Category: Latter-day Saint History

Learn more about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including historical findings about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and more.

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19th Century American West

Who Was the Latter-day Saint Pioneer, John Steele?

A portrait of John Steele, an Irish-born Latter-day Saint pioneer, Mormon Battalion veteran, and frontier explorer who helped settle Southern Utah.

John Steele was an Irish-born Mormon Battalion member, pioneer physician, and influential militia leader who helped settle the high deserts of Southern Utah. Raised by a Waterloo veteran, Steele navigated the frontier with a rigid military discipline that often blurred the lines between civic duty and religious enforcement. Whether practicing folk magic and herbal medicine or commanding southern Utah troops during the Utah War or the Black Hawk War, Steele’s life reveals the gritty complexities of building a self-sufficient “Mormon Kingdom” through absolute obedience. In this interview, Kerry William Bate explores the irascible spirit of a man who was as much a dedicated explorer as he was a “thrasher” of dissent.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

Who Was C. C. A. Christensen?

A photograph of CCA Christensen, one of the most influential pioneer artists in Latter-day Saint history.

Carl Christian Anton Christensen (1831-1912) was one of the most influential artists in Latter-day Saint history. Famous for paintings such as his 23-scene Mormon Panorama, Christensen’s work was influenced by his faith, including immigrating to the United States, travelling to Utah by handcart, serving three missions, and participating in plural marriage. European painters such as Carl Bloch also influenced Christensen’s style. In this interview, biographer Jennifer Champoux discusses Christensen’s background, shares some of his paintings, and explores how his religious art helped shape Latter-day Saint beliefs and culture.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

What Was It Like to Be a Missionary’s Wife in Pioneer Utah?

Sanie Peterson Lund standing in front of a red brick home with six children while her husband is overseas on one of his many multi-year missions that left her alone.

The lives of missionary wives in pioneer Utah were often filled with financial difficulty, childhood illness, and social isolation. Church leaders intended these struggles to be a holy sacrifice, but the lived reality was rarely thought of as religious devotion. Additionally, many women constantly worried that their husbands would marry other wives. Despite their critical role in populating the 19th-century American West, few records of their experiences survive. In this interview, Jennifer Lund and Elizabeth Oberdick Anderson highlight the rare letters of Sarah “Sanie” Peterson Lund, a Scandinavian immigrant whose weekly correspondence to her missionary husband has been preserved.

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Latter-day Saint History

Scriptorian or Authoritarian? The Life and Teachings of Bruce R. McConkie

A headshot of Bruce R. McConkie in his 20s or 30s.
Bruce R. McConkie. Credit: Utah Historical Society.

Bruce R. McConkie left a lasting legacy as an Apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. People still talk about his mastery of the scriptures, the controversial impact of Mormon Doctrine, and his correspondence with Eugene England. Elder McConkie’s final testimony also remains profoundly influential, having marked a shift in the way Latter-day Saints talk about Jesus Christ. We’ll cover all of these things and more in our introduction to the life of Bruce Redd McConkie.

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American West Brigham Young Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Brigham Young? Life, Wives, Teachings, and Legacy

Brigham Young has been called an "American Moses" who led a mass exodus of Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley

Brigham Young is one of the most influential figures in the history of the American West. As the prophetic successor to Joseph Smith, he engineered a westward exodus of tens of thousands of pioneer Latter-day Saints, earning the nickname “American Moses.” Young’s subsequent leadership in Utah evoked both praise and scorn. On one hand, he founded 350+ settlements, built the Salt Lake Temple, and testified of Christ. On the other hand, the pioneer prophet married 55 wives, instituted a racial priesthood ban, and used violent rhetoric that sparked the Mountain Meadows Massacre. In the end, he was a complex man who could inspire both love and fear.

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20th Century Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Marion D. Hanks?

A headshot of Marion D. Hanks, a Latter-day Saint general authority.

Marion D. Hanks was called as a general authority in 1953 at the age of 31. During his 40 years of service, he cleaned up the mess left by “baseball baptisms,” worked with youth, and trained general authorities such as Dallin H. Oaks, Russell M. Nelson, and Jeffrey R. Holland. Hanks also developed a reputation as someone who advocated for Christlike service over institutional statistics. His son, Richard D. Hanks, talks about the first biography of his father in this interview.

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19th Century

What Music Did Utah Pioneers Perform?

The Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra in 1880, which performed 19th-century Utah pioneer music.

Utah pioneer music was a sophisticated and cosmopolitan blend of European tradition and local ingenuity that went far beyond simple folk tunes or choral hymns. While early settlers are often associated with rustic campfire songs, archival discoveries demonstrate a thriving culture of brass bands, theatrical orchestras, and virtuosic instrumental performances. From the recovery of a lost march once thought to be buried in the Salt Lake Temple capstone to the complex arrangements used in the Salt Lake Theatre, these scores demonstrate the high technical standards maintained in Latter-day Saint settlements. In this interview, BYU trumpet professor Randy Lee explains how he is reviving these forgotten 19th-century manuscripts through his Legends of Deseret project.

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Theology

What Do Evangelical Christians Think About Latter-day Saints?

An Evangelical Christian and a Latter-day Saint engaging in interfaith dialogue across a deep chasm, symbolizing the theological divide and neighborly love between Mormons and Evangelicals.

Evangelical Christians typically view Latter-day Saints as moral neighbors while holding that their distinct doctrines on the Godhead and salvation remain outside historic Christian orthodoxy. This theological divide creates a “Different Jesus” paradox where shared devotion to Christ’s life often masks fundamental disagreements over his nature and humanity’s eternal potential. Truly loving one’s neighbor requires navigating these boundaries—from the “prophet puzzle” of Joseph Smith to the restored authority of the priesthood—with clarity rather than caricature. In this interview, Baptist pastor Kyle Beshears discusses the research and conviction behind his book, 40 Questions About Mormonism.

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Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Zerah Pulsipher?

An image of Zerah Pulsipher baptizing Wilford Woodruff in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"I did not feel the cold," by Sam Day. Used with permission from the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation

Zerah Pulsipher, a member of the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy who is mentioned in Section 124 of the Doctrine and Covenants, is best remembered as the man who baptized Wilford Woodruff and helped guide early Latter-day Saint communities through some of their most challenging migrations. From organizing the Kirtland Camp to supporting the spiritual and practical needs of ordinary Saints, Pulsipher’s life reflects both devotion and complexity, including a later disciplinary trial over plural-sealing practices. In this interview, Chad L. Nielsen explores Pulsipher’s leadership, faith, and enduring influence, drawing on historical records and personal insights to bring his story vividly to life.

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19th Century American West Latter-day Saint History

What Was the Juvenile Instructor Office?

An illustrated cover of a 1910 edition of the Juvenile Instructor, featuring the imprint and an illustration of young children playing.

The Juvenile Instructor Office was a printing press established by George Q. Cannon in 1866. At the time, the Apostle and private secretary to Brigham Young was concerned that Utah Territory was being flooded with “Gentile” materials from the East that didn’t align with Latter-day Saint values. To address the issue, he created the press to produce “home literature” specifically for children and emigrant converts. Cannon funded the venture on his own, publishing works such as the Faith Promoting Series, the Juvenile Instructor, and the biography, “Life of Joseph Smith.” The printing office heightened Cannon’s influence, broke the Deseret News‘s monopoly, and was ultimately purchased by the Church, paving the way for pioneer faith-promoting publications and the modern Deseret Book Company.

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