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great-grandfather and Vogel’s citation of the REVIEW ESSAY 1827 list of liquor purchases by Joseph Smith Sr., I began to long for something that feels more like Joseph to me: a few lines from a Rossini opera, perhaps. Something on a WHERE IS JOSEPH SMITH NOW?: bolder scale to articulate who Joseph Smith Jr. was. Indeed, one might accuse both BEGINNING THE SECOND QUEST scholars of believing in the dictum: “more is less.” No one deserves such a slow death by FOR THE HISTORICAL JOSEPH suffocation of detail. But these authors had other projects in mind, and I suppose too much detail is better than not enough. I am JOSEPH SMITH: ROUGH STONE ROLLING grateful for the gift of these two fresh and by Richard Lyman Bushman provocative approaches. Even as I write this, however, I hold it to Alfred A. Knopf, 2005 be a scandal of Mormon scholarship and an 740 pages, illustrations, index, $35.00 embarrassment for historians that these two biographies describe what appears to be the life of two entirely different people. Even JOSEPH SMITH: THE MAKING OF A PROPHET their choices about the shorthand way to by Dan Vogel refer to their subject—Bushman uses “Joseph” while Vogel uses “Smith”—reveals Signature Books, 2004 much about their approaches. Bushman is 744 pages, illustrations, index, $39.95 interested in the person with a complex spir- ituality who became an enigmatic, biblical- style prophet while Vogel is interested in the Reviewed by Mark D. Thomas phenomenon of the boy/man who grew through daring deceit and fraud to declare himself God’s power broker on earth. With these very different approaches, Joseph seems to be slipping deeper in the earth, It is scandalous that the even as we dig for him. Though it is scan- Joseph Smiths who emerge in dalous that the Joseph Smiths in their works are so different, these divergences can work these works are so different, to our advantage since they allow us to see but their divergences allow us the organization of data in two very different ways. to see the organization of data At the end of this essay, I suggest that these in two very different ways. two biographies, along with the pending pub- lication of the Joseph Smith papers and the in- ternationalization of Mormonism, mark the S A PRESENT for Joseph Smith’s crafted portraits of Mormonism’s founder. beginning of what might be called a “second 200th birthday, Latter-day Saints and Both are important reference works for quest” for the historical Joseph. And just as A others interested in Mormonism re- scholars of early Mormonism. Approximately with the new quest for the historical Jesus, we ceive two new and very detailed biographies, one-fourth of each of these 700+ page books will leave behind many inns before reaching each representing very different ways of consists of footnotes, demonstrating both au- Mormonism’s home. I believe this second scrying for the Mormon prophet. In many thors’ strong grasp of primary and secondary quest for the historical Joseph will encompass ways, the books and biographers are perfect sources. And both stand in contrast with and yet transcend the historical puzzle- complements to each other, though I believe more general and summary-type works on making. the success of the two diggings differs Smith by Robert Remini and Donna Hill.1 markedly. Yet for all of their wonderful details, there TWO AUTHORS, TWO PORTRAITS Both Richard L. Bushman’s Joseph Smith: is something un-Joseph-like about many of Rough Stone Rolling and Dan Vogel’s Joseph the little pieces in this puzzle-making com- ICHARD Bushman is a respected pro- Smith: The Making of a Prophet come to us as petition. Somewhere between Bushman’s fessor at Columbia University, a labors of a lifetime, each containing carefully long list of accomplishments of the prophet’s R former Mormon stake president who currently serves as stake patriarch. Rough Stone Rolling is Bushman at his best, pre- MARK D. THOMAS has spent his adult life researching and writing about the Book of senting his most objective, his most astute, Mormon. He is the founder of the Book of Mormon Round Table—a group of Mormon and critical scholarship. In this book, Bushman non-Mormon scholars who meet annually. He lives with his wife, Christine, in Holladay, acts as a neoclassical scholar—balanced like Utah, and is currently director of field studies at BYU’s Marriott School of Management. granite Ionic pillars, with an interior of rich
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woodwork and Tiffany lamps. Good judg- his better judgment and logic. Bushman sees Jospeh Smith as a man of ment and continuous quality are evident in But these are mere matters of style and deep strengths and weaknesses, perpetually every detail. It is a cautious, class act. approach. Let us turn to a summary of each on the verge of financial and spiritual cata- Dan Vogel is a prolific historian toiling book and conclude with what these books strophe. Yet he also presents him as a mam- late in the night from his home in suggest for future Joseph Smith research. moth and generous personality who, like Westerville, Ohio. Vogel is the iconoclast, a Abraham Lincoln, came out of nowhere. captious crusader writing with a switchblade Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling Bushman’s Joseph combined profound love in his hand, a marathon runner picking apart and charisma with vindictiveness—he the details of the would-be prophet/king. WHILE VOGEL’S PORTRAIT covers just would not be crossed. He was creative and While Joseph Smith sought to teach us how Joseph Smith’s early years, Bushman covers bold—and often foolish and boastful. Joseph to believe in a world of doubt, Vogel seeks to his whole life. I very much like the way disdained high society. He was a populist teach us how to doubt in a world of belief. Bushman portrays the Prophet—without who at times appeared raucous, impious, Vogel states that he offers us a balanced, ob- heavy-handed pronouncements, choosing and certainly playful. Yet he could also jective view of the prophet (vii–xii), but he instead to quietly reveal Joseph’s character muster enormous dignity and composure fails to deliver. Bushman’s biography is by far through concrete events of his life. This bal- when circumstances called for it. Joseph was the more balanced of the two. Vogel is dis- ance and attention to detail is likely to make chief visionary and chief executive of the
USHMAN IS INTERESTED IN THE PERSON WITH a complex spirituality who became an enigmatic, biblical-style Bprophet while Vogel is interested in the phenomenon of the boy/man who grew through daring deceit and fraud to declare himself God’s power broker on earth. missive of religion, including Mormonism’s Church, as well as chief developer of real es- founder. tate. He received revelations as if from an in- A better analogy for the contrasting ap- exhaustible spring (232–51, 294–304, proaches of the two biographers would be to 323–25, 332, 343–44, 390–92, 399, 409, compare Bushman to a judge who must bal- 423, 488–90). ance all the evidence, piling all the specifics At times, Bushman seems puzzled by in separate stacks and carefully giving a ver- Joseph’s actions. In the case of plural mar- dict on which stack is higher. If Bushman is riage, he asks: “What lay behind this egre- the judge, Vogel is the prosecuting attorney. gious transgression of conventional morality? As prosecuting attorney, Vogel is out to make What drove him to a practice that put his life a case. Unfortunately for Vogel, his useful and his work in jeopardy, not to mention his and clever arguments often go beyond what relationship with Emma?” (442) He wonders the evidence can bear. But nothing is lost in what lay behind Joseph’s calling this a com- this case. Each side learns from the other. As mandment and statements that those who re- long as readers understand Bushman’s cau- ject it would go to hell. In trying to make tion and Vogel’s guesswork, both books to- sense of this, Bushman writes that the God of gether make for interesting, enlightening, Joseph “was both kind and terrible” (442). In and occasionally baffling reads. passages such as these, we see Bushman Perhaps, one might argue that Bushman is Bushman’s biography a definitive and re- struggling to make sense of the Prophet’s too institutionally acceptable and too willing spected history of the life of Joseph Smith for mind. While Joseph recognized the potential to accept Joseph Smith at his word. the foreseeable future. for deceptions from Satan, he never admitted Compared to Bushman, Vogel is the gambler Bushman presents Joseph as a complex, deception as a possibility in the case of plural who risks it all on a single hand—presenting ironic character. He makes summations of as- marriage (443). Bushman acknowledges the great detail, interesting insights, speculative pects of his character but clearly believes we prophet’s marriages to women who were al- guesses, logic, laughable interpretations of cannot get at some things. At these points, ready married and who lived with their hus- the Book of Mormon along with useful inter- Bushman points out the possibilities and bands after marrying the prophet. This leads pretive insights. Vogel is a great blessing to moves on. His conclusions never go beyond Bushman to conclude that this doctrine may Mormonism because he forces Mormons to what the data will support. Certainly, he ultimately be less about plural marriage than examine the darker side of their origins, but brings his own perspective to the work. But about a family theology. While stating that his efficient cruelty is both the sun of his when he can, he tries to let the story speak sexual relations were part of the package, at great insights and the arrow that often fells for itself. least in some of the marriages, he concludes
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that Joseph “did not lust for women so much seeking and stone-gazing, judging folk magic is his seeming acceptance at face value of as he lusted for kin” (445). Bushman goes his preparatory gospel (47–57). The Book of Joseph Smith’s late statements about his own into much more detail about the logic of Abraham is “an awkward and unsuccessful youthful years. For Bushman, Joseph’s pro- plural marriage than I can list here. But this attempt to blend a scholarly approach to lan- nouncements seem to be generally straight- gives readers an idea of how he treats one of guage with inspired translation” (294). It is forward and factual—even late versions of the more controversial aspects of the “an apocryphal addition to the Genesis story early events. I believe a great deal of work re- prophet’s thought and practice. of Abraham” (286–94). How and why did mains to be done to uncover the events of The subtitle of Bushman’s biography is the priesthood and endowment evolve? early Joseph Smith from later inaccuracies from the prophet himself, and is apt. (313–23) What was the Council of Fifty, and and performance variations in his story. Bushman sees Joseph as “an extremist why was Joseph Smith declared King of the prophet,” who “gave God a voice in a world world? (523–31) Bushman admits that with Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet that had stopped listening” (279). Each the rise of recent scholarship, proponents of episode in this book illuminates something the Book of Mormon as an ancient document IN CONTRAST TO Bushman’s treatment, about Joseph Smith as an independent and face an uphill battle (93). He addresses all of Vogel’s biography seeks an overall psycholog- idiosyncratic thinker. What we get from these issues with frankness and balance. ical interpretation of the life of Joseph Smith Bushman is character that evolves, finds dark The primary weakness of Bushman’s work as well as a broad interpretation of the Book
N EXPLOSION IN THE CREATION OF CULTURE- specific images of Joseph Smith is likely to occur soon. AThat it is coming is, I believe, the elephant in the room that very few are discussing. days, thinks and acts big, moves of Mormon. As its subtitle sug- ahead of his followers (and, there- gests, it is an interpretation of how fore, keeps silent at times), rains Smith came to think of himself as a curses on his opponents, blesses “prophet.” While Bushman seeks and inspires—and keeps rolling insights into a complex person by like a stone hewn from the mount drawing from detailed events, without hands. Bushman notes the Vogel operates from a single, grand many roughnesses of Mormonism thesis that explains it all: Smith that stem from this unpolished was a “pious fraud.” But ultimately prophet: its authoritarian, yet pop- Vogel finds more fraud than piety ulist nature (154, 252–70, in Smith. 523–31); its cruelty and seeming By “pious,” Vogel means that incapacity to accept criticism while Joseph Smith had some sort of reli- at the same time capable of great gious vision/conversion experience compassion and love for fun (251, in his youth, and he believed that 293–304); its “mixing of the mys- God commissioned him to call the tical with the plain” (483–84). world to repentance. By “fraud,” Rough Stone Rolling addresses Vogel means that Joseph Smith pressing issues in Mormon history: “occasionally” used deceptive Is Joseph Smith culpable for the means to accomplish that mission excesses of the Danites? Bushman’s (vii-xxii). But when we actually see answer: Yes—he egged them on what Vogel actually believes to be with his rhetoric and gave them le- fraudulent, it seems that it could gitimacy, even though he may not include the bulk of Smith’s major have known all that they were religious claims and activities. doing (375). Did women get the Vogel suggests that Joseph priesthood in Nauvoo? No—but Smith may have fabricated evi- the Relief Society organization was dence and used fraud during his patterned after the priesthood and money digging career (xi–xx, gave women power in an evolving 80–86, 98–101) and engaged in church (451–53). Bushman forth- the same tricks used by modern- rightly deals with Joseph’s treasure- day psychics to convince people
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that he was a real seer (69–70). He also manipulator” (xx). Vogel also uses prejudicial Book of Mormon (42). According to Vogel, claims that this fraudulent activity reflects on descriptors for persons whom he believes are the psychological message of Laban’s story is the nature of the translation of the Book of models against which to measure Smith: that strong things (Joseph Jr./Nephi) over- Mormon (xvi–xvii). “fraudulent seer” (xiii), practitioners of come weak things (Joseph Sr./Laban), the Vogel admits that it is possible that Joseph “trickery” (xii–xiii), “mentalism” (xiii), and exact opposite of what the text says about it- Smith had visions after his first vision but is “confidence schemes” (xiii–xiv). self. clearly skeptical that they occurred. (xi–xv). Though the book is well researched and This is just one example of Vogel’s For instance, due to the changes in the sto- rich in historical detail, I find Vogel’s inter- strained reading of the text. Time and time ries as they were told over time, Vogel has pretation of texts, especially the Book of again during my reading, I asked, “Do Vogel’s difficulty believing Smith’s story of the 1823 Mormon, invalid, and his logic unpersuasive. psychobiographical speculations help me vision of Moroni. This leads Vogel to state Following are two representative examples of understand the book or Smith better?” that he treats “Smith’s visions in terms of the Vogel’s problems with texts and logic. Usually the answer is “No.” evolving stories he told people about them Vogel interprets the Book of Mormon as a Vogel does offer some good insights into rather than as actual events” (42–44). complex autobiography of Joseph Smith—a the Book of Mormon. I like, for example, his In other articles and essays, Vogel has sort of autobiographical allegory revealing description of the fortification of mound been more forthcoming about his outright multiple levels of meaning in Smith’s life. builders in Joseph Smith’s environment and skepticism about Smith’s visions, suggesting, Vogel gives at least six levels of meaning to how they compare to Book of Mormon forti- for instance, that Smith spent a sleepless the journey of Lehi (130–46, 379–402). For fications (257–59). He also offers some very night on 21–22 September 1823, wrestling example, Nephi represents Joseph Smith Jr., useful summaries of Universalism, king men, with the “moral dilemma, whether or not to Lehi is the “good” Joseph Smith Sr., and and other issues in their nineteenth century proceed with his story of finding gold plates.” Laban is the “bad” Joseph Smith Sr. Vogel context (e.g. 200-03, 260). Vogel suggests that Smith’s decision to tell gives two possible meanings for Nephi’s The irony of Vogel’s book is that it is so others of a visit by an angel as a “decisive mo- killing of Laban: his killing the “backsliding rich in wonderful detail, and yet his thesis of ment in Smith’s career.”2 Universalist and sword-bearing treasure Joseph Smith as a pious fraud contradicts the In this book, a more cautious Vogel states seeker” so that “the good father can emerge.” primary data in his own book. For example, that the visit of John the Baptist to Smith and A second possible meaning is Joseph Smith Vogel portrays the Smiths as a family of sin- Cowdery may have been a vision, or it may Jr. wanted to kill his father in order to “free cere visionaries. Lucy Mack’s sister had a vi- have been pure fabrication for theological the Bible from the intellectualizing grip of his sion of Christ. Solomon Mack has seen reasons (306–07). He concludes that the vi- father and those like him, to interpret scrip- visions of lights. Lucy claimed to see a spiri- sions of the three and eight witnesses were ture for himself more literally and through tual light through a veil. Joseph Sr. had many “group hallucinations” with Joseph Smith the spirit of God” (135). Vogel spends many dreams that he considered visions. And he acting as “facilitator” (446–69). He suggests pages outlining psychobiographical readings was one of the eight witnesses that Vogel that Smith may even have put rocks or sand of Book of Mormon people and events. They claims had a “visionary” experience similar to in a box for the eight witnesses to heft as an are extremely speculative and interesting the- the three witnesses (e.g., 8–9, 15–20, 26–28, aid to helping them believe the experience ories that beg to be tested. Let us test one. 31, 46, 50, 466–67). The sincerity of their vi- that Smith and the hallucinatory state in- For simplicity’s sake, let’s stay with the sionary claims is just one aspect of the deep duced by prayer—“two hours with fanatical Nephi/Laban story. religious character of the Smith family, as earnestness”—suggested they were having Certainly Lehi and Nephi are character portrayed by Vogel. (468–69). types “even as the prophets of old” (1 Nephi Joseph Jr. utilized the same visionary In other places throughout the book, 1:20) and certainly quite like the prophet of techniques as his family, yet Vogel argues that Vogel points out that Joseph Smith lied about the Restoration. As I see him, Joseph Smith, many of his religious activities and claims are plural marriage (ix), may have made the like Lehi, was a social outcast, left the intentional deceptions. In short, according to golden plates himself (98–99), and believed doomed city, and, guided by his seer stones, Vogel’s own data, Joseph Smith Jr. seems to that God deceives people for their own good sought a new, promised land. But this is not be fundamentally different from his family. (xxix). For this reason, according to Vogel, the kind of analysis that Vogel gives us. Yet one of the foundations of Vogel’s’ argu- perpetrating such deceptions would not In the Book of Mormon text itself, the ment is that we can understand Joseph Smith overly trouble the would-be prophet: “If narrator gives an explicit social/psychological best as a product of his family (xx–xxi). Thus Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, meaning of the Laban story—that with God’s Vogel’s Joseph Smith is a stranger to his own became a prophet, and founded his church aid, the weak outcast can overcome the pow- historical setting. In fact, Vogel’s argument as a pious invention, he possessed the psy- erful—and indeed Nephi explicitly compares and evidence force me to accept the portrait chological means to explain and justify such himself and his brothers’ battling Laban with of Joseph Smith’s character and visions acts” (xxi). Moses and the children of Israel’s battling the Bushman draws rather than Vogel’s portrait Despite Vogel’s consistent caution in using Pharaoh of Egypt. But Vogel’s analysis contra- of Smith as a consistent liar with claims of vi- “may” and other terms that soften his claims dicts that explicit thesis. Vogel argues that sions devoid of sense data. Vogel’s data actu- about Smith’s fraud, Vogel just as consistently Joseph Smith Sr. was a social outcast, “impo- ally supports Bushman’s conclusions better uses the inflammatory language of a prose- tent,” had a melancholy disposition, a man than do his own. cuting attorney rather than more neutral lan- who felt inadequate, and was essentially a Objective observers are likely to agree guage of an objective scholar. In speaking of drunken failure who needed to be saved by that we can, with certainty, conclude that Smith, he uses titles such as “deceiver” (x), his son (9–15, 42, 154). Vogel portrays Joseph Smith lied during his lifetime. The “fraud” (xv), “magician” (xiv), “charlatan” Joseph Jr. as more powerful and able than his prime example is Joseph Smith’s deception to (xiv), “religious pretender” (xix), and “pious father, even before the coming forth of the hide plural marriage. (Vogel also points to
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the golden plates as a prime example of de- or charlatans from true visionaries. Ask any he found Vogel’s book strange and uncon- ception and fraud, but Latter-day Saints are spy. See the movie Goodbye, Lenin. Ask a vincing. A historian in an eastern university less likely to accept this.) But I believe it is mother speaking to the dying, or a man com- stated his preference for Fawn Brodie’s No too great a leap to conclude from one or per- menting on his wife’s haircut. If Joseph Smith Man Knows My History to Vogel’s Making of a haps two examples that Joseph Smith can be is a charlatan, he is not so easily distin- Prophet. Two well-published Mormon histo- summarized as a fraud with good intentions, guished from generally honest folk. rians who work in official Church capacities and as a charlatan. both reported that they did not feel it was There is a nearly universal belief that de- THE SECOND QUEST FOR THE worth reading at all. The most positive re- ception is sometimes justified, and showing HISTORICAL JOSEPH view came from a Community of Christ occasions of deceitfulness is an insufficient scholar who accepts Vogel’s work as “right on method for distinguishing frauds, magicians, LFRED North Whitehead states that the money.”4 “the death of religion comes with the As I’ve considered what I heard in these repression of the high hope of ad- interviews, I’ve concluded that Vogel’s book A 3 venture.” So it is with the future of is likely to remain very controversial but also Mormonism and research on Joseph Smith. a force to be reckoned with for some time to That adventure will be dictated both by the come. Bushman’s approach is more likely to ongoing and newly discovered facts of his- be considered a standard for the future, tory and by the needs of future readers. So though a minority of readers will certainly the second quest for the historical Joseph will take Vogel into account, especially those who be based on at least these features. I believe have a religious ax to grind against there are three leading indicators for deter- Mormonism. The great divide of divergent mining the future direction of research on views is not likely to be bridged any time WORDS OF MORMONS Joseph Smith: (1) reaction to Bushman’s and soon. Vogel’s books; (2) the forthcoming multi- Can’t Find a Book? volume publication of the Joseph Smith pa- 2. The Joseph Smith Papers pers; and (3) the internationalization of These stores specialize in Mormonism. WE DO NOT yet have all of the pieces of the puzzle. A number of Mormon scholars are out-of-print and hard-to-find 1. Reaction to the Biographies working on an exciting project to publish all LDS books of Joseph Smith’s papers. The first three vol- WHAT DO PROFESSIONAL and lay histo- umes of this series should come out within rians think of these two works? Bushman’s the next few years. This series will help pro- work is too new to have been read widely, vide better texts for what we already have BENCHMARK but the publisher has told me that there has and a set of new texts. been high interest in the book for some time. Ron Esplin, executive editor of the series, BOOKS Deseret Book has purchased several thou- has stated that among other important sand copies to sell through its many outlets, topics, these texts will provide new material 3269 S. Main, Suite 250 which tells me that some will view the book to better interpret the School of the Prophets, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 as receiving an informal endorsement from the endowment in Kirtland temple, and the (801) 486-3111 official Mormondom. From what little data Danites. The legal papers, in particular, (800) 486-3112 (toll free for orders) I’ve been able to gather, non-Mormon should give us new insights into Joseph
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future, the main persons carrying the closely to the prophetic eccentrics that sur- 3. Alfred North Whitehead, Science and the matches to light Joseph Smith are Mormons. rounded him. But it seems to me that be- Modern World (New York, Macmillan, 1925), 296. So what are the growing needs of Mormons? cause of the empowerment that comes from 4. Notes from these conversations in my posses- sion. I believe the third leading indicator in the doing so, an explosion in the creation of cul- 5. John Milton, quoted in Harold Bloom, “Why new quest for the historical Joseph is the in- ture-specific images of Joseph Smith is likely Read?” Cornell Magazine Online, September-October ternationalization of Mormonism. Mormon to occur soon. That it is coming is, I believe, 2000 (accessed 22 October 2005 http://cornell-maga- expansion—both geographically and acade- the elephant in the room that very few are zine.cornell.edu/Archive/Sept2000/SeptBloom.html). mically—will change the way research is discussing. done about the prophet. When we set Joseph Smith in the context Mormon scholarship is something more of world religions instead of western New than history. And Mormons are something York, what could he look like? Visions of an- more than Americans. One example of how gels and the light from stones place Joseph the prophet is likely to be viewed in future Smith in a broader tradition of prophets, Mormonism can be seen in how artistic de- mystics, and shamans. The description of pictions of Jesus changed as Christianity Joseph Smith seeing light in the darkness is spread across the world. In the art of sub- reminiscent of a broad group of religions. Saharan Africa, Jesus is invariably portrayed How does Joseph Smith’s gazing at shining as a Black African. The portraits of Jesus in stones in a hat to access the spiritual world Northern Europe depict him as a Northern compare to the use of shining stones by European Jesus. This process of creating shamans the world over? “culture specific” Josephs is already at work in the art and history of Mormonism as it be- CONCLUSION comes global. So, what will Joseph Smith look like to a Brazilian who is a believer in E have been well-served by the spiritualism, Catholicism, and Mormonism? work of these two historians— LIU SHAHE How will a Guarani Indian in Paraguay hear Bushman and Vogel. And we W His speech makes measured the message of Jesus’ prophet when his need to be humble enough to keep listening people were once massacred and enslaved in to these fine historians in the future to help music in the old Sichuan dialect. the name of Jesus? us see what we might have missed in the He quotes Confucius, Walt Mormonism’s scholarly strength is history. past. We can also disagree with them. I say to Whitman and Li Po then But as the Church expands and matures, myself and to all who read and write about other disciplines are likely to make impor- the prophet: “Think that you may be wrong.” tells the American writer tant contributions in the quests for the his- Humility and openness to new insights is the her name sounds like pearls torical Joseph. We have already seen first banner of science and the first article of dropping in a dish— sociologists, biblical scholars, theologians, our faith in a growing global community. Hong-ting-ting. and others enter the field. Emile Durkheim With an eye that can catch the sleight of argues that all religions are true in the sense hand, with an ear for the rumor of angels, let During the long darkness Liu that they answer, each in a different way, the us sing praise to the man who communed shaped hard wood with plane and saw, fundamental problems of human existence. with Jehovah and to his two recent biogra- If one agrees with this premise, one impor- phers. We are better for having read their fashioned cabinets tight as tombs. tant quest for the historical Joseph Smith will works. As witness to his children, include the ways the Prophet addressed the he wrote poems in the night. universal issues of death, poverty, meaning- lessness, guilt, and the like—all important SunstoneBlog.com When the Red Guards came he elements in the Restoration. But to date, To comment on this essay or read comments burned the scraps of paper, Mormon biographers and authors, including by others, please visit the Sunstone blog: then threw the ashes on the wind. me, have not yet reached the level of sophis- www.SunstoneBlog.com. tication required to create the kinds of These days he stays home, studies suggested here. writes old style poems— Certainly, we will never abandon the de- NOTES “traces of the saw tooth’s edge— tails of Joseph Smith’s historical setting, as detailed by Bushman and Vogel. But as 1. Robert V. Remini, Joseph Smith (East cipher of awl and auger”— Mormonism goes global, the general view of Rutherford, N. J.: Penguin Books, 2002); Donna Hill, and complains about young poets Joseph Smith is likely to change from an ex- Joseph Smith: The First Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998). writing crazy verse. clusive, American prophet to a universal one. 2. See Dan Vogel, “The Prophet Puzzle “My children no longer read my Both Vogel and Bushman are aware of this Revisited” in The Prophet Puzzle, Bryan Waterman, ed. larger prophetic context, but neither has yet (Salt Lake City: Signature, 1999), 57–58. Vogel’s poems,” he says, “They just explored it in detail. I believe that such com- strong skepticism about the nature of Smith’s visions rock and roll . . . parisons will undermine Vogel’s thesis of is also on display in a letter to the editor in Dialogue: Smith as pious fraud and could also make Journal of Mormon Thought 37, no. 4 (Winter 2004), Rolling Stones.” viii-xii. Bushman nervous by tying Joseph more —ROBERT REES
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