I was most surprised at how militant the Mormons were in Illinois -- raising their own militia, using their municipal court to nullify arrest warrants from other towns and states, planning to take over Texas and colonize other parts of the continent using converts from Europe. The book also describes the rise of plural marriage, and, to a non-believer at least, it's hard to see this as anything other than Joseph Smith exploiting his position as prophet. ( )

A well-researched, but unfortunately not riveting, account of one of the most important periods of the early days of the Mormon religion. The author sets forth various reasons for the hostile reception received by the believers - their tendency towards a theocracy, misuse of the local court, polygamy and block voting (viewed as a threat to popular democracy).

Kudos to the author for an objective account without unnecessary moralizing or judgment. Still, I did not find the book particularly captivating. ( )

This was a great read. It is meticulously researched and very well written, with readable stories and information to present the history from multiple perspectives.

Dr. Park does a fair, even-handed job covering controversial topics—from polygamy to politics to church governance. Those who are looking for a book to lionize Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saint/Mormon leaders may come away disappointed, as this book is designed to simply recount and discuss the history. But for the same reason, those looking for a book to demonize Joseph Smith and early LDS/Mormon leaders will also come away equally disappointed.

At times, I wanted to know more detail about certain people or stories. But this wasn’t a story about any one particular person or family. This was a book about Nauvoo. While some—like Joseph Smith, Emma Smith, and others—necessarily have larger roles in that story, it’s the story of the community of Nauvoo, not just the story of one person, family, or group.

After reading this book, I came away with a much greater understanding and appreciation for the role that Nauvoo played in the history of the Latter-day Saints and Mormonism (including all the offshoot groups) as a whole. The stories and history of Nauvoo shaped the Church and continue to do so today. This type of book is immensely helpful in understanding both the historical and contemporary context. And from all that I’ve seen, there hasn’t been any work that so thoroughly covers and discusses that context in a single volume like this with great writing and a historian’s eye for detail and context (Rough Stone Rolling does a wonderful job of covering Joseph Smith’s personal history, but as mentioned, this book isn’t just about Joseph). All in all, it’s well worth the read and is a great addition to Mormon and American history. ( )

I've heard most of these stories already, but usually just in isolation. This history puts the actions of Mormons and their neighbors solidly in the 19th century frontier context. The actions Smith took surrounding polygamy in particular make more sense to me now. Park is telling a coherent story about actions and attitudes that seem incoherent and contradictory.


This is also the first book on Mormon history I've read that isn't either apologetics (Bushman) or a response to apologetics (Brooks, Brodie). It's clearly written for a larger audience. It feels so much like an "outsider's" history, that I was surprised to learn Park is a returned missionary.


The central character is, of course, Joseph Smith. Park's portrayal is very believable. Smith comes across as a narcissist with a clear God complex, but who is also not a malicious person. He knows he has something special, and he is deeply interested in developing his church into one that meets people's needs.


I also really enjoyed the politics, of course. The tensions over the role of religion are clearly relevant. ( )

This is a fascinating and well written account of the Mormon settlement in Illinois before the trekked to Utah. I knew nothing of this chapter of our history. The author has done his homework and presents a objective, yet fascinating story of events. I highly recommend, especially for readers of US history. ( )