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Joseph Smith the Prophet
Many books have been written about Joseph Smith. This one the product of Truman Madsen's deep love for the subject and years of research illuminates specific facets of Joseph Smith s greatness. The topics discussed include Joseph Smith's First Vision; his personality and character (including perspectives on his family life); his spiritual gifts and attributes; his varied trials; his Kirtland Temple experience; doctrinal developments in the Nauvoo era; and the last months and martyrdom. The book is filled with fascinating detail about key events in the Prophet's life and his impact on people. The result is a vivid, riveting portrayal of this remarkable prophet. Those who knew Joseph Smith best testified that he lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people. This wonderful book by a beloved scholar will serve to confirm and strengthen that conviction for Latter-day Saints today.
202 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
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1648 people want to read
About the author
Truman G. Madsen
72 books61 followersTruman Grant Madsen was an American professor of religion and philosophy at Brigham Young University (BYU) and director of the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He was a prolific author, a recognized authority on Joseph Smith Jr., and a popular lecturer among Latter-day Saints. At one point, Madsen was an instructor at the LDS Institute of Religion in Berkeley, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
August 4, 2009
These lectures ought to be titled: Joseph Smith the Hero. By the time Madsen is done painting his portrait, the Mormon Prophet seems more a Greek statue than a human.
When I was a green LDS missionary in rural Maine, my trainer introduced me to this collection of lectures. We listened to them as part of our morning study. My mission boundaries included the birthplace of Joseph Smith, and the town where he had a famous leg operation as a boy. So I was primed to relish these lectures.
Madsen is candid at times, especially about Joseph's introduction of the practice of polygamy. That being acknowledged, this lecture series is first and foremost a testimonial. Madsen even ends each lecture by testifying and closing with the Mormon liturgical coda: "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
By way of disclosure, I am no longer a practicing Mormon. There is much of Joseph Smith's history that Madsen doesn't cover, or makes no attempt to be objective about. So I do not recommend this book as an academic resource. But as a cultural sampling of how endeared Joseph Smith's memory is to contemporary Mormons, I say don't pass it up.
When I was a green LDS missionary in rural Maine, my trainer introduced me to this collection of lectures. We listened to them as part of our morning study. My mission boundaries included the birthplace of Joseph Smith, and the town where he had a famous leg operation as a boy. So I was primed to relish these lectures.
Madsen is candid at times, especially about Joseph's introduction of the practice of polygamy. That being acknowledged, this lecture series is first and foremost a testimonial. Madsen even ends each lecture by testifying and closing with the Mormon liturgical coda: "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
By way of disclosure, I am no longer a practicing Mormon. There is much of Joseph Smith's history that Madsen doesn't cover, or makes no attempt to be objective about. So I do not recommend this book as an academic resource. But as a cultural sampling of how endeared Joseph Smith's memory is to contemporary Mormons, I say don't pass it up.
May 27, 2011
My testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith was not quite complete until I read and listened to this several years ago. I drove a truck and wore out the tapes. The experiences and life of the prophet are captured in a way only Brother Madsen can do it. Both he and Joseph Smith are legends in church history. I know without reservation that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. Reading the book will only strengthen your resolve to be more Christlike, appreciate what the prophet went through to restore the truth to the earth, and give you desires to build the Kingdom of God upon the earth.
August 10, 2016
As I believing member of the mormon church I loved this book, but after reading Richard Lyman's Rough Stone Rolling, it's obvious that Truman Madsen decided not to delve in to the less faith promoting details of Joseph's life. The book does a great job of promoting the image Joseph Smith that the LDS church teaches, but is leaves out major themes and incidents from Joseph's life that. I'd recommend Rough Stone Rolling for anyone interested in a more historically accurate look at Joseph Smith's life.
February 13, 2009
This is a great book given to me by a wonderful friend for my birthday. My father is good friends with Truman and so I took interest in reading Truman's writings. I loved reading the lectures on Joseph Smith. It truly brought Joseph to light and provided many quotes by the Prophet that I had not heard before. I enjoyed how he broke down the spiritual gifts the prophet had possessed and also the personality traits of the prophet. The other part that I enjoyed is that the book is full of footnotes that expounds even further the dept of information Truman acquired. I give this book a thumbs up.
February 17, 2022
I liked this book when I was Mormon. Now, I see things a bit differently.
July 6, 2020
Motivation and connections
I have been doing some hard reading lately that has sparked some changes in my own thinking, as well as resulted in some heated arguments with family and friends. I still want to continue to ask hard questions. But I wanted to take a moment to read something familiar, comfortable, devotional in nature. I had just finished watching Hamilton on Independence Day, and this passage struck me from By Common Consent's reflections on the musical:
Isn't this kind of sympathetic idealization, which is really a kind of idolization, basically kind of wrong? Don't we want to avoid getting all romantic about those who stand before us in leadership positions? Aren't we obliged to respond to any kind of hero-worship, however wistfully expressed, with thorough-going critique, if not outright rejection? Shouldn't we be iconoclasts, tearing down images which presume to situate some felt ideal in the body of some invariably flawed (and, unfortunately often in our history of public statuary, affirmatively racist and criminal) person?
It's a good article, and I highly recommend reading it. My simple answer is yes: we should be very wary of hero-worship, for the very fact we may choose to refuse to see the flaws and learn. But we can respect those in our past, even honor them, for putting us on a course to where we are today. Speaking of flawed characters, I chose to pick up Truman G. Madsen's Joseph Smith the Prophet. I had listened to the lectures before. My dad listened to them very often growing up, even if I wasn't usually listening. He could quote passages of the tapes by heart. I did finally sit down and listen to them from beginning to end on my mission, but that has been close to ten years ago now. I also had a suspicion the book contained a quote I had not ever been able to track down. There was a quote that had to do with handling criticism-- of which Joseph had plenty-- something to do with taking the part that was true, and not letting the rest bother you. I will assure you here-- I found the passage. For sake of continuity, I will quote it here:
*[A woman] came to visit the prophet. She felt she had been maligned unjustly by gossip. Regarding such matters, Joseph would say, "The little foxes spoil the vines- little evils do the most damage in the Church." He also said, "The devil flatters us that we are very righteous, when we are feeding on the faults of others."
But this sister had been troubled, and she came and asked for redress: she wanted the Prophet to go to the person who was the source of the story and properly take care of it. He enquired of her in some detail and then counseled her in terms something like this: "Sister, when I have heard of a story about me [and he could have said there had been many], I sit down and think about it and pray about it, and I ask myself the question, 'Did I say something or was there something about my manner to give some basis for the story to start?' And, Sister, often if I think about it long enough I realize I have done something to give that basis. And there wells up in me a forgiveness of the person who has told that story, and a resolve that I will never do that thing again."
I don't know why, but that story had stuck in my memory for so long as being utterly and completely true. I am very sensitive about what others think of me. As a teenager in high school, I made myself miserable worrying over the opinions of others. I still struggle with it, keeping myself up at night wondering if the way I said something came off wrong, or trying to parse out what someone thought of me during an interview or exchange. I would like to be able to let that go. This is the ideal I would like to live up to. Granted, Joseph Smith himself didn't-- he burned down a printing press because he didn't like the slander they were printing about him. But the quote itself was one that changed the way I think, and I consider it my truth.
Two-sentence summary
In the course of eight lectures, Madsen displays the character and disposition of the prophet Joseph Smith through recollections of those who knew him and his own words. You get the impression that Madsen knows Joseph very well through primary sources, and while it is devotional in nature, it is also well backed up with sources and has the imprint of a scholar.
How it has impacted my thinking
After reading Saints, I was talking about it with my dad. My dad was a good way through the book himself, but he was having a hard time getting through it because it clashed so much with his image of the Brother Joseph. They left out all the personal anecdotes, and left with an ambiguous portrait of the prophet's character. My dad's vision of Joseph Smith is the picture painted by Madsen. I think there is truth in Madsen's portrayal. I also think Saints had a different purpose. It had a larger scope that a personal biography of Joseph Smith, trying to include characters that have been left out of our telling of the Restoration. It also had to fully address the critiques of the prophet that are often left out of devotional works. Saints was doing a lot of work, and good work at that. I think my dad's attitude could best be summarized in the words of Wilford Woodruff when faced with critiques of the prophet: Joseph Smith was "like a bed of gold concealed from human view," and that, as with Enoch's, only God could comprehend his soul.
In addition to the quote above, there are things I value highly about Joseph Smith. One of my favorites is Terryl Given's comment that Smith's prophetic practice was neither the unstudied and erratic plagiarism of his caricaturists nor always the epiphany-driven receipt of "vertical revelation imputed to him by his devoted followers... Smith viewed himself as both revelator and inspired synthesist, pulling together truths not only from heaven but also from his culture, his background, and his contemporaries... Smith believed himself to be an oracle of God, subject to moments of heavenly encounter and the pure flow of inspiration. But he was also insatiably eclectic in his borrowings and adaptations, with an adventuresome mind, prone to speculation and fully comfortable with the trial and error of intellectual effort."
This is perhaps a different Joseph than that portrayed in Madsen's book that emphasizes the "vertical revelation" Givens references here. In one passage, Madsen recalls how Joseph dictated D&C 132:
It is a long revelation-- sixty-six verses, many of which are themselves long. Verse 19, for example, is over two hundred words. Some of the verses describe the conditions of the everlasting covenant in such terms as an attorney might use who had spent days thinking up every possible synonym, nuance, and contingency so that no loophole would remain. For example: "All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and …." That's the subject of the sentence. Then there's the verb. Then a very long predicate. To have written that after patient winnowing of the dictionary would be an achievement. Joseph Smith dictated it straight and, apparently, without a change. That is amazing enough. But then we learn from William Clayton that the Prophet declared that "he knew the revelation perfectly, and could rewrite it at any time if necessary. Now, that is staggering!
But there are other passages that clearly align with an eclectic synthesist: We should gather up all the good and true principles in the world, and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons! I would make that my own motto!
There were other passages that made me uncomfortable though, for instance this exchange that sounds autocratic:
Josiah Quincy, later mayor of Boston, said to him, "You have too much power." Joseph replied, according to Quincy: "In your hands or that of any other person, so much power would, no doubt, be dangerous. I am the only man in the world whom it would be safe to trust with it." Then five words spoken as a "rich, comical aside," Quincy says: "Remember, I am a prophet!" And he was.
Apparently that line from D&C 21, We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. -- apparently, he was the exception. I would doubt that. I didn't like Joseph's over reliance on two things: secrecy and complete loyalty. For instance, this passage:
The Prophet said that "there should exist the greatest freedom and familiarity among the rulers of Zion." This is glorious as an ideal. But it was that very freedom, the openness of heart and soul, the sharing of the most sacred of insights, that some took advantage of and that led to the breakdown and breakup of the School of the Prophets. For what they shared was often so intimate and so sacred that it required an immense amount of self-control to ensure that one understood it properly, or to determine the propriety of mentioning it elsewhere, or not to bandy it about outside the school, or to take advantage of it in someway.
I fully agree that there is room for intimacy, and there is some things that should not be shared further. But what if this is abused? Polygamy was introduced in secret. Do I have to "understand it properly" first? If it can't be said or taught in public, why not?
The second point that made me uncomfortable: this exchange with Brigham Young:
The Prophet rebuked Brigham Young from his head to his feet for something he had done, or something he was supposed to have done but hadn't-the detail is unclear. When he had finished the rebuke, everyone in the room waited for the response. Brigham Young rose to his feet. He was a strong man. He could have responded: "Now, look, haven't you read that you're not supposed to rebuke in public, but only in private?" Or, "Brother Joseph, doesn't it say something in the revelations about persuasion, and long-suffering, and gentleness and meekness?" Or, "You're dead wrong. It's not so." But he said none of the above. In a voice everyone could tell was sincere, he said simply, "Joseph, what do you want me to do?" And the story says that the Prophet burst into tears, came down from the stand, threw his arms around Brigham, and said, in effect, "Brother Brigham, you passed."
I am all for patience in misunderstanding. I wrote about Pahoran's response when he was wrongfully accused by Captain Moroni. But the last line changes the whole tone of the exchange for me. You passed! Joseph Smith was giving Brigham Young a test of loyalty to see how he would respond? By setting up a fake scenario?
I find wisdom in Joseph's words, and I consider him a prophet of God. As a tenet of my faith, I believe he did restore truth that wasn't to be found on the earth. But I also believe we do his legacy wrong if we accept everything uncritically. We are a true and living church, we are meant to grow. We haven't gathered up all the truth there is to be found. And I think Joseph's character is strong enough to stand up to critical inspection. Madsen's book is a beautiful portrayal of the prophet that I think captures the spirit of the man. To reference Hamilton again, Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?
August 16, 2025
One of the greatest books I have ever read!!
April 22, 2008
This is a profound book about Joseph Smith. It captures, better than any other book I know, the greatness of Joseph Smith and his largeness of spirit. The reader learns insights into his character traits and personality.
Outside of Mormon circles, there is often confusion about how Mormons view Joseph Smith. It's certain that we do not worship him. Rather, we revere him as the first prophet of the latter days. We revere him for having restored the full gospel with its saving ordinances. In the book, readers may see a more accurate picture of who Joseph Smith was and gain a meritorious appreciation for the role he played and the many hardships he endured to accomplish his vital calling.
Outside of Mormon circles, there is often confusion about how Mormons view Joseph Smith. It's certain that we do not worship him. Rather, we revere him as the first prophet of the latter days. We revere him for having restored the full gospel with its saving ordinances. In the book, readers may see a more accurate picture of who Joseph Smith was and gain a meritorious appreciation for the role he played and the many hardships he endured to accomplish his vital calling.
June 15, 2011
A really great book that contains oodles of information about the Prophet Joseph Smith. The writing style is easy-going-- not sterile research language-- and all the great little insights and tidbits from the Prophet's life helped me visualize him as a real person. The only flaw I found with the book is that it couldn't possibly hold as much information as I wanted. When I would read about a particular experience or quotation from Joseph Smith, I would wonder, "Well, what happened then?" or "What were the implications on Person X, Y, and Z when he made that statement?" I guess I need the comprehensive guide to Latter-Day Saint Church history... the one that chronicles every event in the Church as well as each individual person's response to it and subsequent actions. Any suggestions? :)
August 16, 2010
I learned a lot about Joseph Smith that I didn't know before. Unfortunately, I borrowed this book from a friend so I couldn't highlight in it, I think I will need to invest in my own copy so I can reread it and mark in it. I especially enjoyed Brother Madsen's testimony at the end, very touching and inspirational. One of the things that I liked about this book is that it's brief. He somehow packed a lot of information in only a little more than a hundred pages. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the prophet Joseph Smith without reading a text book.
February 17, 2020
This book is adapted/transcribed from eight really excellent lectures given by Truman G. Madsen about different aspects of Joseph Smith and his life. I heard the lectures on my mission and really, really liked them and wanted to see the sources for the quotations. The eight lectures can be read fairly quickly, but pondering and really understanding the depths of what is being communicated in them takes a lot more reflection.
Its an excellent book, and a powerful and meaningful tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith. I really enjoyed it.
Its an excellent book, and a powerful and meaningful tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith. I really enjoyed it.
January 22, 2014
I liked the book overall as it had some very interesting quotes in it; however, Madsen's approach to Joseph Smith ends up being (for lack of a better way to say this) quasi idolization of the prophet. When he continually says things like "Joseph was the life of the party", or praises Joseph Smith for his physical strength, the credibility of this book diminished. Is it important for a prophet of God to be "the life of the party"? How is this relevant to any prophet's calling and mission?
September 21, 2008
If you liked the lectures, you will like the book better. There are several little inaccuracies in the lectures, quotes that aren't quite word for word, etc. He fixes all those in the book, great read, great reference.
December 1, 2008
Maybe not as technical or in depth as could be, but Truman Madsen excells because you can sense the love he has for the prophet and feel that he wants to share and instill the same for the prophet in the listener.
October 21, 2013
I audiobooked this, but plan to buy the kindle edition so I can have the references instead of always calling my brother to look up something for me. Great quotes, stories, and insights. I learned a lot and thought of gospel topics in new ways. This is a good one to go back to again and again.
March 6, 2020
I listened to the lectures YEARS ago; then a few years later I read the book. I just finished listening to the lectures again, and it amazes me (and saddens me a little) how much was "new" to me. I learned things listening to this again. Madsen is pretty incredible. Definitely worth the time.
February 21, 2016
I first read the book several years ago and loved it. I recently listened to audio version with Truman Madsen giving the book as a series of lectures. It was even better than reading it.
January 28, 2017
I liked this book about Joseph Smith. It helps to paint a picture of who he was and some of his experiences. It talks about his personality, talents, and characteristics, as well as some of his spiritual gifts. It also discusses some of the major events in his life - the First Vision, the Kirtland Temple, and then the martyrdom. I appreciated Truman Madsen's testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
It's not a very long book, so it doesn't cover a lot, but there were some insights that I was grateful for. I was glad to be reading Joseph Smith: The Prophet and Seer at the same time. This book is much more comprehensive in helping to paint a bigger chronological picture of the other people and places and things going on that help me to understand even better who he was.
I'm grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith, his life, his sacrifices, his example, his faithfulness, and all the good that he brought into the world. He truly changed the world by following the Lord.
Here are a few quotes I liked from the book:
"One of the strengths of the history of the Church is that the first family held true to each other (p. 10)."
"Throughout his life the Prophet had important things to say about the power of the evil one, but he never said the evil one was as powerful as the living God. He knew both. Like Moses of old, he was not confused when once he had experienced both and felt their influence (p. 11)."
"The Prophet indicates in the 1835 account that he was filled with that light, but also surrounded by it, that it filled the Grove. Then had adds, 'yet nothing consumed,' perhaps indicating that he expected to be. The Prophet was not harmed by the experience; he was hallowed by it (p. 12)."
"The Son looked like his Father.... they are, in appearance as well as in nature, exactly similar (p. 12)."
"Joseph Smith.... had a brilliant conceptual ability both to see and to understand, to go to the heart of an issue and then to express it so that others would understand (p. 22)."
"'You don't know me.... You never knew my heart.... I don't blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I could not have believed it myself.' In that loneliness, he had to keep to his own bosom...certain deep understandings the Lord had vouchsafed to him with the command that he not share them. 'The reason...we do not have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto us is because we do not keep them but reveal them...even to our enemies.... I can keep a secret till Doomsday.' And so he did (p. 29)."
"The Prophet's home life with Emma included prayers three times a day, morning, noon, and night. It included her leading the family in singing. The 'family' was always larger than Joseph's blood relatives--visitors from different places, immigrants needing temporary accommodation, and so on (p. 30)."
"[Joseph] could sit down at the base of a tree and almost instantly fall into slumber, but almost as instantly snap back to full and alert activity. That may have something to do with a clear conscience and the assurance that God is with you (p. 30)."
"To Robert B. Thompson, his secretary, the Prophet said, 'Robert, you have been so faithful and relentless in this work, you need to relax.' He told him to go out and enjoy himself, to relax. But Thompson was a serious-minded man. He said, 'I can't do it.' Joseph responded, 'You must do it, if you don't do it, you will die.' One of the sorrows of Joseph's life was that Robert B. Thompson had a premature death, and he had to speak at the funeral (p. 31)."
"'Lord, we thank thee for this johnnycake and ask thee to send us something better. Amen.' Before the meal was over a knock came at the door, and there stood a man with a ham and some flour. The Prophet jumped to his feet and said to Emma, 'I knew the Lord would answer my prayer.' He shared and shared until he was utterly impoverished (p. 32)."
"Joseph was more susceptible to the continuing impressions and revelations of God. That is, he did not become so rigidly bound to what had been given that he was unsusceptible to what yet had to be given. Yet that is a tendency. Claiming integrity, one can harden on past traditions and can thus become immune to living revelation. And the Prophet tended to judge men with that same openness: that is, not all cases are identical; each individual has his own special differences, and must be brought into harmony with the Lord in ways that recognize these differences. Again, this shows a mind that is not only open but also receptive; and not only receptive, but also obedient, even when the required response seemed to run counter to former assumptions and traditions. This was an essential element for the revelator of our dispensation (p. 33)."
"'It is vain to try to hide a bad spirit from the eyes of them who are spiritual, for it will show itself in speaking and in writing, as well as in our other conduct. It is also needless to make great pretensions when the heart is not right: the Lord will expose it to the view of faithful Saints (p. 41).'"
"Doctrine and Covenants 128 tells of some of the ancient worthies who manifested themselves to the Prophet Joseph, declaring their keys and glories and dispensations and making possible the welding authorities of this dispensation. He knew Peter, he knew James, he knew John. He knew Adam and Eve. He knew Abraham. He knew Enoch. He knew the Twelve who were on the American continent. 'He seemed to be as familiar with these people as we are with one another,' said John Taylor. He had visions of he past as well as of the future. As a seer, he knew things about the past that are not part of our own scripture, but which he spoke of in discourse (p. 44)."
"A religion that isn't earthbound but that takes account of the vast universe we now know about. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith was revealed a religion for the Space Age, for the cosmos, for the whole universe (p. 45)."
"A final word on his wisdom. 'I made this my rule: When God commands, do it.' That took him all the way to Carthage--and to the glories of the eternities beyond (p. 47)."
"Someone asked the Prophet once, 'What was the first miracle Jesus performed?' He answered, 'He made this world, and what followed we are not told.' Miracle is the term we use for the operation of divine power beyond our understanding. It is not a violation of law. Every miracle that Christ performed, including the creation of the earth, was executed in harmony with eternal principles. We will one day know that whatever we call miraculous was, in fact lawful (p. 49)."
"Several of our historians, Wilford Woodruff included, felt that though the Nauvoo Temple cost much more, it did not require the same level of sacrificial effort. The Kirtland Temple was an unprecedented sacrifice, and it was met with an unprecedented divine outpouring (p. 69)."
"The temple is indeed a house of light where the heavenly and the earthly combine (p. 70)."
"'Brother and Sisters, the Savior has been in your midst tonight. I want you all to remember it. There is a veil over your eyes, for you could not endure to look upon Him.' Then they knelt in prayer, which he led. His prayer was so long, Mary records, that several of the people rose and rested and then knelt back down to endure to the end. 'Such a prayer,' she said, 'I have never heard before or since. I felt he was talking to the Lord, and the power rested upon us all (p. 71).'"
"The Prophet had held many meetings to prepare the Saints, and especially the priesthood brethren, for what was going to come. He told them that they must come in purity, come having studied and pondered prayerfully the revelations given on the subject. In section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord said the temple was to be a house of glory, a house of order, a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of God (p. 72)."
"'Joseph, what do you want me to do (Brigham Young, p. 88)?'"
"As the Savior said: 'Without me ye can do nothing.' That may be intimidating to those of us who are proud, but it is eternally true, and Joseph knew it (p. 88)."
"I have indicated that he occasionally, deliberately, knowingly, put men to a test, almost as if he could discern the spiritual growth and blessing that would ultimately result (p. 92)."
"'Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.' But being tested, all of us will one day know how much our hearts are really set on the kingdom of God (p. 93)."
"One of the great qualities of the Prophet Joseph, not always characteristic of others, is that when he was wrong he acknowledged it. The Lord rebuked him several times. Those revelations are published alongside the revelations in which he is given promises and blessings. Had he been less sincere, less honest--less of a prophet--he might have tried to suppress the personal, private rebukings and let the Church believe that he'd gone along pretty well without lapsings and slippings. But he didn't. And when others found fault with him, instead of confrontation, putting all the blame on them, the spirit of his counsel to himself as to this sister was otherwise: 'Look deeper, Brother, and see if maybe there is a kernel of truth in what they are saying.' That, I suggest, shows wisdom (p. 95)."
"'Brother Brigham, this is not arranged right. But we have done the best we could under the circumstances in which we are placed, and I wish you to take this matter in hand and organize and systematize all these ceremonies (p. 98).'"
"'You need an endowment, brethren, in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things (Joseph Smith, p. 98).'"
"During the winter of 1843-44...he met almost daily and sometimes twice a day with all the faithful members of the Council of the Twelve. Orson Pratt finally complained, 'Why do you give us no rest?' and the Prophet replied, 'The Spirit urges me.' Erastus Snow says of that period that he learned more in a few months in council with the Prophet than he had learned in all his life before (p. 101)."
"'No one can ever enter the celestial kingdom unless he is strictly honest.' That's hard one. My own bishop has told me that when he asks individuals whether they are strictly honest, most people reply, 'I try.' Eventually we must do more than 'try (p. 104).'"
"'A man who has an honest heart... should rejoice (Joseph Smith, p. 104).'"
"Speaking of gratitude he once remarked that if you will thank the Lord with all your heart every night for all the blessings that day you will eventually find yourself exalted in the kingdom of God. This is a powerful statement on the spiritual necessity of gratitude (p. 104)."
"'If I revealed all that has been made known to me, scarcely a man on this stand would stay with me (Joseph Smith, p. 105).'"
"Because he had so often escaped the vilifyings and the attacks of his enemies, some believed that he was invincible (p. 110)."
"Joseph's anxiety about the temple was compounded by his anxiety concerning the records of the Church, that they be kept, preserved, and accurately transmitted (p. 110)."
"If all of the Twelve then in Nauvoo had promptly recorded the meeting in which Joseph rolled off the responsibility from his shoulders upon them and charged them, in what he called his last charge, to go forward in building the kingdom, any claim that he intended someone else to succeed to the Presidency of the Church would be completely refuted by contemporary documents. But only one of the Twelve, Orson Hyde, recorded that meeting at the time (p. 111)."
"Finally there was the Prophet's major concern--that the Saints understand his role and be willing to do what in an extremity they might be required to do (p. 112)."
"'If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself (Joseph Smith, p. 117).'"
"The spirit that testifies to the souls of men that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God and that he gave his life willingly for the redemption of mankind is the same spirit that bears witness to the receptive soul that Joseph Smith was a prophet of Jesus Christ. One cannot truly say he knows the one thing and deny the other. No man can come to a testimony of the prophetic mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith without knowing that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. And no man can have a testimony that Christ is the divine Savior and Lord without knowing, when he hears Joseph's name and knows even a little about his life, that Christ had a prophet named Joseph Smith (p. 125)."
"If we do not know them now, each of us will at some time come to know these twin truths: Jesus is the Christ, and Joseph is his Prophet (p. 126)."
It's not a very long book, so it doesn't cover a lot, but there were some insights that I was grateful for. I was glad to be reading Joseph Smith: The Prophet and Seer at the same time. This book is much more comprehensive in helping to paint a bigger chronological picture of the other people and places and things going on that help me to understand even better who he was.
I'm grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith, his life, his sacrifices, his example, his faithfulness, and all the good that he brought into the world. He truly changed the world by following the Lord.
Here are a few quotes I liked from the book:
"One of the strengths of the history of the Church is that the first family held true to each other (p. 10)."
"Throughout his life the Prophet had important things to say about the power of the evil one, but he never said the evil one was as powerful as the living God. He knew both. Like Moses of old, he was not confused when once he had experienced both and felt their influence (p. 11)."
"The Prophet indicates in the 1835 account that he was filled with that light, but also surrounded by it, that it filled the Grove. Then had adds, 'yet nothing consumed,' perhaps indicating that he expected to be. The Prophet was not harmed by the experience; he was hallowed by it (p. 12)."
"The Son looked like his Father.... they are, in appearance as well as in nature, exactly similar (p. 12)."
"Joseph Smith.... had a brilliant conceptual ability both to see and to understand, to go to the heart of an issue and then to express it so that others would understand (p. 22)."
"'You don't know me.... You never knew my heart.... I don't blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I could not have believed it myself.' In that loneliness, he had to keep to his own bosom...certain deep understandings the Lord had vouchsafed to him with the command that he not share them. 'The reason...we do not have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto us is because we do not keep them but reveal them...even to our enemies.... I can keep a secret till Doomsday.' And so he did (p. 29)."
"The Prophet's home life with Emma included prayers three times a day, morning, noon, and night. It included her leading the family in singing. The 'family' was always larger than Joseph's blood relatives--visitors from different places, immigrants needing temporary accommodation, and so on (p. 30)."
"[Joseph] could sit down at the base of a tree and almost instantly fall into slumber, but almost as instantly snap back to full and alert activity. That may have something to do with a clear conscience and the assurance that God is with you (p. 30)."
"To Robert B. Thompson, his secretary, the Prophet said, 'Robert, you have been so faithful and relentless in this work, you need to relax.' He told him to go out and enjoy himself, to relax. But Thompson was a serious-minded man. He said, 'I can't do it.' Joseph responded, 'You must do it, if you don't do it, you will die.' One of the sorrows of Joseph's life was that Robert B. Thompson had a premature death, and he had to speak at the funeral (p. 31)."
"'Lord, we thank thee for this johnnycake and ask thee to send us something better. Amen.' Before the meal was over a knock came at the door, and there stood a man with a ham and some flour. The Prophet jumped to his feet and said to Emma, 'I knew the Lord would answer my prayer.' He shared and shared until he was utterly impoverished (p. 32)."
"Joseph was more susceptible to the continuing impressions and revelations of God. That is, he did not become so rigidly bound to what had been given that he was unsusceptible to what yet had to be given. Yet that is a tendency. Claiming integrity, one can harden on past traditions and can thus become immune to living revelation. And the Prophet tended to judge men with that same openness: that is, not all cases are identical; each individual has his own special differences, and must be brought into harmony with the Lord in ways that recognize these differences. Again, this shows a mind that is not only open but also receptive; and not only receptive, but also obedient, even when the required response seemed to run counter to former assumptions and traditions. This was an essential element for the revelator of our dispensation (p. 33)."
"'It is vain to try to hide a bad spirit from the eyes of them who are spiritual, for it will show itself in speaking and in writing, as well as in our other conduct. It is also needless to make great pretensions when the heart is not right: the Lord will expose it to the view of faithful Saints (p. 41).'"
"Doctrine and Covenants 128 tells of some of the ancient worthies who manifested themselves to the Prophet Joseph, declaring their keys and glories and dispensations and making possible the welding authorities of this dispensation. He knew Peter, he knew James, he knew John. He knew Adam and Eve. He knew Abraham. He knew Enoch. He knew the Twelve who were on the American continent. 'He seemed to be as familiar with these people as we are with one another,' said John Taylor. He had visions of he past as well as of the future. As a seer, he knew things about the past that are not part of our own scripture, but which he spoke of in discourse (p. 44)."
"A religion that isn't earthbound but that takes account of the vast universe we now know about. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith was revealed a religion for the Space Age, for the cosmos, for the whole universe (p. 45)."
"A final word on his wisdom. 'I made this my rule: When God commands, do it.' That took him all the way to Carthage--and to the glories of the eternities beyond (p. 47)."
"Someone asked the Prophet once, 'What was the first miracle Jesus performed?' He answered, 'He made this world, and what followed we are not told.' Miracle is the term we use for the operation of divine power beyond our understanding. It is not a violation of law. Every miracle that Christ performed, including the creation of the earth, was executed in harmony with eternal principles. We will one day know that whatever we call miraculous was, in fact lawful (p. 49)."
"Several of our historians, Wilford Woodruff included, felt that though the Nauvoo Temple cost much more, it did not require the same level of sacrificial effort. The Kirtland Temple was an unprecedented sacrifice, and it was met with an unprecedented divine outpouring (p. 69)."
"The temple is indeed a house of light where the heavenly and the earthly combine (p. 70)."
"'Brother and Sisters, the Savior has been in your midst tonight. I want you all to remember it. There is a veil over your eyes, for you could not endure to look upon Him.' Then they knelt in prayer, which he led. His prayer was so long, Mary records, that several of the people rose and rested and then knelt back down to endure to the end. 'Such a prayer,' she said, 'I have never heard before or since. I felt he was talking to the Lord, and the power rested upon us all (p. 71).'"
"The Prophet had held many meetings to prepare the Saints, and especially the priesthood brethren, for what was going to come. He told them that they must come in purity, come having studied and pondered prayerfully the revelations given on the subject. In section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord said the temple was to be a house of glory, a house of order, a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of God (p. 72)."
"'Joseph, what do you want me to do (Brigham Young, p. 88)?'"
"As the Savior said: 'Without me ye can do nothing.' That may be intimidating to those of us who are proud, but it is eternally true, and Joseph knew it (p. 88)."
"I have indicated that he occasionally, deliberately, knowingly, put men to a test, almost as if he could discern the spiritual growth and blessing that would ultimately result (p. 92)."
"'Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.' But being tested, all of us will one day know how much our hearts are really set on the kingdom of God (p. 93)."
"One of the great qualities of the Prophet Joseph, not always characteristic of others, is that when he was wrong he acknowledged it. The Lord rebuked him several times. Those revelations are published alongside the revelations in which he is given promises and blessings. Had he been less sincere, less honest--less of a prophet--he might have tried to suppress the personal, private rebukings and let the Church believe that he'd gone along pretty well without lapsings and slippings. But he didn't. And when others found fault with him, instead of confrontation, putting all the blame on them, the spirit of his counsel to himself as to this sister was otherwise: 'Look deeper, Brother, and see if maybe there is a kernel of truth in what they are saying.' That, I suggest, shows wisdom (p. 95)."
"'Brother Brigham, this is not arranged right. But we have done the best we could under the circumstances in which we are placed, and I wish you to take this matter in hand and organize and systematize all these ceremonies (p. 98).'"
"'You need an endowment, brethren, in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things (Joseph Smith, p. 98).'"
"During the winter of 1843-44...he met almost daily and sometimes twice a day with all the faithful members of the Council of the Twelve. Orson Pratt finally complained, 'Why do you give us no rest?' and the Prophet replied, 'The Spirit urges me.' Erastus Snow says of that period that he learned more in a few months in council with the Prophet than he had learned in all his life before (p. 101)."
"'No one can ever enter the celestial kingdom unless he is strictly honest.' That's hard one. My own bishop has told me that when he asks individuals whether they are strictly honest, most people reply, 'I try.' Eventually we must do more than 'try (p. 104).'"
"'A man who has an honest heart... should rejoice (Joseph Smith, p. 104).'"
"Speaking of gratitude he once remarked that if you will thank the Lord with all your heart every night for all the blessings that day you will eventually find yourself exalted in the kingdom of God. This is a powerful statement on the spiritual necessity of gratitude (p. 104)."
"'If I revealed all that has been made known to me, scarcely a man on this stand would stay with me (Joseph Smith, p. 105).'"
"Because he had so often escaped the vilifyings and the attacks of his enemies, some believed that he was invincible (p. 110)."
"Joseph's anxiety about the temple was compounded by his anxiety concerning the records of the Church, that they be kept, preserved, and accurately transmitted (p. 110)."
"If all of the Twelve then in Nauvoo had promptly recorded the meeting in which Joseph rolled off the responsibility from his shoulders upon them and charged them, in what he called his last charge, to go forward in building the kingdom, any claim that he intended someone else to succeed to the Presidency of the Church would be completely refuted by contemporary documents. But only one of the Twelve, Orson Hyde, recorded that meeting at the time (p. 111)."
"Finally there was the Prophet's major concern--that the Saints understand his role and be willing to do what in an extremity they might be required to do (p. 112)."
"'If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself (Joseph Smith, p. 117).'"
"The spirit that testifies to the souls of men that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God and that he gave his life willingly for the redemption of mankind is the same spirit that bears witness to the receptive soul that Joseph Smith was a prophet of Jesus Christ. One cannot truly say he knows the one thing and deny the other. No man can come to a testimony of the prophetic mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith without knowing that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. And no man can have a testimony that Christ is the divine Savior and Lord without knowing, when he hears Joseph's name and knows even a little about his life, that Christ had a prophet named Joseph Smith (p. 125)."
"If we do not know them now, each of us will at some time come to know these twin truths: Jesus is the Christ, and Joseph is his Prophet (p. 126)."
March 3, 2025
I listened to Madsen's audio talks several times over the years and always wanted to read the transcripts so I could make sure I hadn't missed anything, and so I could learn about the sources.
The approach to this biography is interesting--thematic, mostly, but still more or less chronological. What results, then, is not a narrative as much as a mish-mash of anecdotes. Madsen draws from a deep well of quotes and references, and that's a double-edged sword: this is a book filled with variety, but that makes it an often uneven read, and a weirdly random assortment of history.
The sources are the biggest problem. While Madsen commendably digs deep into the archives of every office he could imagine in order to find any and every possible source for texts, he seems to have no scrutiny at all for the veracity of those texts. Any and every source is afforded equal weight here. I was positively shocked to find just how many of his sources are tertiary, third hand remembrances--it's not uncommon to look up an anecdote and see that it was from a journal or periodical that was published 60 years after the event, based on the reports of someone else who heard the story from their grandfather. That's not responsible work.
The overall picture of the Prophet given here is still solid, but I can't help but wonder how many of the individual stories are exaggerated, misinterpreted, or just made up. It has to be more than a few. I hate having to try to separate legend from facts, and I wish Madsen hadn't reported quite so many stories with no more than a single distant source. That aspect of the book was disappointing.
The approach to this biography is interesting--thematic, mostly, but still more or less chronological. What results, then, is not a narrative as much as a mish-mash of anecdotes. Madsen draws from a deep well of quotes and references, and that's a double-edged sword: this is a book filled with variety, but that makes it an often uneven read, and a weirdly random assortment of history.
The sources are the biggest problem. While Madsen commendably digs deep into the archives of every office he could imagine in order to find any and every possible source for texts, he seems to have no scrutiny at all for the veracity of those texts. Any and every source is afforded equal weight here. I was positively shocked to find just how many of his sources are tertiary, third hand remembrances--it's not uncommon to look up an anecdote and see that it was from a journal or periodical that was published 60 years after the event, based on the reports of someone else who heard the story from their grandfather. That's not responsible work.
The overall picture of the Prophet given here is still solid, but I can't help but wonder how many of the individual stories are exaggerated, misinterpreted, or just made up. It has to be more than a few. I hate having to try to separate legend from facts, and I wish Madsen hadn't reported quite so many stories with no more than a single distant source. That aspect of the book was disappointing.
August 26, 2024
This is the written version of a series of lectures Truman Madsen gave years ago. You used to only get it by attending the lectures or listening to recordings on tape/CD. I'm a visual learner, so getting to read them was a treat. Of course, it was Madsen's voice in my head the whole time, but still this was a joy to read.
I read my dad's copy. He passed away on July 12, and I started this a few days before. Took it from the collection in his office and read it here and there as I sat at his bedside or in the living room as I was there for my mom for whatever she needed. More than half the joy of reading this copy is that it bears the markings dad made when he read it. My dad loved the Prophet. Those markings were a little window to dad's thoughts as he read about someone he esteemed above any person not named Jesus Christ. Praise to the man.
Added my name under my dad's on the first leaf.
Content is definitely 5 Stars. Reading experience 5 stars.
I read my dad's copy. He passed away on July 12, and I started this a few days before. Took it from the collection in his office and read it here and there as I sat at his bedside or in the living room as I was there for my mom for whatever she needed. More than half the joy of reading this copy is that it bears the markings dad made when he read it. My dad loved the Prophet. Those markings were a little window to dad's thoughts as he read about someone he esteemed above any person not named Jesus Christ. Praise to the man.
Added my name under my dad's on the first leaf.
Content is definitely 5 Stars. Reading experience 5 stars.
April 17, 2022
Great overview of the life of Joseph Smith's personality, character, trials, teachings, and history through his life in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. I found quite a few nuggets here that I hadn't read previously.
On discouragement: "Never be discouraged. If I were sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia, with the Rocky Mountains piled on me, I would hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I would come out on top." "The Lord, your Savior, loves you , and will overrule all your past sorrows and afflictions for good unto you."
(Madsen) On children: "One can refuse to bear (beget) children. And one can refuse to bear (love and nurture) begotten children. Both refusals are epidemic in our time."
On discouragement: "Never be discouraged. If I were sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia, with the Rocky Mountains piled on me, I would hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I would come out on top." "The Lord, your Savior, loves you , and will overrule all your past sorrows and afflictions for good unto you."
(Madsen) On children: "One can refuse to bear (beget) children. And one can refuse to bear (love and nurture) begotten children. Both refusals are epidemic in our time."
November 8, 2019
This book is fabulous! Interestingly, I read it while I am also reading “Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling” by Richard Bushman. I did this on purpose because I knew their styles were so different. Madsen is writing to believers whereas Bushman is speaking more to non believers (he also gives a LOT more detail and it reads more like a textbook). But the comparison was really interesting for me. I appreciate both perspectives and how they can work together. Madsen was originally telling this book in classes and it is very inspiring and uplifting as well as informative about the life and character of Joseph Smith. Very well done!!
November 17, 2018
This was a great follow up to reading Saints Vol. 1 earlier this year. My largest complaint is that this book wasn't long enough, but given that it was initially a lecture series I suppose it's a good length for that. I really learned a lot from Madsen about many things that I've wondered about when reading other accounts of the prophet as well as about things I'd never even wondered about. I will definitely want to read/listen to more of his work. This was a very faith and testimony building work.
February 13, 2020
I have been able to learn a lot about church history throughout my studies, but this book gave me the chance to learn more about the smaller details of Joseph Smith's life that I haven't read elsewhere. This was a very comprehensive compilation that gives insight into Joseph's personality, qualities, and mannerisms, including quotes he said, and actions he made. There is also a lot of doctrine in this book because of the very purpose of Joseph's life - to bring people to Christ. I learned a lot reading this book and am glad I read it!
February 22, 2022
I loved this book. I loaned it to a friend and regret never getting it back. The project Joseph was an amazing and pure man a great example of how to think and live. He was cheerful and not afraid. I wish I serve in the Nauvoo legend under his command. The prophets insights and prophecies and revelations established the American religion . The prophets role in translating the Book of Mormon made possible the national document a second testimony of Christ and a scripture proving the Bible to be true
November 1, 2025
This was lifechanging for me! I first listened to it as a missionary in 1991 or so, and it's done more for my view of Joseph Smith than anything else. Madsen is staggeringly knowledgeable and well spoken, making the lectures very entertaining.
He also knows his subject thoroughly. He studied Joseph Smith for at least half an hour a day every day for over sixty years. At Madsen's funeral, Richard G. Scott said that Truman Madsen has done more than any other person to make the words of the hymn come true, "Millions shall know brother Joseph again."
He also knows his subject thoroughly. He studied Joseph Smith for at least half an hour a day every day for over sixty years. At Madsen's funeral, Richard G. Scott said that Truman Madsen has done more than any other person to make the words of the hymn come true, "Millions shall know brother Joseph again."
August 7, 2017
Want to know more about Joseph Smith but don't want to take him off a pedestal? Look no further! Madsen finds the best faith promoting stories about Joseph Smith and somehow manages to spin controversial instances into some of Joseph's finest hours. If you just can't get enough of your "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith" manual, this will keep your testimony in check.
April 16, 2019
5 stars as a lecture, only 4 as a book, given the clumsy nature of the transcribed spoken word (which the author is the first to admit, in the preface). Still, a powerful collection of thoughts and insights on the prophet Joseph Smith from a man who, as far as I can tell, was both brilliant and good.
June 14, 2019
Definitely a book I would go back and reread. So many cool stories from LDS church history that I wasn't familiar with (and don't skip the chapter notes for this too!), and of course since it's Madsen, it's so well researched. Even if you don't think of Joseph Smith as a prophet, this book gives a great insight into the life of this remarkable man.
January 22, 2021
The best biographical book on his life, in my opinion. Not a complete history but a very interesting look at specific times, teachings and experiences. I listened to the original lectures on tape, which have now been converted to this book form. I prefer the tapes as Truman Madsen was a great speaker and the passion of his voice makes it that much more fun.
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