Mormons

Split (reason: New Canaanites are a distinct faction)

Article suggested to be split into independent articles as outlined above.

For the faction intended for inclusion in the canceled Van Buren, see Mormon (Van Buren).

The Mormon Church or Mormonism is a religion practiced both before and after the Great War.

Background[]

The Mormons' history stretches back hundreds of years before the war, the group having settled in the former states of Utah and Nevada.^[2]^[3] Known as fair traders, Jed Masterson of the Happy Trails Caravan Company mentions that although he is not religious, he has had good experience with trading with New Canaanites, mentioning they are not only fair, but despite their pacifism, they are also keen sharpshooters and will defend themselves.^[4]^[5]

Alice McLafferty of the Crimson Caravan Company shares with the Courier that the Mormon traders from New Canaan control the majority of the northern routes.^[6] McLafferty had reached out to the Mormons in New Canaan about establishing a branch within their town, and reported they had started to warm up to the idea. She noted that they would impose taxes on the Crimson Caravan that would put them at a severe disadvantage to the Mormon caravans.^[7]

The Mormon city of New Canaan was burned to the ground and its inhabitants butchered by the White Legs, the group of tribals who were tasked by Caesar to ensure the destruction of all of his former legate Joshua Graham's people.^[3]^[8] This was a part of their petition to be absorbed into the Legion and they succeeded in not only destroying the city but also in killing their bishop, Mordecai.^[9]^[10]^[11] The White Legs followed them, killing anyone who was not fast enough to escape, including children, the ill and infirm, and those who stopped to help them in the process.^[8]^[12]^[13]

Those who survived the onslaught scattered, some settling in Colorado.^[8]^[14] A group traveled to Zion Canyon, though all except Joshua Graham and Daniel left before the arrival of the Courier.^[10] By that time, the two missionaries are living among the Dead Horses and the Sorrows tribes, actively helping them defend against threats while spreading their faith.^[15] The missionaries and tribe members will tell the Courier about their beliefs, including that of souls, salvation, and the afterlife.^[16]^[17]

Daniel will offer to provide the Courier with a book called scripture, and if they respond affirmatively, he remarks about it being a better response than he usually gets from wastelanders. He will continue to explain why he and Joshua visit the tribes and spread their faith.^[18]^[19]

Notes[]

Driver Nephi was mentioned as a member of the church in cut content.^[20] Furthermore, the name Nephi is also specific to a central figure in the Book of Mormon.

Appearances[]

Mormons appear in Fallout: New Vegas and its add-on Honest Hearts.

Behind the scenes[]

Joshua Sawyer stated that the inspirations behind the inclusion of the group include their unique position in society and their location in the American southwest.^{[Non-game 1]}
There were not any Mormons on the development team writing for Honest Hearts, but Joshua Sawyer asked several Mormons he knew about how Joshua Graham and Mormonism were being portrayed. Although Sawyer recognized that these people would not necessarily be authorities on how to portray Mormonism, they were receptive towards the game and said that it seemed reasonable and "pretty good."^{[Non-game 2]}
Joshua Graham mentions that the .45 Auto pistol was created by a member of their tribe nearly four-hundred years ago. The .45 Auto pistol is an approximation of the M1911 pistol, which was designed by John Browning, a Mormon firearms engineer. Browning lived in Ogden, Utah, upon which New Canaan was built.

References[]

↑ The Courier: "What can you tell me about New Canaan?"
Jed Masterson: "Don't know much about the place, but I can tell you about the people. The New Canaanites were some kind of religious group from before the War. They control the old city of Ogden, a ways north of Zion, and they got themselves a nice defensible mission in the canyon itself - or they did. They trade a fair bit with the tribes in Zion - well, the ones that don't try and kill them, anyways."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "Nice guns"
Joshua Graham: "In the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, all tribes are known for a specific weapon. White Legs are known for their big submachine guns, "storm drums." They broke into an armory near Spanish Fork and have been using them for years. Of course, the Dead Horses have their wooden war clubs and even the Sorrows have their Yao Guai gauntlets. This type of .45 Automatic pistol was designed by one of my tribe almost four hundred years ago. Learning its use is a New Canaanite rite of passage."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Ulysses log: Y-17.22
↑ Honest Hearts intro: "A few decades back, folks in the NCR started to hear about a community in northern Utah called New Canaan. Didn't know much about them, except that they were religious folks. Sent out missionaries to talk to the tribes. We've seen our share of cults, but the New Canaanites, they were honest traders. Good fighters, too. Raiders wouldn't tangle with 'em."
↑ Courier: "Do you know anything about their religion?"
Jed Masterson: "I ain't a prayin' man myself. They paid for their goods and dealt square with us, that's all I ever cared about. But don't think that just because they're religious that they're pacifists. They take care of their own, and they're damn fine marksmen too."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "Does the Crimson Caravan have any competition?"
Alice McLafferty: "Well, the Gun Runners continue to dominate the weapons market, and the Mormon traders from New Canaan control the majority of the northern routes."
(Alice McLafferty's dialogue)
↑ Crimson Caravan Company terminal entries; terminal, New Canaan Branch Proposal
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Courier: "I came here with the Happy Trails Caravan Company to make contact with the New Canaanites."
Joshua Graham: "I have bad news for your employers. New Canaan was destroyed, its citizens scattered. All because of the White Legs. And Caesar, of course. The White Legs want to join the Legion. Caesar's rite of passage is the destruction of the New Canaanites, almost assuredly because of me."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑ Follows-Chalk: "Way I heard it, Salt-Upon-Wounds butchered everyone in New Canaan and nailed their corpses to the cliffs."
(Follows-Chalk's dialogue)
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Courier: "Wait, what? New Canaan was wiped out? How?"
Follows-Chalk: "That's what Joshua said. White Legs came down from Great Salt Lake in force - fell on New Canaan before they could mount a defense. Joshua found some of the survivors led by a man named Daniel. Most of them have fled the valley, but Daniel stayed on with the Sorrows tribe. He and Joshua have been arguing over whether to stand and fight the White Legs or take the Sorrows and the Dead Horses out of the valley."
(Follows-Chalk's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "You're the man in charge. If something's troubling you, it could affect all of us."
Daniel: "I never thought I'd be in charge of anything. Don't know why. Bishop Mordecai was old. He had been sick for years. He couldn't walk anymore. It wasn't a problem for the rest of us. When the White Legs came.... We couldn't get him out in time. The house caught fire at the base and worked its way up. Fast. He didn't die of smoke. I wish he had. Sometimes I wake up and for a minute or two, I think all of it was a dream. But it's not. It wasn't. I wish all of this were some fevered vision of what could have been. Instead of what is, what we let happen."
(Daniel's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "Well, I'm guessing you're pretty mad about something."
Joshua Graham: "The White Legs didn't just force my people out of New Canaan. They butchered everyone who wasn't fast enough to get away. The elderly, the ill, children. Those who stopped to help the wounded. It made no difference to them. They can't be reasoned with, the White Legs. Daniel believes that if we leave, if the Sorrows leave, the White Legs will stop. He doesn't understand what this kind of tribe is like."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "Why did the White Legs attack my caravan?"
Joshua Graham: "They attack everyone who isn't a White Leg, especially caravans. They don't know how to survive on their own, so they have to raid. But as for why they are here, they are trying to wipe us out. All of us. They want to join Caesar's Legion, and they can only prove their worth by destroying the New Canaanites and everyone we shelter."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑ Honest Hearts Endings, White Legs: "Despite their defeat at Three Marys, and the death of their war chief, the White Legs were determined to pursue the other New Canaanites. But when they finally tracked down their prey in Colorado, they discovered the tables had been turned. The White Legs who survived the New Canaanites' ambushes were hunted down by Dead Horses before they could reach the safety of the Great Salt Lake. When word of the White Legs' diminished numbers reached the 80s tribe, war was declared, and by year's end, the White Legs had been wiped out."
↑ Courier: "What's going on with all of these... tribes?"
Joshua Graham: "A great deal. There are three, make that four, tribes here in Zion. You've already met the White Legs on the way in. In this camp, you'll find Dead Horses. In the Narrows, the Sorrows. And finally there's Daniel and myself. We're New Canaanites."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "Salvation? From what, the wasteland?"
Daniel: "A spiritual wasteland, yes. We believe that before this life, our souls existed elsewhere. And after we die, our souls will leave this world. During our time here, we have the burden of choice. The choices we make determine where we go in the spirit world, and how we will face judgment. New Canaanites believe, as many once did, that God was made flesh here on Earth as a man named Jesus Christ. He sacrificed his life to save us. Every sin, every terrible thing that you, me, or any one of us have done for all time, was washed away by his blood. We just have to accept his love. That's why we visit the tribes, to spread the good news. For all we know, we New Canaanites may be all that remains of Christ's followers."
(Daniel's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "That doesn't sound like what I've heard about the New Canaanites...."
Waking Cloud: "Perhaps you do not fully understand the New Canaanites. I have seen the Father's images. His holy bride and holy son were given unto the world to save it. They dwelt in the caverns of the mountains, caverns which can still be seen today. The people sinned against Him, and were punished with the End That Came in Fire and the loss of the holy tongue. Only the New Canaanites were spared."
(Waking Cloud's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "Interesting."
Daniel: "Heh. That's actually a better response than I usually get from wastelanders. No offense. Tell you what. There's a lot going on right now but why don't you take this. Read it. Maybe you'll hate it. Maybe you'll be bored. But if you have questions, assuming we get through all this, let me know. It used to be my job to answer those questions. Maybe it will be again."
(Daniel's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "Sounds kind of far-fetched, even for the wasteland."
Daniel: "Good news is an amazing thing in this world we've unmade. We're so used to going to sleep with nightmares that we can't imagine waking up to a dream. But that's what we believe, every word of it. It's the cornerstone of our faith and how we choose to live. With every step you take, you put one foot in front of the other and know that you'll be pulled back down to this Earth. We know that God is watching over us, waiting for us to come back home. To us, there's no difference. Walking and living. It's all belief, all faith."
(Daniel's dialogue)
↑ Courier: "What was it that brought you out here from Utah?"
Bert Gunnarsson: "Following a lost cause, I'm afraid. My old friend Nephi fell in with a bad crowd. Drug runners, raiders, probably worse things it's better not to dwell on. When his gang headed west, I followed. I thought perhaps I could turn him back to the Church."
(Bert Gunnarsson's dialogue)

Non-game

↑ Question: "What is it that you find fascinating about Mormons/Utah? Im assuming you find those things fascinating."
Sawyer: "Not fascinating, but interesting. Southern Utah has really spectacular scenery and is the most beautiful part of the U.S. that I have seen. It's pretty telling that in my trips around that area, I encounter as many foreigners as Americans. Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase, Monument Valley, and Valley of the Gods are all fantastic [cont.]"
(Sawyer on Formspring - Archived)
↑ Fallout: New Vegas 10th Anniversary Charity Stream Part 2 (reference starts at 1:26:37)
Joshua Sawyer: "Did we have Mormons on my team when writing Honest Hearts? No, but I did talk to some Mormons about how I was portraying Joshua Graham and Mormonism. And not like they're the authority, but they said that seems pretty reasonable. They said that seems pretty good, so..."
(Transcript)

Honest Hearts

Achievements

May my Hand Forget its Skill · In a Foreign Land · O Daughter of Babylon · When We Remembered Zion · Restore Our Fortunes

Locations	Marked	Angel cave · Ant burrow · Bighorn Bluff · Burial mounds · Caterpillar's Mound · Clear Water docks · Crashed scout bus · Court Fork overlook · Crossroad cavern · Cueva Guarache · Dagger's Point · Dead Horses camp · East Fork Bridge · Eastern Virgin · Fallen Rock cave · Ghost Den · Glass Chime cave · Half Mouse cave · Morning Glory cave · Northern passage · North Fork Bridge · North Fork campground · Old Rockville Bridge · Patriarchs' Campground · Pine Creek tunnel · Ranger Substation Eagle · Ranger Substation Osprey · Ranger Substation Peregrine · Red Rapids docks · Sorrows camp · Sorrows Fork Campground · Southern passage · Stone Bones cave · Sun Sentinels · Sweet Flower cave · The Aerie · The Bend Bridge · The Red Gate · The Spine · Three Marys (Three Marys Cavern) · Two Skies cave · Vault 22 dwellers' guard camp · Virgin River · Virgin Fork campground · White Bird's cave · Wind Wall docks · Yao guai cave · Zion Canyon · Zion fishing lodge · Zion General Store · Zion Ranger station · Zion Valley welcome booth

	Unmarked	Stalkers' camp · Survivalist's cache · Vault 22 camp · White Legs camp

Items	Weapons	.45 Auto pistol (A Light Shining in Darkness) · .45 Auto submachine gun · Bug Spray · War club · Survivalist's rifle · Fire bomb · Tomahawk · Compliance Regulator · Yao guai gauntlet (She's Embrace) · Salt-Upon-Wounds' power fist

	Apparel	Desert Ranger combat armor · Chalk's headdress · Daniel's outfit · Dead Horses stalker armor · Gecko-backed leather armor (reinforced) · Gecko-backed metal armor (reinforced) · Joshua Graham's armor · Park ranger hat · Salt-Upon-Wounds' helmet · Sorrows outfit · Sorrows adorned outfit · White Legs hide armor · White Legs outfit

	Consumables	Black coffee · Blood Shield · Dark datura · Datura antivenom · Datura hide · Daturana · Healing poultice · Large wasteland tequila · Sacred datura root · Spore plant pods · Wasteland tequila · Weapon binding ritual

	Misc items	Broken compass · Compass · Compass sensor module · Ghost of She's paw · Green gecko egg · Green gecko hide · Li'l Scout lunchbox · Medical supply kit · Scripture · Tanned green gecko hide · Walkie-talkie · Zion Canyon map

Characters

Dancing Flame · Daniel · Follows-Chalk · Joshua Graham · Jed Masterson · Randall Clark · Ricky · Salt-Upon-Wounds · Stella · Two-Bears-High-Fiving · Waking Cloud · White Bird

Factions

Dead Horses (disciple, stalker, tribal, warrior) · Mormons · Sorrows · White Legs (bone-breaker, light-bringer, pain-maker, sapper, storm-drummer, tribal)

Perks

Corpse Finder

· Eye for Eye · Tribal Wisdom · Well-Stacked Cairns · Quiet As The Waters · Grunt · Way of the Canaanite · Sneering Imperialist · Fight the Power! · Home on the Range

Misc

Randall Clark's journal

Factions in Fallout: New Vegas

Major factions		Caesar's Legion · New California Republic (New California Republic Army (Bravo Company · First Recon · Military Police · The Misfits) · New California Republic Rangers (Alpha Squad) · Office of Science and Industry) · Free Economic Zone of New Vegas (Mr. House · Yes Man)

Prospective factions		Boomers · Enclave remnants · Followers of the Apocalypse · Great Khans · Mojave Brotherhood of Steel · Three Families (Chairmen · Omertas · White Glove Society)

Secondary factions		Aliens · Bright Brotherhood · Cassidy Caravans · Crimson Caravan · Davison's nightkin · Fiends · Greasers · Gun Runners · Jackals · The Kings · Maud's Muggers · Mojave Express · Powder Gangers · Rad Pack Revue · Scorpions · State of Utobitha · Van Graffs · Vipers · Westside Cooperative (Westside Militia)

Add-on factions		Dead Horses · Happy Trails Caravan Company · Mormons · Sorrows · White Legs · Think Tank

[Jed1-1] The Courier: "What can you tell me about New Canaan?"
Jed Masterson: "Don't know much about the place, but I can tell you about the people. The New Canaanites were some kind of religious group from before the War. They control the old city of Ogden, a ways north of Zion, and they got themselves a nice defensible mission in the canyon itself - or they did. They trade a fair bit with the tribes in Zion - well, the ones that don't try and kill them, anyways."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue)

[2] Courier: "Nice guns"
Joshua Graham: "In the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, all tribes are known for a specific weapon. White Legs are known for their big submachine guns, "storm drums." They broke into an armory near Spanish Fork and have been using them for years. Of course, the Dead Horses have their wooden war clubs and even the Sorrows have their Yao Guai gauntlets. This type of .45 Automatic pistol was designed by one of my tribe almost four hundred years ago. Learning its use is a New Canaanite rite of passage."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)

[Ulysses-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Ulysses log: Y-17.22

[4] Honest Hearts intro: "A few decades back, folks in the NCR started to hear about a community in northern Utah called New Canaan. Didn't know much about them, except that they were religious folks. Sent out missionaries to talk to the tribes. We've seen our share of cults, but the New Canaanites, they were honest traders. Good fighters, too. Raiders wouldn't tangle with 'em."

[5] Courier: "Do you know anything about their religion?"
Jed Masterson: "I ain't a prayin' man myself. They paid for their goods and dealt square with us, that's all I ever cared about. But don't think that just because they're religious that they're pacifists. They take care of their own, and they're damn fine marksmen too."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue)

[6] Courier: "Does the Crimson Caravan have any competition?"
Alice McLafferty: "Well, the Gun Runners continue to dominate the weapons market, and the Mormon traders from New Canaan control the majority of the northern routes."
(Alice McLafferty's dialogue)

[7] Crimson Caravan Company terminal entries; terminal, New Canaan Branch Proposal

[assuredly-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Courier: "I came here with the Happy Trails Caravan Company to make contact with the New Canaanites."
Joshua Graham: "I have bad news for your employers. New Canaan was destroyed, its citizens scattered. All because of the White Legs. And Caesar, of course. The White Legs want to join the Legion. Caesar's rite of passage is the destruction of the New Canaanites, almost assuredly because of me."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)

[9] Follows-Chalk: "Way I heard it, Salt-Upon-Wounds butchered everyone in New Canaan and nailed their corpses to the cliffs."
(Follows-Chalk's dialogue)

[wiped_out-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Courier: "Wait, what? New Canaan was wiped out? How?"
Follows-Chalk: "That's what Joshua said. White Legs came down from Great Salt Lake in force - fell on New Canaan before they could mount a defense. Joshua found some of the survivors led by a man named Daniel. Most of them have fled the valley, but Daniel stayed on with the Sorrows tribe. He and Joshua have been arguing over whether to stand and fight the White Legs or take the Sorrows and the Dead Horses out of the valley."
(Follows-Chalk's dialogue)

[11] Courier: "You're the man in charge. If something's troubling you, it could affect all of us."
Daniel: "I never thought I'd be in charge of anything. Don't know why. Bishop Mordecai was old. He had been sick for years. He couldn't walk anymore. It wasn't a problem for the rest of us. When the White Legs came.... We couldn't get him out in time. The house caught fire at the base and worked its way up. Fast. He didn't die of smoke. I wish he had. Sometimes I wake up and for a minute or two, I think all of it was a dream. But it's not. It wasn't. I wish all of this were some fevered vision of what could have been. Instead of what is, what we let happen."
(Daniel's dialogue)

[12] Courier: "Well, I'm guessing you're pretty mad about something."
Joshua Graham: "The White Legs didn't just force my people out of New Canaan. They butchered everyone who wasn't fast enough to get away. The elderly, the ill, children. Those who stopped to help the wounded. It made no difference to them. They can't be reasoned with, the White Legs. Daniel believes that if we leave, if the Sorrows leave, the White Legs will stop. He doesn't understand what this kind of tribe is like."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)

[13] The Courier: "Why did the White Legs attack my caravan?"
Joshua Graham: "They attack everyone who isn't a White Leg, especially caravans. They don't know how to survive on their own, so they have to raid. But as for why they are here, they are trying to wipe us out. All of us. They want to join Caesar's Legion, and they can only prove their worth by destroying the New Canaanites and everyone we shelter."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)

[White_Legs_crushed-14] Honest Hearts Endings, White Legs: "Despite their defeat at Three Marys, and the death of their war chief, the White Legs were determined to pursue the other New Canaanites. But when they finally tracked down their prey in Colorado, they discovered the tables had been turned. The White Legs who survived the New Canaanites' ambushes were hunted down by Dead Horses before they could reach the safety of the Great Salt Lake. When word of the White Legs' diminished numbers reached the 80s tribe, war was declared, and by year's end, the White Legs had been wiped out."

[15] Courier: "What's going on with all of these... tribes?"
Joshua Graham: "A great deal. There are three, make that four, tribes here in Zion. You've already met the White Legs on the way in. In this camp, you'll find Dead Horses. In the Narrows, the Sorrows. And finally there's Daniel and myself. We're New Canaanites."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue)

[16] Courier: "Salvation? From what, the wasteland?"
Daniel: "A spiritual wasteland, yes. We believe that before this life, our souls existed elsewhere. And after we die, our souls will leave this world. During our time here, we have the burden of choice. The choices we make determine where we go in the spirit world, and how we will face judgment. New Canaanites believe, as many once did, that God was made flesh here on Earth as a man named Jesus Christ. He sacrificed his life to save us. Every sin, every terrible thing that you, me, or any one of us have done for all time, was washed away by his blood. We just have to accept his love. That's why we visit the tribes, to spread the good news. For all we know, we New Canaanites may be all that remains of Christ's followers."
(Daniel's dialogue)

[17] The Courier: "That doesn't sound like what I've heard about the New Canaanites...."
Waking Cloud: "Perhaps you do not fully understand the New Canaanites. I have seen the Father's images. His holy bride and holy son were given unto the world to save it. They dwelt in the caverns of the mountains, caverns which can still be seen today. The people sinned against Him, and were punished with the End That Came in Fire and the loss of the holy tongue. Only the New Canaanites were spared."
(Waking Cloud's dialogue)

[18] Courier: "Interesting."
Daniel: "Heh. That's actually a better response than I usually get from wastelanders. No offense. Tell you what. There's a lot going on right now but why don't you take this. Read it. Maybe you'll hate it. Maybe you'll be bored. But if you have questions, assuming we get through all this, let me know. It used to be my job to answer those questions. Maybe it will be again."
(Daniel's dialogue)

[19] Courier: "Sounds kind of far-fetched, even for the wasteland."
Daniel: "Good news is an amazing thing in this world we've unmade. We're so used to going to sleep with nightmares that we can't imagine waking up to a dream. But that's what we believe, every word of it. It's the cornerstone of our faith and how we choose to live. With every step you take, you put one foot in front of the other and know that you'll be pulled back down to this Earth. We know that God is watching over us, waiting for us to come back home. To us, there's no difference. Walking and living. It's all belief, all faith."
(Daniel's dialogue)

[20] Courier: "What was it that brought you out here from Utah?"
Bert Gunnarsson: "Following a lost cause, I'm afraid. My old friend Nephi fell in with a bad crowd. Drug runners, raiders, probably worse things it's better not to dwell on. When his gang headed west, I followed. I thought perhaps I could turn him back to the Church."
(Bert Gunnarsson's dialogue)

[21] Question: "What is it that you find fascinating about Mormons/Utah? Im assuming you find those things fascinating."
Sawyer: "Not fascinating, but interesting. Southern Utah has really spectacular scenery and is the most beautiful part of the U.S. that I have seen. It's pretty telling that in my trips around that area, I encounter as many foreigners as Americans. Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase, Monument Valley, and Valley of the Gods are all fantastic [cont.]"
(Sawyer on Formspring - Archived)

[22] Fallout: New Vegas 10th Anniversary Charity Stream Part 2 (reference starts at 1:26:37)
Joshua Sawyer: "Did we have Mormons on my team when writing Honest Hearts? No, but I did talk to some Mormons about how I was portraying Joshua Graham and Mormonism. And not like they're the authority, but they said that seems pretty reasonable. They said that seems pretty good, so..."
(Transcript)

[1]