Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet [Hardcover]

Robert S. Wicks (Author), Fred R. Foister (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2005

"Junius and Joseph examines Joseph Smith's nearly forgotten [1844] presidential bid, the events leading up to his assassination on June 27, 1844, and the tangled aftermath of the tragic incident. It . . . establishes that Joseph Smith's murder, rather than being the deadly outcome of a spontaneous mob uprising, was in fact a carefully planned military-style execution. It is now possible to identify many of the key individuals engaged in planning his assassination as well as those who took part in the assault on Carthage jail. And second, this study presents incontrovertible evidence that the effort to remove the Mormon leader from power and influence extended well beyond Hancock County [Illinois] (and included prominent Whig politicians as well as the Democratic governor of the state), thereby transforming his death from an impulsive act by local vigilantes into a political assassination sanctioned by some of the most powerful men in Illinois. The circumstances surrounding Joseph Smith's death also serve to highlight the often unrecognized truth that a full understanding of early Mormon history can be gained only when considered in the context of events taking place in American society as a whole."

Beginning with this provocative thesis, Wicks and Foister engage in a thorough reexamination of Joseph Smith's 1844 presidential candidacy, its political context and implications, and its probable connection to his murder. While their work asserts controversial conclusions about what and who were behind that murder, its import extends further since it provides unprecedented, detailed portraits of political Mormonism, politics in 1844 Illinois and the Midwest, the web of connections and personalities that linked the two, and the events of June 27.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These two authors make such a persuasive case in this very interesting and well argued work." -- Jan Shipps, author of Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Utah State University Press; 1 edition (May 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874216079
• ISBN-13: 978-0874216073
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,543,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Critically important reading for students of Mormon Studies and American Political History Studies, November 6, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet (Paperback)

The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormon church), Joseph Smith was always a controversial figure. Considered by his followers to be a prophet of God charged with the mission of re-establishing His church and people on earth, he established Nauvoo, Illinois, a militia, and was deeply involved in the politics of the day. At the time of his death in 1844 at the hands of a mob who attacked and killed him while he was under arrest in a Missouri jail, Joseph Smith was also an active candidate for president of the United States. In Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics And The Assassination Of The First Mormon Prophet, historians and co-authors Robert S. Wicks and Fred R. Foister lay out a persuasive case that the death of Joseph Smith was no random act of mob violence, but a carefully planned and orchestrated political assassination to prevent Smith's election to the nation's highest office -- the presidency. Key individuals engaged in the conspiracy, as well as those who took part in the assault on Carthage jail are identified. Evidence that the lethal effort to remove the Mormon leader from political power through his assassination extended to include prominent Whig politicians as well as the Democratic governor of Missouri. Also available in a hardcover edition (087-4216079, $45.95) Junius And Joseph is a seminal, ground breaking work of truly impressive scholarship, and critically important reading for students of Mormon Studies and American Political History Studies.

21 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Important, but flawed work, February 4, 2006

By 

Richard J. Slawson (Summit, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet (Paperback)

I hesitantly give Junius and Joseph four stars. It is a comprehensive study of the events leading up to the assassination of Joseph Smith and gives the most detailed reconstruction of the assassination I have read. The authors successfully argue that the assassination was result of a conspiracy of local and state politician, but their attempt to link the conspiracy to Henry Clay and a nation-wide conspiracy seem tenuous at best.

While the authors try to present their material objectively, a lurking anti-Mormon sentiment clouds their analysis. Most notably is the chapter in which they argue that the Mormon's actively sought to avenge Smith's murder. For example, the authors make the gratuitous statement that number who lost their lives to Mormon vengeance "can only be guessed at." Their attempts to show that anyone died are remarkably weak.

They color the death of Frank Worrel, a conspirator in Smith's murder, with a love letter Worrel wrote and his tender leave-taking of his wife and child on the day of his death. (Significantly, Smith's leave-taking of his wife and children before his death is not even mentioned.) However, the authors do not give the circumstance of Worrel's death are not given and their conclusion that Worrel was a casualty of Mormon vengeance cannot be evaluated.

The authors' attempts to link the Mountain Meadows massacre to Mormon vengeance are based solely on one statement by John D. Lee, who was then disaffected from the Mormon church. Again while they discuss the massacre in some detail, they neglect to mention that Brigham Young sent orders that the wagon train was not to be attacked.

Readers must be wary of these and other flaws as they read this important work.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional research work, slightly heavy presentation, December 29, 2005

By 

R. C. Harris Jr. "Norway" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet (Paperback)

Fascinating information about the time and era of Joseph in Nauvoo; including all the facts leading up to his presidential nomination, the presidential campaign and subsequent assasination.

The one major complaint I have is that I found some of the presentation a bit overly academical, with long sentences and fancy words. I prefer a simpler approach to writing. One that the average and simple-minded (like myself) can easily follow. This is not to say that it was all very complicated, but I sometimes had to read paragraphs or sections two or three times to comprehend the meaning. (Jan Shipps is another example of bad academic-styled writing, while Richard Lyman Bushman is an example of comprehensive writing.)

In spite of this weakness, I nearly gave it 5 stars for the sheer audacity and boldness with which it attacks its subject matter - not to mention the plethora of documentation and factual information surrounding General Joseph Smith's presidential campaign, the council of fifty, the 'Kingdom of God' and all the facts leading up to Joseph and Hyrum Smith's assasination at Carthage.

The final chapters conclude by giving us the names of the men responsible for the assasination (including the men who pulled the trigger!) and what became of them following the act.

Junius & Joseph paints a clear picture of the political times of the 1840's, including the ambitions and tactics of politicians including Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, James Polk, Thomas Ford and several others. It also lists names of 30 of the 50 members of the 'council of fifty' and describes exactly what we know about the somewhat secret organization.

A fascinating read for anyone interested in the politics and conspiracies surrounding the death of Joseph Smith. It will place you completely into the time, and give you an understanding of the event that is as complete as possible with the documents available to us today. It may never get clearer than this.