If you are not a church history scholar, chances are you don't know the real history of Joseph Smith. I already knew most of the rumors but there aren't many "safe" answers to those questions in church literature. That was a road I didn't want to go down. As I'd start to read, a sick feeling would start in my stomach and I would immediately stop. The only bad stuff I had ever read was on the internet when I'd be searching for a primary sharing time idea. I have never read much about him other than what the church publishes. I started this book a bit nervous about what I would discover. Bushman, a believer but historian, writes Joseph as a prophet who made mistakes. Other biographies are written by non-believers or former believers who have to discount any inspiration he claimed to have. Defenders of his reputation write from the perspective of believers and disregard any story that finds fault with him. He acknowledges early on that writing a true history about Joseph Smith is an almost impossible task. The author, Bushman, seems neutral throughout most of the book. The book serves its purpose - narrating the history of Joseph Smith's life. Grateful for its continuation and the clear heads of the 12 apostles who didn't let the chaotic end of Joseph Smith's life translate into a chaotic religion. Grateful for Joseph for the questions he asked, for the organization he established and for those early saints and their willingness to believe in what had to be SO hard to believe. I'm not left with the feeling I wanted to have - the triumphant "Praise To The Man" feeling.
Now that I'm actually finished reading it, I have mixed emotions. While reading this book, I think I recommended it to about every person I had a conversation with about it.
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