He and his students collected jokes, legends, stories, songs, and other information to add to the Mormon folklore archives.
He studied in the library of the Finnish Literature Society, taking special interest in the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder's idea that the soul of a culture could be seen through its folklore.
He wrote an article on Three Nephites stories in 1969, surprising Dorson with his ability to collect Mormon folklore in Indiana, outside of the Mountain states.
[1] In his later research on the Three Nephites, Wilson stated that the persistence of the stories showed how Mormons believe in a personal and benevolent God.
[8] While at first Wilson focused on supernatural tales and legends, he worked to extend folklore studies in Mormondom to include everyday life.
[1] Wilson was the Director of the Redd Center for Western Studies, and in 1990 he received the title of Humanities Professor of Folklore and Literature.
[4]: xii Wilson worked as the director of the folklore program and archives at Utah State University from 1978 to 1985, expanding and formalizing the collection that Austin E. and Alta S. Fife started.
Wilson also worked to expand undergraduate courses, and helped to enable a new master's program: American studies with an emphasis in folklore.
The archive began with papers that students wrote for Wilson, John Sorenson, an anthropologist, and Thomas E. Cheney, another folklorist.
The collection's papers report on legends, beliefs, jokes, songs, and material culture popular with Mormons and/or in the Intermountain West.