Customer Reviews

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

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I would like to start the review admitting I am not a Mormon. I love biographies of great people in history. I read "No man knows my History" by Fawn Brodie. I came on that book by accident. And I realize from some of the reviews on Amazon that Mormons dont like that book much. I thought it was great, but admit that she paints Joseph Smith in a negative light sometimes. But I could still see through enough to see a great man behind her attacks on his character.

"Rough Stone Rolling" is the exact opposite of that book. Richard Bushman uses a lot of the same stories but doesnt have the same negative slant. But he still shows that Joseph Smith was not perfect, which I admire. This is the best biography I have ever read.

This book takes you all through Joseph Smith's life. From a farmboy in New York who got on his knees and asked God to show him the way, to the man who was gunned down in Carthage a martyr for his calling.

If he was a Prophet or not is up for debate. As a Christian I believe that God is real and God can still speak today. Before I read the history of Joseph Smith if someone asked me if he was a prophet, I would have said no. After reading up on the man I would answer that it is not out of the realm of possibility. I believe he believed he was a prophet. I believe that some unexplainable things happened around him and the early Church.

The question was he a great man or not has been settled in my mind at least. I think he was a great man. To be tared and feathered and beaten, and still preach that next morning. To take persecutions and imprisionment in stride, to never compromise what you believe even in the face of death. These things are the very definition of a great man. The fact he put people off sometimes because he played with children and liked to wrestle and have fun. I think it just shows a genuine human being. His great love for his people caused many of his mistakes in life. Like the idea of everybody having everything in common, and his business dealings. Everything he did was with his people in mind. He not only talked the talk but walked the walk. I encourage everyone to read this book. If for nothing else than read a well written, entertaining biography of a real person that is more interesting than fiction. Good day.

It's hard to overestimate just how much Richard Bushman's long-awaited biography of Joseph Smith has been eagerly anticipated by Mormon readers. Now that it's finally here it would be only natural if it didn't live up to expectations. The thing is--it's just as good as we all hoped it would be. "Rough Stone Rolling" is the culmination of almost forty years of what has been called "the new Mormon history." It's impossible for LDS writers to be objective about Joseph given his place in LDS history, so Bushman aims for balance and candor and succeeds brilliantly.

When I was growing up as a Mormon I have to admit that much of the LDS writing about Joseph was an obstacle to my faith. According to many he was a ideal man without flaw, a sort of 19th-century superhero. This made him a papier-mache saint that was impossible to relate to on a human level. Bushman describes a man who trusted the wrong people at times; was hotheaded, impulsive, and contentious; couldn't abide personal criticism; was a lousy businessman--in short, a man with familiar human foibles. On the other hand he had a large, open heart, an expansive view of human possibilities, and an almost scary insight into the religious quandries of our lives. He was able to convince many, many others that the heavens had been opened. Much of 19th century Protestantism seemed spiritually dead as a stone; Joseph and his followers believed he had restored the flow of revelation that had existed in Biblical times. He became a prophet in a distinctly American vein.

Perhaps his most famous line for non-Mormons was "no man knows my history; if I hadn't lived it I wouldn't have believed it myself." Bushman captures the sheer mystical mystery of Joseph's life. Watching Bushman's Joseph is a little like watching William Blake or even Joan of Arc: how such miraculous things happened still can't be fully explained in this life and one can only marvel at what has been left behind. Bushman's explication of the Book of Mormon is as searching and fascinating as we are likely to get, and yet it only scratches the surface of this American scripture. Joseph came to personify will and energy, and with the sheer force of history turned America into the promised land. From now on, all future attempts to write about Joseph will have to deal with Bushman.

Desiring some basic understanding of Mormonism, I asked a priest friend from Utah to recommend a book. He said that it is hard to find a good book because writings on Mormonism tend to be either Mormon propaganda or anti-Mormon attacks. He did mention that a lot of people were reading *Under the Banner of Heaven* by Jon Krakauer. It turned out be a slash-and-burn attack not only on Mormonism, but religion in general. Shortly after reading Krakauer's book, I discovered *Rough Stone Rolling.* What a contrast! And what an amazing accomplishment! As both a practicing Mormon and a Columbia University professor, Dr. Bushman enables an outsider (like myself) to appreciate the life and times of Joseph Smith.

Before commenting on *Rough Stone Rolling,* I want to make an obvious (but necessary) disclaimer: As a Catholic I do not accept the basic thesis of Mormonism - namely, that Jesus founded a Church and then allowed it to fall into apostasy until a nineteenth century American named Joseph Smith restored it. Mormons believe that, with the death of the last apostle, the Church also died. Catholics, by contrast, believe that the pope and bishops are successors of the apostles.

With that disclaimer in mind, I must say that Dr. Bushman helped me appreciate the great genius of Joseph Smith. At a time when rationalism was robbing people of a direct experience of God, Smith convincingly presented himself as a prophet and wanted others to have similar revelations from God. But he also recognized the need for authority to prevent individual revelations from fracturing the community. In the process he set up structures very familiar to Catholics: a priesthood, a hierarchy with one final authority and rituals which connect believers to divine mysteries. *Rough Stone Rolling* details the steps involved in the creation of a church that would impact the lives of millions of people.

Joseph Smith lived only thirty-eight years, but he had a greater long-term influence than any nineteenth century American. In some ways he was the quintessential American. Emerging from very humble origins, Smith embodies the American ideal of the self-made man. And he had democracy deep his bones: Notwithstanding his extraordinary revelations, he did not put on airs; he wanted all of his follower to receive revelations. Above all, Joseph Smith was a quintessential American in his can-do spirit. Build the heavenly Zion here on earth? No problem. Let's do it right here in Missouri. And when they drove him out of Missouri, he started over again in Illinois with an even bolder vision. That is the American spirit - and Joseph Smith incarnated it to the nth degree.

As Bushman brings out in great detail, Joseph Smith not only had faith in his personal revelations; he had great faith in his country and its constitution. Even when that country treated him badly, he kept faith that its institutions would bring him vindication. In the end the legal system and its officers failed him and he died at the hands of a mob while being held in the Carthage, IL, jail.

Joseph Smith's life provides much material for reflection. I would like to mention two areas that particularly called my attention. The first relates to Joseph Smith's "can do" spirit. It has a downside: a peculiar blindness to the reality of man's fallen nature (original sin). Bushman describes Smith as someone who underestimated the evil in his enemies, his followers - and himself. It came out most dramatically in the shameful treatment of his wife. He tried to give Emma everything, but in the end he did not give her what he had pledged and what she most desired: Joseph himself.

A second question *Rough Stone Rolling* raises is how we as a society accommodate people who have very different beliefs. Can we appeal to a "natural law" which binds everyone? I believe we can. For example, that it is wrong to defraud, break a contract, physically harm or take an innocent human life. Also, I believe, we can argue from the basis of the natural law that marriage is an institution that binds one man and one woman in a life-long and exclusive union. At the same time, I am concerned that our society is falling into what Pope Benedict called a "dictatorship of relativism." That is, many people have despaired of articulating a natural law applicable to all - and instead feel that the only thing we have left is a kind of mob rule, where matters are decided simply on the basis of who (or what group) is most powerful politically. The life of Joseph Smith - and his continuing influence among Mormons - provides a dramatic test case for these important questions. And it appears that, if we continue to move in the direction of a dictatorship of relativism, Catholics, Mormons and other people of faith, will have many occasions to stand together for the rights of conscience.

I've had this preordered for months and was happy to receive it in the mail and read it as fast as I could. Fawn Brodie wrote the most accepted and well written Joseph Smith Biography and it has irked Mormons for over fifty years that the definitive work on Joseph Smith saw him as a talented religious organizer, but, overall a fraud. Since that time occasional biographies come out-but lack the writing or research of Brodie. Also, add into any study of Joseph that writing about Mormonism is anything but objective. You don't find many people without an opinion of Joseph Smith. Some write about him to proselyte, other write as iconoclasts. The key is an honest and thorough treatment.

Bushman is well equipped to take on the task of a new definiative Joseph Smith biography. The author said he was workling on this for seven years and it shows. Considered by many the best Mormon historian since Leonard Arrington, he does better that most to try and flesh out and construct a human Joseph, while also allowing for the possibility of divine inspiration. Thoroughly research and aided by the author's expertise as a historian who specializes in the area and time of Joseph Smith, he provides excellent contextualization and placement for Joseph and his movement.

The writing is near excellence. A little thick at times, but more often flowing and allowing for artistic articulation. I could only see a few minor notes I would add were I to be the proof reader. I feel like I would be greedy to criticize orask for more than is presented overall.

The book follows Joseph from a poor New England upbringing through, local superstition and magic practices, religious retrenchment, visions, controversial gold plates, the formation of church and utopian cities, conflict within and without, to his run for presidency and assassination.

This book may not be comfortable for all orthodox Mormons. The author shows integrity by questioning traditional timelines of priesthood restoration. He presents plural Marriage with a lot of the facts that are commonly left out,like marriages to women who were already married to another man. He discusses josephs failures and struggles. He includes an ocassional item that may not fit with the orthodox narrative. There is no whitewash here. Yet he presents a sincere and loyal Joseph Smith. One who is believing and intelligent. A man with weaknesses, but also a man considered by millions to be a 19th century prophet. He makes Joseph appear new and real, and brings in fresh sources for even those well read on the subject.

This book does faithful Mormon studies proud. As I read I made a mental list of controversial subjects, wondering if he would he address them, and found almost all of them were addressed, while allowing the narrative to flow. The skeptic may think too much benefit of the doubt is given to Joseph. Counter points are in here, but when he can the author gives the subject the benefit of the doubt. The footnotes are wonderful. A good jumping off point for further reading.

Time will tell if the book will gain as much acceptance outside on the Mormon community as Fawn Brodies. A must read for those interested in Mormon studies, but also a good read for outsiders who want to explore Mormonism from a faithful yet honest perspective.

As a trial lawyer, I am always amazed by the reaction of jurors to the reality of human memory and the surpassing difficulty of determining intent and motive. Nobody's stories mesh, everyone perceives things differently--the same person can honestly tell stories with contradictions; and if you do not believe it, let a good lawyer take you on cross-examination. Now take the whole exercise back two hundred years, with the attendant degradation of the record and the reliance, of necessity, upon hearsay. In short, the problems of writing the biography of an historical figure such as Joseph Smith are well beyond the appreciation of most readers. Mr. Bushman's work bears the stamp of meticulous research; he does not shy from confronting the popular arguments and weaves his arguments not from his admitted faith in the man but from the actual events and the flawed and incomplete historical record.

This reviewer accepts Joseph Smith as what he purported to be--a Prophet who received revelation directly from God as did the Prophets of the Bible. The religious among us will accept their duty to answer to God as to whether they followed the biblical injunction to judge righteous judgment--by their fruits shall ye know them. Joseph Smith's teachings have endured and have developed in exactly the manner that one would expect and that the Prophet predicted. I loved this biography precisely because it portrayed the man who was a Prophet--a man who refused, sometimes unwisely, to take the safe path; a man who overcame the lack of social and educational advantages in a quintessentially American fashion; a man who made dumb mistakes just like we all do but who maintained an absolute optimism. A man who was sometimes too quick to trust, regularly overworked, frequently disappointed and who was often betrayed by his own better instincts--but he learned from his mistakes and he was absolutely faithful to the light he had received. Judge him by the Book of Mormon, which he translated, judge him by the leaders he trained, by Brigham Young and by his successor, Gordon B. Hinckley, judge him by a Church whose members and temples span the globe, judge him by the good works of those who follow his revelations as such, judge him by what he accomplished in such a short life, judge by the focus of his writings upon Jesus Christ, but don't judge him because some reporter or diarist recorded events with discrepancies or because of a wrinkle in Joseph's recollection of unprecedented events.

In Rough Stone Rolling, Mr. Bushman walks the path of truth--he admits his bias towards belief but backs up his statements. He calls it as he sees it while still admitting that there are arguments both ways. He demonstrates that a positive faith-promoting history does not need to ignore difficult issues. Mr. Bushman realizes and acknowledges that at some level any beliefs regarding the Prophet end up being based upon faith--whether faith in DNA analysis of Indians, faith in the recollection and accuracy of persons long dead, faith in one's personal perceptions and powers of analysis, or in a divine witness of truthfulness; the book shows that Joseph dealt with persons of all such motivations but that Joseph ultimately succeeded based upon the actions and support of those who professed a divine confirmation of their queries regarding Joseph.

In this his record is superior to advocative portrayals that set forth only positive or negative arguments. Joseph, like all the Prophets before and since, summed it up correctly when he stated that though he made mistakes, there were no errors in the revelations he gave to the Church. This work succeeds in revealing Joseph's life; one cannot fully appreciate Joseph's achievements without a knowledge and understanding of the opposition he faced and overcame. As to his status as the Prophet, each reader must come to and be prepared to defend his or her own judgment. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally. (James 1:5)

Although not a member of the Latter-day Saints, I've long been fascinated by the history and theology of this unique American religion. Whether one admires or despises the Mormons, (and I'd place myself in the former camp) no honest observer can deny the Latter-Day Saints' commitment to moral values, the appeal their lifestyle offers to millions of believers, or their church's worldly success. With 'Rough Stone Rolling' Richard Bushman has given readers a fine biography of Joseph Smith, the charismatic and controversial founder of the Latter-Day Saints. Bushman has his biases - he's a believing Latter-Day Saint - and some might argue that he allows apologetic touches to shade his telling of history. Believers will inevitably see a different Joseph Smith than doubters, and perhaps no one historian could capture the complexities of a prophet who founded a religion of family values yet practiced magic and polygamy and had frequent run-ins with the law. With all that, this is a well-researched and eminently readable biography of a gifted theological innovator which conveys a sense of how its subject was able to inspire believers to take part in a new religious movement.

I have read many books about Joseph Smith the prophet, but none have been so informative and balanced as this one.

Some of what makes this so brilliant is the autor's choice to include as much information as possible - regardless of it's implications. Richard L. Bushman does not shy away from the controversial, presenting Joseph as somebody who I can finally relate to as a human being, rather than some kind of perfect "way up there" godlike being that Primary and Sunday School (intentionally or not) portray him.

It was a relief for me to read of Joseph's mistakes in addition to his many amazing accomoplishments as a prophet, mayor, general, presidential candidate and much more.

I love how honest Brother Bushman is in the book's preface: "A believing historian like myself cannot [...] pretend nothing personal is at stake. For a character as controversial as Smith, pure objectivity is impossible. What I can do is to look frankly at all the sides of Joseph Smith, facing up to his mistakes and flaws. Covering up errors makes no sense in any case. Most readers do not believe in, nor are they interested in, perfection. We want to meet a real person."

Brother Bushman has "undertaken to explore a side of Joseph Smith not adequately examined in other biogrophies: his religious thought." Thus, we are able to peer into the mind and thoughts of the prophet - to a degree never before accomplished.

What motivated him to make the choices he made? Why did he sometimes seem to "lie" in regards to poligamy, the danites, his political motivations, etc? Why was he so "secretive" of his past, the BOM translation, his early visions, etc? All of these and other questions are addressed and we are given a deeper understanding by peering into the mind and "religious thought" of the prophet.

For those wondering how much of Brother Bushman's previous work 'Joseph Smith and the beginnings of Mormonism' is contained in this work, he answers that in the preface: "Large portions of chapters 1, 2, 3 and 5" are recycled in this book.

I can't praise this book enough. I loved it so much that I bought a second copy to loan out to friends from church. (Yes, I am an active LDS.) I also bought a copy for my Dad for Christmas. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a true and balanced history of Joseph Smith, the prophet. It is true that it shows "negative" sides to the prophet, but these are all very well documented and could not be ignored. I for one appreciate the inclusion of all the facts, not just the ones that place Joseph in a good light.

It is as historian Terry L. Givens states on the back cover: "Clearly the definitive biogrophy for generations to come. The most balanced, thorough, and insightful treatment to date--truly a masterful work."

I found Richard Lyman Bushman's biography on Joseph Smith to be pretty refreshing as well as informative book on the life and times of this person who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The book appears to be well researched and well written. It pretty clear that the author have a great command of his subject matter and he writes with certain authority.

This biography provides a very balanced account of Joseph Smith's life, a life which seem all too human in nature and in actions. From this book, I believed that the greatest accomplishment Joseph Smith made was not as a Prophet or founder of an inspired religious faith but organizing, preparing and laying the foundation for that faith that could even withstand his own personal short-comings and those of his own decisions. The author proves to be correct when he pointed out that it was the complex organization that Joseph Smith created which enabled the Latter-Day Saints to rise above the common sects of its times and at the same time, gave the Church amazing recuperative powers.

Joseph Smith in this book is definitely not a divine or holy man that many Mormons like to ideally paints him to be. In this book, his strengths as well as his short coming were clearly painted out, some times quite elegantly, other times with great pain. The author is a practicing Mormon so he accepts Joseph Smith's words and claims on how LDS got started. There is no doubt of the author's sincere belief that everything Joseph Smith stated, did happened. But the book also reflect that if Joseph Smith was LDS' founder, mover and ultimate inspiration, he was also LDS' own worst enemy. Many of his decisions were deeply flawed by author's own accounts and his human faults were in some cases, deeply embarassing.

The author uses Fawn Brodie's No Man Knows My History as a comparsion work in his own book. Brodie's accounts was considered by many scholars (probably non-LDS) as most complete and best detail book. Unfortunately, Brodie, a former Mormon, wrote a book that decried Joseph Smith's Church as an ultimate fraud.

This book may troubled some Mormons who continued to think Joseph Smith as perfect prophet of God. The author take great pains to belied that fantasy. But the imperfect prophet that emerged from these pages proves to just another man, trying his best within his limitations to do the best he can in the world he lives in. At least, Bushman was successful in pointing that out throughout the book.

Not being a Mormon myself, I still thought that Bushman's book proves to be a very honest and detail biography on Joseph Smith. I agreed with other reviews that this book may be regarded as the definitive biography on the man.

This has been one of the hardest reviews I've done to date. This book (as shown by other reviews below) has the potential to bother any reader - both faithful LDS members and also those who believe Joseph Smith was a fraud. Why? Because it contains statements that go somewhat against traditional "sanitised" teachings by the Church, and yet also avoids or only touches lightly on topics non-believers would consider essential in telling - which proves you cannot write a book like this and please everyone.

(No book can tell you whether or not Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. That's not the intent of this book, and hence neither should it be the purpose of any review - this is a review of the book, not beliefs.)

Upfront, I consider this to be an excellent piece of work, one of the best to date, but I cannot honestly call it a definitive tome on Joseph Smith. While impressive and well documented, it contains gaps in Joseph Smith's history, which are documented in other works, that I felt could have been included. I also found Bushman's style of writing and commentary a little too wordy and philosophical at times.

Before reading "Rough Stone Rolling" I had read Bushman's previous effort on Joseph Smith: "Beginnings of Mormonism" - an excellent historical account. So understandably I was expecting the same ease of reading from this book plus much more - especially as both believers and non-believers were giving it such great reviews. The subtitle clarifies why my high expectations were too unrealistic. This is a CULTURAL biography and so as a result, Bushman spends a lot of time interjecting psychoanalysis rather than just reporting historical detail. This is not a bad thing, but not what I was expecting.

I applaud Bushman, who upfront admits he's a believer, for being able to present the material objectively. Bushman uses a myriad of sources to back up his statements and has produced an impressive footnote section taking up over 100 pages at the back of the book.

However, in regards to historical details of a controversial nature, he will often only touch on the topic, or instead, boldly comment on it with the meat of his point found only in the footnote section. There are also times when he completely avoids calling a spade a spade: "To safeguard his burdensome secret, Joseph publicly and repeatedly denied he was advocating polygamy". Any non-Mormon writer would simply have stated "Joseph Smith repeatedly lied in public when accused that polygamy was being practised". (p.491, similarly p.538)

Let me emphasize that this is the worst I can say about this book. While not meeting MY expectations it should impress any reader.

There are reasons that believers and non-believers will love this book and reasons (as you'll read in other reviews) that both parties will find fault with this book. Regardless of what you believe, Bushman has done a commendable job performing exhaustive research and producing an excellent biography which I highly recommend.

***** 4.5 stars

I applaud Bushman for undertaking such a large task. Writing a detailed biography of anyone is not easy, let alone the biography of a young man who claimed to be God's true prophet here to restore the only true church on the face of the earth. As a Mormon, you would think that Bushman would be biased towards Joseph Smith. Yet, the reader does not get that sense throughout the book. Instead, Bushman, who I have heard speak many times and highly recommend if you have the chance, crafted in "Rough Stone Rolling" a readable, yet detailed account of Joseph's short life. This is an excellent book for someone comfortable and somewhat familiar with Mormons, the LDS church's history, and Joseph Smith. But this is not the book for someone interested in learning more about the basic beliefs of the Mormon/LDS church. Mormons will no doubt be in the media's attention in the near future with Mitt Romney considering a presidential run, and at some point, the country will probably hear that, among all of Joseph's accomplishments, he also had his own presidential run of 1844. Great book Dr. Bushman.