The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

D. Michael Quinn's The Mormon Hierarchy is intended to be a definitive history of the power structure of the Mormon church from 1830 through the mid-1840s. Massively documented, his text is supported by nearly four hundred pages of notes and appendixes. The appendixes alone including lists and biographical sketches of church officials, membership in the paramilitary Danites and the theocratic Council of Fifty, lists of secret Holy Quorum meetings, and a detailed chronology will ensure that specialists will consult this book for years to come. Quinn's analysis falls into three broad categories: structure, theocracy, and crisis. His first two chapters detail the origins and evolution of the nature of authority in the Mormon "restoration" and its manifestation in five priestly quorums. Chapters 3 and 4, which may be of the greatest interest to nonspecialists, present Quinn's analysis of the theocratic trajectory of early Mormonism from 1834 to 1844. Challenging historians who argue that Mormons were moderates working within an American consensus, Quinn marshals powerful evidence detailing the emergence of Mormon military and political structures, their relationship to priestly quorums and temple endowments, and their role in Joseph Smith's truncated 1844 campaign for president. Quinn's analysis of "theocratic ethics" will be of particular interest to those pondering the question of Mormon nation-building. Chapters 5, 6, and 7, discussing the succession crisis following Smith's assassination and the subsequent institutionalization of prophetic succession, will generate some controversy within the church. Here Quinn directly challenges various official histories, arguing that the twelve apostles led by Brigham Young, formed as a traveling council governing missionaries, never had authority to appoint a first presidency. Thus he describes the rise of Brigham Young to the head of the church as a raw power struggle with the Nauvoo High Council, determined by Young's mobilization of the secret second anointings and by his sheer charisma. His final chapter reviews the ongoing problem of the automatic succession of senior apostles to the leadership of the church. --Journal of American History, John L. Brooke

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with a worldwide membership of over nine million, is the largest and most influential of a number of Mormon denominations that trace their origins to founder Joseph Smith, Jr. A major reason for the success of the church is its hierarchical structure. Headed by a "Prophet, Seer and Revelator," who as "President" is assisted by two counselors, the quorum of the "First Presidency" stands at the pinnacle of a hierarchy of "general authorities" and lay members heading local congregations. Few believing Mormons are aware that this hierarchy is the result of dramatic changes and often contentious historical evolution, ably traced by Michael Quinn in this impressively researched study. As Quinn demonstrates, a major reason why Mormons are unaware of these changes is that custodians of the historical record have consistently revised it to fit new realities after the fact. According to Quinn, Mormonism began as "a private religious awakening in a single family" (p. 1) in the 1820s, attracting a number of followers because of its nonhierarchical emphasis on the priesthood of all believers. Even after the official founding of a "church" in 1830 the new religion grew rapidly because it lacked the structure, the dogma, and the ritual of most traditional Christian denominations. Yet by 1835 church doctrine called for the restoration of primitive Christianity with its attendant offices. By the early 1840s the church was lead by five "quorums," far exceeding primitivist precedents. This rapid evolution of structure and authority left many early converts bemused, leading to dissension and defection. Another consequence was that areas of competence and lines of authority overlapped, leading to competition and confusion. As long as Joseph Smith was alive, his prophetic authority and charisma, paradoxically, helped contain chaos and disorder though in the end his death at the hands of a mob in 1844 was the result of forces he himself had helped unleash. Not anticipating his martyrdom, Smith had left confusing and contradictory information regarding his successor, with numerous individuals and several of the quorums claiming the right to church leadership deftly sorted out by Quinn. As head of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Brigham Young was in a position of power to claim leadership for that group, although historical evidence makes it clear that the claims of other individuals and groups were equally if not more plausible. Possessing an unbeatable combination of forcefulness and shrewdness, Young was able to assert himself in his position as head of the Twelve, insisting on maintaining Smith's most controversial innovations, especially the theocratic kingdom and polygamy. In time, he was able to establish a separate quorum of the First Presidency, though not without strong opposition from some apostles. Thus, at this death in 1877, succession was not nearly the problem that it had been in 1844. Still, it took three years before the apostles finally agreed on the principle of seniority as the basis for succession a basis on which the hierarchy has operated ever since, though not without some difficulties because longevity, as Quinn points out, at times has led to physically or mentally impaired leaders at the helm. Michael Quinn argues that compared to the incredibly complex, contradictory, enigmatic personality of Joseph Smith, the histories of "institutions like the Mormon hierarchy are relatively easy to describe and understand" (p. 262). This becoming modesty belies the incredible complexity of the institutional history of Mormonism that requires not only dogged, determined, painstaking pursuit of elusive sources, but also the linkage of these into a coherent and intelligible whole. --Church History, Klaus J. Hansen

The Mormon historian, D. Michael Quinn, best known for his influential book, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1987), here offers a detailed explanation of emerging Mormon institutional power from the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830 to Joseph Smith's assassination in 1844 and Brigham Young's subsequent assumption of Mormon leadership. This is one of the most fascinating stories of institutionalization within new religious movements anywhere, and Quinn gives us an exceptionally close reading. The essential story is relatively simple. The Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, gave frequently contradictory "revelations" about both religious offices and his (or God's) preference for Smith's succession. Although this confusion produced nagging difficulties within Mormonism before 1840, a major crisis erupted when vigilantes assassinated Smith in 1844. Who now would lead the movement? Smith had confused the issue in three ways. First, Smith failed to plan for his death despite the violence that surrounded the Mormons. Second, Smith sometimes indicated that he favored patrilineal succession by brothers or sons, perhaps not surprising in a society increasingly fixated on race and genealogy. Third, Smith sometimes indicated that leadership would go to different individuals in whom he saw prophet-like qualities. Yet Smith also entrusted considerable authority to institutional bodies after 1830, such as the "Quorum of Twelve Apostles," "The Holy Order," or the "Council of Fifty." The result was a fierce struggle for power at Smith's death. A dozen men or more claimed Smith's favor through one sign or another. Amidst intrigue, schisms, bribery, and even murder, Brigham Young emerged as the Mormons' principal leader, in part because Young successfully negotiated the authority of the Quorum and Council, a testament to Smith's perhaps unwitting foresight in institutionalizing authority, but also to the continuing importance of charismatic leadership in the movement. The Mormon Hierarchy gives non-Mormon specialists little quarter. Quinn establishes the factual record through immense documentation and highly detailed narratives (395 pages of notes and appendices compared to 263 pages of text). This may be advisable given Quinn's revisionist interpretation, which stresses confusion and conflict where modern church leaders emphasize historical explicitness and order. Still, greater clarity about the general lines of interpretation, comparisons with other religious movements, and more extended dialogues with broader accounts of early Mormon history, such as Jan Shipp's Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition (1985), would have won the book a wider audience. Notwithstanding these shortcomings, The Mormon Hierarchy offers a unrivaled factual account of Mormonism's transformation from cult movement to church, one of the most fascinating stories in modern American religion, and perhaps, in religious history generally. --Nova Religio, John Butler

Product Description

A Mormon historian traces the evolution of the Latter-day Saints' organizational structure from the original, egalitarian "priesthood of believers" to an elaborately hierarchical institution. Quinn also documents the alterations in the historical record which obscured these developments and analyzes the five presiding quorums of the LDS hierarchy.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: Signature Books (December 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560850566
• ISBN-13: 978-1560850564
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #487,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quinn's Out of Control - Thank Goodness!, September 26, 2000

By	Missing in Action (Idaho Falls, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews

Every time I read one of Quinn's "monsters," I have to laugh at the shear volume of reference material he cites. He's out of control! And let me be among the first in line to thank him for wading through the tons of materials he has in order to produce this kind of work. He takes a lot of heat from polemicists and apologists alike who fear that his interpretation is somehow threatening to their comfort level regarding their own belief. They criticize his work because they would come to a different conclusion reading what he has read. So...write your own book! This book is Quinn's interpretation, and from my assessment, it's an excellent one.

The book itself is a careful examination of the evolution of the power structure in the Mormon church, taking you from the time when Joseph Smith was just "a charismatic visionary" with a few followers who shared his vision, up until he was annointed "King in Israel," running for President of the United States. Along the way you learn about the creation of the different offices in the priesthood, their quirks and difficulties, and how they all shake out in the end. His chapter on the Theocratic kingdom, with the emphasis on "theocratic ethics," (Quinn's self-coined phrase) is brilliant and illuminating. Additionally, his treatment of the succession crisis following the murder of Joseph Smith is the clearest, most complete explaination I have ever read. I have never been comfortable with the way a new Church President just ascends to office, but when you're done with Quinn's book, the widsom in the system is self-evident.

I expect many of his critics struggle with the fact that Quinn is not bashful about pointing out the discrepencies between authorized Church History or canonized revelations, and the original journals, meeting minutes, and all too often, the original published version of a revelation that no longer served the needs of a changing hierarchical structure. Well, the bottom line is, documents WERE changed, and meaning was subsequently altered, and those stories are important in understanding the evolution of leadership in the Mormon Church.

This is an excellent book, and is surprisingly easy to read given the academic subject matter. Quinn is often original in his thinking, is obsessive in his research, and is probably among the most insightful historians on the Mormon Church today. I'm on my way now to read the second volume, "Extensions of Power," a bigger "monster" than this one!

55 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Allows One to See the "Big Picture", January 4, 2003

By	B. Odom (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading several of the negative reviews here, I felt it necessary to add my opinion of the book. Clearly, devoted members of the LDS Church would not give a positive review of this work. They have something to protect, which is an unrealistic perception that "God's One and Only True Church" is led by the Lord himself and that the leaders operate the Church in complete harmony and inspiration.

In fact, from what I feel is plain common sense, we can understand that these are men of varying views trying to lead a huge organization. There are going to be skeletons in the closet. Of course, the Church would be foolish to publicize these skeletons for the world to see. I don't think any reasonable person would expect an organization to do that. Enter Michael Quinn who was up to the task.

I think that Michael Quinn has completed a significant work by using years of insider research to show the good, bad and ugly of the behind-the-scenes activities in the Church leadership circles. It thus allows you to see the "big picture" of the history of Church leadership. Is Quinn out to win apostate converts? Certainly not. Even a brief read of his preface shows that he does not have an "axe to grind" with the Church. He's just representing the historical facts as his research shows.

For devoted Mormons wishing only to view "faith-promoting" materials, skip this one and go buy Hinckley's latest book. For those in and out of the Church desiring to see a more complete, accurate historical picture of the Church's leadership, give Quinn's two volumes a read.

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical details on Mormon Authority, September 4, 2002

By	Kolby (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This book examines the origin and theology of "power" in the LDS Church.

The term "power" seems a little missleading. What the book is really about is the origin of Mormon "authority." Specifically, this refers to the concept of Mormon "Priesthood," or the "authority" of Mormon leaders to act in the name of God.

The book addresses how Joseph Smith received this authority, what he did with it, and how it helped to shape early Mormon society and theology.

Joseph's traditional account on how he received this authority from God is addressed, as well as the historical problems and evolution of that account over time.

It also explains how this authority became paramount in his theology. How his belief in this authority gave birth to, "theocratic ethics" (i.e. If God says something is right, it doesn't matter what man says), and to Joseph's being ordained King by his secret council of 50.

The book is well written, heavily annotated (typical of Quinn), and important in pointing out revisions to Mormon scripture as Joseph's traditional account became canonized.