LITR 5439 Literary &
Historical Utopias
Research Posting 2009
Bridget Brantley
Mormonism: The New Jerusalem
From the very beginning, Joseph Smith, Mormon prophet and founder, set out to estable an ideal community. He made it his mission to to move his followers away from a corrupted US society. Two states important to the Mormon migration were Missouri and Ohio. They have been at tmes misunderstood over the years. They are also one of the wealthiest religious communities in the world. How did they get their start? What have been some of their setbacks? Did Joseph Smith and Brigham Young succeed in establishing their utopian ideas? Why is Salt Lake City referred to as the New Jerusalem? Is this the place where Christ will return? We will try to answer some of these questions. Because the Mormon people participated in practices that were unfamilar to their neighbors, they were viewed as a threat and feared by others. Some of the Mormon practices included communal ownership of property, which is currently a common practice of many reform utopian societies. They also wanted to see that blacks were freed and received the same treatment as all other citizens. Some pro-slavery organizations were threatened by this idea, so they destroyed Mormon settlements. They established and organized a model community in Illinois. The community was located at Nauvoo, Illinois. They declared Nauvoo, Illinois an independent, city-state. Founder and prophetic leader Joseph Smith started dressing in military attire, and he organized a large group of Mormon troops, who participated regularly in drill exercises. in 1843, when the Mormon people implemented polygamy, they were alienated even more. Their leader, Joseph Smith, ran for president of the United States, was eventually charged with treason, and killed by a mob.
After Smith's death, others tried to assume the lead position of the Mormon church. A member of the church organization for five month, a stranger, James Jesse Strang, showed a letter to the Mormon community. The letter, which was supposedly written by Joseph Smith, gave instructions for Strang to establish a branch of the church in Wisconsin. He told the followers about a light which shined bright around him. The light, which he believed was an angel, showed him the plates of the sealed record. He and his members moved to Wisconsin where they established the Voree commune. A few years later, he claimed that he had a several revelations, which lead him to discover a number of golden tablets. In 1847, the group relocated to Beaver Island, Michigan and founded the Kingdom of St. James. His membership did grow, but he was killed by former members Although the Strang branch does still exists today, there is a minor communal base and small membership. Today, the members who participate in the Latter Day Saint movement practice a form of communitarian economics. All members maintain an acceptable quality of life, class distinction is minimized, and group unity is encouraged. Unlike Smith, Strang was not able to succeed in establishing a huge following as Joseph Smith. John Smith taught his followers about United Order, and he would not let anyone else in their community to suffer because of the principles of love, unselfishisness, and work for the common good. These are all principles of the utopian society.
In the Mormon community today, the word "Zion" is often used to mean a utopian association of the righteous. Zion also means a group of people who are unified and "pure in heart." Zion also refers to the New Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem is a physical millenial city also spoken of in the bible. Salt Lake City Utah is associated with the "plat of Zion." The plat of Zion refers to a grid system composed of blocks and streets that were part of the construction of an abundance of Mormon and Western United States communities. The plat was organized on the ideas of agrarianism order and community. The plan consisted of 24 temples and the city's center. This plan was symbolic of the of the role played by the church in the community. The temples were to be used for education, administration, cultural events and worship. Salt Lake city is not only a utopian paradise today, but it is also considered he holy city of the Mormons. Today, Salt Lake City is called the New Jerusalem. Jerusalem has historical and spiritual significance. In the last days, the Jerusalem of old is to be rebuilt. Jesus will appear at this location. Also, the final battles of the Second Coming of the Son of Man are to be at Jerusalem. Also, the latter days will see the first building of a New Jerusalem on the American continent, a city which like its ancient counterpart will be a holy city and a Zion. Prophet Joseph Smith had spoken about the New Jerusalem back in 1842. He stated that the New Jerusalem would be built on American soil. The prophet also foretold of a gathering of Israel in a consecrated land. Many of the Mormon faith believe this land to be Salt Lake City, Utah.
Today, there are over 11 million Mormon baptized believers. Their chuch assets exceed 30 billion dollars. Today, the state of Utah is considerered by many a utopian paradise. The Mormons are high structured and an organized group of people, who work together as a community. In 1860, President Lincoln was asked how he would deal with the Mormon people. He stated, "I propose to let then alone." After Lincolns response, the Mornon economy started to grow stronger and their settlements did also. The Mormon community has continued over generations to hold fast to their strong work ethics and strong family values. Education is also an important part of their community. I believe Joseph Smith and Brigham young did succeed establishing a set of societal reforms that were misunderstood at times, but still worked.
Works Cited
America and the Utopian Dream
http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/utopia/uc09b.html <mhtml:{B109A116-1F85-4DDC-875A-9DCFE4F26069}mid://00000000/!x-usc:http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/utopia/uc09b.html>
From Secular to Strange to Radical Reform File Format: Microsoft Word-View as HTML
Zion
http://llenwikipedia.org/wik/zion_(mormonism <mhtml:{B109A116-1F85-4DDC-875A-9DCFE4F26069}mid://00000000/!x-usc:http://llenwikipedia.org/wik/zion_(mormonism> )
The New Jerusalem
http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/last_days/new_jeru_com.htm <mhtml:{B109A116-1F85-4DDC-875A-9DCFE4F26069}mid://00000000/!x-usc:http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/last_days/new_jeru_com.htm>
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