Sermons in Stones: Mormon Chosenness and the Politics of Land in the American West
type: CreativeWork
description: 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: 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.
author: McLean, Emily
keywords: Conservation, Ecology, Land Ethics, Mormonism, Ritualization, Uta, Religion
date published: 2025-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:41:17Z
provider: Claremont Graduate University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Claremont Graduate University