Scottish Shepherd: The Life and Times of John Murray Murdoch, Utah Pioneer

One of the unique migrations in the history of this nation was the large infusion of immigrants-primarily from northern and western Europe-who came to America to gather with the "Saints," members of the Church of lesus Christ of Latter day Saints, during the nineteenth century. Thousands of Europeans-especially those from the British Isles-embraced the message of Mormonism and sought a spiritual refuge on the frontiers of the American West.

John Murray Murdoch was one such immigrant, and this volume tells the story of his life and the unique times in which he lived. He participated in the military preparations and maneuvers against the United States Army in the 1857 Utah War, he helped to settle the Wasatch County area, becoming one of its first elected officials, and he organized the first sheep cooperative in Wasatch County and helped establish the sheep ranching industry in Utah. It is the "everyman" aspect of John Murdoch's life that makes his story so compelling.