The Social Origins of the Kirtland Mormons

Authors

Mark R. Grandstaff
Milton Vaughn Backman Jr.

Keywords

Mormon Church, Ohio, Kirtland, History, New York, Revivals, Mormon converts

Abstract

Kirtland, Ohio, was settled mostly by New Englanders prior to the arrival of a group of Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in 1831. The Mormons came from New York and New England. These settlers were part of a westward movement of people looking for more farmland and a better climate than was found in New England and New York. The Mormons who came to Kirtland were not transients; about 95 percent had moved two times before or fewer. This article looks at schooling, wealth, and religiosity of the Mormons in Kirtland. It includes diary entries of several Mormons of their conversions and the reasons they moved to Kirtland.

Recommended Citation

Grandstaff, Mark R. and Backman, Milton Vaughn Jr. (1990) "The Social Origins of the Kirtland Mormons," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 30: Iss. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol30/iss2/5