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Show While the conclusions reached here can hold only for the Sanpete Valley itself, at this particular point in the study of nineteenth century Mormonism, this is enough to expect from such a project. Mormon culture has continually been studied as a whole, with the result that differences and incongruities have been consistently denied or ignored. Even when local studies have b~en undertaken, it has been thought necessary to apply their conclusions to the culture as a whole. 32 It is therefore important and perhaps even essential that this be considered a local study--we should not expect that what happened in the Sanpete Valley should have happened in other parts of Mormon Country. Each separate area must be viewed as a response to a particular set of historical, cultural, and environmental circumstances. We can only hope that a detailed study of one local tradition can raise the questions which will spawn other, similiar studies and thereby inittate the painting of a more accurate if nevertheless composite portrait of the whole. We can learn much about Mormon culture by studying town life, but we must not believe that one town or a set of towns can serve as spokesmen for all Mormon towns. Only in this way are we likely to achieve a better comprehension of the processes ''that contributed to the building of this distinctive American subculture." Assumptions of the Study This study is informed by several basic assumptions concerning the study of material culture and history which, in the interests of making the intent and scope of this inquiry clear from the outset, need further explication. 16 |
