The Rise and Impact of Mormonism in the Nineteenth Century
Throughout American history, many new religions and ideologies have come about due to unique, innovative thinking. During the early nineteenth century, an important reformative movement called the Second Great Awakening allowed for the adoption of some of these unfamiliar religions. Numerous preachers decided to revive or “awake” the religious spirit in followers of a denomination, and provided for the evolution of theological beliefs. They preached about new ideas during this time period, such as temperance, women's rights and even abolition. Mormonism, also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is an example of a religion created at during this time period. The rise of Mormonism was caused by its appealing belief system and influencing preachers, however, the religion was unsuccessful at reforming religion in the United States because of its inability to assimilate into American society and racism.
Before one can even begin to understand the cause of an increased following of Mormonism in the United States and whether the religion was successful or unsuccessful, one must understand the ideas on which the religion is based. There are thirteen articles of Mormonism. First, all Mormons put their trust in God, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Second, men and women will be punished for their sins. Third, mankind will be saved if it is obedient to the law and ordinances of the Gospel. Fourth, the most important tenets of Mormonism are faith in Jesus, repentance for sins, baptism and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Fifth, only when God calls on a man can he preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances. Sixth, the organization...
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...nism was clearly unsuccessful in their reform of American religion due to their racism and incapability to assimilate into American culture.
In conclusion, during the late 19th century, Mormonism became popular to do its new teachings and preachers and was unsuccessful at reforming religion because of its failure to assimilate into society and racism. Mormonism has become a controversial topic in the United States and other regions due to its growth and will continue to improve its reputation with the resolution of many questionable practices like polygamy and racism. The legacy of the many important preachers like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young will live on as long as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exists. Overall, the allowance for freedom of religion in the United States allowed for the Second Great Awakening and the evolution of many religions.
In the essay, “The Second Great Awakening” by Sean Wilentz explains the simultaneous events at the Cane Ridge and Yale which their inequality was one-sided origins, worship, and social surroundings exceeded more through their connections that was called The Second Great Awakening also these revivals were omen that lasted in the 1840s a movement that influences the impulsive and doctrines to hold any management. Wilentz wraps up of the politics and the evangelizing that come from proceeding from the start, but had astounding momentum during 1825.The advantage of the Americans was churched as the evangelizing Methodists or Baptists from the South called the New School revivalist and the Presbyterians or Congregationalists from the North that had a nation of theoretical Christians in a mutual culture created more of the Enlightenment rationalism than the Protestant nation on the world. The northerners focused more on the Second Great Awakening than the South on the main plan of the organization.
This event changed the role of American religion during the early nineteenth century. Non-traditional religions such as Mormonism resulted from this religious revival movement as well. The religious revivals that emphasized individual choice of humans over predestination of God continuously shook New England Calvinism. The “cult of Matthias” was unlike any other religious groups during the time period.
113 Encyclopedia Britanica. Chicago, IL. Chicago, 1965. Bitton, Davis & Beecher, Maureen U. New Views of Mormon History. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987.
The Great Awakening was known because it brought many new ideas that influenced the American Revolution. In the 1730s, religion was the main idea that the Great Awakening introduced. It all started with Jonathan Edwards. He was a very religious man that went to Yale to become a pastor. After graduating from Yale, he had a huge spiritual encounter, which the Puritans called a “conversion”. Throughout the years, he became a minister and then took over his grandfather’s place as a minister of the Puritan Congregational Church, where he led local religious revivals.
The Second Great Awakening started the was a religious revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States, it sparked the building and reform of the education system, women's rights and the mental health system. It was also the start of many different denominations of churches such as the, Churches of Christ, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Evangelical Christian.
The First Great Awakening in the 1740's sparked a revival of religious ideals all over the world and swept through all the American Colonies. The results of the Great Awakening not only brought about great religious revival within the colonies but also established the need for religious rights. The Great Awakening also started a change in the society’s philosophy into a more individual and independent based mindset directly preparing the country for the Revolutionary War. The areas of the country where the Great Awakening affected strongest were the Connecticut Valley and the colony of Massachusetts. The Connecticut Valley was also the area of most radical revivalism and the start of a rebellious mindset within the colonies. The Great Awakening revived the religiously decaying nation by creating new religions and by breaking religious and culture norms. It also brought about "New Lights", new followers of religion who opposed traditional ways and religious practices. Connecticut was the region with the biggest divide between the New Lights and the Old Lights as well. With tensions rising between New Lights and Old Lights in Connecticut conflicts broke out. The conflicts that arose caused many acts to be created by the Connecticut government disallowing preaching in the state by revivalists from other states. The conflicts and issues that arose during the Great Awakening in Connecticut brought light to ideas of rights that eventually made up the foundation of the later American society and brought light upon the unalienable rights of religious freedom. (colonialwarsct.org) The issues present in the New England colonies during the Great Awakening brought about a change of m...
This mass enterprise is reviewed through five traditions in the early nineteenth century: the Christian movement, the Methodists, the Baptists, the black churches, and the Mormons. Hatch explains that these major American movements were led by young men who shared “an ethic of unrelenting toil, a passion for expansion, a hostility to orthodox belief and style, a zeal for religious reconstruction, and a systematic plan to realize their ideals” (4). These leaders changed the scope of American Christianity by orientating toward democratic or populist ideals. Their movements offered both individual potential and collective aspiration, which were ideas ready to be grasped by the young and booming population. These early leaders had a vision of a faith that disregarded social standing, and taught all to think, interpret, and organize their faith for themselves. It was a faith of “religious populism, reflecting the passions of ordinary people and the charisma of democratic movement-builders” (5).
Due to the incorrect application of religion, religious movements also had repercussions in political spheres. Many religious scholars believed that through changes in societal laws, they can bring peace and salvation. As a result, the reforms like abolitionist, women’s rights, and education begin to take shape. In short, Second Great Awakening gave rise to religious change, which encouraged people to bring change in creation and laws of society in order to achieve redemption.
Religious institutions have always been a fundamental piece of American culture, and their influence is evident in many aspects of American life. Especially during the 20th century, the spread of Christianity became more competitive as churches vied against one another to draw in new members. This was particularly evident in the development and growth of conservative Protestant groups. Protestant leaders responded to this competition for followers by developing radically new methods for the worship experience. They used their charisma and entrepreneurial spirit to send their messages to the masses. Protestant leader’s manipulation of these methods of outreach was able to attract many new members to the conservative protestant cause, and encouraged Americans to join these large groups of worship.
We’ll start with the Puritans, who paved the way for religion in America considering they were some of the first British settlers in America. They moved here because they wanted to develop the church their way, and what better way to do that than to move to a new country. Their population was made up of English reformed protestants who wanted a different way of religion, this
By the beginning of the 18th century, there was an unmistakable feeling in the American Colonies that its intemperate society had become too comfortable and assertive, and had forgotten its original intentions of religious prosperity. The result was a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s, a movement known as "The Great Awakening". This revival was part of an evangelical upsurge occurring simultaneously in England, Scotland, Germany, and other inhabitants on the other side of the Atlantic. In all these Protestant cultures, a new Age of Faith had arisen contrasting the currents of the Age of Enlightenment, advocating the belief that being truly religious meant relying on biblical revelation rather than human reason.
There was a catalytic event that occurred throughout the mid-1700s to the early 1800s, known as the Second Great Awakening. This event was the slow reformation of Puritan doctrine which lead to new denominations...
The church is a hierarchy that is lead by the priesthood. In order to receive the priesthood, one must be male. In The Proclamation, it says about men “By divine design fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families” (lds.org). The word preside means to have authority over something, in this case the family. Since the church is a similitude of the family, almost all the leaders are men. The only general leadership positions held by women are in the individual youth and children organization, and Relief Society, the leading women’s organization in the church. When The Proclamation talks about mothers its say “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (lds.org).To many, this is a negative claim and sits as a point of opposition from feminist groups. Till this day, the gender roles of men and women continue to be debated in the Mormons church, and society.
The Second Great Awakening resulted in a widening between classes and regions. The more prosperous and conservative denominations in the east changed little with the spread of revivalism. Due to change in slavery laws after the War of 1812, different, new churches had different beliefs on the ideas of slavery. This varied from church to church, but Northern Methodist and Baptist churches eventually separated from their sister churches in the South due to different ideals of slave owning. The succession of these southern churches made way for the succession of the Confederate States from the Union States, ultimately leading up to the Civil War.
My definition of religion has mostly stayed the same, but my perception of it has changed. At the beginning of the class, I assumed religion was something you believed based on your moral principles. I now believe that those moral principles are based on the religion that you believe in. Your religion changes your perception of the world and how to go about in it. Your religion tells you what is right and wrong in the world and answers all of the big questions one asks. Religion according to our book is, “A pattern of beliefs and practices that expresses and enacts what a community regards as sacred and/or ultimate about life” (Van Voorst 6). That definition was one thing that really got me thinking about my own personal idea of what religion