Building the Kingdom: A History of Mormons in America [Paperback]

Claudia Lauper Bushman (Author), Richard Lyman Bushman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 27, 2001

Mormonism is one of the world's fastest growing religions, doubling its membership every 15 years. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the formal denomination of the Mormon church) is now 10 million strong, with more than half of its membership coming from outside the United States. More than 88 million copies of The Book of Mormon have been printed, and it has been translated into more than 50 languages. Mormons in America tells the tumultuous story of this religious group, from its humble origins in small-town New York State in 1830 to its present heyday. Claudia and Richard Bushman introduce us to charismatic leaders like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, go deep behind Mormon rites and traditions, take us along the adventurous trail of the Mormon pioneers into the West, evoke the momentous erection of Salt Lake City in the desert, and draw us into the dozens of skirmishes, verbal attacks, and court battles between Mormons and their neighbors, other religions, the media, and the American government.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1999, the Bushmans published Mormons in America, a thoughtful little textbook that was part of Oxford's Religion in American Life series for the young adult market. If you missed that book, never fear: this brief paperback is a slightly edited version of the original YA title. Oxford should be congratulated for having the smarts to realize that adults need basic information about Mormon history, too, particularly in this Olympic month. Here, Claudia Bushman (Mormon Sisters: Women in Early Utah) and husband Richard Bushman (Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism), both historians at Columbia University, present a balanced, informative and brief introduction to one of the world's fastest-growing religious movements. Theirs is a grassroots approach to history; the Bushmans are more interested in the everyday experiences of ordinary Latter-day Saints than they are in the institutional growth of the church, its financial "empire" or its corporate bureaucracy all of which have been well documented elsewhere. They are not afraid to tackle some of the thorny issues of the Mormon past, such as polygamy, the Mountain Meadows Massacre or the early Mormons' feuds with the federal government. But they don't dwell unduly on these blemishes, preferring instead to focus on how Mormonism as a religion has changed over time, and how those changes have contributed to a shifting sense of what it means to be a Latter-day Saint. This user-friendly, perceptive and accessible primer is a welcome counterbalance to the highly specialized literature on Mormon history. (Feb.)Forecast: With a release date coinciding with the winter Olympics in Utah, this title should get off to a good start, but given the dearth of balanced, informative introductions to Mormonism, it is also poised to have a long shelf life as a favorite for course adoption.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Oxford should be congratulated for having the smarts to realize that adults need basic information about Mormon history....A balanced, informative, and brief introduction to one of the world's fastest-growing religious movements. ...This user-friendly, perceptive, and accessible primer is a welcome counterbalance to the highly specialized literature on Mormon history."--Publishers Weekly

"Issues related to the history and current life of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are dealt with in a straightforward manner in this telling of the Mormon story....[The authors] have researched the basic facts of the church's history and growth and its place in the world today, and present it all in an attractive, readable manner."--Kliatt

"A balanced account detailing the church's origins, the persecution that led to the famous westward trek to Utah, controversial practices and beliefs, and past and present problems....Books like this help set the record straight."--Rockford Register Star (Illinois)

"Slim and accessible....A must-read for anyone planning to visit Salt Lake City or desiring a succinct history for his or her own erudition."--Gadflyonline.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 123 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195150228
• ISBN-13: 978-0195150223
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #934,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview, September 30, 2002

By 

BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building the Kingdom: A History of Mormons in America (Paperback)

The authors' approach was stated to be to "understand Mormonism in terms of the experience of Mormon people". They presented the sometimes-stormy history of Mormonism, often in the midst of controversy, in a straighforward and non-judgmental way.

There has been some dispute as to whether Mormons are Christians. Critics say that the LDS doctrine of God does not conform to traditional Christian creed. Joseph Smith said he communicated directly with God; this is unlike reformers such as Calvin and Luther who used reason to interpret the Bible in new ways.

The authors presented a thorough background of Joseph Smith, from his fist vision at age 14 and his translation of the gold tablets into the Book of Molrmon. They then followed the Mormons as they headed West and founded settlements in Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois, among other places, on their way to Utah.

Plural marriage and its repercussions were thoroughly explained. By 1844, this and other pronouncements by Joseph Smith carried Mormonism beyond the bounds of conventional Christian belief. Smith was jailed after ordering the press of a dissenting newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois destroyed and he was then killed by an angry mob while he was in jail.

By September 1846 14,000 "Saints" had fled west from Nauvoo and undertook a brutal trek toward the Rocky Mountains. Over the next 22 years, 300 wagon trains with over 10,000 wagons would travel to Utah. In Utah, Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor, designed the Salt Lake Valley according to Smith's plan for New Jerusalem.

In 1896, Wilford Woodruff, the LDS President, declared an end to polygamy, the price paid for Utah to become a state. This practice had raised national opposition to Mormonism.

Mormonism became more mainstream, no longer practiced in isolation. The Church Welfare Plan, which continues today, seems to be a model to promote self-sufficiency and co-operation.

The last section of the book dealt with Mormonism today: the church structure (local and national), tithing, missions, and religious education.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction, January 17, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Building the Kingdom: A History of Mormons in America (Paperback)

This is a very well done introduction to the subject, by two extremely competent and highly respected historians. Those wanting a basic overview of the subject will not go far wrong if they choose this book. (There are many -- MANY -- much less desirable competitors on the market, including a considerable literature [almost entirely from evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants] that can only be described as hostile propaganda.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Generally good, some flaws in organization, April 24, 2010

By 

Kirialax (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building the Kingdom: A History of Mormons in America (Paperback)

There really isn't a whole lot to say about such a brief book on general Mormon history. I've been oscillating between giving this book three or four stars, but I'd really like to give it three and a half. About half of the book is the history of the Mormons as was promised. Joseph Smith gets a good and surprisingly honest section, although it is very clear that Bushman has a lot more to say about it, and indeed he went on to write Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, which easily dwarfs this little book. Brigham Young's journey west is fairly well-covered, as is the privation of many of the early pioneers. It touches on some sensitive topics like the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Mormon Battalion, but only gives them as much space as anything else. The chapter on Mormon women is excellent, and briefly discusses life for Mormon women, most especially those who were polygamous wives. While I ultimately disagree with her arguments regarding polygamy and feminism, the fact that this chapter approaches a difficult topic from the perspective of the women is very refreshing, and it is exceptionally well-written and organized. The plates are good and varied, but there is no map. A map with the travels of the Saints during Joseph Smith's day, Independence, Missouri and the route west taken by Brigham Young and the pioneers would not have been asking much, and would have added greatly to this book, especially since it is clearly written for a popular audience.

Unfortunately, things fall apart after the chapter on Mormon women. At this point, it largely stops becoming a history and only outlines the events of the previous century in little more than note form. It also becomes rather encomiastic, going on about the Church's role in welfare and its integration into the United States. The last chapter follows these lines as well, but it largely just talks about the organization of the Church today, and how it benefits lives. It is hardly balanced, but my problem is merely that it exists. The last chapter was not history at all, which makes one wonder about the purpose of a book subtitled with "A History of Mormons in America". I also have to criticize the Bushmans for accepting the "miracle of the seagulls" after the Saints arrived in Utah. They should be aware that there is little to support this from major contemporary sources.

Nonetheless, this is a good general overview of LDS history, although the last two chapters are hardly history and thus hardly relevant. It is a very easy and quick read, and is quite balanced. Bushman may be a master of blending apologetics and history, but that doesn't really come through in this very short book. It is a general history written for non-LDS by an LDS member, and thus is surprisingly honest.