Building the Kingdom: A History of Mormons in America (Paperback)

~ Claudia Lauper Bushman (Author), Richard Lyman Bushman (Author) "Mormonism, one of the world's fastest growing Christian religions, doubles its membership about every 15 years..." (more)
Key Phrases: plural marriage, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Book of Mormon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1999, the Bushmans published Mormons in America, a thoughtful little textbook that was part of Oxford's Religion in American Life series for the young adult market. If you missed that book, never fear: this brief paperback is a slightly edited version of the original YA title. Oxford should be congratulated for having the smarts to realize that adults need basic information about Mormon history, too, particularly in this Olympic month. Here, Claudia Bushman (Mormon Sisters: Women in Early Utah) and husband Richard Bushman (Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism), both historians at Columbia University, present a balanced, informative and brief introduction to one of the world's fastest-growing religious movements. Theirs is a grassroots approach to history; the Bushmans are more interested in the everyday experiences of ordinary Latter-day Saints than they are in the institutional growth of the church, its financial "empire" or its corporate bureaucracy all of which have been well documented elsewhere. They are not afraid to tackle some of the thorny issues of the Mormon past, such as polygamy, the Mountain Meadows Massacre or the early Mormons' feuds with the federal government. But they don't dwell unduly on these blemishes, preferring instead to focus on how Mormonism as a religion has changed over time, and how those changes have contributed to a shifting sense of what it means to be a Latter-day Saint. This user-friendly, perceptive and accessible primer is a welcome counterbalance to the highly specialized literature on Mormon history. (Feb.)Forecast: With a release date coinciding with the winter Olympics in Utah, this title should get off to a good start, but given the dearth of balanced, informative introductions to Mormonism, it is also poised to have a long shelf life as a favorite for course adoption.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Oxford should be congratulated for having the smarts to realize that adults need basic information about Mormon history....A balanced, informative, and brief introduction to one of the world's fastest-growing religious movements. ...This user-friendly, perceptive, and accessible primer is a welcome counterbalance to the highly specialized literature on Mormon history."--Publishers Weekly

"Issues related to the history and current life of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are dealt with in a straightforward manner in this telling of the Mormon story....[The authors] have researched the basic facts of the church's history and growth and its place in the world today, and present it all in an attractive, readable manner."--Kliatt

"A balanced account detailing the church's origins, the persecution that led to the famous westward trek to Utah, controversial practices and beliefs, and past and present problems....Books like this help set the record straight."--Rockford Register Star (Illinois)

"Slim and accessible....A must-read for anyone planning to visit Salt Lake City or desiring a succinct history for his or her own erudition."--Gadflyonline.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 123 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Later Printing edition (December 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195150228
• ISBN-13: 978-0195150223
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #625,971 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview, September 30, 2002

By	BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The authors' approach was stated to be to "understand Mormonism in terms of the experience of Mormon people". They presented the sometimes-stormy history of Mormonism, often in the midst of controversy, in a straighforward and non-judgmental way.

There has been some dispute as to whether Mormons are Christians. Critics say that the LDS doctrine of God does not conform to traditional Christian creed. Joseph Smith said he communicated directly with God; this is unlike reformers such as Calvin and Luther who used reason to interpret the Bible in new ways.

The authors presented a thorough background of Joseph Smith, from his fist vision at age 14 and his translation of the gold tablets into the Book of Molrmon. They then followed the Mormons as they headed West and founded settlements in Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois, among other places, on their way to Utah.

Plural marriage and its repercussions were thoroughly explained. By 1844, this and other pronouncements by Joseph Smith carried Mormonism beyond the bounds of conventional Christian belief. Smith was jailed after ordering the press of a dissenting newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois destroyed and he was then killed by an angry mob while he was in jail.

By September 1846 14,000 "Saints" had fled west from Nauvoo and undertook a brutal trek toward the Rocky Mountains. Over the next 22 years, 300 wagon trains with over 10,000 wagons would travel to Utah. In Utah, Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor, designed the Salt Lake Valley according to Smith's plan for New Jerusalem.

In 1896, Wilford Woodruff, the LDS President, declared an end to polygamy, the price paid for Utah to become a state. This practice had raised national opposition to Mormonism.

Mormonism became more mainstream, no longer practiced in isolation. The Church Welfare Plan, which continues today, seems to be a model to promote self-sufficiency and co-operation.

The last section of the book dealt with Mormonism today: the church structure (local and national), tithing, missions, and religious education.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction, January 17, 2002

By A Customer

This is a very well done introduction to the subject, by two extremely competent and highly respected historians. Those wanting a basic overview of the subject will not go far wrong if they choose this book. (There are many -- MANY -- much less desirable competitors on the market, including a considerable literature [almost entirely from evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants] that can only be described as hostile propaganda.)

5 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not just a history, August 5, 2002

By A Customer

The authors did a reasonable job, the book is organized and readable, they just shouldn't have presented their expository as an objective history. It is simply an LDS primer with historical context. This book is not balanced and objective. While it does point out the controversies surrounding the religion, it tends to slide right on by rather than really address those issues. The preface actually points out the real purpose of the book, "The aim of this book is to explain how Mormons feel about their religion and how they hold on to their faith in the modern era." With that the real purpose, the subtitle, "A History..." should have been left off.