American Crucifixion

[Guest]

I’m about 1/3 of the way through this book and although there have been no new revelation regarding the life of Joseph Smith yet… reading this history through the perspective of the author, Alex Beam’s eyes has been very enlightening.

While I always knew that Joseph Smith had a huge ego and was very full of himself… what I don’t think I completely realized was the degree of megalomania and unquestioning self confidence that Joseph exhibited. His power lust just drips from the pages of “American Crucifixion”. Joseph was THE Alpha Male. He had unquestioning followers who hung on his every word and command…there was no counter balance to his unquestioned authority. Anyone who dared question his authority was quickly dealt with by expulsion from the community. Just from what little I’ve read in this book it is clear that Joseph had a firm grip on his community and I have no doubt that those who followed him truly believed him to be what he claimed to be…a mouth piece for God.

His words were Gods words…his commands were Gods commands…his desires were Gods desires. How else to explain why woman would give themselves to him, why men would give him their wives, why thousands would make such huge personal sacrifices to be near him. He truly achieved godhood on earth. And this revelation is perhaps the most disturbing and chilling eye-opener of all.

He achieved this level of absolute power because those around him failed to question him, his decrees or his behavior.

What man self-assigns himself the rank of Lieutenant General, the only one in the U.S. at that time and then commissioned a special uniform, complete with ostrich feathers, in which to strut through town in? What man has the hubris to know that he can take other men’s wives and have no consequences in doing so? What man crowns himself King of the World…and actually believes that he is…by sending ambassadors and engaging in treaty negotiations with the kings and queens of Europe and Russia? Yet Joseph Smith not only did this but much more.

This is a very interesting read and I can not recommend it enough…

[_Fence Sitter]

I liked the book. I thought it got better after the death of Joseph Smith since some of that material was new to me.

[_EmilyAnn]

I’m about 1/3 of the way through this book and although there have been no new revelation regarding the life of Joseph Smith yet… reading this history through the perspective of the author, Alex Beam’s eyes has been very enlightening.

While I always knew that Joseph Smith had a huge ego and was very full of himself… what I don’t think I completely realized was the degree of megalomania and unquestioning self confidence that Joseph exhibited. His power lust just drips from the pages of “American Crucifixion”. Joseph was THE Alpha Male. He had unquestioning followers who hung on his every word and command…there was no counter balance to his unquestioned authority. Anyone who dared question his authority was quickly dealt with by expulsion from the community. Just from what little I’ve read in this book it is clear that Joseph had a firm grip on his community and I have no doubt that those who followed him truly believed him to be what he claimed to be…a mouth piece for God.

His words were Gods words…his commands were Gods commands…his desires were Gods desires. How else to explain why woman would give themselves to him, why men would give him their wives, why thousands would make such huge personal sacrifices to be near him. He truly achieved godhood on earth. And this revelation is perhaps the most disturbing and chilling eye-opener of all.

He achieved this level of absolute power because those around him failed to question him, his decrees or his behavior.

What man self-assigns himself the rank of Lieutenant General, the only one in the U.S. at that time and then commissioned a special uniform, complete with ostrich feathers, in which to strut through town in? What man has the hubris to know that they can take other men’s wives and have no consequences in doing so? What man crowns himself King of the World…and actually believes that he is…by sending ambassadors and engaging in treaty negotiations with the kings and queens of Europe and Russia? Yet Joseph Smith not only did this but much more.

This is a very interesting read and can not recommend it enough…

Thank you for the insightful analysis.........I probably wouldn't have read this otherwise, and now I definitely will.

Muchly appreciated, Craig.

[_ldsfaqs]

Craig..... You need to actually study more LDS history than the cherry-picking of things such as you mention that try to portray Joseph in a negative out of context light.

Joseph was challenged all the time. One example off the top of my head is he wanted someone out of the top leadership (counselor or something, can't remember anymore), yet the people voted down his request, and the leader remained.

I always love how anti-mormon materials tell half the truth creating a false picture, and then anti-mormons wonder how we claim they are false and are lies. Which then makes them say, oh we are just ignorant sheepal..... No, it couldn't be SIMPLY that we actually know MORE of the history, the context of the events in question, and thus we FACTUALLY KNOW your claims are false.

Sounds like the book is just another anti-mormon lying book. Oh, and by the way, I know what I'm talking about. When I came back and re-studied and re-experienced the church after leaving it and being anti-mormon and anti-religion, to see if I had missed anything, I put LDS scholarship side by side with anti-mormon books, and point after point, the anti's told half the truth, thus telling a great lie. But, you all apparently like lies better than truth..... all the power to you.

[_QuestionEverything]

Craig,

How would you assess the overall objectivity and historical accuracy of this book? Does the author have any 'hidden agenda,' obvious biases or other axes to grind?

Thanks for the review. I had seen mention of the book previously, and will likely read it, but it's generally helpful to know if there are significant author biases to keep in mind. I'm always on the lookout for books to better inform the family members I have that are still in the Church, and like these to be as objective and unbiased as possible, drawing only conclusions that are justified by the evidence.

[Guest]

Craig..... You need to actually study more LDS history than the cherry-picking of things such as you mention that try to portray Joseph in a negative out of context light.

Joseph was challenged all the time. One example off the top of my head is he wanted someone out of the top leadership (counselor or something, can't remember anymore), yet the people voted down his request, and the leader remained.

I always love how anti-mormon materials tell half the truth creating a false picture, and then anti-mormons wonder how we claim they are false and are lies. Which then makes them say, oh we are just ignorant sheepal..... No, it couldn't be SIMPLY that we actually know MORE of the history, the context of the events in question, and thus we FACTUALLY KNOW your claims are false.

Sounds like the book is just another anti-mormon lying book. Oh, and by the way, I know what I'm talking about. When I came back and re-studied and re-experienced the church after leaving it and being anti-mormon and anti-religion, to see if I had missed anything, I put LDS scholarship side by side with anti-mormon books, and point after point, the anti's told half the truth, thus telling a great lie. But, you all apparently like lies better than truth..... all the power to you.

Hmmmm...where to begin...I'm curious why you judge a book you haven't read as anti Mormon? In my opinion it's quite balanced in its portrayal of Joseph smith. But unlike many whitewashed LSD troupes that gloss over Smiths ego, American Crucifixion shows Smith as a very human man good and bad, dark and light.

Having just finished the book I can honestly say that smith comes off as a very sympathetic figure. The detailed story of his death is heart wrenching. As the author described the scene in the Carthage Jail...I truly felt I was an eyewitness standing in a corner watching as the scene played out. Those who killed the Smith brother are shown as the thugs they were. The planning and premeditation of his killers, the stirring of the pot by his detractors and the back story of those who killed him is reason enough to read this book. Added to this is details of how Emma fainted 3 times before she could even approach Joseph's body, the post burial drama as his remains we're repeatedly moved to prevent bounty hunters retreating his body to cash in on rewards? I knew great measures had taken place to protect his remains...now I understand why.

Joseph was a very complicated man and one book is never going to fully capture all of the various colors that made him...yet I believe this book adds to that picture and gives the reader a greater insight into who Joseph Smith the real man

[_Craig Paxton]

Craig,

How would you assess the overall objectivity and historical accuracy of this book? Does the author have any 'hidden agenda,' obvious biases or other axes to grind?

As I've said in an earlier post Smith comes off as a very sympathetic figure in the book...while we've all heard the story's...the author reaches a deeper level of detail and back stories I have not read in one book.

Thanks for the review. I had seen mention of the book previously, and will likely read it, but it's generally helpful to know if there are significant author biases to keep in mind. I'm always on the lookout for books to better inform the family members I have that are still in the Church, and like these to be as objective and unbiased as possible, drawing only conclusions that are justified by the evidence.

I will definitely be recommending this book to my believing wife...just as I did with the Brigham Young book that came out last year...but this is not a whitewashed history of Joseph designed to promote faith in Mormonism...what it is is an honest no holds barred history of both the back story of events that led to Smiths murder, those who killed him, the absurdity of the trail of those who committed the murders, the ineptness of those who prosecuted those charged with the murders and the subsequent story of their lives following the murders. Most lived successful, happy lives with no consequences what so ever while others befell the challenges life many experience.

If your family member have only read faith promoting books on Smith...this will expose them to a much more complicated and human man...a man who smoked cigars, drank wine, approached teen angers with marital proposals, had no problems publicly destroying anyone who apposed him and yet could give charity to those in need and truly believed he was the mouthpiece of God

[_Fence Sitter]

I did not find the book critical at all, especially in view of the fact it was written by a non-LDS author. In fact it did not come across as trying to prove a point one way or another, merely telling a story and letting the reader come to his own conclusions. I have already loaned out my copy to my TBM MIL who has read it and also liked it. Those that might label it as critical are people who have already formed an uninformed superficial view of a Joseph Smith who never existed and dismiss out of hand any information they encounter which contradicts their artificially constructed deification of him. He was a man who had too much power, who clearly abused it, and paid the ultimate price for doing so.

The parts after the murder are quite good for those interested informed readers. It covers in depth territory not usually discussed, like the trial of the accused murders and such. As I was reading those parts I kept comparing it to a similar trial 30 years later of John D Lee. It is amazing how a society, when it wants to, can absolve so many of murder.

Why is it 170 years later the Church is fixated on the death of two men and yet makes little to no mention of the over 100 men women and children massacred by Mormons at Mountain Meadows?

[_ldsfaqs]

Hmmmm...where to begin...I'm curious why you judge a book you haven't read as anti Mormon? In my opinion it's quite balanced in its portrayal of Joseph smith. But unlike many whitewashed LSD troupes that gloss over Smiths ego, American Crucifixion shows Smith as a very human man good and bad, dark and light.

Well, if you had read what I said, I said it "sounds like according to your description" just another anti-mormon book.
And according to that description, I've read about 500 anti-mormon books just like it, all almost saying the exact SAME THINGS over and over and over again.

As to "whitewash"...... Lol, clearly you haven't read very much LDS scholarship. There is no "whitewash" in LDS scholarship.
In the teachings of the Church, the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, YES, there is a FOCUS on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and an emphasis on the teachings and history that support that Gospel, but that's not the same as a whitewash. Get some intelligence. The FULL TRUTH, not the anti-mormon half truths turned into lies supports the BASIC Gospel version taught in Church. I should know, I've been an anti-mormon buddy.

Having just finished the book I can honestly say that smith comes off as a very sympathetic figure. The detailed story of his death is heart wrenching. As the author described the scene in the Carthage Jail...I truly felt I was an eyewitness standing in a corner watching as the scene played out. Those who killed the Smith brother are shown as the thugs they were. The planning and premeditation of his killers, the stirring of the pot by his detractors and the back story of those who killed him is reason enough to read this book. Added to this is details of how Emma fainted 3 times before she could even approach Joseph's body, the post burial drama as his remains we're repeatedly moved to prevent bounty hunters retreating his body to cash in on rewards? I knew great measures had taken place to protect his remains...now I understand why.

Joseph was a very complicated man and one book is never going to fully capture all of the various colors that made him...yet I believe this book adds to that picture and gives the reader a greater insight into who Joseph Smith the real man

Okay, so you say something more "positive" and objective here.... Okay then.... So how would you compare it to Rough Stone Rolling?
It also get's into the deep details, and the human sides of many involved in the Restoration, especially Joseph. Maybe some things that could have been done better, but overall it was good. Other books are able to fill in where it might have been lacking. Lol, but certainly not any anti-mormon book. Of the around 500 anti-mormon books I've read, not a single one told me anything that I wasn't able to get from LDS scholarship, but the difference is the LDS scholarship told more of the history and facts, which 99% of the time debunks the negative anti-mormon claims against the Church or Joseph because the anti-mormon telling conveniently ignores important information and facts in order to make their negative portrayal of the church and Joseph. But anyway, what's new.

[_ldsfaqs]

Why is it 170 years later the Church is fixated on the death of two men and yet makes little to no mention of the over 100 men women and children massacred by Mormons at Mountain Meadows?

Maybe because that event has nothing to do with the Church and the Gospel of Christ, it was a rouge leader who him with others commited a great sin.
Oh, and before you say it was the Church, Brigham Young sent a letter out before the Massacre telling them to leave the party alone, but it arrived a day too late. And FYI, it's carbon copied in date order, impossible to have been forged. A fact which is completely ignored by anti-mormons in their efforts to make the Church and Brigham Young responsible for the massacre.

In contrast, Joseph and Hyrum were key party's in the restoration of Christ's church on the earth, and had experienced much persecution.
One heat filled event such as MMM, is not the same as the constant war, murder, theft of property, etc. against the saints.