The mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was organized in 1830. They are called “Mormons” because they believe in The Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible. They worship Jesus and God as two separate beings.
Joseph Smith is the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is believed to be a prophet who received visions from God to establish the Church. He wrote The Book of Mormon, and passed on God’s teachings through himself. He was murdered in 1844 along with his brother by a mob in Carthage, Illinois.
Brigham Young joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1832, and became an apostle in 1835. When Joseph Smith was assassinated nine years later, he was chosen to lead the Mormons, and kept the position until his death. He directed the migration of 16,000 Mormons from Illinois to Utah and founded Salt Lake City.
The Mormon community has rules which its members are expected to follow. They are not allowed to smoke or drink alcohol. They must keep the Sabbath as a day of rest and go to church. Mormons are to dress professionally and modestly. Mormons must avoid anything that is immoral or violent. The rules address many aspects of their lives such as health, spirituality, clothing, appearance and the way they interact with other people.
Plural marriage is the practice of an individual marrying more than one person. Joseph Smith and Brigham young, as well as some others practiced plural marriages in the early 19th century. Today, they are illegal in Canada.
I believe John Ferrier’s reversal is justifiable. He believes in the Mormon faith, but does not agree with polygamy. He takes no wives, and doesn't want Lucy to become one. John sees how they are wrong, and he wants the best for his daughter. He breaks the sacred promise he made to uphold the Mormon religion because he feels their rules are unreasonable and unethical. He makes the decision to leave Salt Lake City with Lucy and Jefferson Hope.
In some societies polygamy is acceptable, especially in developing countries. In rural areas, a man might wed more than one wife to have a large family who can help with the labor. Also, there may be a lack of men in the region. Polygamy is banned in Canada because of the harm it causes to women, children, and untimely to society.
A norm in my family is that we all say grace before eating. For instance, the whole family must be sitting reverently and they must focus on the prayer of thanks and not anything else. Also, at christmas or during a birthday party, we always open gifts in front of the guests. This allows the guests to be individually recognized and thanked.
Lucy’s nickname, “the flower of Utah” illustrates her beauty and innocence. Lucy’s dilemma is that she must marry into a Mormon household. She is against it, as she is deeply in love with Jefferson Hope, who is a gentile and not recognized by the mormons. I feel a strong sense of compassion for Lucy, because she doesn't have the freedom women today take for granted. She is treated as an object by the Mormon community and is forced into a marriage with Drebber. Ultimately she dies of a broken heart after only a month.
Lucy was married against her will. As she is the only woman in the story, it is revealed that the other women in the community are treated as objects and as less important than men, just as Lucy is. Doyle portrays the Mormon community as being very strict and controlling, as well as oppressive. For example, Jefferson Hope says, "She was forced into marrying that same Drebber, and broke her heart over it." This is stating that the Mormons did not grant Lucy much freedom.
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