Dancing as an Aspect of Early Mormon and Utah Culture

This daily feature is an introduction to a full article by Leona Holbrook. Each Wednesday we focus on an aspect of church history, beginning in New York in the early 19th century and progressing throughout the year to Utah in the 20th century. To read the full text of this article, follow the link. Under Joseph Smith’s leadership, dance and other forms of recreation were sponsored because his followers were socially isolated, because they were organized with intimate social relationships, because they were good followers, and because the doctrine had been propounded “Man is that he might have joy.”