1. The Mormons were people who were part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, originating the the US in the 19th century. They migrated across the US from the Midwest to modern-day Utah.
2. Joseph Smith was the founder of Mormonism. Born is 1805 in Vermont, he was an American religious leader who was believed to be the prophet of God and is not worshiped. He was said to have received visions from God and an angel called Moroni, which led to his creating the "Book of Mormon" which was published in 1830. In the same year he established the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became the first president. He died in 1844.
3. Brigham Young was the leader of the Mormon Church. Born in 1801, he was baptized into the Mormon church in 1832 after seeing Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon. He worked as a missionary and served the Mormon church. After Joseph Smith's death, Brigham Young led the Mormons to the west, looking for a place to freely worship. In 1847 he replaced Joseph Smith as the church's president and prophet. In Utah, he expanded the church, increasing the church's influence and authority. Brigham Young was a key figure in the Mormon's prosperity and allowed the Mormon church to succeed. He died in 1877.
4. The Mormon church believes that people are punished for their own personal sins rather than Adam's original sin, and that they may achieve salvation by abiding by the rules of the Gospel. They believe in upholding the law and maintaining order. They are strongly focused on traditional family values and used to practice polygamy. They believe that humans can become gods after they die and that God has a physical body, is married and is capable of having children. They believe in honesty and living life they way God wants them to.
5. Plural marriage is polygamy as practiced by the Mormons. It is not legal in Canada.
6. I believe that John Ferrier was justified in his decision. Although he had promised to live as a Mormon, he should also have the freedom to live by his own values. Even if the Mormons did save his and Lucy's lives, they should not have forced them to live under a certain faith and threaten them if they chose not to. Especially considering how closely John Ferrier obeyed Mormon rules for so long, he should have had the right to follow his own morals.
7. Polygamy is illegal in Canada because it violates the human rights to freedom and equality, more specifically gender equality within a marriage. Polygamy is a practice that often relies on women being obedient, modest and subservient to men. In some societies, polygamy is accepted because of religious beliefs or customs; the majority of countries that permit polygamy are African or follow Muslim faith. In some African cultures, men are considered superior to women and polygamy is accepted as the norm. Polygamy used to be more widely accepted because of the equality difference between men and women; there were expectations for women to be chaste, modest and obedient to men.
8. Some norms in my family are that family members spend most of their time together; even when everyone is working, it is usually within the same room. Phones and computers are generally not allowed upstairs, to make sure no one stays up too late. In Chinese culture, it is expected for people to respect those who are older than them.
9. Lucy is given the name "Flower of Utah", meaning that she has is known for being both innocent and beautiful. In Utah, where polygamy is practiced, numerous men want her to be one of their wives. As a girl living under Mormon rules, Lucy is required to eventually marry one of these Mormon men. However she wishes to marry Jefferson Hope, who is not a Mormon, which then violates the Mormon law for women to only marry within the Mormon community. Because she is sought after by so many, this violation is all the more unacceptable. Usually, being beautiful and desirable is a positive thing. However in this situation, it becomes a burden for Lucy and only inconveniences her and limits her freedom.
10. Lucy's fate - being dragged back to the Mormons to be married against her will - indicates that in the Mormon community, women are treated more as a commodity than people. In the novel it is described that Lucy was brought back to "fulfill her original destiny". Mormon women have no other purpose than to become wives and bear children; they are given no freedom to make their own decisions or pursue an independent life. Doyle portrays the Mormon community as strict and unyielding, permitting no infractions in its members' conduct. John Ferrier is threatened with death (and does die eventually) when he refuses to marry Lucy off to a Mormon, even though he had led an exemplary Mormon life up until then. Through the kidnapping of women outside the community, the Mormons are portrayed as people who give little regard to those who do not follow the same beliefs that they do. They are confident that all their actions are justified, and that objects and people alike are open to their taking.The Mormon leaders are frightening and have an almost omnipotent and omniscient quality, keeping track of everything that happens in the village and leaving numbers in John Ferrier's home despite it being supposedly impossible to do so.
Sources
1. http://www.mormon.org/faq/the-mormons
2. http://www.pbs.org/americanprophet/joseph-smith.html
3. http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/young.htm
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/beliefs/articles.shtml
5. http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/other-autre/poly/chap1.html
6. http://www.economist.com/node/21553461
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