Murder of the Mormon Prophet: Political Prelude to the Death of Joseph Smith

by LeGrand L. Baker

The Murder of the Mormon by LeGrand Baker Political Prelude to the Death of Joseph Smith For the first time a historian has given us a national, as well as a local matrix into which one can place the life of Joseph Smith and his Nauvoo community, and in that context make better sense of it all. This book—in the works for 30 years—over 800 pages—is the first to present such a comprehensive and detailed look at the short period preceding the Prophet’s martyrdom. It is ground-breaking for these It examines the Anti-Mormon network that planned the murders of Joseph and Hyrum, and the expulsion of the Saints from Illinois. It identifies key players and the involvement of each—showing clear evidence of Governor Ford’s early involvement in the plans for the murders. An extensive legal analysis of the charges of treason against Joseph Smith, and concludes that the charges were completely without foundation. An extensive analysis of the “freedom of the press” issue—often mis-represented by historians—that arose over the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. It turns out that contrary to what has been written regarding the subject—the question of freedom of the press was not an issue of the time. It examines about 250 newspapers throughout the United States and the Republic of Texas, to demonstrate the real mood of the nation regarding Joseph Smith and the Mormons generally—the depth of this research just has not been done in the past! And what it shows is quite different than historians have represented it to be! It follows through the nations newspapers Joseph Smith’s candidacy for President of the United States, and shows that his candidacy was actually taken very seriously! It has a comprehensive index and the last chapter is a fascinating and exhaustive look at obituaries published in newspapers throughout the country after the martyrdom! [800+p.]. mormon mormons mormonism lds

850 pages, Hardcover

First published July 24, 2010

Reviews

[Wesley Morgan]

Despite the length, four months of reading was well worth it to better understand the documented history of Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ. I was intrigued by how many people were secretly conspiring against Joseph, including their failed assassination attempts. I never knew that thousands of men were in the mobs that could have attacked Nauvoo in 1844, and it is sad to see how this violence was openly supported by local newspapers, such as the Expositor and the Warsaw Signal, even though the most Americans denounced it.

The book does not discuss whether Joseph Smith was a prophet, but it does harshly criticize those who conspired against him, such as Governor Ford, Thomas Sharp, and the Law brothers. In that sense, it is not completely "objective," but the author (who is a friend of mine) still does a great job of presenting newspaper articles from both sides. The amount of first hand sources makes it reliable and valuable, but as I said, it is quite long, so is only for those who are truly passionate about Latter-Day Saint History.

[Lisa]

Full Review: http://www.thebookwormslibrary.com/?p...

Overall — this book casts a new light on the LDS church and Joseph Smith as its head. It looks at the more historical aspects of the church and how those aspects played a much larger part in American History than most people realize. This was a man that wielded significant influence on those around him. But he also had more than a passing influence on the current events of his time. He spoke with Presidents, challenged governors and actively engaged in the never ending legal proceedings that surround him and his church. Baker has written an honest look into these issues — separate and apart from the religious fervor and beliefs of the church. It is an honest and fair, if not completely unbiased look into the historical times of Joseph Smith — as well as the continued evolution of the American government and legal system in relation to American citizens.

[Nick Galieti]

If you are looking for a book on the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith than this book is a must. The hundreds of pages are filled to the brim with the most accurate history on the events surrounding Joseph and Hyrum's deaths than any other book written on the subject. It is a big book, and sometimes that seems like a lot to chew, but with this book you can savor every bite.
The book is out of print and copies can be found but the are at least triple what they went for originally. That says something about how wonderful this book is. If you are a history buff you should consider yourself informationally deprived until you finish this book. It took LeGrand 50 years to write this book, but it will take you a week or two to finish it. Take advantage of this authors life work in compiling the most accurate and applicable treatment of this time in LDS history.

[Rusty Henrichsen]

A good book for heavy detail, especially of newspaper coverage in the last weeks before the prophet's murder. It is quite the historical tome - written by an historian for historians. Narrative is hardly gripping.

As an appendix, there is printed "General [Joseph:] Smith's Views of the Powers and Policy of the Government." This is the document that was the basis of Joseph Smith's candidacy for Presidetn of the United States. I believe that it should be required reading for all Latter-day Saints (at least in the USA) and would appreciate it if it were published in pamphlet form. I believe it shows that the prophet, for his day, would be considered a liberal. But there are things in "Views" that might be considered by others as making him a conservative.

Don't read this if you are looking for a flowing narrative.

[Tonya]

I grew up hearing these stories and reading them along with the thorough documentation in the book was fun for me. The two things that fascinated me most were 1) The press hasn't changed in the last 200 years, and 2) Many people really did believe that the death of Joseph Smith would start a "war" between Church members and their neighbors. A fantastic read by one of my all-time favorite authors :-)