Category: 19th Century

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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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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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19th Century Latter-day Saint History Temples

Who Was Wilford Woodruff?

Portrait of Wilford Woodruff circa 1888, fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and author of the 1890 Manifesto and daily journals.

Wilford Woodruff served as the fourth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, navigating the faith through its most turbulent transitions. Best known for issuing the 1890 Manifesto that ended the public practice of plural marriage, Woodruff’s legacy extends far beyond his complex family life and wives. He was a remarkably successful missionary, an avid outdoorsman who survived twenty-seven life-threatening accidents, and a temple pioneer who recorded a profound vision of the Founding Fathers. Today, his meticulously kept sixty-year daily journal—complete with a unique visual “emoji” indexing system—remains the most vital primary source for understanding nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint history.

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19th Century Devotional Latter-day Saint History

The Cost of Eternal Glory: Eliza R. Snow’s Counsel About Overcoming Trials

A soulful 1875 portrait of Eliza R. Snow, Latter-day Saint poet and leader. Her steady, weathered gaze and firm expression capture the resilience she preached in her discourses on overcoming trials. She is wearing a dark ruffled dress with a white collar and an ornate brooch.

There are nearly 1,300 Eliza R. Snow discourses on record. After spending decades privately lifting others through poetry, Snow shifted to a more public ministry when Brigham Young asked her to help rebuild Relief Societies in Territorial Utah. Terrified of public speaking, Eliza nonetheless accepted the prophet’s call. Several themes appear in the speeches she would later give, including charity, unity, and ministering as the Savior did. In this interview, editor Sharalyn Howcroft discusses Eliza’s teachings about overcoming trials as found in the newly-published book, “Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow.”

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19th Century Devotional Latter-day Saint History

Imagining the Restoration Through the Eyes of Emma Smith

An Anthony Sweat painting of profiles of Emma Smith and Joseph Smith looking into each other's eyes.
"Harmony Joseph and Emma" by Anthony Sweat.

Emma Smith, the “First Lady of the Restoration,” is something of an enigma. It is surprising, in light of history, biography, legend, and folktale, how little we really know of her as a person, as Joseph’s closest companion, from almost the beginning of his calling to its tragic end. Fortunately, what history does not provide, our creative faculties can furnish by imagining her presence and personality. The poem I introduce here is an example of what life might have been like for this remarkable woman, who was ever more central to the restoration than all but her prophet-husband.

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19th Century 20th Century Latter-day Saint History

How Did Tracy Y. Cannon Shape Latter-day Saint Hymnbooks?

Painting of Tracy Y. Cannon playing the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ, featuring the 1927 and 1948 Latter-day Saint hymnbooks he helped produce.

Tracy Y. Cannon influenced Latter-day Saint hymnbook history by steering away from the pioneer folk tunes of his grandfather, Brigham Young, toward a refined, European-influenced aesthetic. As chairman of the General Music Committee, Cannon professionalized the Church’s musical identity, famously pivoting the 1948 hymnal to mirror the harmonic elegance of Lutheran and Anglican traditions. This strategic move established the solemn, organ-centric sound that defined worship for the rest of the 20th century. In this interview, biographer Shelby Fisher discusses Tracy Y. Cannon’s training as a Mormon organist and explains how he modernized the Church’s musical tradition in a way that can still be seen today.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History Temples

Who Built the Salt Lake Temple?

A 19th-century style oil painting of Brigham Young overlooking the gritty construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The scene shows immigrant laborers carving granite blocks, oxen pulling heavy wagons through deep mud, and a wooden derrick hoisting stone toward rising walls under a hazy, golden-hour sky.

The Salt Lake Temple was built by leaders like Brigham Young, emigrant craftsmen, and local members—through detailed planning, expert masonry, and even the donations of little children. Beginning in 1843, stone was cut from a Utah mountain and transported by wagon and later rail to the Temple Block in Salt Lake City. There, it was refined and raised into place according to the intricate designs of Truman O. Angell. The First Presidency also managed a constant labor shortage caused by the simultaneous work on public projects like the Social Hall and Tabernacle, filling the gap with a wide variety of workers and volunteers. In this interview, Scott D. Marianno shares the fascinating stories of those who built the temple.

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19th Century International Latter-day Saint History

Ports to Posts: Latter-day Saint Gathering in the 19th Century

C. C. A. Christensen painting of the ship Westmoreland carrying Latter-day Saint emigrants during the 19th-century voyage.

Latter-day Saint emigration in the 19th century was a carefully organized journey of faith, notwithstanding disasters like the 1856 handcart tragedy. Tens of thousands relied on systems like the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, the guidance of trusted allies such as George Ramsden of the Guion Line, and meticulous planning to navigate both stormy seas and the hardships of overland travel. In this interview, historian Fred E. Woods explores the logistical, spiritual, and human dimensions of this migration, revealing how faith and practical organization shaped pioneer emigration.

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19th Century Joseph Smith Pearl of Great Price

Why Did Joseph Smith Reject Creeds—Then Write the Articles of Faith?

An AI-generated oil painting of Joseph Smith drafting the Articles of Faith, probably not seeing them as creedal in nature.

Joseph Smith called religious creeds an “abomination.” He protested against self-appointed guardians of orthodoxy, rejoicing instead in the freedom to believe without constraints while recognizing the inherent doctrinal tension of ongoing revelation. However, the Articles of Faith have sometimes been mislabeled as a creed, leading some to wonder why the Prophet published the 13 verses eventually canonized in the Pearl of Great Price. In this interview, Terryl Givens explains that while creed-like summaries of belief are nearly impossible to avoid, the Articles of Faith omit key Latter-day Saint doctrines and were likely not seen by Joseph as a creed.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

Did John Taylor’s Pocket Watch Save His Life at Carthage Jail?

Carthage Jail at sunset with ghosted overlay of John Taylor’s pocket watch, evoking martyrdom and preservation

We don’t know if John Taylor’s pocket watch helped preserve his life during the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. Taylor remembered falling out of a Carthage Jail window only to feel a force push him back inside, later determining a bullet must have hit his watch. However, modern science has been unable to precisely replicate the damage seen in the watch displayed at the Church History Museum. As part of its commitment to telling the Latter-day Saint story as accurately as possible, the Church History Department commissioned an exhaustive analysis of Taylor’s watch in 2020. In this interview, Brian Warburton shares the research findings, explaining what we do and don’t know about the watch’s role in preserving Taylor’s life.

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