Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
28 used & new from $25.64

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power (Hardcover)

by D. Michael Quinn (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

List Price: $44.95
Price: $34.16 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $10.79 (24%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

16 new from $29.64 12 used from $25.64

Frequently Bought Together

The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power + The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power + Early Mormonism and the Magic World View
Price For All Three: $74.59

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power by D. Michael Quinn

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Early Mormonism and the Magic World View

Early Mormonism and the Magic World View

by D. Michael Quinn
3.8 out of 5 stars (33)  $16.47
The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship

The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship

by David John Buerger
4.2 out of 5 stars (13)  $14.93
No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith

No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith

by Fawn M. Brodie
3.7 out of 5 stars (163)  $12.89
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins

An Insider's View of Mormon Origins

by Grant H. Palmer
4.3 out of 5 stars (77)  $16.47
In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith

In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith

by Todd Compton
4.0 out of 5 stars (35)  $27.69
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Quinn's first volume of The Mormon Hierarchy (The Origins of Power, Signature, 1994) was a landmark in Mormon studies. This latest volume demonstrates the ways and methods by which the leadership maintains and applies its authority. Some believers may not be pleased with the portrait Quinn paints, but his documentation is so thorough and indisputable that few will be able to challenge his arguments. Some chapters are case studies in the rise to leadership of particular individuals, most notably Ezra Taft Benson (13th president/prophet of the church and Eisenhower's secretary of agriculture), and their employment of power. Other chapters look at the means by which power is exercised in governance. The biographical and chronological appendixes are worth the price of the book. Quinn, now an independent scholar, is unquestionably Mormonism's leading historian. A magisterial study; recommended for all libraries with collections in American history.?David S. Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
The Mormon church today is led by an elite group of older men, nearly three-quarters of whom are related to current or past general church authorities. This dynastic hierarchy meets in private; neither its minutes nor the church's finances are available for public review. Members are reassured by public relations spokesmen that all is well and that harmony prevails among the brethren. But by interviewing former church aides, examining hundreds of diaries, and drawing from his own past experience as an insider within the Latter-day Saint historical department, Michael Quinn presents a fuller view. His extensive research documents how the governing apostles, seventies, and presiding bishops are strong-willed, independent men (much like the directors of a large corporation) who lobby their colleagues, forge alliances, out-maneuver opponents, and broker compromises. Quinn's The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions Of Power reveals clandestine political activities, investigative and punitive actions by church security forces, personal "loans" from church coffers (later written off as bad debts), and other privileged power-vested activities. The Mormon Hierarchy considers the changing role and attitude of the leadership toward visionary experiences, the momentous events which have shaped quorum protocol and doctrine, and day-to-day bureaucratic intrigue from the time of Brigham Young to the dawn of the twenty-first century. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 928 pages
  • Publisher: Signature Books; 3rd Printing edition (February 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1560850604
  • ISBN-13: 978-1560850601
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 2.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #600,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Look Inside This Book


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power
63% buy the item featured on this page:
The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power 3.4 out of 5 stars (27)
$34.16
The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
12% buy
The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power 3.9 out of 5 stars (23)
$23.96
Early Mormonism and the Magic World View
10% buy
Early Mormonism and the Magic World View 3.8 out of 5 stars (33)
$16.47
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
8% buy
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins 4.3 out of 5 stars (77)
$16.47

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

27 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (7)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
44 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Human History of "Gods in Embryo", March 23, 2000
Dr. Quinn's book is a remarkable accomplishment. For a brief time, in the 70's and 80's, the historical office of the LDS church allowed for some objective, professional examination of its records. Quinn brings us some of the fruits of that time. This is not "faith-promoting" history-Deseret Book and Bookcraft have taken care of that-but shows the Brethren in all their human glory. Some reviewers have indicated that this volume has not threatened their LDS testimonies, but only confirmed what they already knew, that church leaders are human and fallible; other reviewers may be threatened by this realization, although many past presidents have pointed it out. The marketing of the infallibility of church leaders continues, perhaps because it gives comfort to those church members who are intolerant of ambiguity, but also because toadying is often rewarded in organizations.

Extensions of Power is actually several books. It is topically arranged to consider more or less controversial aspects of the church leadership-violence, involvement in politics, etc. It also includes, as the earlier companion volume did, hundreds of pages of notes and a detailed chronology of church activities from 1848 to 1996. We are afforded a glimpse into the complex personalities, power factions, and challenges of maintaining, growing and adapting a religious movement to a constantly changing and evolving U. S. and world culture. I was by turns frustrated with church leadership and empathetic with them in their struggle to understand and accommodate `the world' without losing their unique identity. I was also able to see how present problems have their roots in the past, and the futile efforts of those leaders--such as Gordon B. Hinckley and Boyd K. Packer--who would like to bury the past.

Mormonism is a religion which was established and grew during historical, literate times, and leaders and members must come to terms with the difficulties of their history. Despite Correlation committees, Strengthening the Members Committees and million dollar public relations and marketing campaigns, and particularly since the advent of the internet, historical problems will not go away. For the questioning believer or the student of religions and U. S. history, Dr. Quinn's book is a very useful tool in understanding how the present Mormon church came to be.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
26 of 32 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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible accomplishment, October 1, 1999
By A Customer
I have read the Extensions of Power, and found that the accomplishment of such a study is on par with ground breaking studies in other fields of historical research. Quinn has obviously spent a great deal of effort in providing a clear and concise and convincing argument. I hope that he will continue his work and perhaps augment the appendices - particularly the chronology section with footnotes. Again, extremely well written by a reliable historian, and a pleasure to read and recommend.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Quinn reigns in research
D. Michael Quinn is considered the authority when it comes to LDS history and the research behind it. This book is number two in his Hierarchy series. Read more
Published on May 10, 2007 by Dallin Skelton

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Again Quinn has provided an insightful book on Mormon History. He documents everything he says, often from multiple Mormon sources. Read more
Published on December 28, 2006 by James I. Huston

4.0 out of 5 stars Quinn has not missed the mark...
It's true, there is enough in footnoted references to sustain you in your basement along with all your food storage from the local Stake cannery till dooms day... Read more
Published on July 6, 2006 by zioninoz

1.0 out of 5 stars Personal Agenda?
I am not a Mormon, but it is obvious that Mr. Quinn's personal agenda distorts the truth.
Published on April 15, 2006 by Hiberian Bocci Team

4.0 out of 5 stars Good background resource
Like its predecessor, this book confirms many of the things I had suspected for years growing up in the shadow of the Headquarters and associating with officers at all levels. Read more
Published on March 20, 2006 by Animo

5.0 out of 5 stars Good history book showing Mormons in their true light
Though I don't think it was intentional, this book really paints the church in colors they would not prefer. Any student of history in the west should get this book. Read more
Published on January 21, 2005 by C.P.E. Bach

5.0 out of 5 stars Very valuable book for students of Mormon History
This book is a remarkable accomplishment that will probably never be surpassed as many of the sources Quinn uses have been sequestered away by the church leadership. Read more
Published on January 11, 2005 by Obi

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource
This book is a great resource. Quinn has compiled a great volume of information. I will agree that he does at time speculate but he often states that he is doing so. Read more
Published on June 18, 2004 by S. Skinner

1.0 out of 5 stars Not to be trusted
This accuracy of this book is not to be trusted. One reviewer of this book found, in just the first chapter, all of the following: "(a) blatant misquoting, (b) altering the... Read more
Published on May 17, 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars He Just Gets It All Wrong
Nice effort Quinn, but merely relating the "Church Hierarchy" with the power of man was your first mistake in this book, and there are many more points of view and opinions in... Read more
Published on September 29, 2003 by Tijs Limburg

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)



Look for Similar Items by Category


Cut Wood Down to Size

Cut Wood Down to Size

Split wood with ease using a log splitter from the Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment Store.

Shop all log splitters

 

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
 

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free

4-for-3 Books
Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.
 

Best Books

Best of the Month
See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.
 

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
My Soul to Lose
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates