Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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73 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quinn's Out of Control - Thank Goodness!, September 26, 2000
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!
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54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Allows One to See the "Big Picture", January 4, 2003
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.
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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Historical details on Mormon Authority, September 4, 2002
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.
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