No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith

Like Ben Franklin, Kit Carson, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, Joseph Smith was incandescent in a uniquely American way. The church he founded is America's most successful home grown religion. A century and a half after Smith's murder by an Illinois mob, the Mormon Church flourishes, with over 12 million members worldwide. You don't have to believe he was divinely inspired - and Fawn Brodie clearly doesn't - to be impressed by his vision, energy, resilience, entrepreneurial skill and improvisational brilliance. Smith was undoubtedly a religious "genius" - William James' term for charismatic founders of new religious movements. This superb biography gives us the life in all its tumult and glory while skillfully refuting the larger than life myths it spawned.As Brodie shows, even as a semi-literate farm boy in upstate New York, Smith was a magnet for the social and theological currents whirling through 1820s America. His Book of Mormon, a mythic tale of warring tribes in the primordial American wilderness, drew upon magic, folklore, superstition, Masonic ritual, the old and new testaments of the Christian bible, racial prejudice against blacks and Indians, and the crude anthropology of his day. He grounded its authenticity in the Angel Moroni, who allegedly led him to the golden plates on which the book was inscribed in ancient hieroglyphics. He, Joseph, claimed only to be the messenger.Brodie has less interest in the mysteries of divine revelation than she does in the mysteries of human charisma. Smith's powerful voice, penetrating gaze and bluff, good-natured personality drew men and women from all walks of life into his orbit. His followers loved the man, according to Brodie, and saw in him the physical embodiment of their church. He was also shrewd enough to custom fit his religion to the character of his time, making Mormonism an ingenious meld of the secular and the spiritual. To a people eager for miracles, he proclaimed several. He gave Mormonism a patina of democracy, creating governing councils and making each member accountable for the overall health of the church. He also played on the willingness of Americans to see evidence of God's favor in the size of their bank balances. In Smith's religion, there was little friction between the good life on earth and the one that comes after.As the Mormons migrated west through Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, Smith updated his theology through periodic revelations from the Almighty. His most controversial revelation had to do with the taking of multiple wives. Interestingly, it wasn't the practice of polygamy that led to Mormon persecution during Smith's lifetime. Polygamy was too explosive for even Smith to sell to his followers, so he kept this revelation a secret outside his inner circle. The persecution the sect endured in Missouri and Illinois had to do with local fears that Smith's religious army would tip the balance of political power. That the prophet and his followers were cruelly persecuted, particularly in Missouri, is beyond dispute. By being tone deaf to their neighbors' concerns and by proclaiming themselves above secular authority, they created a decent portion of the resistance they encountered.At the time of his death in 1844, Smith was in the middle of a run for President of the United States. He was presiding over his church, the town of Nauvoo, a private military army, a vast financial and real estate empire, and a secret squadron of "fifty of so" wives. As he said in a sermon to his followers, "I don't blame anyone for not believing in my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I could not have believed it myself."His was one of the most thrilling high wire acts ever seen in America. Brodie tells the life clearly, does an outstanding job of documenting her assertions, and gives credit where it's due. While not overlooking his tendency to claim divine justification for all too human urges, she has sympathy for the struggle he waged between "what he really was and what he most desperately wanted to be." If you believe Smith had an actual pipeline to God, you'll probably see this book as a hatchet job. If you see him as a brilliant but flawed human being, you'll appreciate this balanced, clear-eyed biography.

If you want a good understanding of the history of the Mormon church, this is the book. Mormons don't like it and wont read it because they have been told not to read it. But Brodie was a solid historian and I think any courageous Mormon should read it and challenge their own beliefs (or if you will, there own inculcations).I have a number of good friends who are Mormon, I don't criticize their compassion and commitment to family. I do question their theology. Here are the questions that occurred to me after reading Brodie's book.Preamble: In order for something to be valid, the source and the content need to be credible. If the source is not credible, the content is held suspect. If the content is not credible, the source is held suspect. Would I trust someone who spoke of peace and preached bloodthirsty war? Would I trust someone who called drinking a sin but set up bar in his own house? Would I trust someone who said he was faithful to his wife, when all the while committing adultery? Would I trust someone who has so-called revelations from God that are clearly self-serving? Would I trust someone who claims that he is reading Egyptian when the text is really Greek? Would I trust someone who said he was given golden tablets from God—tablets that were conveniently returned to heaven? Would I trust someone who declared he was the only prophet on earth?REVELATIONS (Can we follow a prophet who is so self serving?)1. Changes Genesis to include a prophesy of the coming of Joseph Smith. Isaiah made to refer to the book of Mormon and the witnesses.2. Doesn’t want to be a farmer. “In temporal labors thou shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling.” Book of Commandments, Chapter 25, verse 143. Emma wants JS to be a farmer. New revelation: “Thou needest not fear, for thy husband shall support thee from the Church. Continue in the spirit of meekness and beware of pride. Let thy soul delight in thy husband…And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.” Book of commandments Chapter 26, pp58-59 FB904. Cowdrey thought that others should share in revelations (including Hiram Page who was trying to get revelation with a black stone). JS has a new revelation: “”behold, I say unto thee, Oliver…no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this Church, excepting my servant JS, Junior, for he receiveth them even as Moses. Thou shalt take thy brother Hiram page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he had written from that stone, are not of me, and that Satan deceiveth him.” FB925. Revelation to give all property to JS: “Behold, thou shalt consecrate all thy properties, that which thou hast unto me, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken and they shall be laid before the bishop of my church” Book of Commandments. Later revised.FB1066. In Kirtland, Ohio, JS tries to heal a man with a withered hand, a lame man, a dead child. Fails. New revelation: “Thirty men to leave at once for Missouri” Why? The miracles could not be performed in Ohio, because it was not consecrated ground, that only in the Promised Land could the blind be made to see, the lame to walk, and the dead be quickened. Doctrines and Covenants, sec 52 FB1127. Resentment in Zion (Independence Missouri) against Joseph’s absence: “Cease wearying me concerning this matter.” Doctrine and Covenants, Section 90. FB1228. Arguments about how to parcel out the community property. So JS has a revelation giving him the temple lot. FB1419. JS revelation directing Cowdery to go to Toronto where they would find a man anxious to buy the book of Mormon. Didn’t happen. FB8110. JS revelation to deal with Martin Harris. “And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon…And misery thou shalt receive if thou wilt slight these counsels, yea, even the destruction of thyself and property…Pay the printer’s debt! Release thyself from bondage.” (Book of commandments, Chapter 16) Thoroughly scared, he sold his farm and the book was printed in 1830. FB8211. In Missouri on a high bluff overlooking Grand River someone discovered the ruins of what seemed to be an altar. JS: “This Upon this very altar Adam himself offered up sacrifices to Jehovah. Here Adam shall come to visit his people.” The Far West is probably where Cain killed Abel. FB21112. Polygamy. Revelation: Destroy Emma and give me 10 virgins. FB 341 Doctrine and Covenant 13213. The president presides over the whole church. Doctrine and Covenants 10714. JS revelation to build a hotel with a suite of rooms in the hotel for JS and his posterity “from generation to generation for ever and ever.” FB26315. Revelation to bless Bennett FB268. Later Bennett is excommunicated when both Bennett and JS lusted after Nancy Rigdon See JS’s letter to Nancy: FB310 In The History of the Church. Unsigned letter—nice use of artifice.PROBLEMATIC THEOLOGY (Can theology so convoluted and false be believed?)1. Nephi and his brothers and father Lehi (as in Lehigh River) leave Jerusalem in 600 BC. Nephi’s brothers, Laman and Lemuel were evil-tempered brothers, God cursed them and all their descendants with a red skin. (So indians are cursed?) Nephi and his pious younger brothers begat white children (although they must have married evil redskins to multiply).2. JS has Jared bringing horses, swine, sheep, cattle, and asses to America. The Nephites produce wheat and barley rather than the indigenous maize and potatoes. FB723. Revisionist. 2500 BC Jared sailed in barges that could sail anyside up. The Book of Ether. (FB p 71)4. Witness of the plates. In the Lord’s name, “It is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them…And ye shall testify that you have seen them…And if you do these last commandments of mine, which I have given you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.” (FB 76)5. Lorenzo Snow: “As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.” (FB300)6. Paul had said that in heaven there would be no marriage or giving in marriage, but Joseph taught that this would not apply to his Saints. That which he and his elders sealed on earth would be binding also in heaven. There a man would have not only his wives and children, but also the prerogative of procreating more, until, as he expressed it to Parley Pratt, “the result of our endless union would be offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven. This was the road to godhood. (FB299)7. Three levels of heaven: Celestial (three levels), terrestrial, teletrial.8. If a man went to heaven with ten wives, he would have more than tenfold the blessings of a mere monogamist, for all the children begotten through these wives would enhance his kingdom. The man with only one wife, on the other hand, would be denied even her and forced to spend eternity as a ministering angel rather than a god. (FB300)9. Martin Harris, one of the witnesses, is having his own visions: Seen Jesus in the shape of a deer and talked with him. The devil resembled a jackass with short hair similar to a mouse. He prophesied that by 1838 Joseph’s church would be so large that there would be no need for a president of the US. [No surprise given that he is one of the credulous witnesses.]10. JS goes to Canada for 5 weeks. When he returns, his three witnesses (Harris, Cowdrey, and David Whitmer—all later excommunicated) had turned their loyalty to a young girl seer of a black stone. Patterning herself after the Shakers, the new prophetess would dance into exhaustion, fall upon the floor, and burst forth with revelations. Harris is cutoff. FB205 QUESTION: Don’t you question the veracity of the witnesses who are so easily duped?SPURIOUS ASSERTIONS (Can we give credence to so many discrepancies and inconsistencies?)1. Of the 11 witnesses of the Book of Mormon only Joseph’s father and brothers were left in the church. The others either left or were excommunicated.2. View of the Hebrews. Oliver Cowdery, transcriber, came from Vermont; mother and sister were members of Ethan Smith’s church. Ethan Smith, author of View of the Hebrews (1823) and lectured in JS’s town. B.H Roberts Mormon apologist, wrote his opinion in 1922, but not published until 1985 (Roberts died in 1933). 1985 Dallin Oaks “The fact that something is true is not always a justification for communicating it. Some things that are true are not edifying or appropriate to communicate.”3. 1835, exhibition of mummies. JS pronounces the papyrus writings of Abraham and the Joseph of Egypt. They were ordinary funeral documents as found on thousands of Egyptian graves. FB171, 1754. Cowdery excommunicated for accusing JS of adultery. FB1825. 1836 JS goes to Salem on a Treasure hunt for gold as ordered by God. There is none to be found. FB 192 Doctrine and Covenants 1116. JS has three versions of first visit from angels: 1. The lord 2. Two persons 3. God and Jesus. And his age changes from 14 to 16. The last version was the only one known by believers until 1965. FB409JOSEPH SMITH’S CHARACTER (To quote Matthew, “By their fruits you will know them.” Joseph Smith’s behavior shows him to be petulant, imperious, arrogant, hypocritical, belligerent, bellicose, irascible, manipulative, fraudulent, adulterous, and mendacious. (Can we put our trust in someone with so many character flaws?)1. Arrogant: Character: Requested and received from the Governor the commission of lieutenant-general. He often preferred the title of “General,” even to “president,” and used it in his correspondence. His uniform included gold braid, military boots and chapeau topped with ostrich feathers. On his hip a sword and two big horse pistols. Seated on a magnificent black stallion. FB2722. Arrogant: Runs for president of US for publicity and respect.FB2623. Arrogant: He was not only a US presidential candidate, but also mayor of Nauvoo, judge of the municipal court, merchant of the leading store, hotel keeper, official temple architect, real estate agent, contractor, recorder of deeds, steamboat owner, trustee in trust for all the finances of the church, lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion, spiritual adviser and Lord’s communicant to the true church, King of the new Kingdom of god (see FB356), and husband of almost 50 wives.” In Joseph Smith’s words: “I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled.” FB3664. Hypocritical: Permitted the construction of a brewery and advertised in the Nauvoo Neighbor. FB2895. Hypocritical: JS sets up a bar in his hotel until Emma protests FB 3326. Petulant and irascible: Sylvester Smith and the bulldog “I’ll whip you in the name of the Lord. And if you continue in the same spirit and don’t repent, that dog will eat the flesh off your bones and shall not have the power to resist!” History of the Church, Vol II, pp 150-160. FB 1507. Bellicose: War Speech “We will trample down our enemies and make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.” FB230 (Source Affidavits from seven followers. FB229)8. Bellicose: War cry: “If mobs come upon you any more here, dung your gardens with them” FB352 History of the Church.Vol 5, pp 465-739. Bellicose: JS empties all six barrels of a pepperbox gun in the prison cell. FB39310. Imposter: He doesn’t know Greek from Egyptian FB29011. Fraudulent and Mendacious: JS forces leaders to perjure themselves, swearing that polygamy does not exist. These sworn statements were published in Times and Seasons, Vol III in October 1842. JS had already been married to Sarah Ann Whitney 3 months earlier—and 19 others. FB320-21, 335.12. Fraudulent: To take care of debt, he creates an illegal bank and starts stamping out money, designating himself as cashier. History of the Church, Vol 11, p 471 FB19413. Manipulative (and criminal): He had the city council pass an ordinance providing that if any officer came to Nauvoo with a writ for his arrest based on the old Missouri difficulties, he should be arrested, tried, and if found guilty sentence to life imprisonment in the city jail. He could only be pardoned by JS. FB3557. Manipulative and mendacious. William Laws (mentioning no names but swearing that he had read the revelation of every man granted 10 virgins) of The Expositor reports story of polygamy. JS proclaims that the press must be destroyed and so it was. FB374-377 (Reminds me of Dallin Oats: “The fact that something is true is not always a justification for communicating it. Some things that are true are not edifying or appropriate to communicate.”14. Mendacious: 1844: “What a thing it is for a man to be accused for committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can find only one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago, and I can prove them all perjurers.” History of the Church, Vol VI, pp 408-412. FB 374 He had 48 wives as early by 1844. FB335

The best portrayal of Joseph Smith's life that's not afraid to tell the truth. Brodie did exceptional work tracking down the evidence used in this biography and is the most cited author in the LDS church's competing biography "Rough Stone Rolling". This book is must-read for anyone looking for real context on Joseph Smith's life and the setting for all church history events.

This book is older, so it does not have the benefit of all the new irrefutable evidence against the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price, but it does present enough well documented evidence to begin to tell the story of "what he did and why he did it". This book presents enough information that any open-minded person will see the Book of Mormon as truely what it is -- One of the greatest novels of all time. Even some member of the LDS church have had their eyes opened by this well done book. A must read background primer.

This is a well researched and heavily footnoted work. Also, it's a revised edition, so some allowances have been made for the results of research since the initial printing of the book. Brodie did a spectacular job of summing up Joseph Smith's history, making it readable and even entertaining. There were points where I couldn't put it down.I also want to point out that this is history -- it's not "anti-Mormon" literature. In fact, if you ask me, there are times when she goes too easy on Smith. All in all, a really great resource for Mormons and non-Mormons alike. If you're a fan of American history, you may also find this book fascinating.

What an amazing insight into the man, Joseph Smith. It certainly confirms my belief in the gullibility of humans.

Excellent livre, écrit par une historienne méticuleuse, ou l'on apprend comment un analphabète a réussi a devenir riche et puissant grace au mensonge et a la manipulation.

For a very long time the only biographies of Joseph Smith or of Mormonism were either hagiographic, or else deeply cynical depictions of the founder as a charlatan. Fawn Brodie changed all that in 1945 with her `No Man knows my History', which was a first serious attempt by a professional historian to understand the Mormon prophet within his context, and in a manner which did not depend on accepting his supernatural experiences in the terms in which they have been described by Smith and his followers. Committed Mormons may dispute much of the author's evidence as Hugh Nibley, famously did in `No Ma'am, That's not History', and people can argue till the cows come home about who is right and who isn't. But the important point is that Brodie's is the work of a historian which presents plausible possible ways of viewing Smith's life and work which is not dictated by the exigencies of Mormon proselytisation. For that reason Fawn Brodie produced what must be regarded as a seminal work. Opening up, as she did, a new and professional dimension to the study of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, led first to her excommunication and then to her depiction by the hierarchy as the Anti-Christ. When I first read the book over thirty years ago I must have read the 1945 edition. For the 1970 revision presents some information which is new to me, delving deeply into the Nauvoo period and the clandestine manner in which polygamy was introduced. Brodie writes elegantly and with a capacity to enthral the reader, at the same time reserving judgment on much that is unclear in a history of the frontier, befogged by lack of primary sources. It is essential material for anyone interested in the history of Mormonism and of the American west.

How does a man start a religion that possesses so many