Colorful Characters in Mormon History

by Kathryn Jenkins Gordon

Most Mormons are mild-mannered, well-behaved, law-abiding citizens who tend to get along well with their neighbors. But every once in a while, there's a renegade. You know the a little bit wild-eyed, ready to rumble, out to go where no Mormon has gone before. Face we all know one.Well, if you think you've seen a colorful character or two in your ward, you should check out the colorful characters in this book some Mormons, some non-Mormons who impacted Church history. These people are a whole new breed of colorful.You'll meet the guy who is credited with starting the gold rush and putting San Francisco on the map California's first millionaire, who dies selling pencils on the street. You'll meet the Mormon FBI agent who was killed in a shoot-out with Baby Face Nelson, but not before taking out the Baby. You'll gain a whole new appreciation for the General Authority who peppered his sermons with profanity. And that's just scratching the surface.Most of all, you'll find yourself shaking your head in wonder, having a knee-slapping good laugh, and maybe even shedding a tear or two here and there.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Humor, Church, Religion, Lds

Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting and fun read! When I read the title, I knew that J. Golden Kimball would be included. He's the General Authority who peppered his sermons with profanity. The only parts of his life that stuck with me over the years are the stories I read when I was younger that made me laugh and think he was quite the character. I did, indeed, gain a new appreciation for him as I learned of his background and more of the good things he did.

There are some that aren't Mormons but are included because they had an impact on Mormon history, like Mark Twain, Lilburn Boggs and Lewis Bidamon (Emma Smith's second husband).

I enjoyed reading these stories and learning more about the people that were included in this book. There were some that I wasn't familiar with at all and I especially enjoyed learning what impact they had on the church. It's well researched and the author corrects some versions of stories that have circulated for years. This is a book that will appeal to everyone, whether you enjoy reading about church history or not!

I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.

Mel's Shelves

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really I give 2.5 stars. Part of the problem was the cover proclaimed it to be "hilarious". It was not even remotely funny. The author attempted humorous comments but they were more distracting than funny. This shouldn't be a big problem but I spent a third of the book waiting for it to become funny and it was a let down to realize that it was not going to be funny.

Another major problem was the lack of proof reading. Dates were often wrong so it made me sometimes question if the author was giving factual and credible information. The only thing that kept me reading was that my own readings of some of these people verified what the author claimed.

Looking beyond these things it was an interesting book. But I can't recommend it to others because I'm not sure how truthful the book is.

[Steve Odenthal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read with some interesting insights, but nothing too unexpected. A little disappointed that there weren't some newer additions (post 1940), since it would not be hard to come up with some latter day Latter Day Saints that captured attention since J. Golden Kimball. Also, the first few subjects were treated fairly objectively but as the chapters flew by the editorializing got a bit biased and snide remarks were a bit heavy handed. Perhaps this was most noticeable because number of non-(or eventually non-)Mormon colorful characters swamped the Mormon characters approximately 11 to 8. Know what you are in for before-hand and you will enjoy this book.

[Mary L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting biographies of any people in the early Mormon History. I have another of her books but might let it go for a bit before reading it. I still need to finish a few more books that I have started before the end of the year.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as hilarious as advertised on the cover, but it is amusing at times. The big surprise for me was finding out Butch Cassidy was a member - not something you hear much about in Sunday School. I thought it was interesting that they included non-members, but the book is about characters in church history, not just in the church. It was an engaging book and some of the stories were funny and others were genuinely sad. Worth the listen.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, first I have two ratings. The authors writing is easily 2 stars, maybe 1. She is not funny and infact a but flippant with some sad is serious things. Her narrative in the stories is unneeded and not assuming.

But the characters and historical tales are fascinating. I had no idea Butch Cassidy was Mormon and some of the amazing people like Orson Rockwell. Even my husband and daughter got listening to a bit of the stories.

[Roberto Galindo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, realy cool book, top 20, maybe 15 best books I've read. So well researched and summarized. Some flaws in the tone and speech but aside from that, a brilliant historical summary. Highly recommend it.

[Cadence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and occasionally enlightening

[Jamille Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining. I knew a couple of the colorful characters in this book but most of them I didn’t. I really like the part about Mormon FBI agent who captured John Dillenger and Baby Face Nelson.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without the colorful people of the world, life would be a lot more boring, better in some respects, worse off in others. Like every other group in history, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) have had their share of colorful individuals. In this book Gordon shares the stories of some of these colorful individuals and their association with the church. Some of these were members some of them simply had contact or interactions with the church at one time or another. Some of these people are honored for the good they did, others did harm to the church or her members. Some were friends, some were enemies. Some of these individuals have stories that are well known, even legendary, others aren't as well known, but all are fascinating examples. I'm not sure that I would go so far as to say that I found any of them "hilarious" though. The 'good' are worth admiring, the 'bad' are sad or infuriating, and the only story that could have been hilarious (that of Mark Twain) wasn't because he used his wit to make fun of sacred church doctrines. However, all the stories are of interest and I appreciated the author's care to dispel some of the myths or misconceptions associated with some of these individuals. Some of these stories I'd heard before some of them I hadn't, but I appreciate the author's skill in bringing these stories to the public.

The individuals included in this book are: Samuel Brannan, Mark Twain, Thomas B. Marsh, Jim Bridger, J. Golden Kimball, Lilburn Boggs, Butch Cassidy, James G. Willie, Charles Anthon, Parley P. Pratt, Lewis Bidamon, Edward Martin, Mary Fielding Smith, Martin Van Buren, Orrin Porter Rockwell, Thomas L. Kane, Samel P. Cowley, Ephraim Hanks, and John C. Bennett.

I can easily recommend this book to those like me who enjoy a good story, especially when the stories are true.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked learning about history, but don't typically read non-fiction historical books. Frankly, I like to be entertained, and a lot of non-fiction is a bit of chore for me to read. However, Kathryn Jenkins Gordon's Colorful Characters in Mormon History is written nothing like a dry textbook. In fact, there were times that I couldn't help but think that some of the details might be made up due to the humorous manner in which they were presented. But, there are plenty of footnotes to back up the facts.

I had the book sitting in my living room when company came over, and it wasn't uncommon for people to question Mark Twain being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (with good reason-he wasn't a member). While the cover may mislead some, the blurb lets readers know right off that some of the chapters are about non-members that impacted the Church.

Some of the chapters actually made me a little sad, but others were fascinating. My husband and his dad saw the book and made sure to read the chapters on a couple of their relatives that made the book.

I think the book was well-written, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about some historical figures.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO FASCINATING!
Wonderful tidbits about some very interesting people!

The author does a fabulous job of keeping you entertained while telling each person's story.

Some stories I had heard before...some stories were new for me...and some of these stories I had heard the 'fable' version instead of the 'fact' version...so glad she straightened that out :)

Once I started reading I didn't want to put it down! Such an amazing look at history and the people who helped shape it!

This is the 4th book I have read from this author-- I LOVE her style!
DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS ONE!

Perfect for the history buff or anyone who just likes to hear a really great story about a "colorful character."

[Michelle Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out the book really loving it. The chapter on Mark Twain was my favorite and the anecdotes recited in it made me laugh out loud. However, as the book moved on, I became tired of the author's casual attitude and snarky comments. The history was interesting. I enjoyed learning about these people. I felt there was an obvious bias against the "villains" as well.

[Michael Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book. I found it great to find the truth behind some of the 'myths.' The writing style is very much the author's as I can hear her in each sentence. A great book to add to a collection of history of Utah or of the Latter-day Saints.

[Hannah Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorful Characters in Mormon History by Kathryn Jenkins Gordon was a very interesting book. I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about many people including Mark Twain, Mary Fielding Smith, Ephraim Hanks, and J. Golden Kimball. I really enjoyed this book.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting introduction to many people in Mormon history. I'd never heard many of these stories and found them fascinating.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

+ Interesting biographies
- Sophomoric writing
= Meh

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot of interesting facts from this book. I had never even heard of some of these people, yet they played some interesting roles in Mormon history.