LITR 5737: Literary & Historical Utopias
Historical Presentation 2005

Bobby Ausmus

Utopian Movements Regarding Latter-day Saints

Since LITR 5737 is entitled Literary and Historical Utopias, we’ll look at the Latter-day Saint concept of utopia from two perspectives.

1) A literary utopia within The Book of Mormon that, for many Latter-day Saints, serves as the written basis for actual utopian movements. 

2) One of several historical utopian movements within the nineteenth century (e.g. the Kirtland, Ohio period).

A literary utopia within The Book of Mormon is in a book referred to as Fourth Nephi (pp. 465-468).  The following link takes the reader to an online version of the text.  http://scriptures.lds.org/4_ne/1. 

Below is a very brief synopsis of events in the text.

Utopian Components in Fourth Nephi (Talk about in class)

Verse 2:  Everyone converted to the Lord

Verse 2:  No contention; everyone deals justly with one another

Verse 3:  All things common among the people; no rich or poor

Verse 3:  Nobody lives in bondage; everyone lives free

Verse 4:  Peace throughout the land

Verse 5:  Miracles performed in the name of Jesus

Verse 7:  Urban expansion

Verse 10:  Population explosion

Verse 10:  Fair and delightsome population

Verses 15-18:  Ideal conditions (read the verses aloud)

Components Leading to the Utopia’s Failure                                       (Class can read on own time)

Verse 20:  Small revolt of unbelievers from Church

Verse 24:  People began to have pride; owning fine things and apparel

Verse 25:  Things no longer common among the people

Verse 26:  Class divisions emerge

Verse 27:  Apostasy from true doctrines; religious pluralism

Verses 29-34:  True believers are persecuted

Verses 35-41:  Great contentious division among the people

Verse 42:  Secret society of murderous thieves emerges

Verse 46:  Very few righteous people are left

Many Latter-day Saints feel the description of ideal living—laid out in Fourth Nephi and elsewhere throughout the scriptures—is not simply a literary device of hopeful anticipation.  They feel it is a chronicle of real life events.  Latter-day Saints try to live in such a way that these conditions may return.  The cosmic view of Mormonism asserts that this type of living is not only encouraged, but is possible to attain in mortal life.  Moreover, the type of life we live on earth is a microcosm of what we can expect in the next life (good here-good there, bad here-bad there).  LDS theology is replete with commentary on this topic.

So, to Latter-day Saints, is utopia a good place or no place?  Currently—and some would indicate all throughout history—no real LDS utopia exists.  It is true that all real pursuits of it have failed (except Enoch’s civilization-tradition holds that they were lifted off the earth for their righteousness).

ou (no) + topos (place, as in “topography”) to mean “no place,”

or from

eu (good, as in “euphoria”) + topos (place) to mean “good place.”

In late 20^th-century popular or scholarly usage, the word “utopia” may be used in several ways:

      “Utopia” may refer to an actual or historical community in which participants agree to particular rules or modes of behavior that distinguish them from everyday society and are designed to promote greater happiness, fulfillment, or harmony between humans and their environment. Some scholars, planners, and residents call these actual places "Intentional Communities."

That brings us to a Latter-day Saint historical utopian movement during the Ohio and Missouri periods of Church history.  What is now known to Latter-day Saints as the law of consecration was first explained on the ninth of February, 1831.  It was officially dissolved on the 22^nd of June, 1834.  The following quote by Elder Bruce R. McConkie is the most succinct definition of the law of consecration I could find.

      As then attempted, practice of the full law of consecration called for the saints to consecrate, transfer, and convey to the Lord’s agent all of their property “with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken.”  (D. & C. 42:30; 58:35.)  They were then given stewardships to use for their own maintenance, with all surpluses reverting back to the Lord’s storehouses.  Because of greed, avarice, and the worldly circumstances in which they found themselves, the saints did not achieve great success in the practice of this law, and in due course the Lord withdrew from them the privilege of so conducting their temporal affairs (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 158).

It must be noted that the law of consecration was replaced with the law of tithing and charitable offerings.  It must also be known that Latter-day Saints fully expect the Lord to command them to resume this law again in some future time.  LDS theology teaches that Heaven operates under such a plan and that humans must learn how to live it on earth if they expect to live it in Heaven.

Although the financial component of LDS utopia underwent an evolution, all the other doctrines and commandments (except the 1890 and 1978 declarations) remain in force.  We can talk about the LDS lifestyle if the class chooses to do so.  Is it utopian or simply idealistic?

Objective 3: Given the fact that utopian communities always fail (usually sooner rather than later), what historical critique of utopias is possible beyond “They don’t work” or “It’s futile?”

Objective 3a: What relations develop between fictional and actual utopian communities? What has been the historical impact of utopian fictions?

Objective 3c: Is utopia “progressive / liberal” or “reactionary / conservative?”