The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle

by Kathleen Flake

Between 1901 and 1907, a broad coalition of Protestant churches sought to expel newly elected Reed Smoot from the Senate, arguing that as an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smoot was a lawbreaker and therefore unfit to be a lawmaker. The resulting Senate investigative hearing featured testimony on every peculiarity of Mormonism, especially its polygamous family structure. The Smoot hearing ultimately mediated a compromise between Progressive Era Protestantism and Mormonism and resolved the nation's long-standing "Mormon Problem." On a broader scale, Kathleen Flake shows how this landmark hearing provided the occasion for the country--through its elected representatives, the daily press, citizen petitions, and social reform activism--to reconsider the scope of religious free exercise in the new century.
Flake contends that the Smoot hearing was the forge in which the Latter-day Saints, the Protestants, and the Senate hammered out a model for church-state relations, shaping for a new generation of non-Protestant and non-Christian Americans what it meant to be free and religious. In addition, she discusses the Latter-day Saints' use of narrative and collective memory to retain their religious identity even as they changed to meet the nation's demands.

Genres: History, Religion, Lds, Mormonism, Nonfiction, American History, Politics

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jeff Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights on the Smoot hearings.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book for members of the LDS Church. As I read it, I told myself a hundred times, "I'm so glad I am a member now, and not 100 years ago". As the Church struggled to figure out how to really end Polygamy, and bridge the gap between the generation of those that practiced polygamy and considered it an essential doctrine of the church, and the younger generation that did not practice and wanted to move away from it...and even the difficulty that caused among younger apostles and older ones. And the scrutiny that came upon the Prophet and apostles. A very difficult and ugly time for the Church, but one that we have emerged from, and are much stronger from, over 100 years later.
Very interesting, and well written (and not to long either).

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who are interested in the history of Utah, Mormonism, U.S. government, etc., this book is highly interesting. Focusing on the seating of Mormon apostle Reed Smoot in the Senate, and intertwining with the LDS faith's practice of polygamy, author Kathleen Flake follows the historical record in her work on Utah and Mormon history in regards to polygamy. Not an "everything included" volume on Mormon historical polyamy, but taking a small slice of it and how it applied to the United States history and government.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating exploration of cultural change, religious identity, and power in the form of politics and law. Flake reveals how compromise and accommodation was made (by the church) on important theological beliefs while leaving its religious identity intact and maintaining congruity with foundational doctrine and beliefs.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most LDS are familiar with the dual-nature of the Church. On the one hand, we have the polygamous, communal/cooperative, isolated Church of the 19th century. Then we have the monogomous, capitalist/industrial, patriotically integrated and public-image aware Church of the 20th Century. How did such a change happen? What it the process for a Church community to so radically redefine it's relationship to the world and prosper?

"The Politics of American Religious Identity" focuses on one of the key catalysts in that transition, and shows the great (and sometimes painful) changes enacted by the LDS Church and community to make that transition.

When LDS Apostle Reed Smoot was elected to congress in 1902, he faced bitter opposition from many Senators. Questions about his loyalty and marriage status were critical in the public's eye for determining his suitability to serve in Washington. So the senate held a hearing to decide whether a high-ranking (monogamous) Mormon Apostle could properly act as a Senator. This hearing brought the Mormon Church to the forefront of American awareness, and resulted in the final renouncements of polygamy nearly 16 years after the original "manifesto" began the process of ending the practice. It also set in motion greater cultural and doctrinal changes that set the path for the Church in the 20th century and beyond.

Highly recommended for those interested in aspects of LDS Church history and culture that are rarely discussed in a Church setting, but critical to understanding how the Church has evolved over the years.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the thing--the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's is a different religion than it was from 1846-1905. It's time that we Mormon's recognize this. The latter days, the Kingdom of God, and polygamy were central and real themes in the Church. Sometimes, it was downright strange, even for members like me. It wasn't until Joseph F. Smith and the Church focused on Restorationism and took us away from the other themes that we received the belief system that we have today. Flake does an excellent job at explaining this complicated history.

As for the crap shoot job that Congress did during the Reed Smoot trial, well frankly it's disgusting. I have no respect for the Senator from Idaho. Teddy Roosevelt, on the other hand, deserves a lot of credit for helping bring Utah into mainstream America.

Coming to terms with your history is a complicated and fun task. Don't let it get you down.

In my opinion, Kathleen Flake is one of the best historian's the LDS Church has--along with Greg Prince and a few others. I wish she would produce more works on Utah and LDS History. Well Done.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe I picked up Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle, from a Goodreads recommendation based on my LDS history bookshelf. A fascinating read in one of the most well-known, yet simultaneously forgotten, turning points in the Latter-Day Saint faith tradition. Have you ever heard of Reed Smoot before? If you're from Utah, perhaps you have heard of someone with the last name Smoot. If you are historically savvy, you may recognize his name from the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which is sometimes blamed for partially precipitating the Great Depression. And I do believe the the seating of Senator Smoot was mentioned in a one-liner in my high school US history textbook.

But what is all the fuss about? The key is the shift, the change in Mormonism that was precipitated by the Senate hearing of whether Senator Reed Smoot, duly elected as a US Senator, should retain his seat. Mormonism in the 19th century was a very different animal: the books introduction contrasts the two: "Defined by polygamous family structure, utopian communal economy, and rebellious theocratic government, nineteenth century Mormonism seems to have little relation, except by contrast, to the twenty-first century Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Indeed, the church's present reputation, for good or ill, appears to be based on a reverse set of identity markers: idealization of the nuclear family, unapologetic capitalism, and patriotic republicanism." The Manifesto, issued by President Wilford Woodruff, while officially ending the practice of polygamy in 1890, did not stop the sealing of new polygamous marriages in the Church; a policy of ignorance was implemented, in which apostles and other church leaders would perform marriages without official Church consent. The election of an LDS apostle to the US Senate precipitated an investigation into not only the apostles private life, but Church affairs as a whole, forcing the Church to finally make good on its commitments 15 years previously. Not known to many members today, President Joseph F. Smith even made an appearance before the Senate to testify. The two main characters in this story are the young, slick and monogomous Reed Smoot, and the older, wiser, and polygamous church President Joseph F. Both are fascinating characters, and you learn what was at stake in the proceedings for both of them.

The book is a fairly quick read-- six chapters and an epilogue-- covering a period of approximately four years (1903-1907). The book was originally written in the form of a PhD dissertation, the topic being suggested by the wonderful Greg Prince. Prince authored another Mormon history favorite of mine David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism documenting another fateful transition period for the Church. The connection between the two are the two apostles forced to resign for sealing post-Manifesto polygamous marriages, Matthew Cowley John W. Taylor, during Joseph F.'s presidency, one of which left an open spot for David O. McKay. As a Mormon reader, it is fascinating to find out some of the whys in Church culture, including the initial welcoming of Mormons into the Republican fold, the almost prudish attitude towards sexual behavior, and the origins of the use of the Joseph Smith story as a fundamental narrative. The book also confronts a difficult topic for Mormons, one that we have in general relegated to the dust heap of history: polygamy and all its implications. Back in the day, polygamy was something members proudly wore, despite the negative reactions of society. We were considered sexual deviants. Today, the Church condemns any who practice polygamy as exemplified by former Church president Gordon B. Hinckey's statement: "There is no such thing as a Mormon Fundamentalist. It is a contradiction to use the two words together... the Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous and does not accept into its membership those practicing plural marriage." Back in the day, the abandonment of plural marriage was soul-shaking to members, as it was central to their identity. It took Joseph F. and his fellow Church leaders much effort to re-instill the confidence of the members. The book documents that as well.

I was also interested in some parallels to the LGBT movement within the Church today. Even as Joseph F. defended polygamy before the Senate, even he had to admit that polygamy would fade out over time, and that Mormonism would be defined by the next generation of Mormons who found polygamy abhorrent. While I don't anticipate a change in doctrine, I do think that the next generation of Mormons today have in general a warmer and welcoming attitude to the LGBT community. Interesting building those connections.

One clever phrase that captures the essence of the entire book was "the church with the soul of a nation and the nation with the soul of a church." The Mormon church didn't fit neatly into the American definition of a denomination; the LDS Church wasn't just abstract theological beliefs, but your way of life; the Church did have its hands in politics and business. We were intent on building the kingdom of God, and Americans found that threatening and very un-American. On the other hand, the nation, while trying to maintain an air of neutrality, clearly was moralizing, trying to impose Protestant ideals on minority groups not limited to Mormons.

I highly recommend this book. It will give you a great look into an overlooked topic in US and Mormon history, while also informing and broadening your own perspectives on Mormons in particular and religion in general.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some have said the LDS church is undergoing a "cultural revolution" these days. If it is, that movement is nothing compared to the maelstrom of cultural and political upheaval weathered by the Saints—and especially Reed Smoot—at the close of the nineteenth century. Give this a read for keen perspective and cutting insight into American religious liberty and Mormon history.

[Caleb Stott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deals with, maybe, the most significant and determinant water-shed moment for the modern LDS Church, being how it left an identity tethered to polygamy behind, finally, and embraced the more resonant aspects of Joseph Smith’s experiences which members are fully aware of today.

This story (historical narrative) is the bridge from exile and a scourge of all nations, to semi-respectable and less contemptible. You may dislike Joseph or Brigham but disliking Reed Smoot puts you at odds with the best the nation had to offer from the mid 1900s into the 1930s.

There are two quotes that really stood out to me:

“For one I can give up my belief in prophets where it comes to choosing between them and honest men.”

-Carl Badger secretary to Smoot (99)

“I think the senate should prefer a polygamist who doesn’t “polyg” to a monogamist who doesn’t “monog.”

-Sen Bois Penrose in defense of Reed Smoot (146)

Overall the book maintained a religiously neutral tone and stuck to a historically verifiable treatment of the proceedings and their significance. This allowed Flake to encapsulate 19th century America’s struggle to truly uphold first amendment rights for marginalized religious groups as they sought to express their sincere beliefs within the greater context of puritanical tradition. Is there a better brush with which to paint the moment than Mormondoms polygamy?

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It’s not usually an area of history which fascinated me, especially because it is based around religious history (specifically the LDS church) but I thought it was exceptionally written.

It focuses on a very specific time and event the Smoot Trial, which was answering the question if Reed Smoot an apostle of the Mormon Church should keep his seat in the US Senate. It reads kind of like a micro history because it’s so detailed and specific to a certain event in time.

Flake does an awesome job presenting her argument for the pivotal time of change for Mormonism. She says it’s during the Smoot trial and not during the 1800s and the original Manifesto that allowed Utah to achieve statehood.

Overall I recommend if you’re a historian or just someone who likes to read up on random facts!

[Nikki Leick · Rating 4 out of 5]

took some major brain power to get through this one, Kathleen Flake is just that smart. Intentional or not, this book was really interesting— it made sense of many Anti-Mormon arguments and highlighted the ways in which Mormonism conformed to the American public. Even offered an insight on how the LDS Church maintained their Faithful community despite quite literally eradicating key aspects of the Faith itself.

anyways let me get off my high horse I have an essay to right

[Jonathan Wachlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

If your looking for the Salt Lake Tribune version of how Reed Smoot got seated, this is your book. If you're looking for a more balanced version, try Reed Smoot: Apostle in Politics. It also covers how he got seated.

[Christopher Angulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was dense, but was exciting for someone (me) who is not into politics. Great analysis of the effects Smoot's political position in church activity.

[Jil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balanced and well researched. Interesting to learn more about how polygamy and the end of it influenced the whole country.

[Andrew Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent book argues that the four-year United States Senate debate over whether to seat Senator Reed Smoot was a transformative event in the history of the L.D.S. Church. Under the leadership of President Joseph F. Smith, the Church formally broke with polygamy (the practice had continued despite President Wilfred Woodruff's 1890 declaration that members should obey the law of the land with respect to plural marriage) and set itself on the path to become the institution that it is today.

Kathleen Flake provides an engaging account of the hearings and of the wrenching controversy that they brought upon the Church. She also suggests that the Senate's solution estblished a broader template for the role of religion in American life, one that still holds sway. Though Flake musters her facts well and makes a persuasive case, the book is somewhat truncated, and Flake appears to run out of steam after the final arguments are made in the Smoot hearings. Her analysis of the broader political factors that drove the alignment of power for or against Senator Smoot is superficial, and the book would have benefited from more discussion of procedural issues in the Senate. What was the constitutional basis for expelling a Senator? What were the relevant precedents? How does the Senate go about it? This issues matter, and they receive short shrift.

Still, these are minor quibbles in what is a work of great depth. I particularly enjoyed Flake's portrayal of President Joseph F. Smith. This is a very human depiction, and Flake does not shy away from identifying Smith's flaws or criticizing his decisions. Yet the primary impression is of a determined and visionary leader, someone with tremendous political skill (and a sense of humor) who guided the Church through a profound transformation. For those seeking heroes in the history of the L.D.S. Church, look no further than Joseph F. Smith.

In a year in which a member of the L.D.S. Church appears likely to receive the GOP nomination for the U.S. presidency, this book offers a historical perspective that is both relevant and revealing. This is essential reading for anyone interested in L.D.S. Church History, and highly recommended for its exploration of the enduring question of the relationship between church and state in the United States.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A turning point for the LDS church and American religious liberty is the 4 years of public scrutiny of Apostle/Senator Reed Smoot and more importantly the LDS church. This account marks a shift in practice and preaching within the LDS faith. Though polygamy was claimed to be abandoned in 1890 by a manifesto from the LDS President Wilford Woodruff, the seating of Reed Smoot to the U.S. senate revived concern over the Church's actual commitment to monogamy. It was found that plural marriages had been approved, and performed by those in the highest levels of LDS church hierarchy. In order to establish trust in Smoot's patriotism and conformity to culturally accepted marriage norms, the church was publicly investigated and in several instances embarrassed by the committee's findings.

Flake contextualizes the trial in the changing concerns of the Federal government towards trust-busting and regulation of large and influential entities with consolidated power (corporations, firms and the LDS church). The abandonment of polygamy as a practice and the de-emphasis of the doctrine of plural marriage can not be overstated as faith shaking. The success of Smoot retaining his seat in the senate marks the beginning of the assimilation of the LDS church into American culture and the survival of the church as a major American religion.

While Smoot served as a powerful political influence in the US and abroad, Joseph F. Smith is credited rightfully with the re-orienting of the church to a more durable narrative and foundation for the faith. Mormons of the 19th century focused their faith in Kingdom building and were known for their many wives. Mormons of the 20th century focused their faith on the divine narrative of dispensationalism culminating in the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith as the Prophet of the Restoration and are known for their industry, patriotism and loyalty to traditional family values.

The shift from the concrete Kingdom of God on earth to a more spiritual one has been extremely important and has allowed the faith greater degrees of flexibility to work alongside their neighbors in a variety of cultures while retaining their unique faith paradigm.

This work is critical to modern Mormons knowing how the faith has changed over time and how difficult and how costly change in the church really is.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle" by Kathleen Flake in an excellent book that bridges a gap between the late 19th and early 20th century in American religious history. It takes the story of Reed Smoot, the first high-ranking Mormon senator appointed from Utah, to explore the lingering tensions between the Mormon Church in Utah, the Federal Government, and Protestant Christianity. Smoot, a prominent businessman in Utah who happened to be on the highest governing council of the Mormon Church, was appointed in 1903 to the United States Senate. His appointment was challenged and the Senate held nearly four years of hearings to discern whether he should be retained. These hearings became a last battle ground between opponents of Mormonism, the Federal Government, and the Mormon Church and it resulted in a new understanding about the relationship between religion, state, and society that exists to the present. Flake shows how each side had to give up something but gained something in the struggle. Essentially, America agreed that religious tests could not be used to degenerate or exclude any religion from the public sphere. But the more fascinating part of the book is the evolution of the Mormon Church that came about from this hearing. While polygamy was officially abandoned in 1890, the hearings revealed that polygamous marriages still existed and were still taking place with the tacit agreement of the Church. The hearings forced the true end of the practice, which led to a crisis of legitimacy and authority throughout the Church. The end of polygamy ended what had become the defining distinctive feature of the community and forced the church to become more "protestant." Flake shows how the church leadership gradually began to emphasis new elements of the Church's story to create new distinctive differences This can be seen most clearly with a new focus on Joseph Smith's First Vision, which up until that point had not been as important to Mormon thought. The Mormon Church proceeded to erect historical sites commemorating certain aspects of Mormon history and quietly de-emphasizing others. It is a brilliant examination of how religions reshape their narratives to changing times.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting study of an all-too-neglected era in Mormon history. Reed Smoot was elected as a U.S. Senator in 1902, after he had already become a Mormon Apostle. Not satisfied that Mormons had really put polygamy behind them and disconcerted by reports of purportedly subversive temple oaths, the Senate conducted three years worth of hearings on the manner in an attempt to unseat the Mormon Elder.

Flake examines how the Smoot Hearings became a catalyst for change in the Mormon Church and in the United States, forcing the two to come to terms with each other. The Church, on the one hand, finally agreed to subordinate itself completely to American law. While the United States Government, on the other hand, finally agreed to cede Protestant hegemony to some extent and recognize the Mormons' right to exist.

Along the way, Flake details just how vitriolic and widespread anti-Mormon sentiment remained early in the last century and the difficulty facing Church leaders attempting to maintain a religious identity in the midst of coerced doctrinal upheaval. Ultimately it was Joseph F. Smith's (nephew of the founding Prophet) renewed emphasis on the Church's foundation of continuing revelation that successfully brought Mormons to terms with change and paved the way for the modern Mormon identity.

The Smoot Hearings were a pivotal moment in the history of the Mormon Church and the development of religious liberty in this country. My only issue with this work is that I tend to believe it overstates just how much polygamy contributed to Mormons' sense of identity.

For anyone interested in the subject, I also highly recommend the biography of Joseph F. Smith, by his son Joseph Fielding Smith. Joseph F. is by far the most interesting person in the whole ordeal, and the biography, though not scholarly, provides a great look at the man and prophet.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about the seating of Reed Smoot, an LDS apostle. In the years after the manifesto on polygamy (1890), and still not quite trusting the Latter-day Saints, many senators and indeed the American public in general debated and argued for several years whether Smoot should even be allowed to have a seat in the senate. As a result, two Mormon apostles were asked to resign (they had entered polygamous marriages after the 1890 manifesto), a new manifesto was issued ("seriously, knock it off! Stop doing polygamy!"), and, perhaps most importantly, several precedents were put in place to help settle the place of religion in America. Those precedents are still affect our current political climate in the USA.

My one complaint about the book was chapter 5. Without much warning, Flake suddenly discusses a new emphasis on Joseph Smith's First Vision as a way of keeping continuity with the LDS founding prophet, yet switching to a non-polygamous era in Mormon history. I don't think that she did a good job of proving that this emphasis was brought about precisely because they wanted to maintain continuity, not to mention that she didn't do a good job of proving that the additional emphasis appeared at all. In short, she doesn't satisfactorily prove that there was additional emphasis on the First Vision, and if there was additional emphasis, she doesn't prove that it came about in response to the second manifesto and the Smoot hearings in general.

[Abby True · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for class--fascinating account of a very niche event with widespread implications and effects. The relationship between America's churches and its state is really something.

[Sharman Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had known that the post-Manifesto period was a very traumatic time in Mormon history. Under intense legal pressure, and after seeking divine guidance, the President of the Church had announced his intentions to bring an end to the Mormon practice of polygamy. It had become a matter of survival for the Church to adapt and to transform itself from an exiled communitarian theocracy into the highly patriotic and law-abiding institution that it is today. What I hadn't known was that the Senate hearings to decide whether to seat Utah's Reed Smoot played a huge role in that transformation. Americans were very wary of allowing Smoot, who, though monogamous himself, was a Mormon Apostle, to take his seat in the US Senate. The anti-Mormon feeling of the time was so entrenched that it took 4 years of investigation and debate (1903-1907) for the Senate to decide that Smoot's position in the Mormon church would not disqualify him from serving. The seating of Senator Smoot proved to be a major victory for the cause of religious liberty in the United States. Kathleen Flake has brought a juicy bit of American history to light, and I found it fascinating and relevant.

[Greg Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is the only poorly written component of this book. I simply can't say enough good things about it. I like to think of myself as a student of LDS Church history and Flake's research and writing have expanded how I look at many aspects of it.

I could go on but I think Elder Oaks said it best while doing an interview in 2007 for the PBS documentary - "The best thing ever written on it (the Manifesto) was by Kathleen Flake. I have to say I’ve been a lifetime student and writer of Mormon legal history, at least. I learned many, many things in her book that I didn’t know. She captured it very, very well, and was able to stress also what remained unimpaired by the compromise."

You can access the full Oak's interview at: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v...

I now find myself perusing Flake's Vanderbilt web page at:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/divinity/fa...

[David Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Flake's take on the Reed Smoot hearings and how they changed the Mormon church and the country for the better. For those interested in Mormon history, this book covers one of the most crucial periods after Joseph Smith's death (others would include the Reformation of the 1850s and Correlation in the 1950s and 1960s). The retelling was in some cases light on detail, but Flake makes up for it with context and penetrating insight. It was a quick and engaging read, highly recommended to anyone interested in the relationship of the LDS church to the United States, post-Manifesto polygamy, the use of narrative to reconstruct history, and/or religious pluralism or church/state issues in general.

[Ron Tenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many aspects of U.S. History that fascinate me. I have come to LDS History more slowly. This is a wonderful intersection of these histories that collide. I think it is an overstatement to say that the US was never the same after this crisis, but it certain that the practice and perception of my faith was altered irreversibly. I came away with a new-found respect of President Joseph F. Smith. Truer words were never spoken than that man cannot serve two masters. To an amazing degree, President Smith was able to at least pacify the two masters and move the faith out of the Old Testament and into the modern world.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening, to say the least. The book is fairly well researched and documented. It is an academic review of the Senator Smoot hearings, a topic that is certainly not covered in modern LDS instruction material.

When LDS Apostle Reed Smoot was elected to Congress in 1902, he faced bitter opposition. Congressional hearings were commenced. Most members of the LDS church are not aware how much of the church was paraded through the government and Congress as these hearings were held - including a trip by Joseph F. Smith to Washington to testify under oath.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and interesting account of the controversy surrounding Reed Smoot's seating in the Senate. It gave me a better understanding of how polygamy was viewed by church members and non-members. It was also interesting to read her perspective on how the church changed as a result of this controversy. Although the topic was interesting to me, at times I felt like I was reading for a college history class instead of my own enjoyment.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into how the Mormon Church ceased being an object of ridicule, scorn, and even hatred and out of obscurity. This book explores not only how Mormonism stopped the practice of polygamy, but also the limits of American religious tolerance and American ideals of religious freedom. The author writes with historical accuracy and without extreme bias about this fascinating period of American history when the Mormon church was literally put on trial by the US Senate.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes a compelling argument that the Smoot hearings forced the LDS Church and the US political system each to make a major concession. Polygamy was a central doctrine of the Church, and its discontinuance caused internal trauma to the Church that I had not previously appreciated. On the other side, the US political system was forced to broaden the range of religions afforded access to the political process.

[Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book detailing not only the events of Senator Smoot's seating, but also the church during a period of political crisis. The commentary was insightful. Perhaps the most interesting character is not Senator Smoot, but rather President Joseph F. Smith.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, very eye opening. This talks about the three year congressional investigation of the LDS Church and their practicing of polygamy up to 1907. This was due to the election of Reed Smoot from Utah to the U.S. Senate