Comments on: From the Archives: The Mormon Reformation of 1856-57 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:20:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: stan http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12830 stan Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:02:24 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12830 Sorry for my silence--it's probably not the best blog ethics to post and then disappear for a week (I was in Montanna with no wi-fi). Thanks to all who stepped in and answered questions much better than I could have. Ardis and Steve, thanks for the offer--I just may take you up on it. Sorry for my silence–it’s probably not the best blog ethics to post and then disappear for a week (I was in Montanna with no wi-fi). Thanks to all who stepped in and answered questions much better than I could have. Ardis and Steve, thanks for the offer–I just may take you up on it.

]]> By: SC Taysom http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12498 SC Taysom Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:58:53 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12498 smb, I think that itinerant Mormon preaching in general is a fascinating and neglected topic. I haven't done any formal work on that kind of rhetoric but it does seem to adhere to typical revival-style discourse typical of the 2nd GA. smb,
I think that itinerant Mormon preaching in general is a fascinating and neglected topic. I haven’t done any formal work on that kind of rhetoric but it does seem to adhere to typical revival-style discourse typical of the 2nd GA.

]]> By: smb http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12323 smb Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:04:23 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12323 Actually I just stole Taysom's idea and am self-publishing it via www.vanitypress.com to steal his thunder. I'll be sending copies to Buckingham Palace and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. On a serious note, congratulations on the article, Steve. Have you situated it in early itinerant Mormon evangelism? there was an awful lot of millenarian jeremiads being preached by the itinerants (er, elders), and I'm not sure whether they were preaching that way to branches as well as lookers-on. Interesting to think about preaching to the elect in the congregation versus preaching to the unchurched/backsliders in terms of the intensity of rhetoric. my sense of the harsh revival sermons was that they were defined to create regeneration among the unchurched and to validate the regenerated in their superiority over them. I guess as I write this was the same for Mormons, with those nearly psychopathic enforcers that made life complicated for the more urbane among the LDS. I'm still fascinated by nancy towle's comment that many believers in the American backcountry were investigating Mormonism because they were afraid of the possibility that their predictions of imminent destruction of the non-Mormons. this was ca. 1831 and seems accurate to my reading. Actually I just stole Taysom’s idea and am self-publishing it via http://www.vanitypress.com to steal his thunder. I’ll be sending copies to Buckingham Palace and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

On a serious note, congratulations on the article, Steve. Have you situated it in early itinerant Mormon evangelism? there was an awful lot of millenarian jeremiads being preached by the itinerants (er, elders), and I’m not sure whether they were preaching that way to branches as well as lookers-on. Interesting to think about preaching to the elect in the congregation versus preaching to the unchurched/backsliders in terms of the intensity of rhetoric. my sense of the harsh revival sermons was that they were defined to create regeneration among the unchurched and to validate the regenerated in their superiority over them. I guess as I write this was the same for Mormons, with those nearly psychopathic enforcers that made life complicated for the more urbane among the LDS.

I’m still fascinated by nancy towle’s comment that many believers in the American backcountry were investigating Mormonism because they were afraid of the possibility that their predictions of imminent destruction of the non-Mormons. this was ca. 1831 and seems accurate to my reading.

]]> By: JimD http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12186 JimD Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:31:56 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12186 This is a little off-topic, but can I just say how much I appreciate the openness here? I frequent some maritime history discussion boards where historians tend to be quite secretive about on-going research projects and regard each other with a good deal of suspicion, for fear someone else will "steal" their project and beat them to the publisher. It says a lot about you guys that, apparently, no one here has to worry about those kinds of issues. This is a little off-topic, but can I just say how much I appreciate the openness here?

I frequent some maritime history discussion boards where historians tend to be quite secretive about on-going research projects and regard each other with a good deal of suspicion, for fear someone else will “steal” their project and beat them to the publisher.

It says a lot about you guys that, apparently, no one here has to worry about those kinds of issues.

]]> By: Coffinberry http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12180 Coffinberry Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:30:11 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12180 One of the letters mentioned in passing the arrival of the Willey-Martin company. Do you think the Reformation going on helped to color how we interpreted the Handcart Pioneer stories? (Or in other words, how are these narratives related?) One of the letters mentioned in passing the arrival of the Willey-Martin company. Do you think the Reformation going on helped to color how we interpreted the Handcart Pioneer stories? (Or in other words, how are these narratives related?)

]]> By: Christopher http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12151 Christopher Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:42:57 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12151 Taysom, I suspected you might have done something on the subject. I look forward to the published article. Taysom, I suspected you might have done something on the subject. I look forward to the published article.

]]> By: Brett D. http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12150 Brett D. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:32:31 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12150 Chris, I like the idea of looking at the Reformation in terms of a 19th Century revial. Sounds like a promising idea. Chris, I like the idea of looking at the Reformation in terms of a 19th Century revial. Sounds like a promising idea.

]]> By: SC Taysom http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12149 SC Taysom Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:32:15 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12149 Chris, I look at the parallels between revival and reformation in my article on the Mormon Reformation that is currently being revised for Religion and American Culture. The Mormons tapped into the old jeremiad style of preaching during these years that had been introduced in New England in the 1650s and which had since that time been a major theme in Protestant culture. Mormons weren't much for this type of thing before or after the Reformation, and it is ironic that it was during this period that they most closely resembled their religious ancestors and their contemporaries in tone. Stapley is right, as usual, that "reformation" was preached as early as the trek west, but it wasn't until hte 1855 period that it found such systemmatic application in word and deed. Chris,
I look at the parallels between revival and reformation in my article on the Mormon Reformation that is currently being revised for Religion and American Culture. The Mormons tapped into the old jeremiad style of preaching during these years that had been introduced in New England in the 1650s and which had since that time been a major theme in Protestant culture. Mormons weren’t much for this type of thing before or after the Reformation, and it is ironic that it was during this period that they most closely resembled their religious ancestors and their contemporaries in tone. Stapley is right, as usual, that “reformation” was preached as early as the trek west, but it wasn’t until hte 1855 period that it found such systemmatic application in word and deed.

]]> By: Christopher http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12148 Christopher Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:30:43 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12148 Awesome. Thanks J. Awesome. Thanks J.

]]> By: J. Stapley http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/comment-page-1/#comment-12147 J. Stapley Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:06:13 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/from-the-archives-the-mormon-reformation-of-1856-57/#comment-12147 Christopher, I think you make an important point. I remember reading in <em>On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844-1861</em> (1:218 - unfortunately I don't own this and only have notes from a ILL copy) where they were preaching "reformation" on trek west. I have also run into, like you said, protestant reformations/revivals during the early mid 19th century. The 1856/57 reformation was just much, much beefier. I don't know that anyone has written on this. As far as charisma, yeah, you will find glossolalia, prophecy, group healings, and the occasional dream or seer stone. Not to sure about visions. Christopher, I think you make an important point. I remember reading in On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844-1861 (1:218 – unfortunately I don’t own this and only have notes from a ILL copy) where they were preaching “reformation” on trek west. I have also run into, like you said, protestant reformations/revivals during the early mid 19th century. The 1856/57 reformation was just much, much beefier. I don’t know that anyone has written on this.

As far as charisma, yeah, you will find glossolalia, prophecy, group healings, and the occasional dream or seer stone. Not to sure about visions.

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