Joseph Smith
The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet
Published on 26. August 2025
Book
Hardback
464 pages
978-0-300-25516-4 (ISBN)
Description
From an award-winning biographer, a riveting and deeply researched portrait of Mormonism's charismatic founder
Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844) was one of the most successful and controversial religious leaders of nineteenth-century America, publishing the Book of Mormon and starting what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He built temples, founded a city-state in Illinois, ran for president, and married more than thirty women. This self-made prophet thrilled his followers with his grand vision of peace and unity, but his increasingly grandiose plans tested and sometimes shattered their faith.
In this vivid biography, John G. Turner presents Smith as a consummate religious entrepreneur and innovator, a man both flawed and compelling. He sold books, land, and merchandise. And he relentlessly advanced doctrines that tapped into anxieties about the nature and meaning of salvation, the validity of miracles, the timing of Christ's second coming, and the persistence of human relationships for eternity. His teachings prompted people to gather into communities, evoking fierce opposition from those who saw those communities as theocratic threats to republicanism.
With insights from newly accessible diaries, church records, and transcripts of sermons, Turner illuminates Smith's stunning trajectory, from his beginnings as an uneducated, impoverished farmhand to his ultimate fall at the hands of a murderous mob, revealing how he forged a religious tradition that has resonated with millions of people in the United States and beyond.
Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844) was one of the most successful and controversial religious leaders of nineteenth-century America, publishing the Book of Mormon and starting what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He built temples, founded a city-state in Illinois, ran for president, and married more than thirty women. This self-made prophet thrilled his followers with his grand vision of peace and unity, but his increasingly grandiose plans tested and sometimes shattered their faith.
In this vivid biography, John G. Turner presents Smith as a consummate religious entrepreneur and innovator, a man both flawed and compelling. He sold books, land, and merchandise. And he relentlessly advanced doctrines that tapped into anxieties about the nature and meaning of salvation, the validity of miracles, the timing of Christ's second coming, and the persistence of human relationships for eternity. His teachings prompted people to gather into communities, evoking fierce opposition from those who saw those communities as theocratic threats to republicanism.
With insights from newly accessible diaries, church records, and transcripts of sermons, Turner illuminates Smith's stunning trajectory, from his beginnings as an uneducated, impoverished farmhand to his ultimate fall at the hands of a murderous mob, revealing how he forged a religious tradition that has resonated with millions of people in the United States and beyond.
Reviews / Votes
"A biography of narrative strength and clarity. . . . Turner's achieve-ment is to show how [Smith's] audacity-spiritual, institutional, and rhetorical-proved both magnetic and combustible."-Gerardo Marti, Commonweal"Turner's scrupulous research vividly brings Smith to life both as a religious innovator and as a colorful, eccentric personality who was skillful at cajoling would-be defectors and advancing ambitious plans but also rushed headlong into controversies and showed flashes of anger. . . . [A] highly readable account of a key figure in American religious history."-Publishers Weekly
"This one is a ride. To the story of America's most famous prophet John Turner brings a vigorous narrative style informed by the most recent scholarship. Even if you know Joseph Smith's story well, this book is necessary reading."-Matthew Bowman, Claremont Graduate University
"Unlike many who have written about Smith, Turner comes neither to praise Smith nor to bury him. To the contrary, he wants to bring him back to life, for our reading pleasure and for our scholarly enlightenment. He has written a classic-spritely, fun, and ultimately persuasive."-Mark Oppenheimer, editor of Arc: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera
"John Turner has provided us a Joseph Smith for the current age. This biography successfully fleshes out the Mormon prophet's life, mind, and environment, painting a picture that is both riveting and a reckoning."-Benjamin E. Park, author of American Zion: A New History of Mormonism
"Not every reader trusts Joseph Smith, a complex character who has been scorned and idolized in equal measure. But every reader should trust historian John Turner to shed fresh light on Smith's fascinating contradictions, and to teach us something new about the world of early Mormonism. This long-awaited, well-observed biography of the religion's controversial founder balances careful research with lively prose. Highly recommended."-Jana Riess, author of The Next Mormons
"In this energetic new biography, Joseph Smith jumps off the pages as an audacious, visionary, and often reckless character. Turner has expertly portrayed Smith as an endlessly complex figure who can no more be tamed in death than he could in life."-Patrick Q. Mason, Utah State University
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
43 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
804 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-25516-4 (9780300255164)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
John G. Turner is professor of religious studies and history at George Mason University. His books include Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ; Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet; The Mormon Jesus; and They Knew They Were Pilgrims. He lives in Burke, VA.