1 a — 
 Ohio 2.7 3.1 SEES 
 New York | 2.7 3.1 CoE SEnNER merous 
 Washington 2.5 2.8 § es) 
 California 2.4 2.7 Tease 
 Oregon 25 ZAE® f : faa] 
 £2 G: 2.9 2.6 aE Be 
 
 Ge Living (__J Dead 
 FIGURE 4. AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN EVER BORN PER MOTHER, 
 AND THOSE NOW LIVING. BASED ON CHILDREN OF MOTHERS WHO BORE 
 CHILDREN DURING THE YEARS FROM 1917 To 1921. DATA FROM BIRTH 
 STATISTICS, U. S. BUREAU OF CENSUS. 
 
 living and the number ever born to women now 
 bearing children. In the following study of these 
 reports the five year average ending in 1921 is used 
 
 * These reports include the years from 1915 to date. Utah has 
 been included in the last 5 reports, 1917 to 1921. 
 
96 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 rather than single years in order to eliminate yearly 
 irregularities. 
 
 A glance at Figure 4 shows it to agree fairly 
 closely with the regular Census figures mentioned 
 above. In number of children the mothers in the 
 Southern States head the list, but those of Utah 
 stand at the head of the Northern states. To each 
 ten mothers in Utah 35 children have been born as 
 compared with 39 for the highest and 26 for the 
 lowest states. 
 
 If, instead of the average number of children born 
 to present mothers, we consider the birth rate per 
 1000 general population of the states,” it is found 
 that Utah averages highest in the Registration Area. 
 The average for all states during this five-year 
 period was 23.9 as compared with 31.4 for Utah. 
 Oregon, California, Washington and the District of 
 Columbia all had less than two-thirds the birth rate 
 of Utah. The Southern States rank next to Utah. 
 
 Calculating the births to the number of married 
 women 15 to 44 years of age,® it is found that for 
 each 100 married women in Utah 22.7 children are 
 born every year, or in other words each one has a 
 child every 4.4 years. The average for the Registra- 
 tion Area is 16.9 children per 100 married women or 
 a child for each one every 5.9 years. North Carolina 
 is the only state with a higher rate than Utah. The 
 rate for Oregon is 12.5, or one child per married 
 
 *U.S. Bur. Census, Birth Statistics, 1917-1921. 
 * Birth Statistics, 1921, p. 16, single years only. 
 
MORMON WOMEN AS MOTHERS 97 
 
 woman in 8 years. At these rates Utah is furnish- 
 ing a surplus over her 3.3 to 4 children per married 
 couple, the number eonsidered necessary to maintain 
 the population, whereas Oregon, Washington, the 
 District of Columbia, and some of the others with 
 low rates are apparently not maintaining their 
 population by natural increase. 
 
 Giving birth to a large number of children, how- 
 ever, is not the only requirement of a good mother. 
 To no small extent she is responsible for the condi- 
 tions which determine whether or not the children 
 will live and grow up strong and healthy. Of vital 
 importance, then, is the proportion of children who 
 live after being born. 
 
 In Figure 5 is presented the average percentage 
 of deaths of all children born to mothers bearing 
 children during the years 1917 to 1921. The order 
 of the states tends to be the reverse of that for the 
 total number of children ever born as given in 
 Figure 4. Oregon and Washington, which were both 
 very low in births per mother, are among the best 
 four in the percentage of survival, and the reverse 
 may be said of North and South Carolina. Utah 
 holds the unique position of being among the 
 highest five states in both birth rate per mother and 
 in survival. No other state with a total birth rate 
 as great as the average of all states held a position 
 in child survival as great as the average of all states, 
 This apparently shows that the Utah mothers are 
 greatly concerned about having a large family of 
 
98 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 healthy children. Before leaving Figure 5 it may be 
 well to mention that because Oregon and Nebraska 
 
 Per cent Per Per cent Dead 
 
 Now cent 
 
 Living Dead 
 Registration Area 87.7 12.3 
 Oregon (3 yrs.) 92.2 7.8 
 Nebraska (2 yrs.) 92.0 8.0 
 Minnesota $1.2 8.8 
 Washington 91.0 9.0 
 Utah 90.8 9.2 
 Kansas 90.3 9.7 
 Wisconsin 89.9 10.1 
 Indiana 89.1 10.9 
 Washington, D.C. (3 yrs.) 88.5 11.5 
 Ohio 88.3 11.7 
 Michigan 87.9 12.1 
 Virginia 87.6 12.4 
 New York 87.4 12.6 
 California 87.3 1227, 
 Kentucky ° 87.1 12.9 
 Connecticut 86.8 Lace 
 New Jersey (1 yr.) 86.8 13.2 
 North Carolina 86.6 13.4 
 South Carolina 86.6 13.4 
 Vermont 86.2 13.8 
 Pennsylvania 85.9 14.1 
 Maryland 85.5 14.5 
 
 
 
 FIGURE 5. PER CENT OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE DIED IN VARIOUS 
 STATES. BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN EVER BORN TO 
 MOTHERS WHO BORE CHILDREN DURING THE YEARS FROM 1917 TO 
 1921. DATA FROM BIRTH STATISTICS, U. 8. BUREAU OF CENSUS. 
 
 have a shorter record than most of the other states, 
 their relative rank may change in the future, 
 although the change is not likely to be drastic 
 because these states as well as Minnesota and 
 Washington have perhaps been more active in 
 stressing child care and welfare than other states. 
 
Birth 
 
 Rate 
 STATE AVERAGE S14 KXXAXXXXXXXKXM 
 eee 
 Gural Counttes 82.9 ci oal Gd, : ; 
 Over 90% L.D. S. 
 Group 1 A == eee 
 Kane 41,0 DASA OS 
 Garfield 44.6 Eon 
 Wayne fae, | MRE CTE 
 Davis B27 
 info 9) RR NE 
 80 to 89% L. D. S. 
 Group 2 6527 
 Iron ‘ 
 Washingtor ri 
 Cache 84.7 
 Sevier 87.0 
 Boxelder 33.6 
 Millard 37.3 
 Wasatch & Duchesne 36,7 
 “Group 3 31.4 
 Emery 33.3 
 Utah 30.6 
 Morgan 30.0 
 Beaver 36.9 
 Weber 30.2 
 Rich 36.0 
 Group 4 29.8 
 Summit” 30.8 
 Salt Lake 29.1 
 Uinta & Daggett 32.0 
 Group 5 32.) 
 San Juan 24.6 
 Tooele 27.6 
 Grand 25.7 
 Carbon 86.9 
 Piute 31.8 
 
 
 
 FIGURE 6. AV. BIRTH RATES PER 1000 Por. IN UTAH couNTIEs, 1917- 
 1921 (RURAL S. L. AND WEBER.) FROM U. S. CENSUS, BIRTH STATISTICS. 
 
 99 
 
100 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 The above discussion on deaths of children born 
 to present mothers includes children of every age. 
 If we consider only deaths during the first year of 
 life when carelessness is most likely to cause death, 
 it is found, as would be expected, because a large 
 proportion of children’s deaths come during the first 
 year, that the relationship of the states is nearly the 
 same as that given in the above paragraph. During 
 this five-year period Utah had only 70 deaths of 
 infants under one year of age per 1000 live births 
 as compared with 89 for the whole Registration 
 Area. Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washing- 
 ton, with rates of 66, 62, 59, and 64 respectively, 
 were all below that for Utah. 
 
 In this chapter, up to this point, it has been 
 brought out that Utah ranks among the highest 
 states in birth rates and among the lowest in death 
 rates of children. It now remains to determine the 
 influence which the Mormon population of Utah has 
 on these factors. 
 
 Arranging the counties by percentage of Mormons 
 in 1916 as done in other studies, the results for these 
 five years are as indicated in Figures 6, and 7. As 
 might have been expected because of varying condi- 
 tions, the counties in Figure 6 do not vary regularly 
 with the percentage of Mormons in them. The two 
 counties with highest proportion of Mormons were 
 highest in birth rate, but in the group of counties 
 with over 90 per cent Mormons occurs Juab county 
 which contains mining towns with relatively few 
 
Deaths per 40 50 60 70 80 90 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1000 Births 
 STATE AVERAGE 71.2, IXXAXXXXXXXXXAAXXKAN 
 Rural Counties CIF Ra es osetia Ane | 
 Group 1 63.9 
 Kane 50.4 
 Garfield 79.9 
 Wayne 49.2 
 Juab 68.3 
 Davis 48.3 
 Sanpete 69.9 
 'Group 2 $5.2 
 Iron 48.3 
 Washington 55.8 
 Cache 58.3 
 Sevier 80.0 
 Boxelder 70.4 
 Millard 67.3 Es EA Aa 
 Wasatch & Duchesne 61.8 -a SE SY aS ; 
 Group 3 67.2 
 Emery 68.3 
 Utah 62.9 
 Morgan 89.2 
 Beaver 91.0 
 Weber 66.9 SEK 
 Rich 52.9 Bs Pee 
 Group 4 1? 
 Summit 66.6 I | 
 Salt Lake 00.0 KEES Eee , 
 Uinta & Daggett 74.0 FTIR RRR ERE 
 Less than 40% L. D. S. 
 Group 5 85.1 
 San Juan 80.5 
 Tooele 71.9 
 Grand 90.9 
 Carbon 93.9 
 Piute 62,5 
 
 FIGURE 7. DEATHS OF INFANTS UNDER ONE YHAR PER 1000 BirTHS IN 
 UTAH COUNTIES, 1917-1921 (RURAL S. L. AND WEBER). FROM U. 8. CEN-= 
 SUS, BIRTH STATISTICS. 
 
 101 
 
102 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 women, and this brings the birth rate of the county 
 down to that of the lowest counties in the state. 
 On the other hand, Carbon county in the group with 
 less than 40 per cent of Mormons is a mining county 
 but the workers are largely Italians and Greeks with 
 many women and a high birth rate. In general, 
 however, it is seen that the birth rate is higher in 
 the counties with over 80 per cent of Mormons than 
 in those with a smaller percentage. The averages 
 of the first two groups are above the average of rural 
 Utah, whereas the other three groups are all below 
 this average, indicating that there is a distinct 
 tendency for a higher birth rate among the 
 Mormons. 
 
 The statistics kept by the Mormon Church, which, 
 of course, include births among members in other 
 states as well as in Utah, indicate for these 5 years 
 a birth rate per 1000 members of 35.7, or the same 
 as the rate for the Utah counties with 80 to 89 per 
 cent Mormons. This rate is very much greater than 
 any other large, distinct body of people in the 
 United States, as far as is known. 
 
 In Figure 7 is shown the deaths of infants under 
 one year for each 1000 total live births for the dif- 
 ferent counties and groups of counties. Irregulari- 
 ties occur in the counties grouped by percentage of 
 Mormons in this figure the same as in the one for 
 births. In general, however, there is a distinct 
 tendency for the deaths of infants under one year 
 to be less frequent among the counties highest in 
 
MORMON WOMEN AS MOTHERS 103 
 
 Mormons. This tendency is brought out in the 
 averages for the groups of counties; the averages 
 beginning with the top are about 64, 65, 67, 78, and 
 85. The rate among the members of the Mormon 
 Church # for these five years is given as 51.2. This 
 is about the same as the Government rates of some 
 of the counties highest in Mormons as given in the 
 figure. No state in the Union has had such a low 
 rate as this for an equal period of time, although 
 Oregon had a lower rate during the single year 1921. 
 
 In summing up the facts presented in this section 
 concerning Mormon women as mothers, it can be 
 said that they do not shirk their duty of bringing 
 children into the world. No Registration state in 
 the United States exceeds Utah in births per 1000 
 population, and only one state in births per 100 
 married women between the ages 15 and 44. The 
 counties highest in Mormons and the records of the 
 Mormon Church both indicate that it is the mem- 
 bers of that Church which cause the birth rate in 
 Utah to be high. 
 
 The Mormon women have proportionately fewer 
 deaths among the children which they bear than is 
 the case among other large bodies of peoples in the 
 United States. While four states show a slightly 
 better record than Utah in this respect, the Mormon 
 sections of Utah have a distinctly smaller proportion 
 of deaths of infants than other portions and the 
 records of the Mormon Church show rates lower 
 
 *L. D. S. church records, 
 
104 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 than any state in the Registration area. Therefore 
 it can be said that the Mormon women are not only 
 willing to give birth to large families, but they are 
 anxious to have the children live and they have the 
 intelligence to care for them properly. 
 
 The sacredness with which childbearing and the 
 proper rearing of children are regarded by the 
 Latter-day Saints very likely accounts for the family 
 relationships which exist among them. 
 
CAAA PHT BR \ DL 
 MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE AMONG THE MORMONS 
 
 Oruer things being equal, the community with 
 the largest proportion of its individuals of marriage- 
 able age happily joined in wedlock, is likely to be 
 the most desirable one from almost any standpoint. 
 Despite the fact that the old maid and bachelor 
 often have more money to spend on the luxuries of 
 life, it is generally conceded that there is something 
 lacking in their lives which prevents them from 
 enjoying the fullest happiness, especially as old age 
 comes on. This unsatisfied phase of their lives gives 
 many of them a restless spirit which prevents them 
 from using their capabilities to the best advantage. 
 For this reason business men often prefer married 
 men in positions of responsibility. Because of better 
 health, greater contentment, a stronger feeling of 
 responsibility and many other factors,1* mature mar- 
 ried people are likely to be better citizens than the 
 unmarried. 
 
 Conversely, a high divorce rate in a community is 
 likely to be a bad thing. Divorce not only leaves 
 the individuals subject to the undesirable features 
 mentioned in the above paragraph, but it may also 
 
 78 American Mag., Vol. 99 (Feb.), p. 15. 
 105 
 
106 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 have other implications. A large proportion of all 
 divorces are due to some violation of the virtues of 
 self-sacrifice, forbearance, and loyalty, on which the 
 success of the family depends. Selfishness or harsh 
 self-assertion is the cause of by far the greater part 
 of all divorces not due to insanity or incapacity. 
 The guilty party to a divorce is frequently not a 
 good citizen because of a lack of loyalty or because 
 of selfishness which oversteps the bounds of good 
 taste, sometimes bordering on lawlessness. These 
 undesirable qualities are likely to be permanent 
 defects because, as a rule, they are due to heredity 
 or bad training in childhood. Divorce is especially 
 undesirable where there are children in the family, 
 as there are in over a third of the total cases in the 
 United States, because it tends to emphasize and 
 bring out hate and selfishness in the younger genera- 
 tion. It must be admitted that divorce is an un- 
 desirable feature of society in spite of the fact that 
 it is the only logical choice where the individuals 
 cannot live together in peace and happiness. 
 Because the vitality of the nation is likely to be 
 undermined by the spread of conditions, such as 
 those of unfavorable marriage and divorce rates, 
 which threaten the happiness of the people through 
 destruction of the family relationships, it becomes 
 of importance to learn of centers of good or bad 
 influence in these regards. A study of marriage and 
 divorce among the Latter-day Saints should furnish 
 *Ross, The Principles of Sociology, p. 586. 
 
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 107 
 
 information to help in judging of their social 
 conditions. 
 
 The Mormons believe that God ordained the 
 union of the sexes in marriage for all eternity as 
 well as for the present life. To be thus united the 
 marriage must be solemnized in a temple through 
 authorized agents. Because of the sacredness with 
 which this form of marriage is regarded, there is a 
 tendency for those contemplating marriage to be 
 careful and prayerful that they find a partner with 
 whom they can be congenial during the life to come 
 as well as now. When children come from such a 
 marriage the bonds holding the parents together 
 become very much stronger, because they believe 
 they are responsible for the welfare of children not 
 only here but hereafter, and the effort to guide their 
 children aright tends to prevent antagonism and 
 divorce. 
 
 In comparing the proportion of marriages in the 
 different states to gain the information desired for 
 this study, perhaps the best basis is that of the per- 
 centage of unmarried males and females above the 
 reproductive age, or older than 44 years, which is 
 the approximate upper limit. The proportion of 
 single persons above this age who ever marry is 
 relatively small and the results of such marriages 
 are not likely to be so satisfactory as earlier ones. 
 
 A study of the percentage of single males and 
 females above 44 years of age, as reported in the 
 1920 U.S. Census, shows that for the whole country 
 
108 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 10.3 per cent of the males and 8.6 per cent of the 
 females are still single. 
 
 In the Eastern States, where the males and 
 females are nearly equal in numbers, the proportion 
 of each unmarried and over 44 years of age is nearly 
 the same, whereas in the West, where males greatly 
 outnumber the females, the single males are rela- 
 tively large in numbers. The percentages of single 
 males and single females in Utah were 8.6 and 3.6 
 respectively. Oklahoma and Arkansas were the only 
 states with a smaller proportion than Utah of both 
 males and females who were single. Kentucky, 
 Virginia, West Virginia, and all the states south of 
 the Tennessee line as far west as New Mexico had a 
 larger percentage of males above this age who have 
 been married than Utah, but the percentage of 
 females was smaller. 
 
 Other than Oklahoma and Arkansas, the only 
 states with a larger percentage of females who have 
 been married than had Utah were Idaho and 
 Wyoming with rates of 96.9 each, which is one-half 
 per cent above Utah. These latter two states, how- 
 ever, had only 83.9 and 80.1 per cent respectively 
 of their males who had been married as compared 
 with 91.4 for Utah and the excess of males is an 
 important reason for the large proportion of married 
 females in these states. 
 
 The above figures clearly show that by the time 
 the reproductive period is past a relatively large 
 proportion of the Utah population has been married. 
 
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 109 
 
 For the age periods below 25 years, however, Utah 
 is not greatly above the average in proportion of 
 those who are married. Nearly all of the southern 
 states have a larger percentage of younger people 
 married than has Utah. It is in the age periods 
 above 25 years and especially for the native born 
 whites that Utah begins to rank high in percentage 
 married. Only 4 and 9 states respectively had a 
 larger percentage than did Utah of males and 
 females married at the ages of 25 to 34. 
 
 The Census Bureau does not report the number 
 single by counties; hence we cannot from this source 
 see the effect the Mormons have on percentage of 
 persons who marry. From statistics of the Mormon 
 Church giving the members single and over 21 years 
 old, however, the relative standing of Mormon and 
 others can be partially deduced. The Church © 
 figures indicate that about 87 per cent of the mem- 
 bers over 21 years old were married in 1920 as com- 
 pared with approximately 81 per cent, according to 
 government statistics for the State of Utah. While 
 this is only a difference of 6 per cent this means 
 considerable when it is remembered that about two- 
 thirds of the state of Utah is made up of Mormons. 
 
 Considered from the standpoint of current mar- 
 riages as given in the special Marriage and Divorce 
 publications of the U. 8. Bureau of Census, it is 
 found that Utah is somewhat above the average for 
 the United States. The rates per 10,000 general 
 population for the two census years, 1916 and 1922, 
 
110 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 were 121 and 112 respectively for Utah and 107 and 
 103 for the whole United States. There were 11 
 states with a higher marriage rate than Utah in 
 1916, and 16 in 1922. Statistics of the Mormon 
 Church indicate the rate to have been 147 and 184 
 per 10,000 members for the two years 1916 and 1922. 
 These rates were exceeded by only three states in 
 1916 and five states in 1922. The proportionately 
 large number of children, of course, makes the Mor- 
 mon rates on a basis of all members seem smaller 
 than they would be on the basis of persons of mar- 
 riageable ages. This is brought out by the statistics 
 of marriages for the years 1898 to 1902 ? when it was 
 found that outside of seven Southern states, Utah 
 had the highest marriage rate per 10,000 unmarried 
 persons over 15 years of age. 
 
 Divorces. In making comparisons of divorce sta- 
 tistics of different states, it should be kept in mind 
 that the laws in the states vary greatly. South 
 Carolina allows no divorces; New York allows no 
 divorces except to actual residents of the state and 
 then for no cause except adultery; the District of 
 Columbia requires three years of residence and thé 
 only causes for divorce are fraud, incapacity, insan- 
 ity, and lack of age; Nevada, on the other hand, 
 requires only six months of residence and grants 
 divorce for cruelty, desertion one year, drunkenness, 
 fraud or force, imprisonment for felony, incapacity, 
 adultery, consanguinity, neglect, or lack of age. In 
 
 *Bureau of Census Bulletin 96, p. 37. 
 
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 111 
 
 North Carolina 10 years must elapse before desertion 
 becomes a cause for divorce, whereas in 23 other 
 states desertion for a single year is sufficient. These 
 differences in standards of the divorce laws greatly 
 affect the number of divorces in a given state, 
 Couples living in states with rigid laws often move 
 temporarily to states where the laws are lax. Thus 
 the rate in Nevada with very lax laws was 36 times 
 that for the District of Columbia and 33 times that 
 for New York, both of which have rigid laws. 
 Nevada awarded 213 divorces to couples married in 
 New York but only 186 to those married in Nevada.® 
 
 The divorce laws of Utah are rather liberal. 
 Divorce or nullification of marriage can be had for 
 nearly any cause for which it can in other states. 
 Only one year’s residence is required and desertion 
 one year is cause for action. Therefore few of those 
 seeking divorce in Utah have any incentive for going 
 to other states, and the fact that most of the sur- 
 rounding states also have relatively liberal laws 
 keeps most outsiders from coming to the State 
 expressly to secure divorce. 
 
 Keeping the above points in mind we are now 
 prepared to consider the statistical facts. In 19163 
 the estimated number of divorces per 100,000 popu- 
 lation in Utah was 157 as compared with 113 for the 
 whole U. 8. There were 33 states with a lower rate 
 than Utah. The estimates for 1922 place the rate 
 for Utah at 129 and the average for all states at 136, 
 
 * Marriage and Divorce, 1922, Census Bureau. 
 
112 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 with 20 states showing a lower rate than Utah. If 
 the states showing a smaller proportion of divorces 
 than Utah are studied separately, it is seen that they 
 either allow fewer causes for divorce or have more 
 rigid laws. Practically all of the states with low 
 divorce rates occur along the Eastern and Southern 
 coasts of the U. S. where divorce is most difficult to 
 secure. In 1922 the only interior states with rates 
 lower than Utah were Wisconsin, Minnesota, the 
 Dakotas and New Mexico, the latter state having 
 practically the same rate as Utah.t Compared with 
 states in the West where sentiment toward divorce 
 is liberal, Utah ranks favorable; compared with 
 Eastern states her rate is high. 
 
 How do the Mormons compare in divorce with 
 the non-Mormons in Utah? A detail study of the 
 counties arranged according to Mormon population 
 should be significant because it is required that the 
 parties to a divorce shall have been living in the 
 county in which action is brought for one year, and 
 the population is not likely to be shifted to other 
 counties within the State in divorce action as is the 
 case with marriage. However, because two of the 
 counties had no divorces during these two years and 
 in some of the others not enough were secured to 
 make a statistical study reliable, the divorces for 
 both years are averaged and only the averages for 
 
 ‘This relationship to other states is also shown by the divorce 
 statistics covering the periods 1870, 1880, 1890, and 1900 found in 
 Bureau of Census Bulletin 96, p. 42. 
 
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 113 
 the groups of counties are presented.» The divorces 
 
 for each 100,000 estimated population are shown 
 below: 
 
 
 
 Counties with Sum of Total Total Dj Divorces per 
 Given Per Cent | Population for pee 6 FSR iMl 00,000 
 Mormons ® 1916 and 1922 ’ Population 
 be LCK) wretyans nay ah. 94,954 56 59 
 SSO Pca ero ee 175,718 130 74 
 Glia fis si ke ey 114,707 72 63 
 WOU te lowe inl: 430,381 946 220 
 USE Lp a 60,882 53 88 
 
 
 
 The group containing 47-57 per cent Mormons 
 contains the large cities of Utah but the other groups 
 are essentially rural and comparable. The table 
 shows that the group with the highest proportion 
 of Mormons is lowest in divorce rate and the group 
 (excluding the urban group) with least Mormons 
 had the highest rate. 
 
 The divorce statistics kept by the Mormon 
 Church 7 show a rate of 47 and 54 for the years 1916 
 and 1922, with an average of 52 for the two years. 
 For the five years between these dates beginning 
 with 1917, the rates were 45, 33, 44, 70 and 47. The 
 average for the two years being discussed is a little 
 below the average for the group of counties highest 
 in Mormons. The only states showing lower divorces 
 
 * The three counties with the lowest divorce rates were highest 
 jn Mormons. 
 
 *See Fig. 9 for grouping of counties, 
 
 "Records kept at Presiding Bishop’s Office of L.D.S. Church. 
 
114. THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 per 100,000 population than those given for the 
 Mormon Church are the District of Columbia, New 
 York, and North Carolina for both years and New 
 Jersey and North Dakota for single years. 
 
 The young people of the Mormon Church who are 
 in good standing are advised to be married in the 
 temples, but only those who live up to the teachings 
 of the Church are allowed to go to these sacred 
 edifices, The others may be married by the civil 
 authorities, or by some official of the Church out- 
 side of the temples. It may be further said that the 
 temple marriages are “for time and all eternity,” 
 whereas the civil marriages are “till death do us 
 part.” From the records of the Mormon Church it 
 would seem that the seriousness of the sacred ordi- 
 nances causes the parties contemplating temple 
 marriage to consider their partners more carefully 
 than where the other type of marriage is contracted. 
 There was, for the two years 1916 and 1922, only 
 one divorce for each 34 temple marriages as com- 
 pared with one for each 23 civil marriages of 
 members. The only other known place in the United 
 States reporting a larger number of marriages for 
 each divorce than that for the Mormons married in 
 the temples is the District of Columbia and it is 
 probable that the only reason this place seems to 
 exceed the Mormon record is that the divorce laws 
 are so rigid that divorces are secured elsewhere; 
 only 84 of the 481 couples married in the District 
 of Columbia and securing divorces in 1922 were 
 
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 115 
 
 divorced in that place, over half of the District of 
 Columbia marriage divorces occurring in the states 
 of Virginia and Maryland. 
 
 To sum up the evidence concerning marriage and 
 divorce among the Mormons, it may be said that 
 while the State of Utah, of which about 62 per cent 
 are Mormons, does not rank exceptionally high in 
 marriage rate, and is higher than the average state 
 in divorce rate, the Mormon part of the population 
 tends to have a higher marriage and a considerably 
 lower divorce rate than the non-Mormon part. The 
 Mormon Church records indicate that the Latter- 
 day Saints have a marriage rate exceeded by very 
 few other sections in the United States, and a divorce 
 rate which is lower than all but four states. The 
 divorces from temple marriages are fewer in propor- 
 tion to the marriages than perhaps any other large 
 group of people in the United States. The Mormon 
 Church does not attempt to keep divorce down by 
 forbidding it as does the Catholic Church, but it 
 endeavors to impress on its members the sacredness 
 of the marriage contract, and it does what it can to 
 have its members so live that it will not be necessary 
 for the husband or wife to secure a divorce. Divorce 
 in itself is not considered to be so much the evil as 
 the cause that leads up to the divorce. 
 
CHAPTER 12 
 CHASTITY AMONG THE MORMONS 
 
 Among civilized nations generally, the question of 
 personal chastity is given much consideration. It is 
 pretty well agreed that promiscuous sexual relations 
 are a bad thing. The stability of the home, the 
 health of the people, and the whole social order are 
 endangered if standards of morality are allowed to 
 degenerate. 
 
 In any scientific study of Mormonism the question 
 of chastity must be given consideration. In the 
 early days of the Church when there was a limited 
 practice of polygamy, opponents of this system 
 based their excuse for persecution largely on the 
 question of morality. To many of them polygamy 
 was synonymous with unchastity. This was doubt- 
 less based on an ignorance of the intimate life of 
 those who practiced this principle, since it is claimed 
 by those who made the most thorough observations 2 
 that rarely has any large body of people been found 
 in which personal chastity has been held in higher 
 regard, and in which irregular sexual relations have 
 been more vigorously condemned, than among the 
 Mormons. 
 
 The belief of the people concerning chastity is 
 stated in the following words by a Mormon elder:? 
 
 *Remy and Brenchley, Phil Robinson, Carlton, etc, 
 2 Cowley. 
 
 116 
 
CHASTITY AMONG THE MORMONS 117 
 
 “We consider sexual crime the most blighting curse 
 that infests the earth today. Adultery is considered 
 as next in the catalogue of crime to murder. 
 Individuals guilty of fornication or adultery are 
 promptly excommunicated from the Church, unless 
 the sin is followed by the most profound repentence 
 and the best reparation which can possibly be made. 
 The children around the family altar, in the Sunday 
 Schools, Mutual Improvement Associations, Pri- 
 mary Associations, and all the institutions of the 
 Church, are taught to hold their virtue more sacred 
 to them than life itself. When they attain to years 
 of maturity and enter the holy state of matrimony, 
 they vow before God, angels and the living witnesses 
 that they will never violate the marriage covenants.” 
 
 To arrive at the truth concerning sexual morality 
 among the Mormons, several sources of information 
 are available. Statistics of illegitimate births, of 
 divorces for adultery, penitentiary commitments for 
 sexual crimes, and the prevalence of sexual diseases 
 among the general population as shown by World 
 War statistics, should each throw some light on the 
 question. 
 
 Let us first consider the rate of illegitimacy for 
 each 1000 total births.? Utah has been in the Regis- 
 tration area for births since 1917 and a summary of 
 the rates for these five years is shown in Figure 8. 
 In the figure it is seen that the illegitimacy rates 
 
 * Reported in the U. S. Bureau of Census, Birth Statistics for 
 Registration States. 
 
118 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 for Kansas and Utah are nearly the same and are 
 over two per 1000 below the state with the third 
 best rate. The Registration Area rate is more than 
 
 Registration Area 
 
 Kansas 
 
 Utah 
 
 Connecticut 
 Washington 
 Nebraska (2 yrs.) 
 Maine 
 
 New York 
 
 New Hampshire 
 Indiana 
 
 Wisconsin 
 Michigan 
 
 Oregon (3 yrs.) 
 Ohio 
 
 Vermont 
 Kentucky 
 Minnesota 
 Pennsylvania 
 Maryland 
 
 North Carolina 
 Virginia 
 
 South Carolina (3 yrs.) 
 
 19.4 
 
 7.6 
 
 7.9 
 10.3 
 10.4 
 10.6 
 10.9 
 11.2 
 12.0 
 13.0 
 13.5 
 14.0 
 14.0 
 14.5 
 15.6 
 16.0 
 16.8 
 19.7 
 48.4 
 48.4 
 53.5 
 79.7 
 
 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 
 
 
 
 FIGURD 8. ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN PER 1000 TOTAL BIRTHS IN BIRTH 
 
 REGISTRATION 
 
 AVERAGE FOR THE FIVE YEARS, 1917 To 1921. 
 DATA FROM BIRTH STATISTICS, U. S. BUREAU OF CENSUS. 
 
 double that for either Kansas or Utah. A study of 
 the individual years,* shows that Kansas had a 
 better record than Utah four out of the five years, 
 but excepting in the year 1918 when there was a 
 comparatively large proportion of illegitimate births 
 
 “See 1921 report of Birth Statistics, p. 23. 
 
CHASTITY AMONG THE MORMONS 119 
 
 in Utah, no other state had such a small ratio of 
 illegitimate children during any year. The conclu- 
 sion from this evidence is that Utah is very free from 
 unchastity as compared with most other states. _ 
 In the U.S. Bureau of Census report on “Marriage 
 and Divorce” for 1916 adultery is given as the cause 
 of 11.5 per cent of the total number of divorces in 
 the whole United States. The percentage divorced 
 for this cause in Utah was only 1.4. Of the divorces 
 granted to the husband the average of all states was 
 20.3 per cent for adultery, as compared with 4.8 per 
 cent for Utah and only three states had a lower 
 percentage than Utah.® The percentage of divorces 
 granted to the wife for adultery in the United States 
 was 7.5, and Utah with 0.6 was lower than all but 
 three states. Practically the same facts are shown 
 in the divorce statistics for the years 1887 to 1906 °; 
 five states had a lower rate of divorces granted to 
 the husband for adultery than Utah, but none a 
 lower rate for those granted to the wife. 
 Comparing the states by divorces for adultery 
 per 100,000 general population in 19167 the average 
 rate is found to be 12.4 and that for Utah 2.1. South 
 Carolina grants no divorces at all, but other than 
 this state, Wisconsin with a rate of 1.8 is the only 
 one lower than Utah. In another place ® it is shown 
 
 ® Marriage and Divorce, 1916, U. S. Census Bureau. 
 *Census Bureau, Bulletin 96. 
 
 "Marriage and Divorce, 1916, U. S, Census Bureau. 
 * Chapter 11. 
 
120 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 that the proportion of divorces coming from the 
 Mormon population of Utah is very small compared 
 with the figures for the State as a whole; and, 
 because of the great abhorrence with which adultery 
 is looked upon by the Mormons, it is doubtful if 
 they were responsible for more than a small propor- 
 tion of the cases reported from Utah. 
 
 The prevalence of sex irregularity in a state should 
 be roughly indicated by the number of persons sent 
 to state prisons for sex crimes. Since fine distinc- 
 tions are not made between the sex crimes at the 
 penitentiaries, the comparisons should be made of 
 all crimes involving the sex instincts. The only 
 statistics available for making this study, which con- 
 sider more than single years, are those for the 
 Mountain States, but as these are more directly 
 comparable with Utah than other states, this evi- 
 dence should be fairly reliable. Calculated to the 
 basis of convictions for sex crimes per 100,000 popu- 
 lation the results are as follows: 
 
 Convictions SEx CRIMES 
 
 ene Total Convictions 
 State Canes per 100,000 
 onsidered Number Povulati 
 
 opulation 
 AIS RI eats dene 1919-22 50 a § 
 WEYEHAA LCS fence S40 1919-22 9 2.9 
 Colorado... vers .sh 1919-22 117 3.1 
 New Mexico....... 1918, 1919, 1921, 1922 47 3.2 
 Tesi Gee rue ey tae 1919-22 61 3.4 
 Wyoming........... 1919-22 29 3.6 
 
 Montara 2 cicy cit 1921-22 46 3.9 
 
CHASTITY AMONG THE MORMONS 121 
 
 These figures show that Utah had at least as small 
 a proportion of penitentiary convictions for this 
 cause as any of the surrounding states. Elsewhere ° 
 it is shown that the Mormons furnished less than 
 their share of total criminals and it is probable that 
 the same holds true with sex criminals.. 
 
 Another type of evidence that throws light on 
 morality is found in the army statistics of venereal 
 diseases among those who entered the World War. 
 These men were taken from all classes of society 
 and were at an age when their life tendencies had 
 developed. They were given rigid examinations by. 
 the same officials who examined those from other 
 localities, so the conclusions drawn by the examiners 
 are impartial and comparable. 
 
 The average rate of venereal diseases among the 
 first million examined as reported by the Surgeon 
 General 1° was 29 per 1000 persons drafted, while 
 that for Utah was 8. Idaho and Oregon were the 
 only states with a smaller proportion than Utah. 
 The rate for Kansas, which had a smaller rate of 
 illegal children than Utah, was 26, and Michigan, 
 Wisconsin and Nevada with better records in 
 divorces for adultery had rates of 19, 12, and 14 
 respectively. 
 
 Besides the statistical evidence of high morality 
 among the Latter-day Saints there is considerable 
 evidence in the reports of numerous observers who 
 
 °Chapter 14. 
 Off. Surg. Gen. Bul. 11, p. 79. 
 
122 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 are prepared to judge. An example is the statement 
 of a Methodist Episcopal minister who lived for 
 some time among the Mormons.!!_ He says: “The 
 young men of the Mormon Church are clean young 
 men, clear-eyed, brainy, and manly. The records of 
 the half-million-dollar Deseret Gymnasium of the 
 Mormon Church in Salt Lake City show that of the 
 hundreds of young men examined there, there is yet 
 to be found one tainted with unclean disease— 
 a record unparalleled in most American cities.” 
 Bancroft 12 states that “All the keepers of brothels, 
 and nearly all the gamesters and saloon-keepers, 
 were gentiles. Two hundred out of the two hundred 
 fifty towns and villages in the territory contained 
 not a single bagnio. Until gentiles settled in Salt 
 Lake City there were seldom heard, in the streets or 
 dwellings, oaths, imprecations, or expletives; there 
 were no place-hunters or beggar-politicians; there 
 was no harlotry; and there was neither political nor 
 judicial prostitution. The Mormons were a people 
 singularly free from vice.” 
 
 The class of writers who have spoken unfavorably 
 about the morals of the Mormons have, almost with- 
 out exception, been uninformed or _ prejudiced, 
 whereas a large number of observers whose reputa- 
 tions are above question have spoken of the excellent 
 moral conditions they have found. Miles Grant, 
 editor of the World’s Crisis, at one time said: “We 
 
 * Outlook, vol. 98 (1911), pp. 726-28. 
 “4 History of Utah, p. 686. 
 
CHASTITY AMONG THE MORMONS 123 
 
 came to the settled conclusion that there is less 
 licentiousness in Salt Lake City than in any other 
 one of the same size in the United States; and were 
 we to bring up a family of children in these last days 
 of wickedness, we should have less fears of their 
 moral corruption were they in that city than in any 
 other.” Sergeant Ballantyne, the eminent English 
 Barrister, said: “The Mormons are really accom- 
 plishing what the people in England aim to do in 
 fighting the social evil. The diseases of dissipation 
 and licentious practices are unknown among them. 
 They are a clean, pure, and healthy community. It 
 is a mistake to hold that the faith fosters lust. On 
 the contrary, it is founded on a principle of religion 
 which combats lustfulness.” Remy and Brenchley 
 in their “A Journey to Salt Lake City” (1885), while 
 unfavorable to the Mormons in many comments, 
 say: “Love of truth compels us to say that we were, 
 generally speaking, edified with all that we saw, and 
 that, as far as external appearances go, Utah is the 
 most moral country in the world. All the males in 
 it are usefully employed; we met with neither slug- 
 gards, idlers, gamblers nor drunkards. The polyga- 
 mous Saints, almost without exception, left upon us 
 the impression of being good fathers and husbands. 
 All that passed under our eyes was decorous, and we 
 have a decided objection to supposing that we had 
 to deal only with hypocrites.” Several years later 
 Phil Robinson,?* who spent considerable time mixing 
 * Sinners and Saints, p. 186. 
 
124 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 intimately with the Mormons, commended them for 
 their high standard of public morality. 
 
 From the above discussion it is seen that as 
 reflected in the number of illegal children, the 
 divorces for adultery, the penitentiary convictions 
 for sex crimes, and the number of young men with 
 venereal diseases, the moral condition of the people 
 of Utah is of a high standard. No state in the Union 
 persistently showed a better record than Utah, 
 although some states do appear slightly better in 
 some of the comparisons. From other data bearing 
 on divorces and penitentiary convictions,** where 
 the Mormons of Utah can be partially or wholly 
 segregated from the non-Mormons in the State, the 
 conclusion that the Mormon portion of the State 
 is as good or better than the rest does not seem 
 unwarranted. The evidence given by the most 
 trustworthy observers who have written about the 
 Mormons indicates that as a people they are and 
 always have been of a very high moral character. 
 
 ** Chapters 11 and 14. 
 
CHAPTER 18 
 A STUDY OF INSANITY AMONG THE MORMONS 
 
 CarINnG for the insane is one of the heavy burdens 
 imposed on the various states. About two persons 
 in every 1000 in the United States were inmates of 
 insane asylums in 1917, but to take care of these 
 persons requires 10 per cent of all general depart- 
 ment state funds.2 In 1919 over $55,000,000 was 
 required to care for the insane in hospitals and the 
 amount has increased greatly since that year. Add 
 to this the value of the patients’ time and we face 
 a tremendous economic loss. 
 
 It is obvious, therefore, that in the examination 
 of any large body of people the question of insanity 
 should be given consideration. Any group having 
 a high percentage of insane cannot be considered 
 an efficient unit of society. 
 
 In our study of the fruits of Mormonism, it will, 
 therefore, be well to inquire into the insanity condi- 
 tions among this people. 
 
 In the following table is shown the number of 
 
 *U.S. Census Bureau. 
 
 2 Financial Statistics of States, U. S. Census Bureau, 1916 and 
 1919, 
 
 125 
 
126 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 insane in hospitals and admittances during the given 
 year per 100,000 general population for Utah and 
 the United States, and the rank beginning with the 
 state with fewest, which Utah held: 
 
 TABLE SHOWING INSAND Por 100,000 PorPULATION IN HOSPITALS OF 
 UTAH AND THE UNITED STATES AND THE RANK, BHGINNING WITH 
 THE LOWEST, HELD BY UTAH 
 
 No. per 100,000 in 
 
 verte Rank ek by {Source of Infor- 
 Utah Av.U.§ Uta mation 
 
 1922 (total) ....| 148.4 260.9 Not available Census Bureau 
 1922 (admitted) . 51.4 86.2 Not available 
 
 1910 (total) .... 91.6 204.2 4th Statistical ae 
 1910 (admitted).| 27.5 66.1 3rd Statistical Abs. 
 1903 (total) ....) 114.5 186.2 12th Statistleal me 
 1890 (total) .... 59.6 118.2 10th Statistical Abs. 
 
 1912, p. 76 
 
 From this table it is seen that Utah has had a very 
 much smaller proportion of its population become 
 insane than has the average state in the United 
 States, and that only a few states have had as small 
 a proportion of insane as Utah. 
 
 To ascertain whether the Mormon portion of the 
 population is less subject to insanity than the others, 
 the commitments from each county for the twenty 
 years ending in 1916 were tabulated and the counties 
 arranged according to percentage of Mormons in 
 them during 1916. Because nearly half of the 
 counties furnished less than one patient a year, a 
 statistical study of individual counties would be 
 meaningless, and because two of the groups as given 
 in other places in this book contain less than ten 
 
A STUDY OF INSANITY 127 
 
 confinements a year or insufficient for dependable 
 results, it was thought best to combine the counties 
 into those with over 80 per cent Mormons, those 
 with 50 to 73 per cent and those with less than 
 50 per cent Mormons. The average number of 
 insane per 100,000 population for the whole State 
 during this 20-year period was 34.8. The average 
 number coming from the counties with over 80 per 
 cent Mormons was 20.9, whereas the rates for the 
 two groups with less than 73 per cent Mormons were 
 41.7 and 41.3. 
 
 It is not the native stock so much as the alien 
 which furnish the insane of Utah. During the 
 census years 1900 to 1920 there were between 65 and 
 70 per cent of the residents native of the State, but 
 only 36 per cent of the insane were native born. 
 
 Because of the marked differences between the 
 counties as noted above, corroborative evidence that 
 it was the Mormon population that caused the low 
 rates in the counties was thought necessary. The 
 records at the State Mental Hospital give the 
 religion of those admitted and due to the fact that a 
 large part of those admitted are known personally 
 by the local officers, and because relatives are 
 required to support the inmates, these records are 
 fairly reliable as to religion. 
 
 The 600 admittances during this period represent 
 a rate of about 33 per 100,000 population or slightly 
 below that for the 20-year period. It will be noted 
 that the percentage of insane native of Utah is 9 
 
128 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 TABLE SHOWING THE NATIVITY AND RELIGION OF PERSONS ADMITTED 
 To UTAH Srate MmpnTAL HOSPITAL DURING THE PERIOD JAN. 1, 
 1918, To Fes. 12, 1922. Recorps 3400 To 4000 
 
 
 
 i fi: Per 
 Native of: ‘A Ga Kienkot 
 Religion AEN aaah (MAREE Lge re Total Total fo 
 ‘or- n- s | Pop. in 
 Utany Oss eign | known Insane |" 4916 
 Mormom i.e 5 129 34 43 a 207 34.5 61.8 
 Catholic ..... 6 21 44 1 42 12.0 2.4 
 Methodist a 0 ‘D2 1 1 14 aS 4 
 Presbyterian . 1 6 3 0 10 bey é a5 
 Baptiste. 0 ve 1 0 8 1.3 3 
 Other Protest.. 0 6 16 2 24 4.0 Aa 
 Other Churches 1 28 15 6 50 8.3 6 
 None ye Ooo, ies 23 5 / 1 42 7.0 
 Not Known .. HUB 31 33 97 ANG: 28.8 
 TP GOta Le eete a 162 168 161 109 600 99.9 
 
 Per) CONE vais 64 27.0 28.0 26.8 18.2} 100.0 
 
 
 
 below the rate for the longer period but the four 
 years seem to be normal in most ways. While the 
 Mormons constitute nearly 62 per cent of the total 
 population according to the 1916 Religious Census, 
 they furnished only 34.5 per cent of the insane 
 during this period, and those native to Utah fur- 
 nished only 21.5 per cent. Assuming the number 
 of Mormons in Utah during these years to be 275,000 
 the rate of insanity among them is 18.3. This is 14 
 per 100,000 below that for the whole state, and is 
 two below the average for the group of counties with 
 over 80 per cent Mormons. 
 
 The statistics presented in this discussion of the 
 insane indicates that the State of Utah is relatively 
 low in insanity. That this is not due to an ignoring 
 of the insane by the people of Utah appears from 
 the fact that during the Draft for the World War, 
 when the people of the State were placed before 
 
A STUDY OF INSANITY 129 
 
 impartial judges, only three or four states had a 
 lower rate of rejections for mental deficiency or 
 epilepsy.* Both the statistics from the Annual 
 Reports of the Utah State Mental Hospital and 
 those collected for this study show that the Mormon 
 portion of the population of Utah has a lower rate 
 of insanity than the other portion. The reason for 
 this is not entirely clear since the whole question of 
 the causes of insanity is so little understood. 
 
 It is well known that heredity plays a large part 
 in insanity, but there are also other contributing 
 causes such as worry, which may be brought on by 
 financial reversals, or by any great upheaval in the 
 mental processes of the individual. 
 
 The fact that Mormon philosophy is a philosophy 
 of hope even in death, and that the people are not 
 usually given to excesses, but go about their business 
 in an every-day conservative sort of way may help 
 to account for the relatively low insanity rate among 
 them; or this condition may be due largely to favor- 
 able hereditary conditions. Be this as it may, it is 
 an interesting fact that this people which is some- 
 times spoken of in derisive terms has a high rating 
 in sanity. This is an important indicator of the 
 general social balance of the people. 
 
 * Final figures on the Draft in World Almanac, 1920, pp. 611-615. 
 Utah had less mental deficiency than any other state by the time 
 the first million recruits were obtained: Office of Surgeon Gen- 
 eral, Bul. 11, p. 98. 
 
CHAPTER 14 
 THE RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 
 
 Tur study of any people would not be com- 
 plete without an investigation of their attitude 
 toward those offenses against society which lead to 
 imprisonment. 
 
 The Mormon people have been the subject of so 
 much loose talk based on a lack of information, that 
 it seems desirable to make a thorough canvass of 
 all available official records to see just what are the 
 facts regarding this much-discussed people. Are 
 they as a class law-abiding citizens as affirmed by 
 many observers, or do they disregard civil righteous- 
 ness as some would have us think? 
 
 In this study an attempt has been made to consult 
 all possible official sources of information that would 
 throw any light on the problem. One of the most 
 fruitful sources of material has been the record of 
 convictions to penitentiaries and jails. 
 
 In presenting the data, no account will be taken 
 of city and county jail convictions, because in con- 
 
 130 
 
RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 131 
 
 vietions for vagrancy, for violation of automobile 
 regulations, for peace disturbance, and the like, 
 which constitute no small proportion of the total 
 convictions in some places, variations in the 
 vigilance of local justices make it impossible to tell 
 the true status of the relative number of those 
 causing these minor offenses. Also city and county 
 records can seldom be fully obtained because the 
 crimes are not always recorded nor always fully 
 reported to those gathering statistics. 
 
 Convictions to penitentiaries are seldom made 
 until after thorough investigations; the offenses are 
 real and the records of every offender are kept. 
 Penitentiary convictions are more nearly comparable 
 directly in all states than are those of local jails, 
 because in the former the crimes are the heinous 
 ones which cause offense to everyone throughout the 
 whole nation. For these reasons, penitentiary con- 
 victions are likely to give a good index of the amount 
 of crime being committed in any locality. This is 
 not strictly the case, however, because in populous 
 localities a smaller proportion of the criminals are 
 caught than in the sparsely settled regions. But as 
 criminals generally have headquarters in population 
 centers, this tendency is partially neutralized. As 
 far as possible in this investigation, reports for single 
 years will be avoided because, especially in sparsely 
 populated localities, the number of convictions 
 during different years may vary widely. 
 
 In a publication issued in 1923 the U.S, Bureau 
 
132 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 of Census gives, for the two years 1917 and 1922, 
 the number of prisoners in state prisons. These 
 data show that in 1917 there were 57.9 prisoners in 
 the Utah penitentiary for each 100,000 general 
 population. There were 13 states out of the 49 
 (including the District of Columbia) with a lower 
 rate than Utah. In 1922 Utah had a rate of 42.0; 
 the four states, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and 
 North and South Carolinas, were the only ones with 
 a smaller rate. During the latter year the states 
 bordering Utah had rates as follows: Wyoming, 
 165.3; Colorado, 110.8; New Mexico, 111.4; Arizona, 
 105.8; Nevada, 200.2, and Idaho, 61.8. These 
 figures indicate that Utah ranks with the better 
 class of states in number of criminals, and that she 
 is distinctly superior to the surrounding states with 
 which she should be most nearly comparable. 
 
 Next, in order to discover the influence of the 
 Mormons in Utah, let us group the counties of the 
 State according to the percentage of Mormons as 
 has been done in previous studies. Penitentiary 
 reports 1 give the counties from which the criminals 
 came, and by considering the records for a long 
 period and combining the counties, the results 
 should be reliable. In the following discussion the 
 average of the 25-year period 1896 to 1920 is used 
 for the number of criminals convicted per county 
 each year. The proportion of Mormons in the coun- 
 ties is assumed to have been the same as that given 
 
 * Biennial Reports of the Utah State Prison, 
 
RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 133 
 
 Rate per 100,000 
 
 
 
 
 Per cent Total Rate per 
 L.D. S. No.  100,000-_/2_ 20 30 40 5) 60 
 
 STATE AVERAGE 61.8 3134? 34.2 —RpeaaEe 
 Group 1 90-100 194 17.4 
 Kane 100.0? 12 26.1 
 Garfield 98.9 18 18.3 
 Wayne 91.8 9 18.8 
 Juab 91.5 4] 16.1 
 Davis 90.7 62 25.1 
 Sanpete 90.7 52 12.4 
 Group 2 80-90 351 19.2 
 Iron - 89.5 30 Dial 
 Washington 86.4 9 6.5 
 ache 84.4 81 14.3 
 Sevier 82.6 42 17.1 
 Boxelder 81.8 127 35.7 
 Millard 80.9 26 14.5 
 ’ Wasatch & Duch. 80.4 36 15.8 
 Group 3 60-73 371 28.5 
 Emery 73.0 74 47.2 
 Utah 69.2 237 25.6 
 Morgan 67.6 17 28.9 
 Beaver 66.1 34 30.3 
 Rich 61.0 9 18.9 
 Group 4 47-57 1834 42.3 
 Summit 57.0 47 2251 
 Weber 52.0 525 60.6 
 Uinta & Dag. 49.8 56 30.0 
 Salt Lake 47.0 1206 39.3 
 Group 5 20-39 285 48.7 
 San Juan 39.1 16 28.3 
 Tooele 38.0 78 40.3 
 Grand 33.4 26 68.6 
 Carbon 24.5 154 63.5 
 Piute 20.7 11 20.4 
 
 FIGURE 9. TOTAL AND RATE PER 100,000 AVERAGE POPULATION OF 
 CONVICTS SENT TO UTAH PENITENTIARY FROM VARIOUS UTAH COUN- 
 TIES DURING THE 25 YEARS 1896 To 1920. COUNTIES ARRANGED AC- 
 CORDING TO DESCENDING PROPORTIONS OF MORMONS. POPULATION 
 AVERAGE IS FOR CENSUS YEARS 1900, 1910 anp 1920. ‘ToTAL coNvVIC- 
 TIONS INCLUDES 99 FEDERAL PRISONERS. TOTAL CONVICTIONS OF NA- 
 TIVES OF UTAH, 606. 
 
 for the year 1916.2. The grouping of the counties 
 into the five divisions is shown in Figure 9. 
 During the twenty-five-year period the total 
 
 * Religious Bodies, 1916, U. 8. Bur. Census. Population esti- 
 mated for 1916 from 1910 and 1920 regular census. For reason of 
 choosing 1916 religious inclination of counties see Footnote 2, 
 Chapter 3. 
 
134 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 number of persons sent to the Utah penitentiary 
 was 3134, of which 99 were merely being held for 
 the Federal Government. This total is the equiva- 
 lent of 34.2 yearly per 100,000 average population 
 or nearly 8 per 100,000 smaller than the number 
 of confinements reported in the above mentioned 
 U. 8S. Government bulletin for 1922. 
 
 Referring again to Figure 9 it is seen that the six 
 counties with more than 90 per cent Mormons had 
 an average penitentiary conviction rate of only 17.4 
 or slightly over half the rate for the whole state. 
 The average rates of groups numbered 2, 3, 4, and 5, 
 in which the proportion of Mormons decreases, were 
 19.2, 28.5, 42.3 and 48.7 per 100,000 population. 
 Stated in another way, the convictions to the peni- 
 tentiary decrease as the proportion of Mormons in 
 the counties increase. As would be expected, because 
 of the small number of convictions and chances 
 of error in estimated population, this relationship 
 does not hold absolutely when the individual coun- 
 ties are considered, but a study of the figure will 
 show that the two groups with over 80 per cent 
 Mormons are in general considerably lower than 
 the individual counties in the rest of the groups. Of 
 the ten counties with a rate of less than 20, the only 
 one not in the two groups with over 80 per cent 
 Mormons is Rich County, and all persons reporting 
 religion in this county in 1916 were Mormons, but 
 the total number reporting any religion was less 
 than two-thirds. 
 
RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 135 
 
 The reports from which the above records of Utah 
 were taken do not give the religious inclination of 
 the convicts. The data kept at the Penitentiary are 
 fairly complete for this item since about April, 1919, 
 however, and in August, 1923, a tabulation was 
 made of the religious inclination and nativity of 
 convicts with numbers between 3717 and 4262. A 
 summary of the results is given in the table which 
 follows: 
 
 TABLE SHOWING CONVICTIONS To UTAH STATH PENITENTIARY, 1919-23 
 By Religion and Nativity 
 
 Nativity Per Cent|Per Cent) convicts 
 Religion TOS! | je ee ES, Pot Bota Satna Ex 
 Utah | Other |Conviets| 791% | pected 
 
 ——— ee ee 
 
 Mormon ....-- 156 114 42 28.9 61.8 334 
 
 CeENoOlicwea: sees 100 1 99 18.5 2.4 13 
 Methodist?) .).ic st: 3 1 31 5.9 4 vs 
 Baptiste faccsiee 21 2 19 3.9 o 2 
 Presbyterian .. 16 4 12 3.0 a3) 3 
 Other Protest... 80 4 26 5.6 a at 5 
 Other Churches. 40 1 39 7.4 6 4 
 No religion .... 63 2 61 11.7 
 NOt) given.) i... 82 9 16E 15.2 
 
 Totals). wise 540 138 402 100.0 
 
 This table shows only 540 convictions, but there 
 were 6 others in which neither the nativity nor 
 religion could be learned from the records at hand. 
 The total number, 546, is equivalent to 126 a year 
 or 27.3 per 100,000 population of the state, as com- 
 pared with 125.4 a year or 34.2 per 100,000 during 
 the 25-year period just discussed. The shorter 
 record shows 26 per cent of those convicted to have 
 been born in the State as compared with 20 for the 
 
136 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 longer period; but since the proportion of native 
 born people in Utah has increased about 10 per cent 
 in the past 25 years, this would be expected. 
 
 If the population of Mormons in Utah during the 
 years considered is taken as 280,000, which is not far 
 from correct, the convictions per 100,000 Mormons 
 would be 12.9 a year. Such a figure or one somewhat 
 higher might have been expected from a considera- 
 tion of the rates for the counties highest in Mormons 
 as given in Figure 9. It should not be supposed 
 that a large proportion of those not stating their 
 religion were Mormon born, because 73 out of the 
 82 were born outside the state, whereas it is esti- 
 mated that over 80 per cent of the Mormons are 
 native to Utah. Even if the entire 82 were Mor- 
 mons, however, the rate would be no higher than 
 19.6 and there is good reason for believing that 
 very few of those not stating their religions were 
 Mormons. 
 
 While the Mormons compose about 62 per cent 
 of the total population of Utah, in the above table 
 it is seen that they furnish only about 29 per cent 
 of the convicts. Of the 156 Mormon convicts, 114 
 were born in the State. Therefore it is likely that 
 only 21.1 per cent of all persons convicted were 
 reared under Mormon control from birth. The last 
 vertical column is given to show what would be 
 expected if the criminals were furnished in propor- 
 tion to the population of the different religious 
 
RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 137 
 denominations as of 1916. The Mormons furnished 
 less than half their quota. 
 
 The State of Idaho, according to statistics of the 
 Church, contained about 88,000 Mormons,? which 
 is enough to make a statistical study of that state 
 significant. The Idaho Penitentiary Reports give 
 the religious inclination of convicts. The convic- 
 tions per 100,000 population in the State of Idaho 
 for the four years 1919 to 1922 were 28.5. The 
 rate for those native of Utah was 20.3, while, if the 
 Mormon population be taken as 85,000 for this 
 four-year period, the rate would be 17.4 per 100,000. 
 It is seen from these figures that while the rate of 
 convictions of Mormons in Idaho is somewhat above 
 that for Utah, the Mormons in Idaho furnish 11 
 convicts per 100,000 population less than the average 
 for the state as a whole. 
 
 The boundaries of the counties in Idaho have 
 shifted so greatly since 1910 that it is impracticable 
 to try to estimate the population in order to arrive 
 at the per cent of Mormons in them. However, by 
 using the counties existing in 1916 when the religious 
 Census was taken it is possible to group the counties 
 according to the proportion of Mormons to all per- 
 sons reporting religious inclination during that year. 
 This is not a strictly accurate classification because 
 
 2 Statistical reports of the Mormon Church; the Mormon sta- 
 
 tistics for Idaho exceeded the U. S. Census figures for Mormons 
 in Idaho by 2.9 per cent in 1916. 
 
138 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 many did not report religious inclination in some 
 counties. 
 
 In the counties with over 80 per cent Mormons, 
 according to the above method,‘ there were, in these 
 four years, 64 convictions to the Idaho Penitentiary. 
 Equating this number with the estimated popula- 
 tion, we find the rate to be 21.3 per 100,000, whereas 
 the rate for the counties with between 66 and 77 per 
 cent Mormons had a rate of 28.2 and the counties 
 in which the Mormons composed only a very small 
 fraction or none of the total population had a rate 
 of 31.0. Here, as in Utah, the counties high in 
 Mormons were lower than the average of the State 
 in convictions, whereas the counties lowest in Mor- 
 mons are higher than the average. 
 
 The Governor of Arizona, in 1916, stated® that 
 of 438 convicts in Arizona during that year, 4 of 
 them were Mormons. As the Religious Census for 
 that year gives the number of Mormons in Arizona 
 as 12,624, this would give a rate of 31.7 per 100,000 
 iWitecataae whereas the rate for the state as a whole 
 would be 159.6. The small number of Mormons in 
 Arizona at that time makes the comparison of little 
 value statistically, but it at least shows that there is 
 no excess of criminals among the Arizona Mormons. 
 
 No other state has a large enough Mormon popu- 
 
 *These counties are Franklin, Madison, Oneida, Bear Lake, 
 Teton, Jefferson, Cassia, and Fremont, 
 
 “In a letter of inquiry concerning the character of the Mormons 
 in Arizona. 
 
RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 139 
 
 lation to make a study of crime in it of any value 
 whatever. The three states considered all agree, 
 however, in showing the Mormons to be relatively 
 law-abiding. 
 
 It is very desirable that criminals be dealt with 
 according to their crimes and that the citizens have 
 confidence that the machinery for handling crim- 
 inals will function as it should. Wrong is frequently 
 done where the law is taken into the hands of mobs. 
 According to the World Almanac for 1922° Utah 
 is the only state outside of the New England States 
 of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
 Island, and Vermont, which had no lynching be- 
 tween 1885 and 1920. The states surrounding Utah 
 show no such record. In that period Colorado had 
 25, Wyoming 17, Idaho 8, Nevada 6, Arizona 12, and 
 New Mexico 16 lynchings, and other western states 
 have similar high figures. 
 
 There have been impartial observers recording the 
 conditions among the Mormons at various periods 
 from the time of the immigration to Utah until the 
 present. Practically none of these have spoken 
 derogatively of the moral condition of the people. 
 Most of these writers have reported conditions 
 similar to the following statement by Phil Robin- 
 son:? “I can assure my readers that the standard of 
 public morality among the Mormons of Utah is such 
 as the Gentiles among them are either unable or 
 
 AEM YG AE 
 7 Sinners and Saints, p. 186. 
 
140 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 unwilling to live up to.” Although this statement 
 was made about 1884, it would appear from the 
 figures presented above that the condition described 
 then is found today. A few years later, Carlton, 
 who served on the Commission sent to Utah to 
 enforce the Edmunds Anti-polygamy Law, prepared 
 the sketches for his “Wonderlands of the Wild 
 West.” After his seven-year sojourn among the 
 Mormons, he wrote: “It is a common belief, propa- 
 gated by sensational writers, and designing and 
 interested persons, that the Mormons are a gang of 
 incorrigible rogues and criminals: when, in fact, 
 according to the testimony of every unprejudiced 
 man who is acquainted with them, that for honesty, 
 industry, sobriety, neighborly kindness and peace 
 and good order, the Mormons are at least equal, if 
 not superior, to any other community on this conti- 
 nent. Over 95 per cent of the saloon-keepers and 
 gamblers of Utah are anti-Mormons, and while the 
 Mormons are over 75 per cent of the population, yet 
 six- or seven-eighths of the heinous and felonious 
 offenses, as murder, manslaughter, burglary, robbery, 
 rape and the like, are committed by the Gentile, or 
 non-Mormon, minority.” Carlton’s statements con- 
 cerning the proportions given above were based on 
 figures gathered in a census made about 1880. They 
 do not differ essentially from the figures for the 
 present. 
 
 In a speech made by Senator Thomas of Colorado 
 
RELATION OF MORMONS TO CRIME 141 
 in the U. S. Senate he says:® “Mr. President, when 
 respect for the law is the exception and not the rule, 
 when the different forces of society are so antago- 
 nistic that the political structure is menaced with 
 danger, it is refreshing to note that the adherents of 
 this faith (Mormon) have at all times been the 
 advocates and the exponents of peace, of justice, 
 of law, and of order; and however just the criticisms 
 aimed against former institutions, the fact remains, 
 as established by more than half a century of 
 practice, that the communities professing the Mor- 
 mon faith are among the best and highest exemplars 
 of American citizenship.” 
 
 Senator Henderson of Nevada, at this same gath 
 ering, said: “We have in easterr Nevada a numbei 
 of Mormon settlements. I have visited a number 
 of them. I wish to say that there are no better 
 citizens in the country than those of that faith. In 
 one community that I know of, established over 
 40 years ago, there has never been a jail. I believe 
 that is true of the others. These people never have 
 any use for jails. Where they go, law and order 
 prevail, and thrift and economy are taught and 
 practiced.” 
 
 As a summary of this chapter, it may be said that 
 Utah ranks among the best states in the Union in 
 its statistics of crimes which call for penitentiary 
 confinement. An analysis of the penitentiary sta- 
 tistics of Utah by counties for a period of 25 years 
 
 ® Congressional Record of Nov. 11, 1919. 
 
142 THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM 
 
 indicates that the counties with over 90 per cent 
 Mormons have a rate of convictions only about 
 half that of the State as a whole, and when con- 
 sidered in groups of counties, the rate of convictions 
 increases regularly with the decrease in proportion 
 of Mormons. In a study of the religious inclinations 
 of Utah convicts, it was found that the Mormons 
 furnished criminals at a rate of only 13 per 100,000 
 population as compared with 34 for the state as a 
 whole. Figures from Idaho substantiate those from 
 Utah. Utah is one of the 6 states in the United 
 States which had no lynching between 1885 and 1920. 
 No reliable data have been found which in any way 
 indicate that the Mormons do not rank high in 
 freedom from crime. 
 
INDEX 
 
 A 
 
 Adultery, divorce for, 119, 120 
 
 Agriculture emphasied by Mor- 
 mons, 47, 48, 49 
 
 Arizona Mormon criminals, 138 
 
 Armstrong quoted, 69 
 
 Ayres Index numbers, 28-31 
 
 B 
 
 Ballantyne quoted, 123 
 Bancroft on Mormon, coloniz- 
 ing, 43, 53 
 morality, 122 
 patriotism, 72 
 Birth rates, 96-104 
 Births, illegitimate, 117, 118 
 per married woman, 96, 97 
 Boy Scouts in Utah, 39, 40 
 Era Young, mentioned, 46, 
 47, 52 
 
 C 
 
 Cancer death rates, 88-91 
 Carlton on Mormon justice, 63 
 morality, 140 
 Carver quoted, 55-57 
 Charity among Mormons, 74-80 
 to Indians, 66 
 Chastity among Mormons, 116- 
 124 
 Children, death rates of, 97-103 
 per family, 94-96, 97 
 Cities, Mormon, 48, 53, 54 
 Civil War, 70 
 College education, 
 31-34 
 
 Mormon, 
 
 Colonizing, Mormon, 43-57 
 
 Convicts, religion of Utah, 135 
 
 Cooperation, Mormon, 49-55, 
 57 
 
 Cost of Utah schools, 27, 28 
 
 Crime among the Mormons, 
 130-142 
 
 Crimes, Mormon sex, 120, 121 
 
 Criminals, Mormon, in Idaho, 
 137, 138 
 
 Utah, religion of, 135 
 
 Curriculum, Mormon school, 
 
 18, 19 
 
 Death rates, accuracy of, 82, 83 
 Mormon, 86-92 
 rank of states in, 83-86 
 Deaths of infants, 97-103 
 Diseases, venereal, 121, 122 
 Divorce after temple marriage, 
 114 
 for adultery, 119, 120 
 laws differ, 110, 111 
 rates, 111-114 
 Doctrine and Covenants, de- 
 fined, 12 
 on government, 59-62 
 
 E 
 Education among the Mor- 
 mons, 16-35 
 
 higher in Utah, 31-34 
 Mormon attitude toward, 16- 
 
 19, 30 
 Educational efficiency Utah 
 schools, 29-31 
 
 expenditures, 27, 28 
 
 143 
 
144 
 
 Ellis quoted, 51 
 
 Ely on Mormon colonizing, 47- 
 50 
 
 Enlistments, World War, 67, 68 
 
 Eternal progression doctrine, 10 
 
 F 
 
 Faith and prayer, healing by, 
 81, 82 
 Family, Mormon, important, 8, 
 9, 93, 94 
 size of Mormon, 94-96 
 Fast Sunday donations, 79 
 Fisher quoted, 39, 40 
 Food conservation, 69, 70 
 
 G 
 
 Government, Mormon attitude 
 toward, 58-64 
 Grant, Miles, quoted, 122 
 
 H 
 Health of Mormons, 81-92 
 Henderson, Senator, quoted, 
 141 
 
 High schools, early Utah, 18 
 Higher education, Mormon, 31- 
 34 
 
 i 
 
 Idaho Mormon criminals, 137, 
 138 
 
 Illegitimate births, 117, 118 
 
 Illiteracy among the Mormons, 
 
 Infants, deaths of, 97-103 
 
 Insanity among the Mormons, 
 125-129 
 
 TG eae after death 10, 16, 
 
 Irrigation by Mormons, 47-50 
 
 K 
 
 Kinney on Justice among Mor- 
 mons, 63 
 
 INDEX 
 
 L 
 
 Latter-day Saints, origin, 4 
 Laws, Mormon attitude toward, 
 58-64 
 
 Leadership among Mormons, 
 36-42 
 
 Liberty Loan drives in Utah, 
 68 
 
 Loyalty of Mormons, 65-73 
 
 Lynchings in Utah, 139 
 
 M 
 
 McConnell quoted, 38, 39 
 Manufacturing, Mormon, 47 
 Marriage and divorce, 105-115 
 Mormon beliefs in, 8, 9, 107 
 rates in Utah, 109, 110 
 temple, 107, 114 
 Married, proportion not, 107- 
 109 
 Mental deficiency in Utah, 128, 
 129 
 
 Mexican War, 70, 71 
 Mining, attitude of Mormons 
 toward, 47, 48 
 Missionary Work of Mormons, 
 14, 42, 50 
 Mob violence in Utah, 139 
 Morality of Mormons, 116-124, 
 140 
 Mormon colonizing, 43-57 
 cooperation, 49-55 
 organizations, 41, 42 
 patriotism, 65-73 
 Mormonism a misnomer, 4 
 philosophy of, 6-15 
 practical side of, 49-54, 81 
 Mormons active church work- 
 ers, all, 14 
 educational activities of, 17- 
 
 higher education of, 31-34 
 
 illiteracy among, 21 
 
 leadership among, 36-42, 45, 
 47, 55 
 
 persecution of, 4 
 
 school attendance of, 23, 24 
 
INDEX 
 
 Mortality rates, accuracy of, 
 82, 83 
 by states, 83-86 
 Mormon, 86-92 
 Mutual Improvement Associa- 
 tions, 70 
 
 O 
 
 Obedience to law, Mormon, 59 
 Organizations, Mormon, 41, 42 
 
 1 re 
 
 Patriotism of Mormons, 65-73 
 
 Penitentiary convictions, 120, 
 132-138 
 
 Persecution of Mormons, 4 
 
 Philosophy of Mormonism, 6- 
 15 
 
 Polygamy, 8, 9, 116, 123 
 Prejudices distort truth, 2 
 Priesthood quorum charity, 76 
 Primary Associations, 70 
 Primitive social conditions, 1, 2 
 Private schools in Utah, 18, 19, 
 29, 30 
 Progression, eternal, 10 
 
 R 
 
 Red Cross drives, 68, 80 
 Relief Society, charity of, 76- 
 78, 79 
 mentioned, 69, 70 
 Religion and colonizing, 47 
 of Utah convicts, 135 
 of Utah insane, 128 
 Religion Worth Having, The, 
 55-57 
 Remy and Brenchley quoted, 
 123 
 Revelation, continuous, 10, 11, 
 
 Robinson on Mormon charity, 
 74-75 
 morality, 139, 140 
 
 S 
 
 Salvation, view held by Mor- 
 mons, 10 
 
 145 
 
 Sanitation among Mormons, 82 
 School attendance, Utah, 22, 23, 
 25-27 
 curriculum, Mormon, 18, 19 
 efficiency, Utah, 29-31 
 expenditures, 27, 28 
 Schools, first Mormon, 17, 18 
 Science, Attitude of Mormons 
 toward, 14 
 reveals facts, 2, 3, 4 
 Tae students, Utah, 26, 
 2 
 
 Sex crimes in Utah, 120, 121 
 
 Smith, Joseph F., quoted, 66 
 
 Social conditions, primitive, 1, 
 2 
 
 Social side of Mormonism, 50 
 
 Spanish War, Utah’s response 
 to, 70 
 
 Stansbury description of Utah, 
 
 T 
 
 Teachers, ward, 40, 75 
 
 Temperance, Mormon beliefs 
 in, 12, 13, 81, 88 
 
 Thomas, Senator, quoted, 71, 
 141 
 
 Tithing for charity, 79 
 Truth, all, sought by Mormons, 
 , 14 
 distorted by prejudice, 1, 2 
 Tuberculosis, death rates by, 
 88-90 
 Tuttle quoted, 39 
 
 U 
 University of Deseret (Utah), 
 18 
 
 Utah described by Stansbury, 
 first settled, 18 
 in World War, 67-70 
 school statistics, 22, 25-34 
 Who’s Who record of, 37, 38 
 
146 INDEX 
 
 V bite Spanner: Mormon, 40, 75 
 Venereal di in Utah, 121, ards, size of, 41 
 T 99 sR LRTE RUN Webster, Daniel, mentioned, 44 
 Villages, Mormon, 48, 53, 54 Who’s Who records, Utah, 37, 
 Vroom ted, 69 38 
 Fe uC REL Wilson, Woodrow, quoted, 73 
 WwW Woman, children born per, 95, 
 War, Mormon attitude toward, 96, 97 
 66 Women, Mormon, as mothers, 
 War savings Stamps, 68 93-104 
 
 War, World, Utah record in, Word of Wisdom, mentioned, 
 67-70 12, 13, 81, 88 
 

 
Date Due 
 
 
 
 
 
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