Fawn Brodie: a woman way ahead of her time.

[Guest]

I received No Man Knows My History today in the mail: I start reading different chapters an anticipate a wicked witch of the west's view of Joseph Smith. I read about the last days of Joseph Smith's life. To me, it was just like Dallin Oaks book Conspiracy at Carthage : the only difference was she put William Daniel's story up about Joseph being set up against the well and shot and a flash of light when the were going to decapitate him. Oaks went with all the shots fired from the room and he fell out the window and died.

I'm read the chapter about polygamy and there were no new revelations as I have and read parts of Tod Compton's book. I read the chapter on Zions camp and I have read the same account in other books. I'm not sure where this anti-mormon thing comes from. Has anyone here read the book.

[_Mercury]

I received No Man Knows My History today in the mail: I start reading different chapters an anticipate this wicked witch of the west's view of Joseph SMith. I read about the last days of Joseph Smith's life. To me, it was just like Dallin Oaks book Conspiracy at Carthage : the only difference was she put William Daniel's story up about Joseph being set up against the well and shot and a flash of light when the were going to decapitate him. Oaks went with all the shots fired from the room and he fell out the window and died.

I'm read the chapter about polygamy and there were no new revelations as I have and read parts of Tod Compton's book. I read the chapter on Zions camp and I have read the same account in other books. I'm not sure where this anti-mormon thing comes from. Has anyone here read the book.

Why the animosity towards brodie? One, shes a woman. Two, shes an actual scholar.

[_karl61]

I received No Man Knows My History today in the mail: I start reading different chapters an anticipate this wicked witch of the west's view of Joseph SMith. I read about the last days of Joseph Smith's life. To me, it was just like Dallin Oaks book Conspiracy at Carthage : the only difference was she put William Daniel's story up about Joseph being set up against the well and shot and a flash of light when the were going to decapitate him. Oaks went with all the shots fired from the room and he fell out the window and died.

I'm read the chapter about polygamy and there were no new revelations as I have and read parts of Tod Compton's book. I read the chapter on Zions camp and I have read the same account in other books. I'm not sure where this anti-mormon thing comes from. Has anyone here read the book.

Why the animosity towards brodie? One, she's a woman. Two, she's an actual scholar.

I listened to too many Mormons and not enough scholars.

[_GoodK]

I received No Man Knows My History today in the mail: I start reading different chapters an anticipate a wicked witch of the west's view of Joseph Smith. I read about the last days of Joseph Smith's life. To me, it was just like Dallin Oaks book Conspiracy at Carthage : the only difference was she put William Daniel's story up about Joseph being set up against the well and shot and a flash of light when the were going to decapitate him. Oaks went with all the shots fired from the room and he fell out the window and died.

I'm read the chapter about polygamy and there were no new revelations as I have and read parts of Tod Compton's book. I read the chapter on Zions camp and I have read the same account in other books. I'm not sure where this anti-mormon thing comes from. Has anyone here read the book.

I read Brodie's book and keep it close to me when discussing Mormonism with Mormons, it is excellent. You can tell when a book on Mormonism hits home by the way the F.A.R.M.S dudes react to it.

[_why me]

I believe that she got into trouble because she claimed that the Book of Mormon was not divinely inspired and she was none to positive about Joseph's character. I believe she claimed that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon. However, the Rigdonites/Spauldingites did not like the book because she attempted to refute the spaulding theory and she did.

http://www.lightplanet.com/response/brodie.htm

[_Blixa]

I believe she claimed that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon.

No. Kidding.

I also found her very "positive about Joseph's character." She gives him more respect and credit than the half-wit farm boy found in Mormon folklore.

I was surprised when I first read it too, since I'd always been told it was a gross, lying, character assassination. Instead it turned out to be a surprisingly compassionate, insightful and even funny biography. The books had a definite influence on how I saw Smith, as essentially likeable, charismatic and immensely creative and ambitious on the one hand, yet intellectually undisciplined and vain on the other.

Recent research and reading, though, are rapidly eroding my earlier "positive" opinion. Still, I see a big difference between him and all the later presidents of the LDS church. There is a sharp divide between the religion of Joseph Smith and the church of the Great Basin.

[_Jersey Girl]

the only difference was she put William Daniel's story up about Joseph being set up against the well and shot and a flash of light when the were going to decapitate him. Oaks went with all the shots fired from the room and he fell out the window and died.

Which story is true? The well or the window?

[_The Nehor]

I dislike how much liberty she takes in telling us what Joseph was thinking and disagree with her conclusions.

Still, there are far worse books out there.

[_karl61]

the only difference was she put William Daniel's story up about Joseph being set up against the well and shot and a flash of light when the were going to decapitate him. Oaks went with all the shots fired from the room and he fell out the window and died.

Which story is true? The well or the window?

Oaks view is that everyone of the bullets came from the room. Oaks says that Daniels story is not supported by Mormon historians. Daniels story was that he heard shooting and saw Joseph Smith in the window with blood on his pants and then fall out. They set him up against a well and shot him. One guy came up to decapitate him and a flash of light crippled the guys arm and the guys that shot him froze. He told a story to someone who embellished it and wrote a small pamphlet and sold it. The defense got a hold of it and really went after Daniels as he was an important witness in the week long trial. He basically had to say what was true and what was not. Oaks book is pro-Mormon but showed that Gov. Ford did a lot to bring someone to justice. I would recommend the book.

There is a lot about the town of Warsaw and Carthage that I did not know. Basically the Warsaw and Carthage militias were called out after the printing press was destroyed as that was the final straw. The Warsaw militia, on its way to Nauvoo, was disbanded when Joseph agreed to come to Carthage to stand trial. The Carthage militia was suppose to guard him at the jail. He was held and disbanded Warsaw militia men stormed the jail and killed him and his brother. The Carthage militia had men guarding the jail but they reportedly fired blanks at the attackers. The main body of the Carthage militia that were camped a short distance away heard the shooting and slowly got up and went to the jail but everyone of the attackers ran back into the woods.

I always heard it was just a mob but it was never explained who was in the mob; but it was a mob in uniforms with wet gun powder on their faces.

The best witness was John Taylor but he was hiding, putting his trust in his own rational mind. He knew the opening shots of a small civil war just occurred at Carthage.

[_Mercury]

I dislike how much liberty she takes in telling us what Joseph was thinking and disagree with her conclusions.

Still, there are far worse books out there.

The psychological work in the book can be ditched and one still would be able to properly conclude Joseph smith had the character of a charlatan.