Abstract

In the early decades of the nineteenth-century, an era of cultural change and disorientation, many turned to revivals to displace insecure emotionalism and to insure themselves of a place in the emerging society. Others, such as the Mormons sought an all encompassing plan that would dispel confusion and restore order to a decadent society. This search led some Mormons to follow their Prophet to Kirtland, Ohio. Once in Kirtland, various sociological conflicts developed which affected how the citizens of Kirtland would perceive their Mormon neighbors. Tantamount to these conflicts was the rapidly increasing Mormon population which triggered a corresponding rise in the land costs and thus affected Kirtland's social structure. This study has also found that during the apostasy of 1837 few, other than the leadership, disaffiliated. Finally, it was shown that Kirtland's lack of population growth after 1840 was similar to the declines experienced by other areas of the Western Reserve.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; History

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