American Crucifixion : The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church

On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: the founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood.At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting his own religion and creating his own “Golden Bible”—the Book of Mormon—he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter. He’d led his people to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago. He was running for president. And, secretly, he had married more than thirty women.In __American Crucifixion__, Alex Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy: How his most seismic revelation—the doctrine of polygamy—created a rift among his people; how that schism turned to violence; and how, ultimately, Smith could not escape the consequences of his ambition and pride.Mormonism is America’s largest and most enduring native religion, and the “martyrdom” of Joseph Smith is one of its transformational events. Smith’s brutal assassination propelled the Mormons to colonize the American West and claim their place in the mainstream of American history. __American Crucifixion__ is a gripping story of scandal and violence, with deep roots in our national identity. On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: the founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood. At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting his own religion and creating his own "Golden Bible" -- the Book of Mormon -- he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter. He'd led his people to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago. He was running for president. And, secretly, he had married more than thirty women. In American Crucifixion, Alex Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy: How his most seismic revelation -- the doctrine of polygamy -- created a rift among his people; how that schism turned to violence; and how, ultimately, Smith could not escape the consequences of his ambition and pride. Mormonism is America's largest and most enduring native religion, and the "martyrdom" of Joseph Smith is one of its transformational events. Smith's brutal assassination propelled the Mormons to colonize the American West and claim their place in the mainstream of American history. American Crucifixion is a gripping story of scandal and violence, with deep roots in our national identity. As Mormonism continues to increase in size and influence in American culture, the assassination of the founding prophet Joseph Smith has become one of the great underreported episodes in American history. The weeks at the end of Smith's life, marked by scandal, sex, imprisonment, and ultimately his shooting in a Carthage, Illinois prison cell in 1844, represent not only the central event in Mormon history, but also one of the most dramatic killings in national memory. Yet to date these events have never been the subject of a book by a non-Mormon writer. In American Crucifixion, Alex Beam tells the tale of Joseph Smith's final days: how his own followers turned against him; how that prosecution turned to violence; and how, ultimately, Smith could not escape the consequences of his ambition and pride. In the hands of Beam, this is not merely a great story but a moment with profound implications for the future of a religion that now has about 14 million adherents worldwide. American Crucifixion describes the succession crisis that followed Smith's death, as a scramble for power pitted the dead prophet's family against a host of rival claimants, one of whom-Brigham Young-transformed the Latter-day Saints from a tiny, regional religion into a potent force in American culture and politics On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: the founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood. At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting the Church of Latter-day Saints and creating his own “Golden Bible" – the Book of Mormon – he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter. He'd led his people to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago. He was running for President. And, secretly, he had married more than thirty women. In American Crucifixion , Alex Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy: how his most seismic revelation – the doctrine of polygamy – created a rift among his people; how that schism turned to violence; and how, ultimately,... ϡ쯦랠 On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois, hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their quiet lives: the founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. In addition to starting his own religion and creating the Book of Mormon, Smith had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter. He'd led his people to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago... and secretly, he had married more than thirty women. Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy, and could not escape the consequences of his ambition and pride. None None None Flight "In Illinois we've found a safe retreat..." King Joseph Zion, Illinois Everybody Hates the Mormons Polygamy and Its Discontents "Oh! Illinois! thy soil has drank the blood / Of Prophets martyr'd for the truth of God." "The Perversion of Sacred Things" "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Enter Pontius Pilate Surrender "The People Are Not That Cruel" Joseph's Homecoming Trial by Jury "Let us go to the far western shore / Where the blood-thirsty ‘christians' will hunt us no more." Aftermath This World and the Next None None None None None None Flight Part 1. "In Illinois we've found a safe retreat ". King Joseph ; Zion, Illinois ; Everybody hates the Mormons ; Polygamy and its discontents Part 2. "Oh! Illinois! thy soil has drank the blood / Of prophets martyr'd for the truth of God." "The perversion of sacred things" ; "Crucify him! Crucify him!" ; Enter Pontius Pilate ; Surrender ; "The people are not that cruel" ; Joseph's homecoming ; Trial by jury Part 3. "Let us go to the far western shore / Where the blood-thirsty 'christians' will hunt us no more." Aftermath ; This world and the next. From the Introduction... The leading citizens of southwestern Illinois could have imprisoned Joseph Smith. They could have chased him back across the Mississippi and delivered him to his old enemies in Missouri. Instead, they killed him. Why? That is the story of this book. The dramatic weeks leading to the murder of America's most renowned religious prophet, Joseph Smith, in June 1844- a pivotal moment in the history of Mormonism.