Under the Prophet in Utah

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Gutenberg ID

—

Title

Under the Prophet in Utah

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

A critical exposé of early 20th-century Utah, this firsthand account details the political and religious influence of the Mormon Church. Former Senator Frank J. Cannon reveals the absolute power of Prophet Joseph F. Smith, who controlled state governance, finances, and social life through a theocratic system. The text exposes the Church's alliance with corporate trusts, the persistence of polygamy despite official renunciations, and the exploitation of its members. Written with sympathy for the oppressed faithful, it challenges the narrative of...

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1911 by former U.S. Senator Frank J. Cannon and journalist Harvey J. O'Higgins, *Under the Prophet in Utah* presents a searing indictment of the Mormon Church's leadership, arguing that Utah functioned not as a democracy but as a theocracy ruled by absolute despotism. The narrative, drawn from Cannon's personal experience, chronicles his transformation from a defender of his people to an excommunicated critic of the Church hierarchy. The central figure of this alleged tyranny is Joseph F. Smith, the Church president, whom Cannon describes as a "Prophet of Mammon" who wielded unchecked political and financial power. Cannon asserts that Smith maintained absolute control over Utah's government, effectively appointing officials, influencing elections, and enforcing obedience through religious authority. The book details how the Church established a vast financial empire—including company stores, insurance firms, railroads, and banking institutions—that economically enslaved its members while Smith lived openly with multiple wives in violation of state and federal laws. Cannon argues that despite the 1890 Manifesto, which promised the abandonment of polygamy, Smith secretly resumed the practice and used his political power to protect these illegal unions. The text highlights the suffering of "plural wives," who were often seduced into marriages they could not claim and were forced to disown their children to avoid legal repercussions. The authors contend that the Church's power was sustained by a strategic partnership with national corporate trusts and political machines in Washington. They claim that federal administrations, including those of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, actively protected the Mormon hierarchy, delaying investigations into the election of Apostle Reed Smoot to the Senate and shielding the Church from prosecution. Cannon traces the decline of the Church's original socialist ideals, which once provided for all members without almshouses, into a hierarchical capitalism that enriched the priesthood at the expense of the common people. Cannon concludes that the only remedy is for the nation to withdraw its support and break the political alliance between the Church and corporate interests, thereby freeing Utah from what he terms "great American despotism." The book serves as both a historical record and a call to action, urging the American public to recognize the Church-controlled government of Utah as a national disgrace that requires reform to restore liberty and justice.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Religion
• History
• Memoirs