This study explores the intersection of religion, land use, and political resistance in Latter-day Saint culture, arguing that Mormon land ethics are shaped by a ritualized process I term the “Cycle of Chosenness.” Through historical and ethnographic analysis, I trace how collective memory of the pioneer era informs symbolic labor that reaffirms Mormon exceptionalism. Three case studies illustrate the cycle in action: Brigham Young’s integration of labor and theology, Walter Cottam’s unsuccessful push for ecological restoration, and the Sagebrush Rebellion’s successful reframing of anti-federal activism as sacred labor. I show how the Sagebrush Rebellion marked a turning point by legitimizing individualized pathways to sacred time, no longer dependent on Church-mediated ritual. This decentralization allowed figures such as the Bundy family to enact Mormon chosenness through modern standoffs over grazing rights, using pioneer-inflected narratives to sanctify their resistance. By analyzing these episodes, I demonstrate that Mormon land ethics are neither static nor purely doctrinal; they are living, contested performances that adapt to political realities while preserving the theological imperative to build Zion in the here and now.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study explores the intersection of religion, land use, and political resistance in Latter-day Saint culture, arguing that Mormon land ethics are shaped by a ritualized process I term the “Cycle of Chosenness.” Through historical and ethnographic analysis, I trace how collective memory of the pioneer era informs symbolic labor that reaffirms Mormon exceptionalism. Three case studies illustrate the cycle in action: Brigham Young’s integration of labor and theology, Walter Cottam’s unsuccessful push for ecological restoration, and the Sagebrush Rebellion’s successful reframing of anti-federal activism as sacred labor. I show how the Sagebrush Rebellion marked a turning point by legitimizing individualized pathways to sacred time, no longer dependent on Church-mediated ritual. This decentralization allowed figures such as the Bundy family to enact Mormon chosenness through modern standoffs over grazing rights, using pioneer-inflected narratives to sanctify their resistance. By analyzing these episodes, I demonstrate that Mormon land ethics are neither static nor purely doctrinal; they are living, contested performances that adapt to political realities while preserving the theological imperative to build Zion in the here and now.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McLean, Emily"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Religion, MA","degree_level":"Open Access Master's Thesis","degree_discipline":"School of Arts and Humanities","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kevin Wolfe"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:41:17Z","subjects":["Conservation","Ecology","Land Ethics","Mormonism","Ritualization","Uta","Religion"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1083","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kevin Wolfe"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McLean, Emily"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-05-18T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["School of Arts and Humanities"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Master's Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Religion, MA"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Conservation","Ecology","Land Ethics","Mormonism","Ritualization","Uta","Religion"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1083"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study explores the intersection of religion, land use, and political resistance in Latter-day Saint culture, arguing that Mormon land ethics are shaped by a ritualized process I term the “Cycle of Chosenness.” Through historical and ethnographic analysis, I trace how collective memory of the pioneer era informs symbolic labor that reaffirms Mormon exceptionalism. Three case studies illustrate the cycle in action: Brigham Young’s integration of labor and theology, Walter Cottam’s unsuccessful push for ecological restoration, and the Sagebrush Rebellion’s successful reframing of anti-federal activism as sacred labor. I show how the Sagebrush Rebellion marked a turning point by legitimizing individualized pathways to sacred time, no longer dependent on Church-mediated ritual. This decentralization allowed figures such as the Bundy family to enact Mormon chosenness through modern standoffs over grazing rights, using pioneer-inflected narratives to sanctify their resistance. By analyzing these episodes, I demonstrate that Mormon land ethics are neither static nor purely doctrinal; they are living, contested performances that adapt to political realities while preserving the theological imperative to build Zion in the here and now.
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