1893 — Mr. Durant of Salt Lake City ~ “That Mormon.” — Ben E. Rich — Hardbound

Mr. Durant of Salt Lake City ~ “That Mormon.” by Ben E. Rich

George Q. Cannon & Sons Co: Salt Lake City, Utah, 1893. Hardbound. Fiction.

Condition: Blue cloth hardcover; cover is very worn and somewhat soiled; name inked inside front cover; text looks clean.

Mr. Durant of Salt Lake City is a historical novel written by Ben E. Rich, a Latter-day Saint author and church leader. Unlike the more critical portrayals of Mormon society found in some earlier works, Rich’s novel presents a perspective more sympathetic to the early Latter-day Saints.

The story centers on a fictional outsider, Mr. Durant, who comes into contact with Mormon society in Salt Lake City during the 19th century. Through his experiences, the novel explores tensions between non-Mormon business or political interests and the strong, unified Mormon community that had settled and built up the region. Rather than focusing on attacking Mormon beliefs, the book emphasizes the faith, cohesion, sacrifices, and determination of the Latter-day Saints as they established their society in the West.

Themes in the novel include religious conviction, cultural misunderstanding, economic conflict, loyalty, and moral integrity. Rich presents Mormon leadership and community structure as principled and purposeful, offering a contrast to narratives that portray them primarily as authoritarian or politically dangerous.

Overall, the book serves as a faith-affirming historical novel that reflects a believing Latter-day Saint perspective on early Utah society and its conflicts with outside influences.