Abstract
The basic concern of the drafters of the Utah Constitution, from the time Utah was settled up to the time the current constitution was drafted, was to secure the free exercise of religion. The concern was deliberate and essentially self-serving: the Mormons wanted to be free of federal authorities and the vigorous enforcement of federal anti-polygamy laws and to govern themselves according to their unique values. Establishment of religion, as currently understood, was never part of their program. Equality among religious denominations, refusal to establish an official state church, and a refusal to fund religious worship were secondary guarantees to the primary free exercise concern. Utah's sibling states have exhibited, almost universally, similar concerns, though without Utah's unique religious history.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Brad C.
(1992)
"Be No More Children: An Analysis of
Article I, Section 4 of the
Utah Constitution,"
Utah Law Review: Vol. 1992:
No.
4, Article 5.
Available at:
https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol1992/iss4/5