John Danforth Nutting

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. 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.'" 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. In 1885 he married Nannie Keith Miller, who died in childbirth a year later. 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. 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."

John D. Nutting's papers are held in the Archives of Wheaton College. Additional materials about Nutting and the Utah Gospel Mission are held at the Bowling Green State University archives.

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) The True Mormon Doctrine (1901) https://archive.org/details/truemormondoctri00nutt Greater Points of Christian Truth... by... student of... Mormonism (1901) A Journey Among the Mormons (1901) Mormonism Proclaiming Itself a Fraud (1901) Main Facts Regarding the Growth and Power of Mormonism (1902) The Story of a Mormon Convert (1903) Present Day Mormonism and its Remedy (1904) Religious Destitution in a "Christian Country" (1907) https://archive.org/details/religiousdestitu00nutt The Wonderful Story of the Wonderful Book (1908) My Field of Labor: Where Does God Call Me? (1910) https://archive.org/details/myfieldoflaborwh00nutt Why I could Never be a Mormon (1911) https://books.google.com/books?id=6nrE0uYk-PcC&q=john%20d.%20nutting The Private Doctrines of Mormon Theology (1912) The Secret oaths and Ceremonies of Mormonism (1912) Incidents and Anecdotes Illustrating Mormonism (1912, rep 1915) Mormonism To-Day and Its Remedy (1913) Money and Our Utah Work (1913) https://archive.org/details/moneyourutahwork00nuttrich The Real Doctrines of Mormonism (1921) The Guard's Great Question (pre-1922) The Truth About God (pre-1922) Mormon Doctrine and Christian Truth (pre-1922) Thoughts About Heaven (pre-1922) Special Difficulties of Christian Work Among Mormons (pre-1922) Josephite or "Reorganized" Mormonism (pre-1922) The Fraud of the "Inspired Translation" (pre-1922) Mormon Twistings of the Bible (pre-1922) Reorganized or Josephite Mormonism, Carefully Considered (1922) Paul's Method of Dealing with False Religionists (1927?) Teachings of Mormonism and Christianity Compared (1928, rep 1931) The Road to Glory-Land (1929? rep 1931) Why Care about Mormonism? (1931) What We do in the West (1931) Oliver Cowdery's Renunciation of Mormonism (pre-1932) Mormon Morals (pre-1932) The Truth About God (pre-1932) Who First Acknowledged Polygamy? (pre-1932) The Mormon's Mistake (pre-1932) How to Meet the Mormon Need and Danger (1937?) Eight Reasons why no one should be a Mormon (1939?) If not Much, then a Little! (1940?) Why? (1940) Some Soul-stirring Reasons for Knowing... Mormon Issue (1943) Contradictions in Mormon Books and Doctrines (1934? rep 1942)