Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise [Hardcover]

Glen M. Leonard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2002

This broad overview of the history of a rapidly growing city in western Illinois in the 1840s examines the doctrines and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Written to be enjoyed by a broad general audience, it explores the role of political unity, cooperative economics, and religious beliefs during a volatile time in Mormon history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A great book for understanding the worldview and religion of Mormon Nauvoo, as well as political, economic, and social aspects. -- William D. Russell, Sunstone Symposium, Salt Lake City, August 8, 2002

A veritable encyclopedia of how a town was built, . . . an economy established, and a city government set up. -- Audrey M. Godfrey, Utah Historical Quarterly, Summer 2003

Friendly history at its finest. . . . It should be required reading for all inquisitive students of Latter-day Saint history. -- Gary James Bergera, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Fall 2002

Leonard's "Nauvoo" is an ambitious and needed update. It will serve as an important first reference. -- Byron C. Andreasen, Mormon Historical Studies, volume 3, no. 1, 2002

This remarkable new book . . . is sure to be the definitive history of Nauvoo for years to come. -- Dennis Lythgoe, Deseret News, June 16, 2002

From the Publisher

This eagerly awaited volume portrays the political and economic climate of Nauvoo in the 1840s as it focuses on the essential spiritual nature of the city. The drama of Joseph Smith's last years, the deep religious meaning of the latter-day gathering, and the excitement of raising a city of refuge on the Illinois frontier made Nauvoo, for a time, a place of peace for a people of promise.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 828 pages
• Publisher: Deseret Book Co; First edition (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570087466
• ISBN-13: 978-1570087462
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a history set in a religious context - make no mistake., November 28, 2008

By 

Steven Salisbury "Steve" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise (Hardcover)

I found myself easily immersed in Leonard's book, Nauvoo, A Place of Peace, A People of Promise. He has done a magnificent job bringing to life the story of the Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo. Loaded with factual references, he offers a perspective not here-to-fore given the serious student of Nauvoo history.

Some have said that Nauvoo and its temple were the crowning achievement of Joseph Smith's ministry. As an active Latter-day Saint, and after reading this book, I would agree with this statement. However, the achievements most might think of are the temporal achievements. Building a city of 12,000 residents out of a swamp in six years, or undertaking the erection of a temple this magnificent was at the time a major leadership and temporal accomplishment. Latter-day Saints recognize, though, that these crowning achievements are more about Joseph's prophetic call. It was during those turbulent Nauvoo years that Joseph received many of the revelations that truly define the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Leonard helps drive this point home.

I would have liked more information about a few things. Early in the book, when Leonard discusses the number of elected government officials who are LDS versus non-LDS, he does not provide any comparative population statistics. This would be important to know to help the reader assess for himself whether or not the ratio was "fair." He merely comments that the ratio of LDS to non-LDS politicians favored the non-believers. I would like to know the facts.

At the end of chapter five, he leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger regarding John C. Bennett. This might work in fiction, but it seemed out of place for this historical work. We all know what a scalawag Bennett turned out to be. Just tell us he is a crook and adulterer and get it over. In fact, later when we learn more about Bennett's wrong doings, Leonard never really comes out with the charges.

In chapter six, we read good material about the agrarian lifestyle those in and around Nauvoo chose to live. Given the comparative nature of earlier chapters, it would have been good to read more about how the Latter-day Saints farming practices differed from those of their non-LDS neighbors. I would also like to have read how trading ensued between LDS farmers and their non-LDS neighbors.

When he gives his summarization of James Strang and the Strangite group, Leonard talks about the troubles Strang had on Beaver Island. We never hear about any positive contributions. One more sentence or even a short paragraph on Strang's contributions to northern Michigan might have made this work a little more credible. For example, few people realize that Strang published the first newspaper north of Grand Rapids, and that he was in the state legislature. A little balance helps build credibility.

Leonard is at times too proper. A serious student of church history can take the truth, even if it might make us blush. There were times when I just wish he had said, "Person X had an adulterous affair with Persons A, B, and C." Rather than cloaking it in words like "conduct unbecoming of a church member," or words and phrases that are even more ambiguous.

About half way through the book, I began to wonder for a moment if I was reading an in depth historical reference, or something that was biased toward the purposes of the church. At this point, I read the front and back flaps and came away even more confused. Leonard said that he was going to portray this from a religious perspective. In many ways, he did, but he did so with great care to ensure that facts were set in the proper context. Religious perspective? Perhaps, but only in how he shows why the Prophet Joseph and other church leaders made the kinds of decisions they did at the time. In the end, though, it still makes me wonder if this is truly the last word in authoritative, well documented, fair and balanced reporting of the history of this great city, its people and its religion.

Criticisms aside, this book is a must read for anyone interested in a serious study of Nauvoo. While I still think there are a few things missing, most of the truth about the events during the Nauvoo era has now been brought to light. Nice work, Mr. Leonard.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest and helpful., November 29, 2010

By 

R. West "Coordinator/Scheduler" (South Jordan, UT USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise (Hardcover)

I will be living in Nauvoo and wanted to know some of the history of the city. This book is a great read and has provided a lot of very useful information about a place and time that is often overlooked or distorted by historians. Great book.

12 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Nauvoo history, July 16, 2002

By 

Matt (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise (Hardcover)

Leonard has been working on this book for over twenty years, and the result is an impressive, comprehensive history of Nauvoo. He traces the history of the area, of course focusing on the years 1839-1846 when the Mormons were there, but not exclusive to that period. It describes the first settlers, the Mormon War after the main exodus, the Icarian period, and all the way through the re-dedication of the Nauvoo Temple in 2002.

Leonard's detailed research debunks some things we always thought were true (for example, he claims that John Taylor's pocketwatch didn't stop a bullet--it was crushed when he fell) and provides more detail on many familiar stories we thought we knew (like the conference where Brigham Young and Sidney Rigdon vied for leadership of the Church).

The book gets bogged down from time to time going over who owned what parcel of land, and describing every possible profession that was followed in Nauvoo. Descriptions of Nauvoo's economy aren't nearly as exciting as stories of the lives of the early Saints.

As an active Latter-day Saint, Leonard treats doctrinal topics, revelations, and divine manifestations matter-of-factly without discussion as to their truth. His focus, instead, is the story of the people of Nauvoo. He claims to be writing for a universal audience, but a non-LDS reader may have difficulty with his passing mentions of prominent Mormon figures who are poorly identified because Mormons generally are familiar with them. For example, he uses the names "Orrin Rockwell" and "Porter Rockwell" interchangably (never "Orrin Porter Rockwell"), without telling us they are the same person.

The theme of the book is that the Nauvoo period was crucial in defining the LDS Church against the rest of Christianity. Eternal marriage, temple endowments, vicarious ordinances, and man's divine potential are uniquely Mormon doctrines that Joseph Smith taught in Nauvoo. Leonard spends some time describing how many of Joseph's associates, including Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith III, rejected many of the Prophet's Nauvoo teachings and thereby formed their own religious groups. The understanding of these concepts increased my appreciation for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the city of Nauvoo itself.