Like Old Testament prophets, he was alternately contemplative and poetic, animated and surprisingly earthy. Previous, popular editions of Smith's speeches and writings have edited out the extemporaneous complexities, as well as any deviations from present-day doctrines. Recent academic publications, for their part, have too often camouflaged the text in scholarly apparata. By contrast, this volume brings together a sampling of the prophet's thinking from New York to Illinois in a complete, unabridged form, utilizing the earliest known sources, without excessive footnoting or commentary. No attempt is made to harmonize disparate, conflicting ideas.
Readers can trace the developing, revelatory unfolding of ideas for themselves.
They can also enjoy the text without reference to any intrerpretative agenda. In other words, The Essential Joseph Smith is readable and reliable. Bracketed material and punctuation are added where needed, but the text otherwise speaks for itself. These are Joseph Smith's own words, his most essential messages. He is married to Lila Foster, has six children, and currently resides in Provo, Utah.