The Prophet Puzzle: Interpretive Essays on Joseph Smith (Essays on Mormonism Series) [Paperback]

Bryan Waterman (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Series: Essays on Mormonism Series | Publication Date: January 15, 1999

Unraveling the complexities of Joseph Smith's character and motives is difficult, but before the puzzle can be solved, all the pieces must be gathered and correctly interpreted. Parts of the picture are still missing only because they have been overlooked, ignored, or mishandled pieces which reveal previously hidden features of Smith's complex, conflicted, and gifted personality. Some of the contributors to this anthology look at the religious side of the prophet and explore his inner, spiritual world. Others look at secular issues. Some view the relevance of his activity as a treasure seer since this is one part of the puzzle that has not been fully investigated by Mormons generally. In pursuing the prophet puzzle, contributors seek to understand Joseph Smith, not to judge him, knowing that he is an enigma for believer and skeptic alike. As non-Mormon historian Jan Shipps, a contributor to this collection, observes, "The mystery of Mormonism cannot be solved until we solve the mystery of Joseph Smith." Contributors include Thomas G. Alexander, Robert D. Anderson, Gary James Bergera, Newell G. Bringhurst, Richard L. Bushman, Eugene England, Lawrence Foster, Ronald V. Huggins, Lance S. Owens, Karl C. Sandberg, Jan Shipps, Joseph Smith, Susan Staker, Alan Taylor, Richard S. Van Wagoner, Dan Vogel, and Steven C. Walker.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Mormon movement was never a simple or uncomplicated entity, and since so much of it was an outgrowth from reflection of the mind, life and development of the persona of Joseph Smith, Jr., it should come as no surprise to anyone that there is, and probably always will be a "prophet puzzle" to be analyzed and debated by those who still aspire to understand clearly and believably the nature of the man and the movement. Not only is there considerable complexity, texture, and ambiguity in the character of Smith, the editor and some of the contributors of this collection of articles acknowledge that at some points Smith allowed and even "knowingly fostered an aura of ambiguity around himself which helped create and sustain this legacy of enigma" (viii-ix). If hundreds and thousands of scholars are still arguing over the identity and self conception of a simple, illiterate, itinerant Jewish peasant who, after almost 2000 years, is blamed/credited for the existence of the world's largest religion, how can we realistically expect that the complexity, intentionality (if singularly!), and contradictions in the Mormon prophet might have been satisfactorily solved/resolved in a century and a half? In the editor's brief but pointed introduction, Waterman quotes Jan Shipps' now-popular admonition that the "mystery of Mormonism cannot be solved until we solve the mystery of Joseph Smith" (x). While no one in this volume claims to have resolved the "prophet puzzle" (that nomenclature is Shipps'), it is to the credit of the editor and each of these contributors that this single volume brings together under one cover a most valuable set of views that will comprise new grist for the mills of the grinding of new grain on this subject which will almost certainly bring to light a prompt investigation of even greater complexities and wrinkles in the character and face of the Mormon founder/prophet. This single volume will be an indispensable volume to bring new comers to the topic and problem up-to-speed in a relative hurry. All the interpreters have transcended each in his or her own style the old, simplistic dichotomy of either "fraud" or "prophet of God," and most of them were carefully self-conscious and self-critical in their efforts to do so. It is and will continue to be a valuable, substantive contribution on the matter. This fifteen chapter edited collation begins with the helpful historiographical essay by Thomas G. Alexander up to 1977, since it was previously published in 1978. This material is still solid, in spite of not being brought all the way to present, and Alexander provides a five-paragraph clue as to how he would move in the updating of the article. In chapters two and three, Jan Shipps and Dan Vogel, respectively, provide recent perceptions of the "prophet puzzle discussion." (Those who attended the 1994 MHA meetings may recall the moving session in which Shipps and Vogel shared their differing positions at that time on this "puzzle." They appeared to have moved a bit closer to each other in these two chapters.) Nine of the remaining twelve articles are all reprinted from prior publications. But chapters four, nine, and thirteen, by Richard L. Bushman, Eugene England, and Susan Staker, respectively, are new and published here for the first time. All of the chapters are ambitiously and generously backnoted for informative bibliographical support and information which make this a valuable and resourceful single-volume on the subject. The brief Epilogue to the volume is an excerpt of the "King Follett Discourse" which contains the now-famous quip from Smith that "no man knows my history" and which served as the title of the well-known earlier treatment of ex-communicant Fawn Brodie (352). --John Whitmer Historical Journal, Edward A. Warner

Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, was one of the most significant religious leaders of the 19th century. His efforts sparked the rise of a new religious movement that has proven to be lasting and dynamic. But who was this man Joseph Smith, and what made him unique? That has been the subject of considerable investigation by many. This book collects some of the more thoughtful recent explorations of this theme. The 15 essays include several previously published in journals, along with three that appear here for the first time. This collection is a welcome addition to the literature on the Mormon prophet not for its exhaustive consideration nor for the insights offered, but because it brings together several important articles on the place of Joseph Smith in the history of American religion. Several of the leading scholars of early Mormonism among them Richard Bushman, Jan Shipps, and Thomas G. Alexander are represented in the collection, as are outstanding non-Mormon scholars such as Alan Taylor and Lawrence Foster. --Journal of the West, Roger C. Launius

About the Author

Bryan Waterman, a Ph.D. candidate in American studies at Boston University, is the former editor of the BYU Student Review, former associate editor of Sunstone, guest editor for a special student issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, editor of The Prophet Puzzle: Interpretive Essays on Joseph Smith, and co-author of The Lord's University: Freedom and Authority at BYU. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife and children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signature Books (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156085121X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560851219
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,095,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homo multifacete, February 20, 2005

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Conny Svensson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Prophet Puzzle: Interpretive Essays on Joseph Smith (Essays on Mormonism Series) (Paperback)

These interpretive essays on Joseph Smith (JS) are a fresh air in the never-ending discussion of this remarkable man. He wasn't like the mysticists or like other grand persons of history, but a farm boy, low-educated, poor: but just after two-three years, he become divine, talking to Jesus and listening to the voice of angels nearly every day. The essays concentrate on this man and on his surrounding. Some essays bring up the work, which were translated/written by him, others go thru some specific points of his history. The essays contribute therefore to a holistic approach of this man.

Sandberg's essay is one of the best about JS. Thru the famous psychologist Jung and his works, he presents a JS who has transcended the material boundaries of language and sign and reached a spiritual salvation - which he describes in plain Enlighs language. This is particularly shown in the last essay, which is JS' own King Folett speach. JS sees himself to have solved the mystery of godhood, glorification and why we are on earth. How wonderful it would be for us normal individuals without any religious connotation to have this self-confidence like JS. I - to be more personal - admire JS. I would never be able to preach polygamy and say it came from god or that I have met an angel and been called for prophethood. Did he ever get nervous?

The answer is sort of ambivalent. The essays of Anderson and Foster tries to analyse JS psychologically. Anderson questions the fact that one could put a diagnose on a dead person, relying on contradictory sources. Foster however, believes that JS was mano-depressive. He means that the only way he could implement polygamy was thru this mano-phase, where one is absolutely sure that everything depends on one issue and is eager to change the world - like becoming a president - JS tried that too, without succes.

Bergera touches this issue of presidency and JS leadership - a good perspective. He bases his essay on the Weberian types of leadership, where charismatic is one of those and apply it on JS. Huggins and England are more interested in JS' as a theologian and a romanticist. Huggins goes thru JS own translation of Romans and finds that already in his revision of Romans, JS tries to excuse polygamy .... England, his style of writing is like a melody, making her best to find JS behind among others the King Folett speach.

One of the best - again - is Staker. Her essay appears for the first time in this compilation and sheds a light on the Book of Abraham and its relation to polygamy. JS introduced polygamy little by little and confined on his closest friends, marrying several of their wives. She finds an interesting link to the foundation of Relief society, which today has become a sort of charity organisation. Read it!

Jan Shipps and her way of ignoring the charlatan-prophet paradox is also in the book. Vogel - like his psychiography "Making of a prophet" promotes his model à la Shipps and treats JS as a pious fraud, a one that believed if white lies could bring humans close to jesus and god, why not lie, ie. the means justifies the end.

Two wonderful backgrounds, one about the New York area of those days - by Bringhurst and an overview of the biograhpies on Smith, from 1830s to 1970s by Alexander, are worth reading too (I'll end up recommending every essay soon....). Two essays treat what was introduced and analysed by Quinn, the magical tradition of early LDS.

Owens - depending a bit too much on "Refiner's fire" enhances JS hermetic side and Taylor, puts JS' treasure seeking in a similar magical context. Very briefly - it seems that the early LDS or the rest of people did not view magic as contradictory to religion. As this changed over time, LDS tried to minimise this context. I believe that this magical adventurous side of JS actually prepared make a prophet of him.

It is wonderful that a traditionalist appears in Signature among all the "heathens", hihi! We have Bushman, who thru his balanced view of history writes about JS' as a translator. His way of mentioning Book of Abraham is diplomatic. A very very "quoty" essay is the one by Wagoner and Walker. They go thru several sources about the translation process.

Will the book change a traditionalist view of prophethood? I don't know. I believe that much of being a prophet, is to be confirmed as such. In Swedish we say that beauty lies in the viewer's eye - funny it sounds in English. I have learned that being perfect - which is expected from president, popes and prophets - is a process and you can never say I am perfect and all-knowing today. If JS had the research about bible close to hand, maybe every thing would have been different. Maybe. If JS would be a feminist, he wouldn't introduce polygamy, or if he would, he would allow women to have several men. But as always, he was a child of his time and this influenced his religious and spiritual expressions. I don't believe he lied, I think he was sure of what he was doing, I think that he had this burning in the bosom all his life and tried to express this wonderful feeling by writing spiritual work. Gosh, I sound so "Pollyannish", hm.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Know Brother Joseph Again..., September 29, 2005

By 

M. A. Thurston "MAT3" (Corona, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prophet Puzzle: Interpretive Essays on Joseph Smith (Essays on Mormonism Series) (Paperback)

The Prophet Puzzle is a collection of 15 essays about Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith. Previous reviewers have done a great job summarizing the merits of these essays. I echo their fine reviews. The Prophet Puzzle works as a wonderful supplement to any biography on Joseph Smith (be it Brodie, Bushman, Hill, Vogel, etc.), or simply as a stand alone work. The essay by Karl C. Sandberg is worth the purchase price alone. Mormons everywhere, expand your understanding of our great prophet and buy this book! You will come to a better understanding of the man from these 15 essays than you will from a lifetime subscription to Ensign. To everyone else: buy this book and get inside the mind of a complicated man and religious genius.

5.0 out of 5 stars AN INSIGHTFUL COLLECTION OF INTERPRETATIONS OF JOSEPH SMITH, September 16, 2011

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Prophet Puzzle: Interpretive Essays on Joseph Smith (Essays on Mormonism Series) (Paperback)

This 1999 collection includes essays by figures such as Jan Shipps, Dan Vogel, Richard Bushman, Newell Bringhurst, Eugene England, and others.

The editor writes in the Introduction, "The essays in this volume take up Smith's legacy of enigma. Using tools from disciplines as diverse as history, psychology, literary studies, sociology, and theology, the selections here represent thirty years of writing about Joseph Smith... The collection's purpose is to make a variety of interpretations of Joseph Smith, both previously published and new, accessible to a larger audience."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"(Fawn) Brodie's principal drawback is that while she recognizes Joseph Smith's tremendous creativity, her views require ambivalence about the religion he created. Her narrative makes it plain that Mormonism was attractive and religiously satisfying to thousands of people during Smiths' lifetime and afterward, but in the end she sees ... 'the barrenness of his spiritual legacy...'" (Pg. 10)
"I suggest that Smith really believed he was called of God to preach repentance to a sinful world but that he felt justified in using deception to accomplish his mission more fully. Like the faith healer who uses confederates to create a faith-promoting atmosphere in which true miracles can occur, Smith assumed the role of prophet... and issued revelations to create a setting in which true conversion experiences could take place." (Pg. 61)
"As time went by, Joseph played down the place of magic and seerstones in his early life... he knew that involvement with magic would discredit the church... in 1830 he gave up using seerstones and spoke no more about them." (Pg. 79)
"A significant amount of Missouri/anti-Mormon hostility stemmed from anxiety concerning Latter-day Saint views on the issue of black slavery... The expression of Mormon anti-slavery attitudes is not surprising given that Smith along with the vast majority of his Latter-day Saint followers were from nonslave-holding regions of the northeast." (Pg. 123)
"It was no accident that the Smiths' leading collaborator in their Palmyra treasure-seeking was Willard Chase, a Methodist preacher. Because of the intersection with religious seeking I prefer to call them treasure-seekers rather than the more sordid-sounding money-diggers. And if we recognize this intersection, then they do not appear such a bad lot for the Smiths to have associated with." (Pg. 147)
"How does any form of Bipolar Affective Disorder explain the Book of Mormon, Smith's revelations, or the Book of Abraham? At best, it only provides Smith with thoughtful introspection when depressed and energy when hypomanic. It contributes little to the explanation of these 'miracles.'" (Pg. 229)