Heresy and Humbug: Mormons, Millerites, and the Protestant Evangelical Definition of Religious Freedom in the Burned Over District, 1830-1845

Abstract

The idea of religious freedom was one of the hallmarks of early nineteenth-century America, but it was not truly universal. Despite denominational differences, mainstream white evangelical Protestants formed a body of unified believers that defined “true” American religion. The Burned Over District of central New York would give birth to two religious movements, Mormonism and Millerism, that challenged the position of evangelical religion in the spiritual consciousness of the nation. The Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and the followers of William Miller’s end time prophecy were inspired by, but moved outside the boundaries of, established evangelical theology and practice. In reacting to these movements, evangelical denominations went beyond cooperation to try to forge a unified congregation of believers. In the face of religious movements that posed real challenges to their prominent position, mainstream evangelical denominations like Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians responded in strikingly similar ways, belying the notion of religious plurality.

The formation and preservation of behavioral integration in the top management team of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“…Each congregation was only loosely associated with wider denominational associations (Flake, 2016). Within this context, the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening (1800–1840) in the USA burgeoned the membership of Protestant churches, but it also produced a variety of new ideas that in turn produced new religious denominations (Cummins, 2018).…”

“…(1800-1840) in the USA burgeoned the membership of Protestant churches, but it also produced a variety of new ideas that in turn produced new religious denominations (Cummins, 2018).…”