Customer Reviews

Building the Kingdom: A History of Mormons in America

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.)

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.

With all the noise about Romney and Huntsman I searched for a thoughtful short book that would explain Mormon theology and history. Most I saw were obviously hostile. I was looking for something perhaps more balanced. The authors' credentials suggested this might be a good one. Instead I got a fluffy PR piece. Deeply disappointed.

This is a very good and short historical introduction to Mormonism. The authors are themselves Mormons, but they give the subject the academic treatment that is required in a book like this. A short treatment cannot go into the details of every, or any, controversy. This book does discuss some areas where Mormonism departs from orthodox Christian theology such as Baptism of the Dead and Spiritual Families. Reading this book will help you understand the surprising success of Mormonism outside the US and notes its' odd preoccupation with geneological research. Note: Reviewer is not a Mormon.

The authors did a reasonable job, the book is organized and readable, they just shouldn't have presented their expository as an objective history. It is simply an LDS primer with historical context. This book is not balanced and objective. While it does point out the controversies surrounding the religion, it tends to slide right on by rather than really address those issues. The preface actually points out the real purpose of the book, "The aim of this book is to explain how Mormons feel about their religion and how they hold on to their faith in the modern era." With that the real purpose, the subtitle, "A History..." should have been left off.

I picked this book up in order to quickly get a better understanding of Mormon history. The Bushmans rapidly cover LDS history, but I was not satisfied with the depth of the material. The book is pretty much a straight narrative with little attempt at interpretation or critical evaluation. Of course, the book IS part of a series of religious history surveys for the general reader, so it is not too surprising that the Bushmans do not go very deep. Nonetheless, at only 103 pages, they could have offered a little bit more meat to their treatment of LDS history. The first half of the book dealing with early Mormon history is the best, but far too uncritical. (What ever happened to those golden plates revealed to Joseph Smith?) The second half of the book starts to read like a tract put out by the Church. It has an almost apologetic tone. When a controversial issue is broached, like Mormon teaching about African Americans, the authors handle it very delicately. Since the authors are both historians at Columbia, I expected better. It almost seems that the book was slapped together, especially at the end where the Bushmans jump from topic to topic. Having said all of that, I did learn some things from this volume, but there has got to be a better introduction to Mormon history out there. For those interested in a more critical look at one event in Mormon history, check out "Blood of the Prophets" by Will Bagley.