Stories From the Life of Porter Rockwell

by John W. Rockwell

When Orrin Porter Rockwell died of a heart attack in 1878, his name was as well known as Brigham Young’s. Cowboys sang songs about him, and newspapers had frequently printed scandalous accounts about the malicious Mormon “destroying angel.” But to many, Rockwell was a guardian angel, and it could be easily said he saved far more lives than he took. It seems history tells two contrasting narratives about one of the West’s most controversial men. Yes, at times Porter Rockwell could act violently; yet he was overly generous to those in need. At least two dozen people died at his hand, yet in every instance he was exonerated. As the ninth person baptized into the restored Church, Porter was central to the early growth of the organization, even though he was never called to a position of leadership. He was called a saint and a sinner, a lawman and a criminal, a hero and a villain. Indians feared him, saying he was impossible to kill, but some people traveled hundreds of miles to try. Although his death by natural causes likely disappointed the many outlaws seeking his life, it also fulfilled a prophecy given by Joseph Smith that no bullet or blade would ever harm Porter Rockwell. A friend of Joseph Smith’s since childhood and later his bodyguard, Rockwell saved the life of the Prophet more than once. Porter also served as a bodyguard to Brigham Young and helped guide the first pioneers across the plains to the Salt Lake valley. He became a legend as a frontiersman, a marksman, and a man of iron nerve. And though many outsiders characterized Porter Rockwell as a notorious vengeful murderer, those who knew him saw a protector, a miraculous healer, and a loyal friend.

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

Audio CD

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, by one of Rockwell's descendants and another writer, gives a good overall picture of the life of this controversial man, along with many stories handed down about him. The biographical book labels the stories that cannot be verified, which is helpful. Predictably, the book explains and plays down the episodes that are used to vilify the man, but includes those stories, so the book is more balanced than one would expect. Especially telling is the assessment of the evidence for and against the accusation that Rockwell actually shot Boggs. Most people want to judge people of the past by the standards of the present because we need a lot of knowledge and imagination to get even a hint of what it meant to live that past. The Mormon past, full of such persecution, life under so much threat and unreasoning and unreasonable prejudice, even hatred, is one we think we understand. Without living under such conditions, even for a moment, can we really judge the attitudes of mind and heart we might develop under such life circumstances?

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this 3 stars mostly based on the writing. I felt it was awkward and I found myself rereading many parts of the book twice just because it didn't flow well. That said, I enjoyed the stories quite a bit. I learned a lot about Porter Rockwell and it was nice that it was a quick read. It definitely wasn't comprehensive, but the book gives you a nice picture of who this legend was. I also thought the authors did a nice job of including some of the negative things said about Rockwell as well as some of the stories about him which are probably untrue. I felt the book gave a fair assessment of Porter Rockwell. And...I have to say I think he was pretty awesome.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of stories of this interesting man.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and interesting stories with arguable accuracy. Nothing special.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading these stories, but since they aren't documented with sources I don't feel like I know any better than I did before which are true and which are folklore.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd always heard the legends of Porter Rockwell but had never read any books about him. I found the stories in this book to be pretty fascinating. The authors (relative John Rockwell and 1 other man)obviously did a lot of research to be able to write this book. They were able to dig up little details from other books of the period that lent to the veracity and credibility of their own.

The authors do a great job of presenting the stories about Porter in an engaging way, of helping the reader to better connect with Porter's personality, and of also inviting the reader in to the man's strong faith.

The only criticism of the book is that it took on a defensive tone at times (possibly to clear up the name of the author's relative who has been slandered over the years) and seemed at times to present Porter as perfect, or at least minimizing his faults.

All in all, a great read!

[Darin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing. I have been a fan of Porter Rockwell since I was kid, along with Jim Bridger, and Jeremiah Johnson. These were REAL MEN. Sadly, this book does a very simplistic, blithe, presentation of a seminal figure in early LDS history. I should have looked through it before buying, because cracking the cover immediately shows the reader that this book will take less than two days.

I was hoping for a gut-wrenching, nerve-biting, adventure story of the "Guardian Angel" that no bullet nor arrow could harm. If you're looking for that book...let me tell you, it's not here.

I gave my father a book on PR many many years ago, I should try to find it and post it here.

Cheers!

Darin

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This weekend I read, "Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell" by John W. Rockwell and Jerry Borrowman. I have never read a book about Porter Rockwell before and I have always wanted to. This book is a great one for those, like me, who want an easy, quick-read about Porter Rockwell.

I have read that some people who have reviewed this book did not like it. They said that this was not a very good biography of Porter Rockwell's life. I do not think that the authors would ever claim that this book is a true biography. It says right in the title, "Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell". I felt it gave a wonderful insight to Porter and his relationship with the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Read more of this review at
http://www.whynotbecauseisaidso.blogs...

[Trevor Ralls · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this as a gift and consequentially read it out of obligation. I have to admit that I started the book with limited knowledge of Porter Rockwell but ended it with a negative perception; which is certainly the opposite objective of the authors. The writing is juvenile, the content filled with conjecture ("we can assume", "seems fair to speculate", "possible explanation...", and on and on), the opinions biased, and the accounting far-fetched. There's got to be a more credible book out there on the subject - if there can be any credibility on his life at all - but after reading this, I have no more interest.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really Really enjoyed this book! I knew a little about Porter Rockwell but this book gave me a little more insight into who he really was. Porter Rockwell couldn't read or write so there is no personal history of his. All the stories about him come from those who knew him, but I felt like this book did a great job at distinguishing between myth and fact and in portraying porters good and bad qualities fairly. It's a quick and fun read.

[June Guymon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not a biography in the formal sense. Instead it’s a collection of stories about a man many have heard of, stories which can help bring him a little closer to those who may not have known
much about him.

[Kael Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of the Life of Porter Rockwell

The book is to show how porter wasn't a mad out of control killer but a respectful bodyguard to the prophet. That in those days there was mobs and all sorts of people after the prophet. When porter was in an attempt to escape prison he knocked over a girl and instead of getting up and running again helped her up and apologized, and then ran out the door. Although porter did kill a lot of people he wasn't he was very stable he was not an outlaw although Missourians were after him to try to trick Joseph Smith to come to Missouri. But there is one thing about him he got drunk a lot but if he did do damage he always fixed it after.
The theme of the book is to always help your friends . in his case Joseph Smith, when Joseph was in liberty jail porter never stopped trying to get him out. When Joseph went to Carthage Joseph knew he was going to die but porter still wanted to go and protect the prophet but Joseph made him go back. He was life long friends with Joseph and all that time he always helped him. There was a time that he had to face a whole army he and 100 other people to defend the saints.
I loved this book 5 stars. I would highly recommend it to someone who likes western book or a church history book. I liked that it showed that he was spiritual even though he shot a lot of people. But the main reason he ever killed anyone was because in defense in of the prophets life or his own or he was ordered to. And I liked how it was written it made me want to keep on reading. Which I don't find a lot of books that make me want to keep reading.

[Quinn Lavender · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic book, almost presented like a relative giving you a crash course in family history around the campfire. Additionally, very few original sources are listed. I normally wouldn't care about this, since Rockwell is practically a folklore legend in Mormon history, except that the book purports to help you decide what stories are true and which ones have been embellished over the years. I didn't walk away from this book feeling like I knew the answer to that any better than when I started, and I found it affecting my enjoyment of each story, since I didn't really know if what I was listening to actually happened or not. In short: if you just want to hear a bunch of stories about Porter Rockwell, this is the book for you. If you care about what is true, maybe find another book about him.

[Stephanie P (Because My Mother Read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I read this book together on a road trip and both really enjoyed it. We learned a lot about this very interesting man through the various stories. The book is not intending to be a biography, so readers will likely be disappointed if looking for that, but is a collection of stories that paints a picture of his life. Some stories made me laugh, some made me emotional, some of the stories startled me, and most all the stories made me feel humbled and impressed.

[Kevin Hanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun collection of stories regarding this historical character. Friend and confidant to both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, he was present and instrumental in many moments known well in Mormon History.

Loved the stories, as well as the presentation of them, including some of the more controversial ones. The author presented the stories "as is" and while definitely biased himself, did a great job of allowing you to make up your own mind regarding this man. I was fascinated!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was phenomenal, I'm surprised I didn't get more stars. Porter Rockwell is an absolutely fascinating person. it these stories are related from one of his great-great-grandsons and really puts to bed some of the rumors and explains some of the fascinating aspects of his life. I ripped through it, I did listen to it, but I would gladly listen to it again. The questions and answers at the end were very fascinating too

[Scott Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s biased towards the LDS religion and the author is a descendant of Porter Rockwell. There aren’t many people as fascinating as Porter Rockwell. Tell it all, the good and the bad. Don’t justify the fact he was a murderer. He was also a great guy. Tell the complete story and the readers will understand he had reasons for the way he lived. Porter was a hell of a man. His complete unbiased story shows that. This book is worth reading, but there are better ones.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book for its attempt to give stories about Rockwell that are most likely true and to point out the stories that are probably just myth. My wife read this book to me as we traveled back and forth from our home in Pleasant Grove, Utah to St. George, Utah. It helped me stay awake because it is so interesting.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book with the facts and myths of Porter Rockwell. The author does an excellent job of documenting the facts of his ancestor and then adding the myths surrounding such a legendary man. Fun read.

[Brian Berrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid three stars. I listened to it and it was a talk given by the author with Q and A at the end. It is short. If you are interested in the early LDS Pioneers, the old west, and western history you will probably enjoy it.

[Jeffrey Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting reading about this spiritual giant. Would have loved more description on the stories and less individual insights but I guess that is the nature of writing stories from a historical character.

[Riley Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book on Porter Rockwell. Not overly reverential, but simple short stories tell the story of Porters goodness and role in the restoration. Loved this read and I love Porter Rockwell.

[Edy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warren Porter Rockwell is one of the most notorious early Saints. I have read other books about him and was interested in reading an account by one of his descendants. It didn’t disappoint. Rockwell was a complex individual.

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED learning about this legend. I love Porter Rockwell!! The writing had some repetition in it here and there, but it was well researched and I am so glad I read about this man. I can’t wait to meet him someday and ask him about breeding horses.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard the name Porter Rockwell but this book is the first experience I have had with any stories about him. I really enjoyed reading about his life.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot and really enjoyed this book.

[Jersc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little summary of the man, the myth, and the legend of early Mormon church figure Porter Rockwell. However, the writing was dry and choppy. I wished it was a bit more detailed.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are so many amazing stories of Porter Rockwell! It gave an interesting perspective into what it was like to live in the 1800s as the Church and the nation were growing.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and entertaining read about a fascinating and controversial figure in history.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent stories, passable writing, easy read. I was expecting more from this one.