The City of the Mormons

In the 19th century, the rise of Mormonism in Utah began to alarm Christian churches across the country. Although the Mormons viewed themselves as Christians, they were not welcomed with open arms by Christians elsewhere. In The City of the Mormons, published in 1842, British clergyman Henry Caswall gives an account of his journey to spend time among the Mormons, eager to test the theories of early 19th century Christian leaders that the Mormons were led by a false prophet and represented a threat through religious fanaticism. Caswall spent a few days at Nauvoo, a small Mormon settlement in Illinois along the Mississippi River, and though his depiction is quite negative, it represents an important look at the religious history of the United States in the early 19th century.