The Shakers
- stephenstrent7
- May 17
- 2 min read
Shaker dance and worship, during the Era of Manifestations; Wikipedia
Where Science Meets the Doctrine and Covenants, for the Come Follow Me lesson May 19-25; Doctrine and Covenants 49-50
Doctrine and Covenants 49:22 states, “And again, verily I say unto you, that the Son of Man cometh not in the form of a woman, neither of a man traveling on the earth.”
In part, the heading to section 49 states, “Some of the beliefs of the Shakers were that Christ’s Second Coming had already occurred and that He had appeared in the form of a woman, Ann Lee.”
Ann Lee (1736 – 1784), also known as Mother Ann Lee, was the founding leader of a religious society founded in 1747 in England, called the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Outsiders called them the “Shaking Quakers”, or just “Shakers”, because of the jerky rhythm of their dances. The group accepted the name as well. In 1774, Lee and a small group of her followers emigrated from England to New York. She was often referred to, and considered, the female representation of God.1
The Shakers espoused egalitarian ideals and practice a celibate, communal utopian lifestyle. They believed in pacifism (thus the nominal association with Quakers), uniform charismatic worship, and their idea of equality of the sexes. They were best known for their simple living, architecture, technological innovation, music, and furniture.
At its peak between 1820 and 1860, there were 2,000–4,000 Shakers in numerous small communities, and the movement had expanded from New England to Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. However, their celibate lifestyle resulted in no influx by births, and there were few new converts to the faith. As a result, the society dwindled as members left or died. By 1920, only twelve small Shaker communities remained. As of 2019, there was only one active Shaker village: Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, Maine. By 2024, there were only two Shakers left.2 Many of the other Shaker settlements are now museums.
The Shakers are best known for their songs and furniture. They composed thousands of songs, the best known being Simple Gifts, composed in 1848 by Joseph Brackett.
Trent Dee Stephens, PhD
References
1. Stein, Stephen J., The Shaker Experience in America: A History of the United Society of Believers, A History of the United Society of Believers, Yale University Press, 1992
2. Kisner, Jordan, There Are Only Two Shakers Left. They've Still Got Utopia in Their Sights, The New York Times Group, 2024; nytimes.com/2024/09/05/magazine/shakers-utopia.html
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