Questions asked during the Mormon Reformation

L. Tom Perry Special Collections is pleased to announce the availability of a new digitized collection: Questions to be asked the Latter-day Saints (MSS SC 292). This item is a handwritten list of questions made by Andrew S. Gibbons to be asked to LDS Church members during the Mormon Reformation.  This list was likely created between 1856 and 1857 while Gibbons was living in Iron County, Utah.

Brigham Young

According to Wikipedia, “The Mormon Reformation was a period of renewed emphasis on spirituality within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It took place in 1856 and 1857 and was under the direction of President of the Church Brigham Young. During the Reformation, Young sent his counselor Jedediah M. Grant and other church leaders to preach to the people throughout Utah Territory and surrounding Mormon communities with the goal of inspiring them to reject sin and turn towards spiritual things. The most conservative, and even reactionary, elements of LDS Church doctrine dominated the public discussions during the Reformation. As a result of the Reformation, almost all “active” or involved LDS Church members were rebaptized as a symbol of their commitment.” To learn more about this event in 19th Century LDS Church history, visit the article by Paul H. Peterson in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, the Wikipedia article, or this site on the Mormon Wiki.