As a Thief in the Night: The Mormon Quest for Millennial Deliverance
by Dan Erickson
Category: Religion

Belief in the approaching Millennium dominated early Mormon theology and behavior. For their first sixty-year history the Latter-day Saints were zealous apocalyptics and frequently encountered trouble with non-Mormons, which they viewed as a necessary conflict prior to Jesus Christ's imminent return. The nineteenth century ended with the church forced to conform to American values and abandoning hope of Christ's return within their lifespans.