Joseph Smith: Martyr-Prophet of God

by Francis M. Gibbons

What kind of person was the Prophet Joseph Smith? From the day he first related the story of his vision of the Father and the Son until his martyrdom some twenty years later at Carthage, Illinois, his life was one of paradoxes. Few people who knew him could maintain an attitude of neutrality toward him. He was capable of inspiring the greatest loyalty in some, while arousing the most bitter enmity in others. In this inspirational biography of the Prophet, author Francis M. Gibbons declares that "while there is room for debate about the character of Joseph Smith, depending upon whose testimony one is willing to accept, there can be no dispute about the character and accomplishments of the religious organization he brought into being, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Joseph Smith, Martyr, Prophet of God tells of the ancestry and boyhood of Joseph, the events leading up to the restoration of the Church the trials and tribulations of the Saints as their numbers increased and they were driven from New York to Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois. The author, a stake president and secretary to the First Presidency of the Church, explains his purpose in writing this biography: "It has been said that any organization is but the lengthened shadow of one man. To the extent that this maxim has any validity, one must search for an explanation of the phenomenal growth and vitality of the Mormon Church in the life of its founder, Joseph Smith."

Genres: Church, Religion, Biography, Lds

377 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Christopher Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

This biography is not only incomplete and blatantly faith-promoting, but also thin on primary sources. The author is highly critical of Fawn Brodie's seminal biography No Man Knows My History, but then proceeds to cite that book more often than any other source! I definitely recommend that readers go instead with one of the major recent biographies: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman or The Making of a Prophet by Dan Vogel. The former is the more balanced of the two.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. The book was a little slow at times, but you could tell that there was a lot of research done for the book.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books on the life of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and this one ranks among the best. Because he was such a complex man, many books that attempt to capture the life of the Prophet are told in a scattered, episodic fashion, with the author attempting to hit upon the most amazing or unique events of the prophet's life. Gibbons does an excellent job of maintaining the narrative. From chapter to chapter, he produced a consistent story line that made it easy to see how the Prophet grew and developed as the years passed.

In reviewing this book, I wish to make it know that it is my opinion that research alone is not enough to reveal to you whether or not Joseph actually was a Prophet of God. One can read and read and read until they believe they know everything there is to know about the man. But the only true way to know for certain is to have that truth revealed to you by the Spirit of God. It is simple, ask God, as James directed.

[Larry Stones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Francis Gibbons drops into apology mode too often, making it hard to read.