New book on Joseph Smith commissioned by the Church

[Okrahomer]

Well, I guess we won’t even have to read the thing when it’s finally published:  it’s obvious by all these prescient reviews that it will not be worth the effort.

[The Nehor]

1 hour ago, Okrahomer said:

Well, I guess we won’t even have to read the thing when it’s finally published:  it’s obvious by all these prescient reviews that it will not be worth the effort.

Then my work here is done.

[JLHPROF]

1 hour ago, Okrahomer said:

Well, I guess we won’t even have to read the thing when it’s finally published:  it’s obvious by all these prescient reviews that it will not be worth the effort.

It's always worth reading about Joseph Smith and his divine mission.  Do you honestly think we're wrong as to the likely content?

[Okrahomer]

1 hour ago, JLHPROF said:

Do you honestly think we're wrong as to the likely content?

I think it isn’t fair to review a book you haven’t read.

[JLHPROF]

4 minutes ago, Okrahomer said:

I think it isn’t fair to review a book you haven’t read.

Nobody has reviewed it.  Anticipation of contents is not review or criticism.

[Okrahomer]

2 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

Nobody has reviewed it.  Anticipation of contents is not review or criticism.

Fair enough.

[Mahoneymoriancumer]

  Based on some of the recent interviews with Turley, I'd expect he'll be drawing heavily on the completed Joseph Smith Papers project for his biography.  On one podcast I listened to with him, Turley's statement was that the problem with studying church history is that we don't study enough church history, and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.  While I agree that his volume will likely be a faith-promoting version of the life of the prophet, I also expect he'll deal with some of the controversies with documentation, from a believer's standpoint, at any rate.

  My favorite biography of Joseph Smith has been Rough Stone Rolling, but one criticism I thought was interesting came from my father, who felt it too secular, or trying to explain Joseph to a secular audience.  I found the analysis of doctrinal points fascinating, but perhaps there are those among the faithful who are looking for affirmation rather than explanation.  Here's to hoping Turley can accomplish it; based on his books on Hoffman and the two MMM volumes, I'll look forward to it.

[Nevo]

One doesn't need to be Nostradamus to anticipate that a biography commissioned by the First Presidency, called Joseph the Prophet, is going to start from the position that Joseph was a true prophet, that he was directed by God to establish the restored Church of Jesus Christ, that he really was visited by angels and translated ancient records, received revelations, etc.

As a church product intended to build faith, I don't expect there will be anything about Joseph sacrificing animals in magic rituals, drinking wine, smoking cigars, using "harsh measures" with Emma, coercing young women to marry him, threatening people's salvation, assaulting people, etc. But I hope the authors allow some of his "human side" to come through. Not just stories of him sledding with his family or caring for sick children, but some of his quirks and annoyances too.

I've always loved this interaction with one of the local youth:

Quote

12 December 1835 • Saturday
Friday Saturday morning 11th <12th> at home, spent the fore noon in reading, at about 12 oclock a number of young person[s] called to see the records Egyptian records I requested my Scribe to exibit them, he did so, one of the young ladies, who had been examining them, was asked if they had the appearance of Antiquity, she observed with an air of contempt that they did not, on hearing this I was surprised at the ignorance she displayed, and I observed to her that she was an anomaly in creation for all the wise and learned that had ever examined them, without hesitation pronounced them antient, I further remarked that, it was downright wickedness ignorance bigotry and superstition that caused her to make the remark, and that I would put it on record, and I have done so because it is a fair sample of the prevailing spirit of the times showing that the victims of priestcraft and superstition, would not believe though one should rise from the dead. (https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-1835-1836/64)

Reminds me a bit of the prophet Elisha.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the biography, even if it is one-sided. There are some 16,000 biographies of Lincoln, so surely we can have a few more of Joseph Smith, who is every bit as complex and interesting.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Nevo
Corrected the number of biographies of Lincoln. There are only 16,000, not 40,000.

[JLHPROF]

13 hours ago, Nevo said:

One doesn't need to be Nostradamus to anticipate that a biography commissioned by the First Presidency, called Joseph the Prophet, is going to start from the position that Joseph was a true prophet, that he was directed by God to establish the restored Church of Jesus Christ, that he really was visited by angels and translated ancient records, received revelations, etc.

As a church product intended to build faith, I don't expect there will be anything about Joseph sacrificing animals in magic rituals, drinking wine, smoking cigars, using "harsh measures" with Emma, coercing young women to marry him, threatening people's salvation, assaulting people, etc. But I hope the authors allow some of his "human side" to come through. Not just stories of him sledding with his family or caring for sick children, but some of his quirks and annoyances too.

I've always loved this interaction with one of the local youth:

Reminds me a bit of the prophet Elisha.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the biography, even if it is one-sided. There are some 40,000 biographies of Lincoln, so surely we can have a few more of Joseph Smith, who is every bit as complex and interesting.

Nailed it.  🙂

I'm sure you are correct here.

[Tacenda]

14 hours ago, Nevo said:

One doesn't need to be Nostradamus to anticipate that a biography commissioned by the First Presidency, called Joseph the Prophet, is going to start from the position that Joseph was a true prophet, that he was directed by God to establish the restored Church of Jesus Christ, that he really was visited by angels and translated ancient records, received revelations, etc.

As a church product intended to build faith, I don't expect there will be anything about Joseph sacrificing animals in magic rituals, drinking wine, smoking cigars, using "harsh measures" with Emma, coercing young women to marry him, threatening people's salvation, assaulting people, etc. But I hope the authors allow some of his "human side" to come through. Not just stories of him sledding with his family or caring for sick children, but some of his quirks and annoyances too.

I've always loved this interaction with one of the local youth:

Reminds me a bit of the prophet Elisha.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the biography, even if it is one-sided. There are some 40,000 biographies of Lincoln, so surely we can have a few more of Joseph Smith, who is every bit as complex and interesting.

I think if they show the real photo of Joseph, it might show that he's actually human too. 

[Nofear]

On 9/16/2023 at 8:20 PM, JLHPROF said:

I like Rough Stone Rolling as written by a believer without being sanitized.

I just wish the Church would stop "marketing" a version of Joseph that isn't accurate.  And I'm a big believer and supporter of Joseph.

I also very much enjoyed Bushman's book. Read it twice over the years and still consider it the best extant book currently (almost without peer). I personally found it quite faith promoting "unsanitized" and all. Yet, this will be a great book too. Quite a bit more historical information has been revealed since Rough Stone Rolling (I'm confident Bushman is excited by this too). The Church has no need to sanitize the biography. Joseph, flaws and all, is formidable historical figure and a prophet of God.

To the critics, any work that doesn't almost exclusively try to focus on flaws or supposed flaws or offer copious speculation beyond the historical record as opposed to Bushman's approach (just tell it like the people saw it), will be a grossly distorted book. Not so. I believe what the biography will do is tell Joseph's story from what we know about how people saw Joseph and the events of his life. I have no need of some critic trying to "explain" that history.