The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith, Jr., and the Dissociated Mind [Hardcover]

William D., M.D. Morain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1998

AA whole life can be shaped by an old trauma, remembered or not.AALenore Terr, Child Psychiatrist What behavioral patterns could one expect from an adult whose brutal childhood traumas held themes of dismemberment, punishment, and worse? For Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, a religious superstructure of narcissism may have evolved, with sexual and ritualistic features that flowed directly from traumatic events. Joseph suffered unspeakable pain as a seven-year-old child from a leg bone infection and its surgical treatments without anesthesia. He survived as the crippled middle child of an impoverished migrant family, retreating into a fantasy world of violence, persecution, and revenge from which he never completely emerged. As an adolescent, the sudden death of his beloved older brother contributed bizarre bereavement fantasies to an already traumatized psyche. The Sword of Laban examines the Mormon prophetAs enigmatic life in light of current understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder and the dissociation that accompanies it. Dr. Morain traces the repetitive patterns of behavior and fantasies of SmithAs adult life. He demonstrates how the horrifying real events of the surgeries combined with the developmental phaseAspecific fantasies of a seven-year-old boy resulted in permanent pathological distortion of SmithAs entire early psychological growth and developmentAwith significant consequences for his subsequent adult psychological functioning. Dr. MorainAs remarkable psychological study of Joseph Smith, Jr. will be of interest to a wide spectrum of readersAas a social history, religious biography, an account of the dissociative elements in poetic and spiritual genius, or simply a gripping portrait of an ill-fated and tragic man. This text also has a special relevance for clinicians who are changing their theoretical and practical approaches to psychiatric illness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" "The Sword of Laban" breaks exciting new ground in early Mormon scholarship. Dr. Morain draws on his experience as a surgeon treating childhood trauma to theorize brilliantly about the psychological consequences of young Joseph Smith Jr.'s painful leg surgery. He relates this, along with other insightful observations about Smith's familial and environmental influences, to a textual analysis of The Book of Mormon that is remarkably original and convincing. He drives home his arguments with a dramatic intensity, writing in a style that is both scholarly and colorful. You might not agree with all of the controversial conclusions reached in "The Sword of Laban", but you won't put it down until you've turned the final page."-- "William D. Russell, Professor of American History, Graceland College, Former President, Mormon History Association (1982-1983)"

About the Author

William D. Morain, M.D., was educated at Graceland College, Grinnell College, and Harvard Medical School. He trained in surgery at HarvardÂs Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and ChildrenÂs Hospital Medical Center and in plastic surgery at Stanford University Medical Center. Recently retired after two decades of academic practice, Dr. Morain was Professor of Plastic Surgery at Dartmouth Medical School. He has served as President of the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation and the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons and as Secretary of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Author of over 100 scientific and literary publications, he currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the monthly journal Annals of Plastic Surgery.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Amer Psychiatric Pub; 1 edition (January 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880488646
• ISBN-13: 978-0880488648
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,650,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly speculative, June 25, 2003

By 

I am the "mindfunker" (Live from Kolob) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith, Jr., and the Dissociated Mind (Hardcover)

This is a quick and easy read, perfect for after dinner reading. The argument is intriguing, but one shouldn't take it so seriously. It's best to read this book with the same healthy skepticism one would bring to a "JFK assassination conspiracy" book. The author is simply connecting dots in Joseph Smith's life to construct his theory that Smith had a personality disorder, and that this disorder was the essence of his religious genius. The book's critical flaw is methodological: Morain never really compares Smith with other case studies from the literature on dissociative disorders, rendering his conclusions pure speculation. Still, Morain scores a few interesting points, and made me say "hmmmmmmmm" more than once. Five stars for readability. Three stars for scholarship. That's an average of 4.

31 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sword of Laban cuts both ways into Mormon Psyche, March 22, 2000

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith, Jr., and the Dissociated Mind (Hardcover)

Dr. Morain presents a professionally done work with plausible explanations of the internal motivations of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Anyone who has dealt with Post Traumatic Stress professionally or personally realizes the long term and powerful impact that trauma can have upon human beings, especially the young and impressionable.

The book is as vivid in its descriptions as it is in its theory and hypothesis.

Dr. Morains's book actually makes more sense and seems much more plausible than angels from heaven visiting Joseph Smith and giving him golden plates. One wonders why readers who so readily accept the angel stories, scoff at Dr. Morain's reasonable and scientific approach.

Ardent believers of Joseph Smith and readers of the Book of Mormon be wary of the mythical Sword of Laban cutting both ways, leaving logic and reason decapitated from the body of truth.

20 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNFOLDING THE MYSTERY OF JOSEPH SMITH., July 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith, Jr., and the Dissociated Mind (Hardcover)

Many books present a "factual" history of Mormonism that rebuts the "official" Church version of it's origns. This book is the first attempt to present a realistic thesis that explains how such a bizarre phenomenon could logically occur. Even Joseph Smith would find this analysis very compelling. Dr. Morain has done a splendid job of integrating historical facts with modern research and medical practice. Of course, all historical analysis as well as any medical diagnosis requires some degree of speculation, but this diagnosis seems to logically tie all of the loose ends together. This may not be the final word, but such excellent research and creative analysis will stimulate fresh debate for many years.