Utah Historical Quarterly, Douglas D. Alder
The authors of the seventeen essays in the book argue that society in Utah is fairly well segregated into Mormons and non-Mormons. It has been that way since 1847 when the Mormon pioneers arrived. The Mormons were almost 100 percent of the population initially but soon people of other persuasions arrived—miners, soldiers, railroad workers, merchants, even Protestant missionaries and Catholic priests. Many allied with each other to challenge the Mormon dominance. The non-Mormons organized a political party and a newspaper and built ties with the federal authorities and eastern investors. They established churches and schools.

Today the Mormon/non-Mormon split is clearly evident in Utah. Diversity has increased and the Mormon majority has declined to below 70 percent, but non-Mormons are quick to point out that the Utah legislature is 90 percent Mormon, the county commissions, city councils, mayors, judges are mostly Mormon as well.

So what is life like in Utah for those of other persuasions? This book is a compelling examination of that question. All thoughtful Utahns should read this responsible and reflective account by participants in the Utah scene, most of whom are not Mormons. Fortunately, there is a wide variety in this group; they are qualified and temperate.

Most Latter-day Saints living in Utah have, at one time or another, wondered what it must be like to live as a non-Mormon in a state with the largest establishment of one religion of any state in the United States. This book gives many answers of how a religious minority views the impact of the LDS Church in their lives. John J. Flynn's comment that his family has never been invited into a Mormon home is one small but sobering example of the cultural divide.

Essayist Reverend France A. Davis, a well-known African American Baptist leader, provides the most moderate opinion: "Whenever one group outnumbers and dominates others, the smaller group is likely to feel unfairly put upon, whether the larger group intends to make them feel that way or not" (311).

In between these two ends of the spectrum are many thoughtful essays. Journalist Rod Decker details stories in a balanced manner such as Reed Smoot's Federal Bun ch and their refusal to support the drive to end Prohibition. He describes the LDS Church involvement in the ERA battle as well as other political topics like pari-mutuel betting, liquor by the drink, gay marriage, and guns in churches. Thomas R. Goldsmith suggested: "I can't think of any religion which, given the power to control secular affairs, hasn't exploited it to its own advantage" (175). He cites the example of his own Unitarians in colonial America and then shows examples of the LDS impact in Utah. Flynn, a University of Utah law professor, argues that confrontation between the two camps declined in the 1950s and 1960s but that recently Utah is more theocratic with the primacy of the Republican Party and its LDS preponderance.

Many examples of the clash are detailed such as the Sunday closing debate: the moving of community celebrations of the Fourth of July to a Saturday or Monday. The MX missile track controversy is an example of the church hierarchy intervening in politics, which many liberals heralded. Ed Firmage's essay, on the other hand, examines the conflict of attitude toward homosexuality. L. Jackson Newell states boldly that Utah is a theocracy, but then adds, "The Church is surprisingly responsible in wielding its influence" (231-32). This thoughtful essay is the high point of the book.

Stephen C. Clark's essay, "The Only Show in Town," gives an ACLU view of the Main Street Plaza controversy in downtown Salt Lake City. It is also a balanced account. John Gallivan's essay dealing with the history of the Salt Lake Tribune details the Mormon/non-Mormon confrontation from pioneer times to the present. The cooperation of the church-owned Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune during the last two decades in creating the Newspaper Agency Corporation is portrayed, however the legal battle for control of the Tribune and the move of the Deseret News to morning circulation has led to renewed clashes between the newspapers.

Well-known scholar Jan Shipps discusses the dangers of a religious establishment, illustrating the danger historically using Constantine and Christianity as well as national churches and the Protestant Reformation as examples. She describes the clash between Mormons and the federal government in the 1850s and then moves on to more current issues such as the ERA debate and the Main Street Plaza. Former Democratic Governor Calvin Rampton's refreshing essay is quite unique because he was in the center of reality of the government for three terms. In his essay he urges Utah citizens to make up their own minds but he also writes that the LDS hierarchy hardly ever lobbied him for a decision. He says that LDS leaders try to avoid injecting themselves in politics. He points out that Mormons have a strong work ethic, are pro-industry and anti-union, all of which leads most of them into the Republican Party.

A poignant essay by Maqbool Ahmend describes the motives of Islamic people in Utah to follow their dietary, clothing, and religious practices that seem strange to most Christians. The article includes a lesson on Islamic doctrines that is most enlightening. A parallel essay is by Frederick L. Wenger who describes the Jewish experience in Utah. He points out the Jews thrive best as a minority and concludes, "Judaism has found and will find ready acceptance in Utah" (323-24).

Jeffry Sells and Signature Books are to be congratulated on this balanced book about a vital issue in Utah.

KDXU Radio, Cliff Donovan
The pioneering psychologist Carl Jung wrote that "the more Christian one's consciousness is, the more heathenishly does the unconscious behave." That dichotomy can be true of groups as well as individuals, and for those whose experience with Utah is limited to childhood memories of the Osmond Family, it can be startling to learn that the culture in the place Brigham Young named "Deseret" is as varied, dynamic, Christian and heathenish as the rest of the United States - America in microcosm. And that is especially true of the unique relationship between government and faith in the Beehive State. God and Country: Politics in Utah demonstrates the challenges inherent in a modern state originally settled and founded by a religious minority which has come to be seen by many, Mormon and non-Mormon alike, as the uniquely "American religion." While it can be argued that religion permeates most aspects of life in Utah (even more so than it does in enormously Catholic Massachusetts), God and Country gives the reader a faithful (pardon the pun) account of the struggles between upholding the principles of religion inspired by the earliest Mormon pioneer settlers while observing the Founding Fathers injunction against establishing an official faith. The essays and commentaries take the reader from the earliest days of Utah territorial history through the modern world and the unique challenges faced by each era's politicians and policy makers, and the way the LDS Church has influenced matters of public debate through the ensuing decades. It's a must-read for students of faith, politics and the American story, which encompasses both these elements.