Mormon Enigma

Oct 22, 2008 Brent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mormonism has had a bit of a schizophrenic relationship with Emma Smith. Over 150 years, she's been seen as everything from a "devil" to the epitome of the stereotypical selfless at all times, saintly, angelically feminine Mormon woman (the apparent most-favored status of Mormonism today given some recent Mormon culture movies and books). This book is essentially the definitive work on her history and biography, and can be pointed to as one of, if not the cause of Emma's extremely positive (and...more Mormonism has had a bit of a schizophrenic relationship with Emma Smith. Over 150 years, she's been seen as everything from a "devil" to the epitome of the stereotypical selfless at all times, saintly, angelically feminine Mormon woman (the apparent most-favored status of Mormonism today given some recent Mormon culture movies and books). This book is essentially the definitive work on her history and biography, and can be pointed to as one of, if not the cause of Emma's extremely positive (and oftentimes romantic) image prevalent in current mormondom.

Prior to its release, not much of good was published on Emma Smith. This project took on the expanse of her life, originally clocking in at thousands of pages, and finally painted a real picture of Emma Hale Smith Bidamon, warts and all, as they say. That's the essential backdrop for the biography. Much inside of this book may be new and fairly shocking to those who have no to little knowledge of early LDS Church history, particularly concerning the initial practice of polygamy. Regardless, much of the book revolves around the effects of polygamy on Emma's life, relationships and psyche, as it must, since the issue was central to her life's struggle.

Without going into further detail about its entirety, I will give a quick review of my thoughts on the book. First of all, I appreciated the thorough work the authors completed, which helped me gain a full picture of Emma and her struggles. This woman was a saint in every sense of the word. I don't believe that she was perfect, by no means. During my reading, though , I kept thinking of and comparing her to Job - though, I think Job may have had it easier, to be quite frank. Within the framework of the book, there were certainly times where I felt the authors' new-found kinship with Emma biased them to her cause, and at times, she seemed too untouchably perfect, while other players (particularly Brigham Young) came off a bit too dastardly. Still, this bent was minor and forgivable.

I was blown away by Emma's charity. While many Mormons whisper the folklore of her pushing one or another of the Elizas down the stairs (dubious info, apparently), there is rarely real-world discussion of the sacrifices she made for others throughout her life and well into old age. For example, her second husband's (Lewis Bidamon) infidelity led to the birth of a child by a woman who was unable to care for the child. Emma forgave Bidamon, took the child into her own care and raised it as her own to protect it from any judgment of illegitimacy, and even invited Bidamon's lover into her household so she could earn money cooking and cleaning and be close to her child (and apparently, the two women forged a loyal bond). This act, as many others related in the book, was simply astounding to me.

In a nutshell, my view of Emma as a result of reading this book, is that she had an amazing aptitude for faith and charity, that she was minimally equal to Joseph in those areas, and that she was tried to an extent I hope to never have to experience. In the face of those trials, though, which extended throughout her entire life, there were times when she was plainly human - making dubious claims about her knowledge of the practice of polygamy to her son, Joseph Smith III, for example. For her humanity, I can lay no blame, and only admire and appreciate its beauty.

This book is a page-turning look at a completely fascinating woman, perhaps one of America's greatest women - which I say not due to bias as a Mormon, but because of the particular place she occupied in part of America's history and because of the tragedies and triumphs of her life.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Mormon history, women's issues (particularly 18-19th century), or anyone interested in a fascinating character study. The key word in the title, "Enigma," is very telling, indeed.(less)

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Jun 04, 2008 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

OK. I think that when a book helps a feminist Mormon get closer to terms with a long, internal battle with polygamy it should get a "hurrah" and 5 stars. I loved reading this book. I know it had a lot of controversy when it was first published, but I found it non-biased and was surprised to see it was not anti-mormon at all. Sometimes we think that if something doesn't paint the church in a perfect light we should ignore it. I, however, felt so excited to really learn about Emma herself, as I ha...more

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Apr 30, 2008 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel like such a history buff. I read this at a friend's suggestion and I'm glad I did. It's true that history changes depending on who wrote it because this book has a very different feel than the Bushman book on Joseph Smith I read a couple of months ago.

I think Emma Smith must have been a force to be reckoned with. She was a strong, opinionated, independent woman at a time when those characteristics in a female were much more rare. I would truly love to have a chance to talk with her.

From...more I feel like such a history buff. I read this at a friend's suggestion and I'm glad I did. It's true that history changes depending on who wrote it because this book has a very different feel than the Bushman book on Joseph Smith I read a couple of months ago.

I think Emma Smith must have been a force to be reckoned with. She was a strong, opinionated, independent woman at a time when those characteristics in a female were much more rare. I would truly love to have a chance to talk with her.

From accounts given in this biography, she was a very charitable being, a doting mother and well educated. Someone the prophet loved and a person whose good opinion he strived for. What frustrated me when reading this, however, were all of the second hand accounts of her life. She didn't keep a history or a journal and the only time her voice is heard is in her letters. Her later years, when she fell out of favor with the Utah saints, were tainted by reports of missionaries traveling through Nauvoo with an interest in checking up on her. She had no desire to be checked up on and seemed to make an effort to appear unfriendly and changed from the woman many of them knew and loved.

So much of this book deals with polygamy. I honestly don't know if I would have reacted any differently than Emma if put in her situation. I guess I'm glad I don't have to find out. It's interesting to me to see polygamy come up in the news and entertainment. As church members, we find the practice appalling because it is against the commandments....now. We distance ourselves from the fundamentalists who show up in the news and make comments about how they are NOT mormon. But it was a commandment at one time. Emma couldn't get her heart or brain around it and upon the death of her husband, felt she needed to distance herself from the leadership she knew would continue the practice she found so abhorrent. Others, like her, fell away from the church or were ex-communicated due to misunderstanding or unlawful engagement of the practice.

Today, the opposite is true. And it boils down to faith in a prophet. Did Joseph Smith receive a revelation about polygamy? I believe he did, although I'm not convinced the early church practiced it perfectly or understood it. Did Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation to stop its practice? Again, I believe he did.

Emma was so close to Joseph that she must have witnessed so much of the man as well as the prophet in him. She was convinced that he was deceived regarding the revelation of polygamy...that it was not from Heavenly Father. But the twelve, most importantly Brigham Young, saw otherwise.

(less)

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Jan 27, 2008 Rex rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a meticulously researched and thorough look at Emma Hale. The reader leaves with an increased awareness and respect for Emma and the trials she endured. However, I felt like the intended focus on Emma and her needs had an alternative effect of unfairly portraying Joseph Smith. While the mind of Emma was center stage, Joseph's thoughts and many of his benevolent and charitable acts were left out. I look forward to a biography that portrays both individuals together--that is--a book that w...more

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Dec 16, 2007 Janet Kincaid rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorites, absolute-must-read

If you never read another book (and I'm not sure there are others) about Emma Hale Smith, the wife of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, you'll be none the worse for content. This is, at this moment, the quintessential biography of the First Lady of Mormonism. She gets short shrift in the LDS Church and in its cirricula and it's easy to see why: she spoke up and opposed some of her husband's most controversial doctrines, particularly polygamy. An excellent book! Definitely a must-read.

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Oct 25, 2011 Char rated it 2 of 5 stars

because it is the ONLY biography of Emma Smith, who I would LOVE to better understand and sympathize with, and because it IS loaded w/ research, I have to give it credit, but as SIL Kristen pointed out, it's the bibliography, not the writing that made the book. Honestly, I felt like I was listening to two old biddies (sorry authors!) gossiping half the time. Many of the accounts are from long ago memories or from less than reliable sources, which they often admit, but even with their trying to s...more because it is the ONLY biography of Emma Smith, who I would LOVE to better understand and sympathize with, and because it IS loaded w/ research, I have to give it credit, but as SIL Kristen pointed out, it's the bibliography, not the writing that made the book. Honestly, I felt like I was listening to two old biddies (sorry authors!) gossiping half the time. Many of the accounts are from long ago memories or from less than reliable sources, which they often admit, but even with their trying to stay unbiased, there were two things that troubled me most about the authors' approach:
1-they OFTEN supposed a LOT (Emma surely felt...; of course Emma would have met this situation with...), and it seemed to me they imposed their own ideas of how things must have fit together and what kind of a person she was. Granted--can anyone possibly write a biography of someone w/ NO PERSONAL accounts withOUT doing this??--probably not---maybe I just didn't sympathize with these authors as I would like to sympathize with Emma. It seemed to me that the authors hated polygamy, and used that position to justify any of Emma's negative image. While she clearly struggled with the issue of polygamy (who wouldn't???!!)--we simply DON'T KNOW all of what she was dealing with.
2-they seemed to try and write without ANY Spirit, which CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!! How many examples do I have in my own life of decisions I've made or things that have happened or things I believe that I KNOW don't sound sensible or logical, but because of the Spirit, either the strength or the peace or the sure clarity it gives me, I can move forward?? And ESPECIALLY in a situation like Emma's, and ESPECIALLY in a time and culture that so THRIVED off of spiritual witnesses, it is so ill-fitting to tell her story as though she was worn down, or gradually convinced, or talked into. When even the miracle of the quails was described as just a matter-of-fact occurrence that some people saw as amazing, I stopped trying to love the book. For a better example of recounting spiritual experiences without losing objectivity, I have LOVED Rough Stone Rolling about Joseph Smith (which I naturally picked up while reading this).
All said, I did appreciate the VERY difficult research, and the added depth to Emma's character that I gained from reading the book. She WAS an amazing example of charity the way she was constantly serving others, nursing others, and taking others in, no matter how dire her own circumstances--AMAZING benevolence, and she clearly was a strong woman, who was able to express and carry herself well. It is sad to me how much she and the church were distanced from each other for so long, and I am glad we now hang her portrait in our Relief Society Rooms, to acknowledge all of her contributions, her love of the temple and Book of Mormon, and her honestly amazing example. I don't think any other book has ever made me want SO BADLY to KEEP A JOURNAL!!!! I just feel like there are still so many holes; I don't feel like this book was true to her --though how to be, I admittedly don't know how!(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Amandalynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, church

Not really sure how this book left me feeling. I was intrigued to read it because I wanted to know what happened to Emma after the Saints all left Nauvoo. I know that she had remarried but that was it. Not sure that this book satisfied that curiosity, in the prologue they said that they weren't going to spend much time on Joseph that this was to be about Emma and yet the martyrdom doesn't happen until the book is already 3/4 of the way finished. A lot of it is speculation and reading between the...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Villate rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very interesting and thought-provoking biography of a misunderstood and often misrepresented character. Like some other reviewers, I think the authors pretty clearly do not like Joseph Smith much (though I don't necessarily doubt that they believe he was a prophet), and I take issue with some of the sources used for the research, but the authors clearly indicate what types of people provided the memories and take some care to note the possibilities of different agendas, etc. I take most histor...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Afton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religious

What an amazing story of an amazing woman. The first quarter of the book recounted basic early church history with pretty much nothing I hadn't heard before. When it reached the Nauvoo era and particularly the beginnings of plural marriage I was completely enthralled. The timing and the manner in which Joseph Smith (her husband) married other women in secrecy (even to Emma) was truly distressing. Particularly the number of women he married was just insane, but I won't get into all that. I find i...more What an amazing story of an amazing woman. The first quarter of the book recounted basic early church history with pretty much nothing I hadn't heard before. When it reached the Nauvoo era and particularly the beginnings of plural marriage I was completely enthralled. The timing and the manner in which Joseph Smith (her husband) married other women in secrecy (even to Emma) was truly distressing. Particularly the number of women he married was just insane, but I won't get into all that. I find it interesting that Joseph always professed undying love to Emma and yet he continued to marry many of her closest friends and associates behind her back. This book portrays how heart-wrenching the practice was for Emma and yet she is so inspiring in her continued devotion to Joseph to the very end.

Another fascinating and enlightening thing for me was to read about Emma's life immediately following the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Jr., down to the very end of her life. The happenings in Nauvoo preceding the exodus of the Saints to Utah, the way people treated her or talked about her because of her decision to not go West, her financial troubles, her hard-working and ever-compassionate manner, experiences raising her children in Nauvoo, getting remarried to Lewis Bidamon, growing old - all of these things I have never learned about or considered. I loved reading about Emma's life and legacy. I think she is a stalwart and devoted woman and she always stood up for what was important and decent in her life. She managed a hotel for much of her life and she housed, fed, cared-for, and raised countless people of various backgrounds. Even when she was in her 70s she continued to care for her grown children through their difficulties, she always welcomed visitors into her home for extended visits, and she stood strong in the face of constant criticism from the Utah Mormons.

I am inspired by her life and satisfied that I now know the rest of her story. This book was a great read.(less)

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Mar 23, 2009 Emmie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

I came back from my mission with a lot of questions about LDS history and found this book on my mom's shelf. The problem with reading Mormon history is it tends to be authored by members of one of two groups. Either you have the squeaky-clean utterly dull (for a lifetime Mormon) church version. After awhile, you've just heard all the major quotes and anecdotes and you want to know more. Unfortunately, a lot of people hate the LDS church and have an axe to grind, or at the least take a snarky bel...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

I learned quite a bit from this one, and I'm very glad I read it. "Rough Stone Rolling" made Joseph Smith more like a real person for me. This book did that for Emma, and it also made Joseph Smith more real as a husband and father. I enjoyed reading about Joseph and Emma in domestic settings and how Joseph treated Emma and his children. He loved them very much, and Emma returned that love to Joseph.

The primary focus of the last half of the book is polygamy and Emma's reaction to it. Emma suffer...more I learned quite a bit from this one, and I'm very glad I read it. "Rough Stone Rolling" made Joseph Smith more like a real person for me. This book did that for Emma, and it also made Joseph Smith more real as a husband and father. I enjoyed reading about Joseph and Emma in domestic settings and how Joseph treated Emma and his children. He loved them very much, and Emma returned that love to Joseph.

The primary focus of the last half of the book is polygamy and Emma's reaction to it. Emma suffered though a lot as the wife of a prophet, but she suffered the most with Joseph Smith's teaching and participation in polygamy. So much so, that she lied to her children about it in an attempt to keep them from believing and practicing it. As a result, Brigham Young called Emma a wicked woman and a liar. Brigham is correct that Emma did lie, but I don't know that I would agree that Emma was a wicked woman -- at least, not any more wicked than the rest of us fallen creatures.

Emma loved her children and she loved her husband, but she allowed that love to justify questionable behavior. Brigham's accusation that she tried to kill Joseph by poisoning him is over the top, but she did lie to her children about their father. She certainly was in a very tough position, believing as she did that her husband was a prophet and simultaneously that polygamy was a heinous practice, but I don't think that was justification to lie to her adult children, even after they had discovered pretty convincing evidence that Joseph had in fact married many women. Emma's refusal to tell her children the truth caused Joseph Smith III to look foolish and probably seriously tried his faith as he investigated the accusations that his father practiced polygamy.

It appears as if most church leaders, including Brigham Young, believed that Joseph Smith III would be the prophet of the church after Joseph Smith died. Joseph Smith even blessed his son to hold that position after his death. But I believe those leaders forgot an important principle: humans have free will. Although Joseph Smith III may have been blessed -- foreordained, even -- to be the prophet of the church after his father's death, Joseph Smith III could still choose for himself whether he would actually wear that mantle. According to Brigham, as a result of Emma's lies and influence, Joseph Smith III failed to inherit his father's position, as was his right as Joseph's son, but I think that view ignores Joseph Smith III's own intellect and character, both of which appear to have been phenomenal. Ultimately, Joseph Smith III did head a church, just not the one with whom the vast majority of Mormons belonged to. (As the authors of this book cleverly state, one church had the kingdom, the other had the kings.) Joseph Smith III wanted to learn for himself whether the accusations about his father were true, and personally traveled to Utah to meet with women to whom Joseph Smith Jr. had been married. While there, he learned the truth, or at least, obtained pretty solid evidence that his father had in fact taught and practiced polygamy. I believe that Joseph Smith III then intentionally decided, even in the face of irrefutable facts, that he was going to reject that aspect of his father's life and continue to head a church that his father likely would not have agreed with. I think that Joseph Smith was foreordained to be the prophet of Christ's church, but as a result of his own choice, which he was free to make, he ended up heading down a path that God had not wanted him to take.

Finally, prior to reading this book, I knew next to nothing about Joseph Smith III. I've now learned that he was a man of remarkable intelligence and strong moral character. I'm very curious about him and his life, and I'd really like to read more about the RLDS/Community of Christ church. I will need to do some research to find some good books on the subject. (less)

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Apr 25, 2010 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I learned things that I did not know about the Prophet Joseph Smith, which does, however not change my conviction that he is the prophet of the restoration. Emma Hale Smith was an extremely charitable soul who took everyoen into her home. Even while she knew about her husband's plural wives, she still allowed them to live in her home. This was, of course, not easy for anyone. She kept going back and forth with the polygamy issue. She believed in it, then she didn't, then believed again. She was...more I learned things that I did not know about the Prophet Joseph Smith, which does, however not change my conviction that he is the prophet of the restoration. Emma Hale Smith was an extremely charitable soul who took everyoen into her home. Even while she knew about her husband's plural wives, she still allowed them to live in her home. This was, of course, not easy for anyone. She kept going back and forth with the polygamy issue. She believed in it, then she didn't, then believed again. She was jealous and wanted her husband for herself. She did not believe that polygamy was instituted by God. But she stuck with her husband from the beginning when he received the golden plates and they had to move from place to place to keep the plates and themselves safe from the mob. Hardly ever did they have any privacy while they were practically on the run, and whenever they finally had their own place, like in Nauvoo, they constantly had people living with them, which was, obviously also a means of earning a living. She took everyone in who needed food, shelter or help of any kind. The only thing she ever really opposed was polygamy and sharing her husband with other women. I imagine how much she suffered when her first pregnancies ended in the death of the babies or when little adopted Joseph died as a toddler. She had to bury so many children. She never saw her parents or her hometown again after they moved to Kirtland. What a life she would have had if it wasn't for the doctrine of polygamy. Her attitude towards it defined her for the rest of her life. In her later years she denied that Joseph ever taught it or practiced it and she made every effort to keep most of the truth from Jospeh III for a long time. The big rift between her and Brigham Young divided those who went west from those who stayed in Nauvoo. The Utah Mormons desperately wanted her to come west and take her rightful place as the martyred prophet's wife, but she would not think of it and married Lewis Bidamon who was a good father to her children. He had his own faults, infidelity being one of them, which resulted in an illegitimate child. Of course, Emma treated that child as her own also. She even made Lewis and the child's mother promise to marry after her death so that the child would have a rightful name. To me, this alone proves what a great woman she was. (less)

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Aug 20, 2009 Lydia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read the background on the authors and the history of this book first. So went into it with a grain of salt.

There are certain attitudes that the authors portray that I didn't agree with. That said, there were also parts I found very fascinating. Definitely interesting how history can be seen differently by 2 different people going through the exact same thing.

This book is definitely about Emma. (Not Joseph Smith) And at least how these authors felt she must have been. There are a few errors....more

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Mar 21, 2009 Nancy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-group, biography

Looking at the reviews here, I am in the infinitesimal minority. I did NOT like this book. It was written by feminists who belong to the group that believe the only way to make one person 'good' is to make the people in their life 'bad.' The treatment of Joseph Smith in this book is nothing short of shameful. If it had been balanced, if it had treated him as a flawed human being, I would have been okay with that. But they simply portrayed him as a cruel, small-minded, selfish man in all instance...more

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May 29, 2011 Lowell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. LOVED it. Not because it's a "warm fuzzy" read, rather because it is comes off as such a real and genuine work by two sincere women authors who felt the full, rich story of Emma's life should be told.

The first few chapters are general LDS history, with Emma coming off more as a minor figure in the development of the Restoration. Once the authors cover Nauvoo, though, it really takes off. Those with a brief knowledge of LDS History know of plural marriage in the early period, a...more

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Mar 06, 2008 Barry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mormon

Bar none, the best biography on the often overlooked Emma Hale Smith, who suffered greatly through the losses of several children, the early practice of polygamy without her consent or knowledge, and the eventual murder of Joseph.

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Dec 19, 2012 Andie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lds, i-personally-recommend, definately-read-again, 2012-challenge

I have so many mixed feelings about Emma Smith, but who am I to judge her reasoning for some of the things that she said and did? This book gives a wonderful history of Emma Smith's life, including after the Prophet Joseph Smith was murdered. There as so many things about her life that I didn't understand, and I may never understand them, but like I said. Who am I to judge? I feel that part of the problem is that I put her on a pedistool way before I really knew her. But I have chosen to love he...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Allan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Subject matter is wonderful and it blends a number of different historical narratives together in a way that is fresh and enjoyable. This was also helpful in contributing to my own research. However, sometimes the scholarship is a bit sloppy, there are a lot of tangents that do no so much contextualize discussions of Emma as much as they are just tacked on so Newell and King can seemingly talk about anything they want to in LDS history, and many citations are not full enough or existent (which w...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave a wonderful insight to Emma Smith, wife, mother, friend, daughter-in-law.

The one thing I didn't care for was the feminist slant put onto Emma, who was a bright, intelligent, faithful woman. Equating her life and decisions to modern-day feminism is an insult to a woman who endured more than any modern-day " feminist" ever would.
The writers tried to reduce Joseph Smith to a pile of ash - making him seem like a dirtbag of a husband. Instead, they helped r...more

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May 25, 2009 Stephanie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-and-memoirs, why-did-i-read-that

As a former History major, I found this book a hard read. I felt that I was plodding through a text book rather than a flowing historical narrative. Ultimately, I do not think the writers were able to provide a cohesive text on Emma's story, her relationship with Joseph and polygamy. All involved appeared one dimensional.

History is subjective depending on how one interprets the primary or secondary sources. I can't quite understand how the writer came to view her subject. In summary, I think tha...more

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Jun 04, 2011 JoDell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book made me gain a greater appreciation, understanding, and love for Emma Smith. I've always been drawn to Emma Smith and fascinated by her story. When I was pregnant with my third child and found out I was having a girl, I immeadiatley wanted to name her after Emma Smith. (I read this book while I was pregnant with my third child, Emma.) For those who want an accurate and faithful account of Emma Smith; for those who want to de-bunk myths and legends surrounding her life; and for those wh...more

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Apr 25, 2010 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have very mixed emotions about this book. In many ways it was a hard read for me. It challenged me to think about a lot of issues--which I always like, and I do have a greater appreciation for Emma and what she went through. I didn't feel like the authors were very fair to other people in the book, especially Joseph and Brigham. I don't know that I'd recommend this book to others, but there are a couple of invaluable things I took from the book that made it a worthwhile read. But I probably co...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, history, religion, nonfiction

From my perspective this is an excellent historical work without an agenda. There is a lot of Mormon history that is not cut and dry. In the case of Emma who did not keep an personal journal, it took considerable research on the part of the authors to tie this history together. An interesting side note is that though the authors wrote an unbiased history (I really think they did it!), the LDS church leadership banned them from speaking at meetings. Having spoken briefly with the brother of one o...more From my perspective this is an excellent historical work without an agenda. There is a lot of Mormon history that is not cut and dry. In the case of Emma who did not keep an personal journal, it took considerable research on the part of the authors to tie this history together. An interesting side note is that though the authors wrote an unbiased history (I really think they did it!), the LDS church leadership banned them from speaking at meetings. Having spoken briefly with the brother of one of the authors, he shared with me, "They were more shocked by that response than from the information they found, although some of that information completely changed their view of Mormonism and its history. "

I do think that this would be a good book for anyone, LDS, RLDS, FLDS or former LDS to read to understand the life of Emma Smith. She has my admiration for sure! There is a lot of misinformation propagated about her due to her rocky relationship with Brigham Young. (Thankfully, my view was molded by my mother who admires her and Susan Black who also believed that Emma was misunderstood). I also believe that we 21st century people judge the early church through our new set of standards. Things have not always been as they are now, either in the LDS church or out of it. They have evolved continuously up to this point and I believe they will continue to evolve. God may be the same yesterday, today and forever, but churches sure aren't!!

Further review: After writing this review today, I decided to read some other reviewers. It's interesting to see the different perspectives. There are people who loved it and people who hated it. One reason I fall closer to loving it than hating it it because I've heard most of what was presented here before and digested it. I've read authors who are angry and heard the sarcastic way they talk about early people in the church and the things they did. That's what I most like about this book. I didn't detect anything of the kind here. If they erred, I think it was on the non-judgmental side concerning Joseph Smith.

I feel that what evidence was available was presented and the reader was allowed to judge. I can't speak with any certainty about exactly what happened behind closed doors in Kirtland or Nauvoo. I don't think that anyone who didn't experience it can, but I'm not left with a one-sided view either. I am pretty sure, based on this book and other sources I have read that polygamy has been with us since nearly the beginning (i.e. 1835, Kirtland) and that there was some polyandry as well. I can see that the RLDS, FLDS and some other splinter groups probably have as much claim to truth as the LDS church. That has been a very new and interesting insight for me.

I didn't leave it with five stars because I actually would have liked more of a conclusion, even if it included, "it is our opinion that..."(less)

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Dec 07, 2011 Amelia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book. I am not a historian, I find it hard to get through most non fiction books, and rarely do get through them. But this one, I could not put down. I read it every chance I could. I am trying to figure out though why I loved it so much. I had just returned from a trip to Nauvoo where I felt more intrigured with her than usual, and spent a lot of time around the homes and area where she lived, reading about these homes and imagining her life. I believe having had so recently experi...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall, quite an enjoyable read. It was refreshing to read a biography of Emma rather than one focused on the many men in the church, though even this book does on occasion feel like it's more about Joseph or Brigham or Emma's sons. (Part of this is due I'm sure to the lack of information directly from Emma - very few letters and no journal.) I found the years after Joseph's death to be particularly interesting as I'd never before learned in depth about what happened to Emma during those years....more Overall, quite an enjoyable read. It was refreshing to read a biography of Emma rather than one focused on the many men in the church, though even this book does on occasion feel like it's more about Joseph or Brigham or Emma's sons. (Part of this is due I'm sure to the lack of information directly from Emma - very few letters and no journal.) I found the years after Joseph's death to be particularly interesting as I'd never before learned in depth about what happened to Emma during those years.

Some reactions from throughout my reading:

I find it interesting that there is a slight possibility (and Emma seemed to believe) that Joseph was trying to distance himself from polygamy before he died. Not sure I trust that he actually would have (it seems to me he lied so easily about so much else), but it's interesting.

The more I learn about Brigham Young, the less I like him. While I can appreciate his organizational and leadership capabilities that enabled the Mormons to get to Utah, the way he treated Emma was despicable.

I spent a lot of time feeling badly for Emma and really frustrated with Joseph. First with the whole, "yeah, I'll give up treasure hunting...or not" thing and then with the polygamy fiasco. It sickens me that he could so easily disregard Emma's feelings and seemed to have no qualms about telling her what she wanted to hear while continuing to marry other women - women who were supposed to be her closest friends.

I admire her ability to hold her own and take care of herself (not to mention dozens of others). She was an intelligent, capable and definitely impressive woman.

In the end, Emma still feels like an enigma. She definitely loved Joseph, though with how he sometimes treated her, I can't imagine why. She also seems to have absolutely believed in him as a prophet and in the Book of Mormon, but seemed to have no trouble living without the church in any form for many years (until her sons joined with the RLDS). And why did she always insist Joseph never practiced polygamy? She's a fascinating person and I just wish we had more sources to help us understand her better.(less)

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Feb 14, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

My biggest complaint is that Emma is nothing more than a side note for large portions of the book. I felt as if I were reading a book about church history and Emma was just thrown in for effect.

I think there are 3 reasons for this:

1. Until Joseph Smith's murder and the saints departure for the west, Emma's entire life was embroiled in the church. So, in a way, her history IS the history of the church.

2. There is a general lack of sources for most females in history. I remember watching a docume...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Wade rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mormon-studies, biography

I enjoyed this very interesting but challenging biography, especially the perspective presented of Emma Smith’s family after the death of Joseph in 1844. Emma is often maligned for her decision to stay in Nauvoo rather than go west with the rest of the Mormons in 1846. After reading this book I have a new appreciation for her sticking to her guns, I also have a better perspective on the history of the group that eventually became the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus...more

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May 05, 2010 Hillary rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book failed me on two accounts first on a historical account and second on a spiritual one. I’ll start with the first. I think it is lacking at best to use references written 40 years after the events took place, it is slanderous and defamatory at worst to do so. For example, the author uses journals written in 1872 and 1886 about events that allegedly happened in 1835, and from apostate members. So just to put it in a sentence or less, roughly 37 years after events took place, people who h...more

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Amber I want to know if you emailed Linda Newell and what she said. Also have you read more about Joseph Smith since reading this? The LDS church tends to o...more
Jun 24, 2011 08:22am

Hillary Amber wrote: "I want to know if you emailed Linda Newell and what she said. Also have you read more about Joseph Smith since reading this? The LDS chu...more
updated Jun 24, 2011 08:55am

Feb 14, 2011 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is to Emma Smith what Rough Stone Rolling was to Joseph Smith, and both should be read in tandem as I learned so much about early church history from each of them. Painstakingly researched, I really got a feel for Emma's side of the story in this one, why she decided to stay put, why she rallied so hard against polygamy, and boy, er, I mean girl, it wasn't pretty most of the time. I have several direct ancestors who knew the Smith's well, two even baptized at the same time as Emma, and...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much. I had never known much about Emma Smith other than her having been a scribe for Joseph in translating the Book of Mormon, having faced many hardships and challenges, including stillbirths and losing children to disease, and refusing to travel west with the main body of the Saints. but this book was a real eye opener. It seems to have been very well researched and documented by the authors, and gave a more clear picture of Emma as a courageous and caring woman of fa...more

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Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith

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