Introduction of Mormonism to Finnish Society, 1840-1900, The

This book explores how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon church) was introduced to the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland in the nineteenth century. The internal workings of the movement and the reactions of society are both part of the analysis. The Mormons are discussed in numerous books of the time and are mentioned over 3,000 times in contemporary newspapers. Most of the publicity was derived from foreign sources and featured themes such as fraud, deception, and theocracy in explaining the movement. The resulting image, along with the lack of religious freedom, contributed to a high level of resistance by civil authorities and Lutheran clergy. Nevertheless, twenty-five Mormon missionaries worked in Finland between 1875 and 1900 and converted at least 78 persons, mostly among the Swedish-speaking minority population. The work was led from Sweden, with no stable church organization emerging among the geographically scattered pockets of converts. Mormonism's presence was thus characterized by private or small-group religiosity.