American crucifixion
Subtitle: the murder of Joseph Smith and the fate of the Mormon church
By: Alex Beam
Edition: First edition.
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 334
ISBN-13: 9781610393133; 9781610395465
Subjects: Mormon Church; Assassination; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; History
Description: 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.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Flight; title: Part 1. "In Illinois we've found a safe retreat; title: ". King Joseph ; Zion, Illinois ; Everybody hates the Mormons ; Polygamy and its discontents; title: 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; title: 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.