PDF ´ BOOK American Crucifixion Ë ALEX BEAM

> American Crucifixion

KINDLE American Crucifixion

PDF ´ BOOK American Crucifixion Ë ALEX BEAM Ë On June 27 1844 a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage Illinois Clamorous and angry they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise uiet lives the founding prophet of Mormonism Joseph Smith They wanted bloodAt thirty nine years old SOn June 27 1844 a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage Illinois Clamorous and angry they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise uiet lives the founding prophet of Mormonism Joseph Smith They wanted bloodAt thirty nine years old Smith had already lived an outsized life In addition to starting his own religion and creating his own “Golden Bible” the Book of Mormon he had worked as a water do The author does a great job of delivering the facts and telling an unbiased narrative of the early Latter day Saints LDS church and the events leading to the death or martyrdom of the first Prophet seer and revelator Joseph Smith At the end of his life he was being held in Carthage Jail in Illinois He and his brother Hyrum came to their tragic end when a mob stormed the jail shot and killed them both on June 27 1844 I have read a lot about the LDS faith and I learned uite a few new things as they relate to the historical context of the church Overall this was a great read It was well researched and fact driven giving you history in conjunction with some LDS doctrine and beliefs I definitely recommend this book as a starting point if curious about the LDS church or have uestionsdoubts You will definitely learn some things Thanks

KINDLE Ú American Crucifixion ß Alex Beam

Mith could not escape the conseuences of his ambition and prideMormonism is America's largest and most enduring native religion and the “martyrdom” of Joseph Smith is one of its transformational events Smith's brutal assassination propelled the Mormons to colonize the American West and claim their place in the mainstream of American history American Crucifixion is a gripping story of scandal and violence with deep roots in our national identi It can often be a humbling experience to ask for or even to stumble upon an outsiders view of something that you hold dear This was what happened to me when reading Alex Beam's book American Crucifixion The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church In American Crucifixion Alex Beam explores a narrow window of Mormon history when the faithful Mormon believers escaped from Missouri to Nauvoo He also examines the events surrounding the eventual murder of Joseph Smith and describes the succession crisis after the death of the prophet Mr Beam uses a variety of historical sources including journals news reports first person accounts as well as information from Mormon historians to weave this compelling tale of the events that surrounded Joseph Smiths death As a practicing Mormon there were many moments when I found that the reality presented in the book clashed with the white washed version of events that are presented by the church in their publications For example Joseph Smith's duplicity hubris and the secretive nature of polygamyolyandry was a bit of a shock to read I was not able to detect any form of bias or agenda in the authors narrative which is often common when someone writes about a person like Joseph Smith Instead Alex Beam attempts to paint a neutral retelling of events There are for example several moments when he presents multiple viewpoints of the same event if there are historical sources that contradict the same moment in time Overall I found American Crucifixion The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church to be a disturbing in the case of polygamyolyandry and moving when the author narrates the events in Carthage and the death of Joseph Smith novel

Alex Beam ß American Crucifixion READER

American CrucifixionWser and treasure hunter He'd led his people to Ohio then Missouri then Illinois where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago He was running for president And secretly he had married than thirty womenIn American Crucifixion Alex Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy How his most seismic revelation the doctrine of polygamy created a rift among his people; how that schism turned to violence; and how ultimately S Thank you to Perseus Books Group and Netgalley for the ARCWhat other books on Mormon history written from outside the fold anyway pass over in a few terse paragraphs Alex Beam expands In this delightfully well researched well documented and well written account both the lead up and the fallout to the events at the Carthage jail are brought to fore I especially enjoyed reading about all of the haranguing and bitter diatribes exchanged via the independent press in and around Nauvoo Beam's tone throughout the narrative is pitch perfect and the book is extremely readable Although he assumes a certain amount of historical knowledge from his readers basics of Mormon faith and practice are explained well enough that even a newcomer to the story will have no problem If you're interested in suggestions on books regarding issues of the faith feel free to let me know I'd be happy to make suggestionsFull disclosure I'm not a Mormon but for a variety of reasons I have studied the sect indepth from an Evangelical perspective and I've read many books about Mormon history theology and culture written by both Mormons and Gentiles Beam's book proved an excellent addition