John Danforth Nutting (March 8, 1854 – October 4, 1949) was a Congregationalist minister, as well as Founder and Secretary of the Utah Gospel Mission, a missionary organization that operated in Utah evangelizing to Mormons from 1900 to 1950. He was a prolific author of anti-Mormon books and pamphlets.
Early life
Nutting was born in Randolph Center, Vermont to Rufus Nutting II, a maker of reed organs, and Sarah H. Nutting, Principal of the Art Department at Wheaton College.[1][2] The Nutting family relocated to Illinois because his parents wanted their children to "be able to attend a truly Christian college... unhampered by 'secret societies.'"[3] John D. Nutting achieved a B.A. in 1878, and an M.A. in 1881, both from Wheaton College.
Ministry
Nutting went on to study at the Oberlin Theological Seminary where he was ordained as a Congregationalist Minister in 1885.[4] In 1885 he married Nannie Keith Miller, who died in childbirth a year later.[5] He went on to Minister at Congregationalist churches in Wauseon, Ohio (1886-1888), Newport, Kentucky (1888-1890), and St. Louis, Missouri (1890-1892). In January 1890, he married Lillis Russel Morley of Mentor, Ohio.[5]
Ministry in Utah
Nutting and his family moved to Salt Lake City in 1890 to take up a position as minister of the Plymouth Congregational Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.[6] He remained minister there from 1892 to 1898. During that time "he began to study Mormonism and to assess the difficulty of reaching Mormons with the Protestant message. A new kind of Christian missionary work was called for. His fellow ministers "commissioned Mr. Nutting to 'go back east' and find out what could be done."[3]
Utah Gospel Mission
In 1900, Nutting founded the Utah Gospel Mission, which was a Congregationalist organization that used Mormon missionary methods to evangelize to the Mormons. They recruited "wagon missionaries" to travel in groups of two (first in canvas-covered wagons, later in automobiles) to Mormon areas of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. They evangelized directly to homes, distributed literature, and held meetings. Imitating the Mormon evangelizing techniques, these missionaries had their living expenses paid but were not given a salary.
Nutting directly coordinated the travels of Utah Gospel Mission missionaries. Their greatest level of activity was achieved in the 1930s. By 1935, "381,510 house-to-house calls had been made, over forty-five million pages of literature had been distributed, and over forty thousand Bibles had been sold or given away."[3] Despite this, their efforts had little success.
Death and legacy
Nutting died in 1949 in Cleveland Ohio. His wife Lillis took over operations of the Utah Gospel Mission until her death in 1961. While the Utah Gospel Mission was ultimately not very successful in its goals, it generated a photographic record of early Mormon life that is held at Bowling Green State University.[7]
John D. Nutting's papers are held in the Archives of Wheaton College.[8] Additional materials about Nutting and the Utah Gospel Mission are held at the Bowling Green State University archives.[7]
The house built by John D. Nutting and Lillis Nutting is an historic landmark in Salt Lake City.[9][10]
Works
Nutting published dozens of anti-Mormon books and pamphlets. He also edited and published "Light on Mormonism" newspaper, and the Utah Gospel Mission newsletter.
Articles of Faith of the "Latter-Day Saints" NYC: League of Social Service, (1899?)
What Congress can do about Roberts, Mormon Mendacity (no publication data, printed c. 1899)
Some Extracts from Secret oaths & ceremonies of the Mormon Church (no publication data, printed c. 1899)
The Truth About the Origin of the Book of Mormon. San Bernardino: Harry A. McGimsey; (1900)
The New Effort in Behalf of Utah Cleveland, OH: Utah Gospel Mission; (1900)
The Private Doctrines of Mormon theology Cleveland, OH: Utah Gospel Mission; (1900)
