The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri [Paperback]

Stephen C. LeSueur (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1987

In the summer and fall of 1838, animosity between Mormons and their neighbors in western Missouri erupted into an armed conflict known as the Mormon War.  The conflict continued until early November, when the outnumbered Mormons surrendered and agreed to leave the state.

In this major new interpretation of those events, LeSueur argues that while a number of prejudices and fears stimulated the opposition of Missourians to their Mormon neighbors, Mormon militancy contributed greatly to the animosity between them.  Prejudice and poor judgment characterized leaders on both sides of the struggle.  In addition, LeSueur views the conflict as an expression of attitudes and beliefs that have fostered a vigilante tradition in the United States.  The willingness of both Missourians and Mormons to adopt extralegal measures to protect and enforce community values led to the breakdown of civil control and to open warfare in northwestern Missouri.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"From Danite oaths to extermination orders, this book succinctly reveals what really happened between the Mormons and the Missourians. Thoroughly researched and precisely written, it fills one of the biggest gaps in Mormon history."--Valeen Tippetts Avery, President, Mormon History Association

"While much has been written on the Mormon War in past decades, Stephen C. LeSueur takes a fresh and much-needed new look. Writing clear, straightforward prose, LeSueur has produced a thorough and thoughtful study that makes several important contributions. . . . This work is unquestionably the best book written on the subject."--Western Historical Quarterly

"As a result of thoroughgoing research and the meticulous use of sources, LeSueur has written a well-documented account of the Mormon War in Missouri that is, as a history should be, both engrossing and educational. Although many of the tragic occurrences he describes are not new to historians of the conflict, the author provides a broader and deeper understanding of the series of events than hitherto available."--Journal of the Early Republic

"Eminently readable and meticulously researched, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri combines first-rate scholarship with a vigorous prose too often lacking in historical writing."--Quarterly West

"This is a thoughtful and well-documented study of an aspect of American history that has often been obscured by partisanship. . . . Happily, the climate of opinion now supports the efforts of scholars like LeSueur to render an honest and full account of a lamentable episode in Missouri's history."--Missouri Historical Review

About the Author

Stephen C. LeSueur has worked as a historian for the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University and is currently a Graduate Teaching Fellow in the Department of Economics at the University of Utah.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri (April 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826207294
• ISBN-13: 978-0826207296
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #810,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Education & Reference > Genealogy > United States

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Mormon History available on late Missouri Period, January 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Paperback)

I am an active member and priesthood holder in the LDS Church. I'm electing to remain anonymous on this review as I don't want the grief that oftimes comes with supporting unpopular historical perspectives.

The review written by Lindsay below is a significant distortion of LeSueur's book. The author does not portray the Missourians as peaceful and the Mormons as troublemakers, rather it gives a very balanced view that shows while the Missouri pioneers were easily stirred to violence, that the situation could have been much more peaceful if the Mormons had not engaged in several destabilizing activities.

The book is very well written and steps one through the events that led up to the Mormon expulsion from Missouri. Along the way we are exposed to the perspectives of believing Mormons who tried to head things off and impart some sanity to the situation. Members who later were used as scapegoats by Mormon authorities, in order to somehow justify how things could have gone so badly for inspired leaders.

The Mormons did suffer terribly and deserved far better protection from government officials. However the later histories written of these events were understandably tainted by the anger of those writting them. These histories have been perserved within the LDS Church to this day as being accurate.

If one is interested in knowing more about this period, then I recommend this book highly as the single best reference available. LeSueur, who once worked as a historian at Brigham Young University, uses both Mormon and non-Mormon sources, balancing them nicely. This book received several positive reviews from both Mormon and professional historical societies.

25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive work on this period of Mormon history., December 10, 1998

By 

Mel Tungate "Mel Tungate" (Hollister, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Paperback)

This is the definitive book on the 1838 period of Mormon history. LeSueur is fair, and treats it as the historian that he is. As a strong Mormon, I view LeSueur as the most impartial of the many authors I have read on this period of Mormon history.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fair history of the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, January 5, 2008

By 

Alan Craig "Carlton's student" (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Paperback)

I have read this book several times over the years and am doing so again at the present time. I have always wondered if the author is Mormon or not. The treatment is balanced and factual as far as I know and I have never been able to detect a bais in the author either for or against Mormonism. I was priviledged to live in the Kansas City area for about 3 years in the 1990-93 time frame and used this book as my reference in visiting all of the sites that were involved in the war and are discussed in the book. It was very helpful to me in this study and I recommend it to others.