Hello everyone, I'm Dr. Benjamin Park, assistant professor of history at Sam Houston State University. I am also co-editor of Mormon Studies Review, and am on the executive boards for Mormon History Association and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. I'm here to talk about Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier (W. W. Norton/Liveright). Here's the overview:
An extraordinary story of faith and violence in nineteenth-century America, based on previously confidential documents from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Compared to the Puritans, Mormons have rarely gotten their due, treated as fringe cultists at best or marginalized as polygamists unworthy of serious examination at worst. In Kingdom of Nauvoo, the historian Benjamin E. Park excavates the brief life of a lost Mormon city, and in the process demonstrates that the Mormons are, in fact, essential to understanding American history writ large.
Drawing on newly available sources from the LDS Church—sources that had been kept unseen in Church archives for 150 years—Park recreates one of the most dramatic episodes of the 19th century frontier. Founded in Western Illinois in 1839 by the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith and his followers, Nauvoo initially served as a haven from mob attacks the Mormons had endured in neighboring Missouri, where, in one incident, seventeen men, women, and children were massacred, and where the governor declared that all Mormons should be exterminated. In the relative safety of Nauvoo, situated on a hill and protected on three sides by the Mississippi River, the industrious Mormons quickly built a religious empire; at its peak, the city surpassed Chicago in population, with more than 12,000 inhabitants. The Mormons founded their own army, with Smith as its general; established their own courts; and went so far as to write their own constitution, in which they declared that there could be no separation of church and state, and that the world was to be ruled by Mormon priests.
This experiment in religious utopia, however, began to unravel when gentiles in the countryside around Nauvoo heard rumors of a new Mormon marital practice. More than any previous work, Kingdom of Nauvoo pieces together the haphazard and surprising emergence of Mormon polygamy, and reveals that most Mormons were not participants themselves, though they too heard the rumors, which said that Joseph Smith and other married Church officials had been “sealed” to multiple women. Evidence of polygamy soon became undeniable, and non-Mormons reacted with horror, as did many Mormons—including Joseph Smith’s first wife, Emma Smith, a strong-willed woman who resisted the strictures of her deeply patriarchal community and attempted to save her Church, and family, even when it meant opposing her husband and prophet.
A raucous, violent, character-driven story, Kingdom of Nauvoo raises many of the central questions of American history, and even serves as a parable for the American present. How far does religious freedom extend? Can religious and other minority groups survive in a democracy where the majority dictates the law of the land? The Mormons of Nauvoo, who initially believed in the promise of American democracy, would become its strongest critics. Throughout his absorbing chronicle, Park shows the many ways in which the Mormons were representative of their era, and in doing so elevates nineteenth century Mormon history into the American mainstream.
I'll be here for the next few hours (until about 4pm EST) to talk all things Nauvoo and Mormonism, so please flood this thread with questions!
EDIT: this has been incredible! I am warn out after 4 hours and a hundred questions--apologies for the last once being so brief. I tried to answer every one I saw, but I know more our pouring in. I need to go reintroduce myself to my family, but tonight I'll go through and try to answer any questions that I missed.
I have seen a lot of rhetoric in the time period from the abolitionist movement about fighting the 'twin evils' of slavery and polygamy. There obviously was a sense by many that the two were intertwined. Mormonism obviously was a prime target for the latter, but what role did the LDS play in the debate over slavery in the period? Was the linking more than rhetorical?
I had heard that Nauvoo is currently controlled by two factions, as something of a monument to early LDS church history. One faction is the LDS church that followed Young to Utah, and the other represents the portion that remained behind.
Is that accurate? If so, what are the current-day politics of memory in Nauvoo?
Thanks for doing this AMA!
How much the Mormon history in Illinois illustrates a desire of isolation (maybe even separatism)? from the American culture and politics? Or was it rather thought as a display of what the early US could be? How was it similar or different from the migrations and establishments in Utah?
One of the things that's always struck me about Mormonism is how astronomical its cosmology is. There is a planet that is closest to the throne of God. There is a doctrinal belief in life on other planets. Etc. What would the Mormon understanding of astronomy be at the time and how would it have interacted with their faith?
Thanks for doing the AMA (and hope your squat workouts can continue in these virus-laden times). Haven't read the book (yet), but was wondering if you could summarize your take on the nature of Joseph's relationships with the various women to whom he was sealed and/or married (granted we're talking about 38 or so relationships so I'm asking only for a very general characterization).
As background to these question, there seems (to me at least) to be a lot of angst from some Latter-day Saint, Community of Christ, and exMormon circles about the physical aspects (or lack there of) of these relationships which in turn fuels various arguments about "faithful Joseph" and "promiscuous Joseph." Given that we have no known descendants of Joseph other than with Emma, were these marriages essentially in name only or did Joseph have something of a functional domestic/private relationship with any of them?
Why did it take a long time for Mormons to accept racial equality?
Did Brigham Young have anything to do with burning down the Nauvoo temple?
How quickly did Mormonism begin to spread beyond America? Mission work is obviously a centerpiece of the Church today, around the world, but at what point did the LDS begin to focus on fostering an international presence in that way? Was it happening during the Smith years even, or was that something that developed later on?
Secondly building off that, Mormonism is thought of, I feel, as such an American religion, and with good reason perhaps, but as the Church grew beyond the USA's borders, what sort of impact did that internationalising have on the nature of the Church within the US?
How do LDS members interpret their own history? I’m curious to know if the popular memory of who Joseph Smith was and what he did differs greatly from the historical interpretation. Do you find yourself challenged by more devout members of the faith? Or do they tend to accept Smith and Young for who they were, baggage and all?
Hi! Thank you very much for answering our questions. I've heard that Joseph Smith was partially influenced by 19th century occultism, even to the point of creating talismans - is there any truth to this?
Hello Dr. Parks! Thanks for this fascinating AMA! I have a few questions for you that I hope you'll find interesting.
How many of Joseph Smiths apostles went to Utah? And with Smiths death, how badly did the Mormon community fracture?
Long ago when I was a student Mormonism was often placed into the milieu of the general religious ferment of the Burned Over District of New York, because of the work of Whitney Cross. But I never quite understood how all these movements tied together- or , even if they should be tied together. Do you have any thoughts , now, on how the Mormons can be situated in the Second Awakening?
By the way, I always thought it to be something of an amazing thing that this world religion could be researched using primary historical documents. You'd never hear of a new letter by the Apostle Paul being discovered.
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask this, but I didn't see anything in your bio. Are you yourself a practicing LDS member? Just out of curiosity for your angle/perspective.
I noticed in your book that you don't appear to give much credence to the Fanny Alger story, or that she might have been Joseph Smith's first plural wife. Can you expound upon why you chose to mostly avoid discussing this subject?
Additionally, what decisions did you make when writing this in regards to how much controversial detail to provide given that you probably also wanted this to be a read by an LDS audience? For instance, I noticed that you specifically avoided mentioning Helen Mar Kimball's age.
Finally, and somewhat related to the last question, is this book carried by Deseret Book? I can't seem I find it on their online portal. Can you talk a bit to the process of getting your book approved for sale by Deseret Book?
Joseph Smith had lots of plan B's it seems, knowing or at least preparing for Nauvoo not to pan out. We all know Utah ended up being the plan that Young and most of the LDS went with, but engaging in some counterfactual history, what is a plan B you would have liked to have seen playout for the sake of history? Texas? Move to Europe? Try and stay?
Dallin Oaks made this statement, "In research for that article I learned that modern criticism of the action of the Nauvoo City Council has been based on the principle of freedom of speech and press embodied in the 14th amendment of the United States Constitution. However, that amendment was not adopted until twenty years after the Nauvoo suppression. The law in 1844, including interpretation of state constitutional guarantees of a free press, offered considerable support for what Nauvoo had done." https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/dallin-h-oaks-2020-church-history-symposium-transcript
I believe he's playing hard and fast with the facts but I'm not smart. What's your understanding?
A few questions about the Smith POTUS campaign:
How serious was it? It seems of Smith's many plan B options, this was the most radical and least likely. How did it fit in with the other settlement options discussed of resettling in Oregon or Texas? It seems being elected to POTUS would force these other plans to the back burner. Or, was it largely just a publicity stunt?
For what reasons would you postulate that it was such a challenge to get a solid VP candidate and what do you think the reasons were behind finally settling on Rigdon who was seen largely as an enemy through most of 1842-3? Was it merely Rigdon's connections in Pennsylvania?
Speculative history: had Smith taken the ticket in 1844, what kind of POTUS would you envision him being? Would he become the radical colonialist type to bring Texas and Oregon under U.S. control, possibly expanding into Canada? How would it fit within his larger plans of allying the freed slaves and indigenous peoples to form his theocratic army? What was the plan if he lost the ticket had he lived to the end of 1844?
Thank you for doing this AMA. I just received your book and can't wait to read it! Every review I've read so far have been of very good report and praiseworthy. I must seek after this thing.
Hey, it’s great to see a scholar examining the history of the LDS church on here. I wanted to ask three specific questions so I hope these are okay.
Was Nauvoo treated as a theocratic stare of sorts? A lot of early LDS writings speak of Zion as a kingdom where all of God’s laws are followed so I was wondering if - in light of documents speaking of things such as blood atonement or the stricter Mosaic laws such as what clothing you wore, stoning people, etc, - the religious commandments were practiced to the full extreme of the religious law?
Did homosexuality ever come up in any of the standard writings of Joseph Smith or in the Nauvoo documents? With the LGBT community facing prejudice nowadays from the contemporary LDS church I was curious if such historical writings, whether positive or negative in tone, existed for the early church?
Did the early LDS church come into contact with members of the Islamic community at this time? Some have noted elements of Islamic doctrine or narratives in the writings of Joseph Smith from his Kirtland and Nauvoo times and was curious if there was any evidence of his learning their religious traditions and then applying some of those conventions to his own.
Any information would be gratefully appreciated as the studying of the early LDS church and it’s religious texts is an avid hobby of mine.
Thank you so much for this AMA. Always fascinating to find a logical and outside view on such an important aspect of my life.
As an active member of the Church, and one that loves to read and study all viewpoints and histories, I've always felt as though people are too quick to lump up all the branches of Mormonism (FLDS, Community of Christ, Strangites, LDS) under the "LDS Flag"; for lack of a better term. When studying that time period, it really is fascinating to see how the Death of Smith caused such a split so quickly.
All that being said, from a strictly scientific perspective, which "branch" of Modern Mormonism would you say most closely fits within the scope of Smith's vision?
and, as a follow up if you have time, Would 1844 Nauvoo Smith recognize any of these "branches" were he alive today?
I've noticed that the public face of Mormonism seems to be fairly homogeneous wherever it is in the world - Mormon churches here (in the UK - we only have two temples) all look identical, and they even have basketball courts inside just like in the US even though basketball isn't a popular sport here. Has this homogeneous, very culturally American style always been a feature of Mormonism, or is it a more recent development? I don't mean homogenous in a pejorative sense, it just really stands out amongst other denominations.
Have there been any examples of local branches of the church adapting to local culture elsewhere in the world, and if not how have missionary fields outside the US historically reacted to this very distinctive church culture? I specify 'outside the US' because Mormonism feels very, very American outside the US to an extent that feels culturally quite alien. The Salvation Army was set up reasonably close in time to Mormonism and has a similar emphasis on personal moral and physical purity (smoking is forbidden as well as alcohol) for instance, yet has been able to adapt to local cultures in a way Mormonism seems to have purposely avoided. Has the church historically been self-aware here or is it actually unintentional?
Is there any evidence that Abraham Lincoln met Joseph Smith or any other of the church leadership from Nauvoo? Lincoln was an unelected citizen during much of the Nauvoo time frame - an attorney in Springfield. Understanding Lincoln later had significant dealings with the situation in Utah, did he have any early-on interactions or formed opinions/writings regarding Nauvoo before he became a prominent leader?
If polygamy had not been practiced, or had been made public immediately how do you think that would have changed the story of Nauvoo?
What was the relationship like between the Mormons when they got to Utah, and the local Native Americans?
Separately, but what kind of stuff did you find in the archive that changed the story? So to speak?
Thank you for this!
Where was Birmingham during this period? Was the destruction of Nauvoo how he rose to power?
Hello!
What aspects of early Mormon culture still ring through today, and what has been necessarily jettisoned over the last 150 years?
How important was the concept of Heavenly Mother to early Mormon women, and did they see it as a source of pride? I'm trying to avoid the term 'feminist' because I'm super aware of the tensions within Mormonism regarding the movement for women's priesthood and the issues with feministwashing early Mormons - but I am curious as to how proud early Mormon women were of a Christian denomination which does seem to have some unusually significant roles for women for the time, including the support for women's suffrage.
Mormonism has, by some people, been called a cult. Given that the early religion did share some qualities given in definitions of cults (asking people to leave their families behind in order to come to be with the body of Saints; Willingness to fiercely defend their leaders, in some cases, to the point of murder, such as with the Mountain Meadows Massacre; Establishing hierarchal leadership, as you mentioned, in order to manage control; etc.) What have you seen that puts Mormonism into categories other than being a cult? Thank you for your study of the history of this religion by the way. I am LDS myself and would love to hear a historian’s point of view regarding this.
I read a criticism some time back of the LDS church that indicated they were somewhat ashamed of the legacy of Joseph Smith, and generally kept his personal history quiet or censored.
Would you say that this is accurate/has in the past been accurate, or is it an unfair description of church historians?
Does your book cover the imprisonments and morderé of Joseph and Hyrum Smith? Did your research uncover details that had not been presented to you before? Does your book go against the LDS narrative of this time in any meaningful ways?
I don’t know much about the Council of Fifty—really, I know so little about it that I’m having trouble framing a precise question—but I guess I’d appreciate an introductory overview. For one thing, what was the council’s purpose? Was it primarily religious or governmental? And long was it intended to last? I’ve heard it said that the Council appointed Joseph Smith as a king—is that true? (And if so, in what sense was he appointed as a king?) Finally, how much do we know about it? Do we have all the documents? Any general insights would be appreciated. Thanks!
I've read that Mormonism was part of a larger quest to reconcile the large mounds and other evidence of pre-Columbian civilization in America with the generally accepted concept of Native Americans as primitive and uncivilized. Was this part of the early appeal of Mormonism? What influences would Joseph Smith have had in this regard?
Do you think Mormonism is related to the concept of Manifest Destiny which was also developing around the same time?
It always seemed to me that "America is divinely mandated to rule the entire continent" is just a short step away from "America was colonized by Israelites". Is Mormonism an attempt to make a new religion with Manifest Destiny built right into it? Was it supposed to make Manifest Destiny easier to digest?
I'm looking forward to reading your book.
In your opinion, if the Mormons had decided to stand their ground, instead of abandoning their city and moving West, would that have been the end of the religion? Could they have survived with adaptations to how they related to the governments around them? The idea to have a "kingdom unto itself" within the boarders of the United States seems willfully naive.
This is fascinating stuff by the way.
If Joseph hadn’t been killed, do you think they still would have left Illinois for the frontier en masse? Or would they have left some folks behind in Nauvoo while emigrating west? Use it like they did winter quarters as a staging point? Would they have ever abandoned it completely?
Dr. Park, I read some of the thank yous that you gave to those that gave feedback in helping you review/edit the book. The reviewers ranged from historians employed by the Church to more liberal/secular reviewers. I’m curious about the biggest concerns that both sides of the fence had with the content of the book. For example, did the Church historians ask you to remove or rewrite any sections? Or, did your more liberal/secular historians ask you to elaborate/add detail on any topics of note?
What was the plan for the Mormon army in Nauvoo? Self protection? Eventual invasion of other areas? Was it structured like a "real" army or more like a somewhat-organized mob?
Being that the Council of Fifty documents were only released four years ago, is it likely that there are other informative documents that might provide insight into another aspect of the Church? Also, were you aware that these documents existed, or were you surprised when they were released? Are there any other documents you know of that you're hoping the Church publishes that would give academics more insight into lesser known areas?
Thanks!
My have 3 related questions mostly about the creation/establishment of Mormonism. There are a lot of narratives out there regarding the church’s formation in NY. Regardless of ones beliefs, there is no question that Joseph Smith had no problem with delving into mysticism to create his church. How was this mystical origination perceived by the majority of people in that area and across the US as a whole?
Secondly, I know Mormonism arose during the 2nd Great Awakening, but I never understood that movement as being mystical in the way that Mormonism and its history appear to be. As you said earlier, it was about a more personal spirituality - which seems to be somewhat counter to a mystical epiphany and inception. How did this fit into the 2GA as a movement? How are the more mystical aspects of Mormonism’s founding perceived by Mormons of whatever derivation today?
Hello, me and my friends took a mini vacation to a cabin on the outskirts of Nauvoo, very interesting place!
My question is why did the church rebuild the temple and some of the old town?
I just finished your book yesterday and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
What discovery surprised you the most from the Council of 50 minutes that the LDS church recently released?
Are there any ways that historical understandings have needed to be revised in light of information in the minutes?
Do you have any sense of how many Mormons died as a result of the mob violence directed at them in Illinois? And how may non Mormons died?
How did Mormons interact with Native American tribes they encountered on the Migration, considering the strange role Native Americans play in their religion?
Did Porter Rockwell and the Danites do any sort of avenging in Nauvoo or has that just been mythologized over the years in Mormon culture? How much truth is there that Porter Rockwell May have attempted to assassinate governor Boggs?
I’m an exmormon in Utah, and while I have no love for the church, I find it’s story fascinating and can’t help but be impressed by the tenacity of its people. I think a no holds barred HBO miniseries covering Joseph Smith to Brigham Young would be highly entertaining.
Thank you for taking the time to visit AH. I wonder if you can you comment on what fuelled the "Mormon reformation" of the mid-1850s. Should it be considered backward-looking (the product of an uncertain religion, designed to fix problems from the past) or forward-looking (the product of a confident religion attempting to maximise its appeal to potential converts)?
The Mormons proposed the creation of their own state, but how close did this really come to being a reality?
Thomas Ford denied responsibility for the mob action that killed Joseph and Hyrum Smith but was very critical of the Mormons. Is there any hard evidence that Ford in some way ordered or directly influenced the deaths of the Smiths'?
The Mormon Church has a history of being hostile to scholarship that is "not faith promoting", perhaps most infamously the september six in the 90s.
How has the relationship with the Mormon Church and scholarship/history changed, if at all? Have you had any personal contact with the Mormon Church or its history department - collaborative or otherwise? Do you have an opinion on how this relationship will change in the future?
Thank you for your thoughtful answers so far!
When the Salamander Letter was first "discovered", what are the reactions of academics? Skeptical or excited? Was it truly a significant "discovery"? Or have people been skeptical from the beginning?
Hello dr. Park:
Just wondering, what are some common mistakes in portrayal of Mormonism in fictional media such as books, TV or movies?
By the way, I grew up in Asia as a child, and the first time I read about Mormonism I'd from the Shelock Holms story a study in scarlet. I just thought it was an crazy ancient cult that is long gone. Boy was I wrong... any how, even later 8n life, most of my understanding of Mormonism came from fictional contexts, and I can not judge how impartial they are.
Many Mormons teach about a doctrine called apostasy where the gospel authority is taken off of the earth when the people reject the gospel ie: killing or running off prophets etc. They claim that Joseph Smith is a prophet to end the great apostasy of Jesus Christ death. How do/did Mormons continue in there ways after Joseph Smith’s death via a mob, and how does the current lds church maintain this claim to authority of Joseph smith was killed in a apostolic way?
The Book of Mormon contains a lot of anti-mason preaching (as Dan Vogel mentions in his first book). How is it that JS goes from being anti-mason in his early life to making its structure the highest and most important ordinances modeled after it?
Are there any specific documents that the LDS Church is withholding these days that you would like access to? Have you made requests for documents in the Church's possession that have been denied?
So... how did he get people to follow him? At the very beginning, I mean.
That is, all my ancestors are Jewish or pre-colonial Protestant, so my most extensive studies of religious materials have always looked in that direction.
And one thing that's always struck me, leaving aside the truth, falsehood, or in-between-ness of scripture, is that anybody ever believed Moses. This guy says he has rules from God, mmmmkay, I heard that twice this morning just on the way to work!
The chapter of Muhammad's career where some people didn't believe him is kinda the climax of that story.
That question is obviously magnified when it comes to Smith. How was this guy able to convince so many people of what sounds at face value like it's crazy or made up? We can't even convince large groups to drink less soda.
Thank you very much for the AMA!
It is truly fascinating.
I was wondering if you have read the book 'Under the Banner of Heaven' by Jon Krakauer and what you think of the book's portrayal of Mormonism?
If you have read the book, what are some accounts or areas of the book would you disagree with?
Was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's depiction of LDS migrants in "A Study in Scarlet" a source or a minor symptom of prevailing opinion about the church among his contemporaries? To what degree did the attitude reflect the public perception of the church in the late 1800s?
No question, just a comment- what an absolutely fantastic suit!
In their interactions with Native Americans, such as land-grabbing in Utah and violent altercations with Native peoples, to what extent did the early Mormons employ the theology of the Lamanites to contextualize these interactions? How explicit are early Mormon sources in using the theology of the Lamanites to justify the seizure of Native land and resources?
What's your favorite song from The Book of Mormon musical?
Dr. Park I have a couple questions thanks for taking time.
(1) Did Joseph Smith claim he was a direct descendant of Jesus?
This is something from the old godmakers animated film and it mentions other wacky beliefs etc all which I have found at least some evidence to confirm some variation of.
(2) Did Emma Smith practice herbal medicine?
Can't remember the reference, but it was something like she was renowned for her herbal remedies. I thought it odd she would be renown for something not ever mentioned anywhere I could find, but of course the main Mormon sect avoided talking about Emma for a very long time.
I'm not Mormon but my little brother used to live in Keokuk so I've visited the area quite a few times. The temple is beautiful but have you had the fried chicken at the Hotel Nauvoo? It's delicious
Before he founded the LDS religion, did Joseph Smith have any encounters with law enforcement or the criminal justice system?
Did the publication of A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle inspire a wave of public interest in the LDS church?
Why did the LDS church lie for along about readily attainable information?
Dear, dr. Park
What was blood atonement? I am a kinda of mormon myself and i have heard of the idea but don't know exact history of the belief.
How many of Joseph smiths wives were under aged?
In another one of your answers, you mentioned the practice of polygamy and how it was kept secret from society in that time (poorly paraphrasing, sorry).
I heard once that garments were initially introduced to be able to secretly identify those who practiced polygamy.
Is there truth to that? I'll be completely upfront and tell you that my knowledge of church history is majorly lacking.
Is there any evidence of abortions in Nauvoo?
In this article posted on the LDS Church's Newsroom, Dallin Oaks makes the claim that the assumption that destroying the printing press in Nauvoo being illegal 'Is not well founded." This is an important topic because as I understand it, this was the event that culminated in his murder while being held in Carthage Jail. The LDS Church, from my experience as an active member for the first 28 years of my life, seems to make the claim that everything is a good vs evil when it comes to Joseph Smith vs. the Government and other locals who fought against him. This strikes me as wrong and deceptive.
I would love some of your insights into this claim by Dallin Oaks and your understanding of the events surrounding it.
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-oaks-writing-about-joseph-smith-summary
Thank you for all the great responses!
I have two questions, if you have a chance to circle back later.
A couple questions here:
Why do you think mainstream Hollywood/Television rarely touches upon early Mormonism?
With Mark Hoffman being as prolific as he was, how sure are we that documents that have been uncovered following his escapades aren’t fulgazis?
Hi thanks so much. I just returned from Utah for the first time and was very impressed by Mormon expansion to Utah and their settlement of such a harsh environment. I have two questions about their settlement of Utah: do you have a good sense of the motivations behind the Mountain Meadows Massacre? Was it paranoia? And also I am confused why the US government did not take stronger action in response to the massacre that killed those innocent emigrants? I’m trying to compare their response to if a Native tribe had wiped out 120 emigrants. Thanks so much.
I just listened to your interview on the Age of Jackson podcast. It was very interesting.
Should we view the Kingdom of Vauvoo as a secessionist movement similar to the CSA? What about as an anti-government movement like we had in the second half of the 20th Century US? Or are neither of these analogies helpful?
Interesting topic and a fairly tangential question for you. Have you read the Expanse books by James S.A. Corey and, if so, what are your views on how a theoretical future Mormon church was portrayed?
What is it about early Mormonism that first interested you as a student and, now, as a researcher? What is the general feeling or interest of The study of Mormonism in the academic community? Is there a large body of scholars who study Mormonism?
Maybe your still there.
The Happiness letter to Nancy (I think) Rigdon from J Smith jr. Any thoughts on it's origins and intent?
Hope you're still doing this AMA, I've been wondering how were the Mormons involved (if at all) in the American civil war? I heard of something called a Mormon battalion is that part of it?
Hey, thank you for doing this! Sorry if this was asked already but do you think entheogens were a big factor in Joseph Smith's making of the religion?
what was the borders of this
Thanks for doing this!
Questions:
and reveals that most Mormons were not participants [of polygamy] themselves
My only knowledge or mormonism is that one episode of South Park. Have you seen it and how accurately does it reflect mormon beliefs?
Do you think as a practicing Mormon, your study and research of Mormon history is biased?
What do we know about the sex lives surrounding polyandry?
What advice would you give about preserving historical documents and promoting historicity in those documents? Also what type of information do you wish that there was more of that we could today start preserving for future generations of families and historians?
I recently reread Lincoln Mullen's A Chance of Salvation for my comps reading, so I'm curious about how Nauvoo plays into conversion. Did the ability to travel to a safe haven help bring people to Mormonism (if new converts would move)?
Was there a point at which it was clear that the movement had enough critical mass to sustain itself indefinitely?
Unrelated question, but could you comment on the seemingly paradoxical existence of credible New World archaeology being done at BYU? How is the cognitive dissonance managed?
Cool topic, I'll check out your work
I grew up 10 mins from Palmyra NY, I never knew it to be the birthplace of Mormonism until I was into my teens. How long did it take for the religion to really catch on after Joseph smith had his encounter with moroni?
Nauvoo....and now I know where thst ship name came from on The Expanse!
In everything you have read and seen about the Nauvoo period, what have you found about sacramental wine? How often was it administered? Were there other ingredients that may have induced entheogenic visions to the inner circle?
Hello Dr. Park. So what was up with the counterfeiting or "bogus making" stories in Nauvoo? Did you find evidence of the Church leaders being involved?
Did Smith really believe the nonsense he was spouting or was he a self-aware conman in it for riches and women?
How do historians distinguish between veritable historical sources of the mid-late 1800's and unreliable ones? It seems that the main compromising factors when analyzing primary historical sources of the time would be
strong contextual bias (think some strong anti-Mormon in Missouri who will write false allegations about Joseph Smith)
"spiritual" events and "miracles" (imagine several bonafide journal entries documenting angels visiting a church gathering).
Given that we know Joseph Smith basically made up absolutely everything about Mormonism, how trustworthy do you feel the previously-unreleased sources from the LDS are?
I lived in Nauvoo for 18 years so this is all kinda surreal. It always seemed odd to me how much political power the church seemed to have in Nauvoo, even today when the town only seems about half mormon. I've also seen mormon tourism decrease quite a bit since the rebuilding of the temple. Im not sure how much this is your area of expertise, but how do you see the current trend of Mormonism in Nauvoo? I have several Mormon friends that don't seem to take some rules too seriously so I'm somewhat curious. Thank you for your time, research, and book.
By your definitions would you consider Mormonism a Christian denomination or merely a Christian-spinoff religion? Mormons seem to consider themselves the former but the Catholic Church and other bodies would consider them, at best, the latter?
I don’t know much about history but would like to learn more. How did the Mormon religion start?
Abraham Lincoln was ALMOST on the infamous Donner Party wagon train to California. Did he have any intersection with Joseph Smith and Nauvoo population during his time in Illinois?
Jim Olson is a family friend of my extended family. How influential was he to you on writing this? Did he sign off or have any opinion on what you had produced?
Originally, the RLDS and LDS were comparable in size and influence. Now the RLDS (the now CofC) has dwindled greatly and the LDS continues to grow. What reasons do you see for this?
I hope I’m not too late, I believe it’s my great great great grandpa that ran the schoolhouse in Nauvoo. What can you tell me about the school house and what it was like?
Outstanding AMA!
I appreciate your thoughtful answers to almost every question!!!
I agree on the point that it is one of the most important stories in American history but to see the Mormon story as the fulfillment of the American dream ? That for me means that you either are not being honest about the Mormon story or you don’t fully understand the intellectual constructions is the American dream. I’ll read your book and challenge this thesis in a public debate. Schedule it. You can like Joseph Smith and the Nauvoo story but there is nothing American about theocratic autocratic rule. Please please engage this publicly. I’ll probably make your book my hobby to defeat for a while. Hey you’ll sell more books look at the upside.
My mom used to visit her grandma’s farm at Mount Pisgah, in Iowa. There’s a monument there to the Mormons, though I know very little about it. I’ve always wanted to know more!
Was Joseph smith a charlatan? I’ve often thought he maybe didn’t see his religion outliving him. Like maybe there was no ill intent, but he just knew what he was telling people was a lie and didn’t think it would matter much in the long run?
Thanks for answering so many questions. If you're still doing this, do you believe the claim in the King Follett Discourse that "God was once a man" is based in any influences on Joseph Smith, or an original idea/revelation of his? I've read a bit about early Mormonism and it seems like a lot of its theological ideas were borrowed from folk belief, occult magic, Freemasonry, the Second Great Awakening, etc., but this tenet in particular seems unique
Were the Mormons or Nauvoo wealthy, or poor? What was the economy like, and did they experience "economic sanctions" from neighbours?
Puritans excelled in many things - they founded famous universities like Harvard and Yale, and allegedly had one of the world's first universally literate societies. What did Nauvoo excel in?
John Hamer of the Community of Christ has stated that polygamy was an "open secret" in Nauvoo. When was it well known? There are multiple official denials. Who in the church knew about it (outside of those who practiced it)? Was it all of the leadership? When did the outsiders know? Are we talking about 100 people or 1000 people in 1842? How about in 1844?
Hamer also claims that the theocracy claim (i.e. Joseph being anointed king) was the most disturbing claim in the Nauvoo expositor - not the polygamy claims. Is this true?
Also, you state that polygamy stared about 1841. How do you classify Joseph's earlier sexual encounters with Fanny (1836?) and others (1839?).
Hello, I am a direct decedent of Newel Knight, who I'm sure you know about given a long study of the early church, and I currently live in Richmond, Missouri, again I'm sure you know about the history there. Oliver Cowdry and one of the jails Smith was kept in are down the street from where I live. I was also there when the Nauvoo temple was newly dedicated in the early 2000's. I am a member of the church and have faced so much anti-Mormon rhetoric. I would like to hear your response on the this rhetoric and whether you feel anti-Mormon sentiment is justified or not and what should be corrected in this stigma. What would you say to anti-Mormons and what would you say to Mormons who have been victim to this persecution?
Also I don't see much on this topic so thank you for this opportunity!
You use the term “religious empire” in your title. What part of that speaks to the American experiment? Please please defend this publicly. We’ll discuss the founding fathers the federalist papers. Jeffersonian visions of America. American transcendental thought and rugged individualism. It will be your task to link a religious empire as the fulfillment of these notions. Good luck.
Redeem the American experiment
Everything in the Mormon story is a rejection of the American experiment. There was no place in a pluralistic society for a theocratic autocratic sex cult. Their sense of order was a challenge to the American experiment. Is this a discussion or reinforced apologist propaganda. Don’t erase ideas you don’t want to address.
What kind of psychedelics did Joseph Smith use?