Mormons

North Americacommercial economy

expand_more Description

The Mormons are a religion-based cultural group found in communities throughout the world, but are concentrated in the intermountain region of the western United States. The Mormon religion was founded in New York State in 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr., with a millenarian imperative to build the “City of Zion” in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ. Religious persecution forced early adherents to relocate westward several times, and under a new leader, Brigham Young, they finally settled in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah in 1847. The Mormon economic ideal was based on the biblical notions of stewardship and communal ownership; Church-organized cooperatives were a major form of economic and business organization. Mormon pioneer communities remained isolated—intentionally so—but the coming of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 spurred economic expansion of agriculture, mining and commerce, opening up Mormon society to the rest of the nation. Mormons follow Christian beliefs and practices, but also believe in the doctrine of eternal progression in which one continues to perfect oneself in heaven until godhood is attained.

Identifier
Region
  • North America
Subregion
  • Southwest and Basin
Subsistence Type
  • commercial economy
Countries
  • Canada
  • United States