Mormon Families Research Articles

The Indian Student Placement Program: An Assessment of Mormon Theology and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Contribution to 20th Century Indigenous Child Removal Trends

This paper examines the 20th-century Indigenous child removal trends in the United States with a specific focus on Mormon involvement and influence. Due to the important role Native Americans played in Mormon prophecy, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created programs that aimed to academically and spiritually educate Native youth. More specifically, programs such as the Indian Student Placement Program (ISPP) housed Native children with predominantly Mormon families during the school year from 1954 to 1996. However, shifts in Church leadership and attitude throughout this period strongly suggested mental and physical abuse and destruction of tribal identity. By weighing scholarly arguments and referencing the Book of Mormon, this paper will evaluate the extent to which the ISPP can be justified by theology and to what degree the LDS Church contributed to 20th-century assimilation and acculturation trends.

Startup Culture: MLMs, Mormons, and Entrepreneurship

Startup Culture: MLMs, Mormons, and Entrepreneurship

Vardis Fisher Pioneered Literary Mormon Writing

Vardis Fisher Pioneered Literary Mormon Writing

An Indian Princess and a Mormon Sacagawea? Decolonizing Memories of Our Grandmothers

In two extended Latter-day Saint families, individuals have employed a well-worn settler colonial trope of an Indian princess, as well as a Mormon variation on the legend of Sacagawea, to shape memories about Indigenous women as ancestors. Following larger national trends in the United States and Canada, these Mormons have employed selective memories of Indigenous ancestry as autochthonous legitimation of settler colonial occupation of Indigenous lands. Yet, these case studies stand out in contrast to current literature on racial shifting among self-identified Métis, Abenaki, and Algonquin peoples in Canada and non-federally recognized Cherokee in the United States because members of these Mormon families use stories of Indigenous grandmothers to solidify a white rather than an Indigenous identity. Like racial shifters, however, these families imagine their heritage as more autochthonous than American Indians or First Nations. This paradoxical identity formation is rooted in the peculiar narrative of a sacred text, the Book of Mormon, which represents Israelites (portrayed as white) as the original inhabitants of the Americas, attributes dark skin to a curse for wickedness, and makes legitimate land sovereignty contingent on righteous Christian belief and practice. The scripture imagines a future in which its Indigenous descendants become “white [or pure] and delightsome.” Two centuries of intermarriage of white settler men to Indigenous women have been among the various social means employed by Latter-day Saints to turn American Indians white. These images of an Indian princess and a Mormon Sacagawea are based upon harmful and inaccurate stereotypes that perpetuate settler colonialism.

When a child comes out in the latter-days: an exploratory case study of Mormon parents

ABSTRACTUnder the modern gay rights movement, cultural and societal values regarding sexuality, marriage, and family have rapidly evolved while the fundamental doctrine of monogamous, heterosexual marriage espoused by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not. Questions arise as to how orthodox Mormon families come to terms with their child coming out in light of the Church’s policy on same-sex marriage and families. This article employs an exploratory case-study method to examine the experience of one such orthodox Mormon family whose child came out as gay. The findings herein suggest that it is possible for families and individuals in these circumstances to develop and maintain loving and supportive relationships in spite of religious differences. These findings better equip academics, professionals, clergy, and families to address the mental health concerns of and create inclusive spaces in families, congregations, and communities for youth who identify as sexual minorities.

Mormon Scholars and Mormon Families in Family Studies: A Brief Retrospective

Mormon Scholars and Mormon Families in Family Studies: A Brief Retrospective

Utah Roots … and Herbs.

Utah Roots … and Herbs.

Impact of Birth Order on Religious Behaviors among College Students Raised by Highly Religious Mormon Parents

This study examined the impact of birth order on religious behaviors among college students raised by two highly religious Mormon parents. It is argued that individuals raised in the same religious family might not be equally religious due to some differential childhood experiences based on their birth-order ranking. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by undergraduate students taking classes at a state university in Utah. Results of a multivariate analysis, based on participants coming from highly religious Mormon families, indicated that earlier-borns showed a higher Mormon religiosity than later-borns.

Childhood attachment to parents and frequency of prayer during the college years

This study examines the association between childhood attachment with parents and the frequency of prayer among people raised in Mormon families. Three types of attachment with fathers and mothers – secure, anxious, and avoidant – were measured on a Likert scale. Undergraduate students at a state university in Utah completed questionnaires that included measurements of childhood attachment with parents and frequency of prayer. According to bivariate correlations, frequency of prayer was related to the nature of childhood attachment to parents; according to multiple regression analyses, the correlation between frequency of prayer and childhood attachment was largely, but not entirely, accounted for by other factors involving general frequency of religious activity; finally, these results differed somewhat between men and women. Men who had an avoidant relationship with their mother in childhood prayed less often when they were in college, while for women this association was not statistically significant.

Giving Up Something Good for Something Better

The concept of sacrifice was formerly a key variable in theorizing about religion and society. Secularization theory and conceptual models equating sacrifice with cost have reduced its usage and apparent relevance, although it continues to be of interest in anthropology and religious studies. Research on sacrifice has been neglected in the social sciences, especially in studies of religiosity and families. Seventy-seven religious adolescents in 55 religious Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Mormon families in New England and northern California were interviewed about whether they felt they had been asked to make sacrifices for their faith as they were growing up. This article discusses how contemporary religious youth view the sacrifices they make for religious reasons. Adolescents reported sacrifices in five domains: societal expectations, popular culture, comforts and pleasures, time and activities, and peer relations. Youth gave the following reasons for being willing to make sacrifices: connecting to a higher meaning or purpose, connecting to God, connecting to the faith tradition or community, fulfilling expectations, feeling affective benefits, and avoiding problems.

Early Marriage in the United States

Despite drastic changes in the American family, a significant minority of Americans marry early. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 14,165), this study evaluates the prevalence and antecedents of early marriage in the United States. The results indicate 25% of women and 16% of men marry before age 23, and early marriage varies widely across a number of characteristics. Individuals who marry earlier are more likely to be from disadvantaged families, from conservative Protestant or Mormon families, to value their religious faith more highly, to have a high-school diploma but a lower educational trajectory, and to cohabit before marriage. Scholars and policymakers interested in marriage should pay adequate attention to understanding and supporting these individuals' marriages.

Polygamous Families in Contemporary Societies

Altman, I., & Ginat, J. (1996). Polygamous Families in Contemporary Societies. Cambridge MA: Cambridge University Press. 512 pp. Paper ISBN 0-521-56731-9. Does polygamy exist in a contemporary Western society such as the U.S.? If polygamy exists, what form does such a marital arrangement take, especially when viewed against the fact that plural unions (bigamy) are under American law? What kind of woman would want to share her husband with another especially in a society that treasures individualism and freedom? And when it happens, what is the nature of the intra- household, and inter-household family relations? What are the dynamics behind such alternative forms of living arrangements? For instance, how are conflicts within and between different family members resolved? These are some of the issues addressed in Altman and Ginat's book, Polygamous Families in Contemporary Societies, based on observations of 26 fundamentalist Mormon families in two rural and urban communities in the U.S. Polygamy, or in this case, polygyny (a practice where one man marries more than one wife) is a common form of living/ marital arrangement found in many societies often characterized as developing or traditional. In studying these societies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, researchers have shown that polygamous marriages are typically common in rural areas, occur among the less educated, and reflect larger differences in spousal age, all of which suggests that relationships within them may also be more traditional than in monogamous marriages (Caldwell & Caldwell, 1987; Clignet, 1970; Pison, 1985; Lesthaeghe, Kaufmann, & Meekers, 1989; Dodoo & Seal, 1994; Saucier, 1972; Takyi & Oheneba-Sakyi, 1994). In the western world, on the other hand, while there are a variety of living arrangements (e.g., co-habitation, gay and lesbian unions, etc.), the issue of plural marriages is often viewed with contempt and disgust. This contempt for polygamous unions may be related to a number of issues that cut across some of the value systems of American society. Foremost among these is the fact that Americans and other western societies tend to cherish their individualism. Since by their nature, non-monogamous unions seem to contradict these values (e.g., individuation and romantic love), such marriages tend to be viewed with disdain. Second, the existence of plural marriages is often viewed in some circles as one of the means through which male dominance and advantage (especially in the sexual realm) are maintained and perpetuated. Third, some Western feminist social thinkers often equate plural marriages with the oppression of women. If women are to be free from male dominance and their status in society is improved, then it is fair to assume that monogamous unions offer the best option for female emancipation. In spite of these reservations, Altman and Ginat point out that in contemporary American society, polygamous marriages still exist. The existence and persistence of such unacceptable forms of marriage, they argue, results in part from the fact that polygamous partners view their form of marriage as a religious act-a calling in Weberian terms. According to Altman and Ginat, the realization that this form of living arrangement is often considered by the larger society has created a siege mentality among the practitioners. Consequently, the fundamentalist Mormons who practice polygyny, they argue, have been less willing to express their beliefs in public. After establishing the existence of polygynous unions among contemporary Mormons, the authors go on to trace the historical background of the Mormon Church from their sojourns in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois to Utah, where they finally settled. Altman and Ginat also detail the intrigues that went on within the group before the formal acceptance of the polygyny as an official theology. The writers are quick to point out, however, that even during this early period, not all members of the church accepted the doctrine of polygyny. …

Backing into the Obvious: Facts and Faith in Mormon Family History

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, the Mormons) would appear to be, among other things, a family historian's dream come true. Not only does the church actively encourage its millions of members to research their own family histories, it backs them up by microfilming demographic records from all over the world. As a result, its Salt Lake City archives and genealogical society have become something of a Mecca for family history researchers, both amateur and professional. In addition to maintaining remarkable records, the Mormons also authored one of the most unusual chapters in U.S. family history. Beginning in the 1830s, LDS church leaders secretly practiced what both they and their detractors called polygamy, a self-consciously patriarchal marriage system in which men were encouraged to take more than one wife. In 1852, after they had relocated to Utah, church leaders took polygamy public. Three decades of attacks by evangelical Protestants and U.S. government officials only stiffened Mormon leaders' resolve to maintain their marriage system. When territorial officials in Utah began the first of what would eventually be more than 1,200 prosecutions against polygamist men, many plural wives went underground to avoid being used as evidence against their husbands, and many Mormon families moved to Arizona, Mexico, or Canada in hopes of continuing the practice without interference. Only after Congress passed the

Religious Influences on Mormon Fertility: Cross-National Comparisons

This study examines patterns of religious influence on Mormon fertility in 4 countries. Religious ideology religious reference groups and socialization in a religious subculture are each avenue through which religion promotes larger families but the patterns of influence are different in each country. The size of Mormon families relative to national patterns and the effects of independent variables on fertility vary across countries. Although pronatalism appears to be a common theme its expression changes with cultural context. (authors)

Cancer Incidence in an Area of Radioactive Fallout Downwind From the Nevada Test Site

Exposures in southwestern Utah to radioactive fallout (1951 through 1962) from atmospheric nuclear detonations at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were followed by smaller exposures (1962 through 1979) from venting of underground nuclear detonations. The cancer incidence in a 1951 cohort (4, 125) of Mormon families in southwestern Utah near the NTS was compared with that of all Utah Mormons (1967 through 1975). There were 109 more cases of cancer than expected (288[observed]/179[expected]). Leukemia was most prominent early (1958 through 1966), with 19 cases, five times more than expected (3.6). The excess of leukemia persisted into the later period (1972 through 1980), with 12 cases observed, 3.4 expected. There was an increase in lymphoma. Excess cases of thyroid cancer appeared early and a notable excess appeared later (14/1.7). An excess of breast cancer was noted later (27/14). There were more cancers of the gastrointestinal tract than expected. There was an excess of melanoma (12/4.5), bone cancer (8/0.7), and brain tumors (9/3.9). A subgroup with history of acute fallout effects had a higher cancer incidence. That these cases can be associated with radiation exposures is supported by a comparison between groups of the ratio of cancers of more radiosensitive organs with all other types of cancer.

The Influence of Family Size, Interaction, and Religiosity on Family Affection in a Mormon Sample

Many studies have shown an inverse relationship between family size and family affection. This relationship was tested from the perception of adolescents in Mormon families. A small but significant positive relationship was found between family size family activities and family affection. Partial correlation indicated that religiosity not family size was the key causal variable. Path analysis showed that the relationship between religiosity and family affection was relatively independent of family activities. The author suggests that the degree to which the mother feels her work is important might be the key variable in coping with family size. (authors)

A two-locus selection hypothesis for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Three hypotheses to explain the incidence and familial structure of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are examined. The classical explanations of a high rate of mutation and heterozygote advantage are shown to be inconsistent with the data. The third hypothesis of two closely linked loci on the X chromosome is developed and shown to be compatible with a set of Utah families including many large Mormon families. The application of the results to other X-linked and autosomal diseases is discussed.

Latter-day Patriots: Nine Mormon Families and Their Revolutionary War Heritage

Latter-day Patriots: Nine Mormon Families and Their Revolutionary War Heritage

Residency differentials in Mormon fertility

Abstract Although one of the most consistent findings of recent fertility studies is the convergence of the religious differentials in fertility, few data have been analysed to discover Mormon fertility trends and differentials. This paper, based on data obtained on 1,001 Mormon couples, is concerned with describing the effects that the dispersion of Mormon families from the Mormon centre in Utah to surrounding areas with various social conditions is having on the fertility of the re-located Mormon families. Data presented clearly show that such families do, on the average, have a lower fertility than do their Mormon contemporaries residing in the homogeneous Mormon society in Utah. They probably compromise their religious obligations to have children with the contradicting demands of their new environment. Their loyalty to these religious beliefs, however, is confirmed by data which show that they tend to have larger families in their new environments than do their non-Mormon neighbours.