Joseph Smith "A Rough Rolling Stone" Biography.

[_Imwashingmypirate]

From what I've heard there's nothing new or startling in RSR, which is why I haven't read it. I suppose the most startling thing is that it's apparently very honest and open, and written by a respected Mormon historian. I guess that's a novelty. Bushman isn't new to this, however, as in his Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism he also went beyond "conventional" Mormon history. He's long had a tendency to say more than what most Mormon historians feel comfortable saying.

In spite of many negative assessments, Brodie's No Man Knows My History is still a good read, and contrary to much uninformed opinion, she's very generous towards Joseph Smith. Donna Hill's Joseph Smith, The First Mormon is a sympathetic but also critical look at Joseph Smith. Although not a biography of Joseph Smith, I'd recommend Mormon Enigma to anyone wanting to understand important aspects of his life and thinking. How he introduced and dealt with all the foibles of polygamy is an insight into "the mind of the man".

So the thing people look for in Biographies and "new" and "startling" information?
What are the "important aspects" of his life?
I have an issue with Fawn Brodie's biography. I refuse to go there.
Are these biographies Mormon Apologetics or Anti Mormon literature?

[_Imwashingmypirate]

Bushman's first Joseph Smith bio was a step in the right direction, his second, RSR, is another step but there is a long way to go to be fully honest and open about the life of Joseph Smith, in my opinion.

He wrote RSR to inoculate members.. you know, give them a little tiny bit of the bad stuff, right along with the apologetic response and hope members will be satisfied believing really smart writers and LDS leaders know the truth and still have a testimony.

As I have stated before, if I were the LDS PR CEO, I would have commissioned Bushman to write the book exactly as it has been written!

~td~

I know the truth and I still have a testimony.

[_Imwashingmypirate]

I purchased RSR when I hosted the Book Forum on ZLMB. I've read it twice cover to cover. Totally loved it.

"A Rough Rolling Stone"? What's that? Jagger's bio?

[_Jersey Girl]

I purchased RSR when I hosted the Book Forum on ZLMB. I've read it twice cover to cover. Totally loved it.

"A Rough Rolling Stone"? What's that? Jagger's bio?

Why are you crying? Jagger rocks! But we knew that.


.

[_Daniel Peterson]

The subtitle is actually Rough Stone Rolling.

[_Dr. Shades]

I know the truth and I still have a testimony.

What "truth" do you know?

[_Imwashingmypirate]

... The one area I found rather strained was baout the money digging and magic issues preparing him to be a prophet.

Are you sure these issues were preparing him to be a prophet?

See I don't think such things have any relevance. And I know that many people would wish to attach me and suggest that I am being ignorant by not taking such things into consideration. And I completely understand but is there really any relevence? We each make mistakes. If I knew I was going to be held accountable BY MAN for everything I have done that is not the upmost rightous then how would I ever expect to achieve anything great?

Say someone was a yob as a youth and hung around street corners and then realised their err and changed their ways and repented and studied and went on to become someone great say a lawyer, should their past be held against them when working as a lawyer? In fact it would be safe to say that that person would have somewhat a better understanding of people who grew up like that and became criminals than someone that grew up in a middle to upperclass society and were blind to such things.

All throughout the Bible God used week men as Prophets. Paul who was Saul killed Christians HE KILLED THE INNOCENT. Yet he was converted and went on to become an Apostle of God. And perhaps Joseph Smith doesn't have an almighty conversion story, but perhaps glass looking and money digging was the done thing and was normal. Like today a lot of people are bone idle watch tv and become obese but back many years ago that would have been wrong and people would be expected to work and support the family. Some people need to get their priorities straight. Some people spend so much time and effort picking out every bit of negative evidence they can find to bring down the church when there are murderers and rapists and wars in the world. SO what if Joseph Smith wasn't the perfect example of a prophet, the church teaches good standards and advises good ways to live. How many church organisations are there in the world that could survive if the economy were to crash to an unrecoverable point? How many churches provide a decent education system? There is so much good in the church and people don't see that. They are pickng on things that are irrelevent. And the argument never changes. It is always the same and this thing is really starting to piss me off. Why isn't this think working properly I might have an epileptic fit with the thing. Is anyone else experiencing difficulty typing in this box? I can't even see what I am writing.

[_Ray A]

So the thing people look for in Biographies and "new" and "startling" information?

Only if they've read many biographies of that same person, including many journal articles, and personal diaries of the person. I've been reading them since 1975, so after a while it gets tedious reading much of the same information, albeit with different biographer slants.

What are the "important aspects" of his life?

That's something you can decide.

I have an issue with Fawn Brodie's biography. I refuse to go there. Are these biographies Mormon Apologetics or Anti Mormon literature?

Well look at it this way. Not much has been written about Abraham Lincoln's racism, and many people don't realise how well he fit in with the common prejudices of the time. I wouldn't call the writers who revealed this "anti-Abraham Lincoln", just writers trying to present a more honest picture of Lincoln. But I'm quite sure some might be offended at those portrayals, and maybe even prefer not to read them.

So in other words, you can choose to:

1) Keep your pure and pristine view of Joseph Smith.

2) Keep your pure and pristine view of Abraham Lincoln.

3) Or read "warts and all" biographies and get a better understanding of the people concerned.

[_Imwashingmypirate]

very much written to convince members the LDS church is the one and only true church upon the earth, and that Joseph Smith was a great and noble man who was called by God to restore the true church upon the earth.

I'm pretty sure Bushman would be agree with me.

~td~

I wouldn't like to read a book that is going to confuse me. Are there any books that are non biased?

[_Jersey Girl]

Jason Bourne:
... The one area I found rather strained was baout the money digging and magic issues preparing him to be a prophet.

Pirate:
Are you sure these issues were preparing him to be a prophet?

You misunderstand, what Jason is saying there, Pirate. He's saying he thought Bushman's assertion that the money digging/magic issues preparing Joseph Smith to be a prophet was "strained"...that means he doesn't agree with the assertion. He doesn't think there is a connection between the two.