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Title: Mormon Country by Wallace Earle Stegner, Richard W. Etulain ISBN: 0-8032-9305-4 Publisher: Bison Bks Corp Pub. Date: September, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3 (4 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: An Easy to Digest Anecdotal History of "Mormon Country"
Comment: This book is an easy to read collection of essays and stories about the people and places in "Mormon Country". Stegner has one section of the book that deals exclusively with the Mormons and a second section that focuses in on the "Gentiles", which the name the Mormons give to non-Mormons.
This is the fourth book I've read in recent months dealing with Mormonism (others: Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven", Jack Earley's "Prophet of Death", and Fawn Brodie's excellent biography of Joseph Smith, "No Man Knows My History"). I decided to read this book because it was written by Wallace Stegner and because it seemed to me to be a less sensaionalistic and lurid account of Mormon life (both Banner of Heaven and Prophet of Death dealt with Mormonism and violent crime).
I was not dissapointed, although I can't say that I was particularly impressed, either.
This book takes the form of 28 little stories. As you would expect, some are great and some are merely so-so. I felt like the book served as a good survey of "Mormon Country". Stories like "Arcadian Village", which describes the last gasp of Mormon collectivism and "Chief of the Islands of the Scene", which describes the conversion efforts of Walter Gibson in Hawaii, illuminate aspects of Mormon history that had heretofore escaped me.
Because the book itself was written in the 40's, many of the interviews Stegner conducted consisted of "old timers" talking about events from the late 1800's and early 1900's. This gives the book a "living history" quality that is, in my opinion, it's most outstanding attribute.
Stegner is certainly sympathetic to Mormon society. His story "the Fossil Remains of an Idea", which is a genial account of polygamy in Short Creek (now Colorado City), was shocking in its good natured attitude towards polygamy. That is about the ONLY thing which can be said to be "shocking" about this book.
This is a good background resource for readers interested in pursuing self-study of Mormon society.
Rating: 3
Summary: Ignore the Judgmental Attitude and Enjoy the History
Comment: Mormon country idealizes early Mormon society. Much of this book focuses on the settling, sustaining and future of Mormon country. Once the Mormons were settled in the west, the "Gentiles" caused the Mormons hardships and were unwelcome in their towns. According to this book the Gentile was an intruder to the Mormon way of life. The author, Stegner, documents many unsuccessful attempts the gentiles made to settle in the west and over power the Mormons. Not until the ends of the book were any positive things said about Gentiles, some of who were detrimental influences in the west. In the beginning of the book the bias is strongly towards Mormons. As the reading continues it becomes more difficult to pinpoint Stegners bias. He speaks highly of non Mormons and their contribution to the west. I believe he admired the Mormon way of life, but understood that other ways of life exist that are as equally successful.
I believe that Stegners is bias towards Mormon society. It is clear that he esteems their ability to survive, endure and believe. His writing also shows that he understood that it was not only Mormons who settled the region. He speaks with respect about the endeavors of the gentile and the Mormon in different parts of the book. He has the ability to look at an event objectively and the ability to look at it judgmentally. It all depends upon the issue. The overall goal of the book is to show people to the history of Mormon society by exposing the past. Many Mormon authors would not include the Mountain Meadow massacre in their historical writing. The fact that Stegner did shows that he is objective. The book paints a clear picture of early Mormon life through the eyes of the Mormon.
Mormon Country is an opinioned and colorful depiction of the western history. The author was not trained in history, but he enjoyed and studied it. There are many parts of this book that were offensive, judgmental and ignorant. Other parts had beautiful, nonbiased descriptions of places, events and lives. It was difficult to swallow some of the topics discussed, but overall the book was well done. It is important to Utah history because it presents both small and large events to the reader. Because the book was written in 1942 it represents an old world view of the west. It is beneficial to obtain this point of view because it increases our understanding and awareness of the past events. The difficulties suffered by both Mormons and Gentiles were brought to light. Joining the two perspectives allows the reader to walks away with a new, nonbiased perspective of the western frontier.
Rating: 2
Summary: Too much tension
Comment: Yes, Stegner has a beautiful gift of words. His love for the area is very well described in fun folk lore and historical legends that form Utah's rich heritage and history. Stegner claims to be a historian, giving credit to several other great Utahan and Western historians like Bernard De Voto.
But in his presentation of an attempt to explain the area and its unique people, he conveniently leaves out facts about historical events, like polygamy or tragedies like the Mountain Meadow Massacre.
Stegner is not a member of the church but pretends to be an expert or an authority. This view is misleading and the reader needs to be cautioned to view the book as opinion and satire. Stegner's growing up in the Salt Lake City area, but not being a member of the majority has led to many tensions. His commentary or tensions include his being against the LDS Church organization, which he uses only its nickname, "Mormon," against his love and admiration for what the people in the church have overcome, adjusted to, and have achieved.
Stegner loves the land and unique stories describing the culture, but he is not an authority, knowing everything. He is just one man trying to represent hundreds of thousands, not to mention it was written about 60 years ago, he writes well, but not objectively at all.
This is a collection of stories, which if one know the definition of story knows it isn't always fact, it's stretched. It seems he has taken the most far-fetched or extreme stories to represent a whole of religion and society. The area is unique in many ways, with many tensions in its history. My main point in writing is to point out Stegner's personal bias and tension with the people in the area.
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Title: The Gathering of Zion: The Story of the Mormon Trail by Wallace Earle Stegner ISBN: 0803292139 Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr Pub. Date: May, 1992 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West by Wallace Earle Stegner, Bernard DeVoto ISBN: 0140159940 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: March, 1992 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer ISBN: 0385509510 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 15 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Wolf Willow: A History, a Story, and a Memory of the Last Plains Frontier (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) by Page Stegner, Wallace Earle Stegner ISBN: 0141185015 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 05 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Mormonism Unveiled by John D. Lee ISBN: 0826327885 Publisher: University of New Mexico Press Pub. Date: September, 2001 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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