Early Mormon Patriarchy and the Paradoxes of Democratic Religiosity in Jacksonian America

摘要: Abstract Following the death of Joseph Smith, leaders Church Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints appropriated elements from their surrounding democratic culture, especially tensions hierarchy and exclusion, in an attempt to consolidate fledging Mormon movement through a vibrant patriarchal structure. In doing so, they echoed powerful strain antebellum society that feared cultural changes taking place worried unfettered democracy led societal instability religious anarchy. This paper examines how early patriarchy directly engaged several central American culture: democratization religion, empowerment common people, extension racial rights, progression female power. Combined, these debates emphasize notion “Kingdom God” paradoxically dominated image age “the voice people,” represent part multivocal conversation about meaning extent A...