Joseph Smith: The First Mormon

Joseph Smith: The First Mormon by Hill, Donna. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780385008044.

One of four major biographies of Joseph Smith, Donna Hill s award-winning book is the most comprehensive. Hill cautiously rejects the simplistic reductionism of either/or characterizations in favor of a broader, more humanistic view that takes Smith on his own terms as both prophet and as man. Foremost among Hill s concerns is the spiritual drama that defined Smith s controversial life, as well as his theologically motivated sexuality and the apocalyptic assumptions that fueled his political and military activism. Her intent is not to validate Smith s actions, only to understand them. Equal attention is given to the environmental influences that shaped Smith s 1830s New York upbringing. Add th these Hill s impeccable scholarship, the result of nine years of research, and her talents as a novelist, and the significance of her achievement is apparent. Her quest for authenticity provides a vivid portrait of an extraordinary life.