Bibliograph

American crucifixion, the murder of Joseph Smith and the fate of the Mormon church, Alex Beam

Type

Label

American crucifixion, the murder of Joseph Smith and the fate of the Mormon church, Alex Beam

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-320) and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

mapsillustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

American crucifixion

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

871820658

Responsibility statement

Alex Beam

Sub title

the murder of Joseph Smith and the fate of the Mormon church

Summary

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

Table Of Contents

Flight -- pt. 1. "In Illinois we've found a safe retreat-- " -- King Joseph -- Zion, Illinois -- Everybody hates the Mormons -- Polygamy and its discontents -- pt. 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 -- pt. 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

Creator