BYU Studies Quarterly
Article Title
The Mormon Heritage of Vardis Fisher
Keywords
Vardis Fisher
Abstract
Twentieth-century novelist Vardis Fisher is often regarded as a Mormon apostate and critic, most notably for his 1939 book Children of God. However, Fisher was never excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and despite his skeptical and sometimes critical portrayals of Mormonism, religion played an important role in his lifestyle and writings. Having studied the Bible as a youth, he had a preoccupation with the moral earnestness of the Judeo-Christian tradition. He also took a psychological approach to Mormonism in many of his novels, particularly regarding issues of religion and sexuality. Fisher had a Mormon heritage that extended back to 1834, a heritage that heavily influenced his fiction and his outlook on life. Leonard J. Arrington and Jon Haupt, “The Mormon Heritage of Vardis Fisher,” BYU Studies 18:1 (1977).
Recommended Citation
Arrington, Leonard J. and Haupt, Jon
(1978)
"The Mormon Heritage of Vardis Fisher,"
BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 18:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol18/iss1/4