Defender of the Faith: The B. H. Roberts Story

by Truman G. Madsen

Book by Madsen, Truman G

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

455 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Truman 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.

Reviews

[Barnard Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess I had not read this entire book, written by my father, during his lifetime or even before I wrote my father’s biography. Only parts. Now I’ve read the whole. I quoted parts of my dad’s own words about Roberts to describe himself. They shared a lot in common. Thank God for men who give themselves to the work of building the kingdom of God. Thank God for such a man as Brigham Henry Roberts.

[Elizabeth Ricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many days I walk past B. H. Roberts's rock home in Centerville. It was great to learn more about this man--his trials, his accomplishments, and his faith.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Other than Joseph Smith, I cannot think of a more interesting person in Church history than B. H. Roberts. It is not hyperbole to say that he was born into a Dickensian youth. Seriously, like a Mormon "Oliver Twist." As a child, B.H. was an illiterate urchin—complete with workhouse experience—who emigrated to join his mother in Utah. Once here, he had a rough-and-tumble teenage upbringing as a mining camp worker who became perhaps the greatest Church historian/scholar/writer/orator of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While reading this, I bought several copies of B.H.'s out-of-print work to read later. Madsen's book is an amazing story about a truly remarkable latter-day saint. Great historical and biographical detail here, contextualizing Roberts' life within the history of the Church and the Utah Territory.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madsen took 15 years to compile and write his excellent biography of the eminent Roberts. And what a story it is! A most unlikely illiterate boy who grew to become what 35 out of 50 scholars said was the "greatest intellectual" in the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The biography is fair and comprehensive, and is a fascinating read of the unique, sincere, and powerful Defender of the Faith.

[Kevin Hanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick biography of a man I know very little about. A true "American Tale" story of overcoming every hardship imaginable to immigrate to America and build a life for himself and his family. At the center of his life was his faith in Christ and his desire to learn and teach everything he could about it. Amazing guy!

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

My definition of a great book is a true story about a
great inspirational individual that is well written. This book meets all of those but I think it’s not one of Truman Madsen’s best.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me how much I love biographies and how they can uplift and make me want to be better. B.H. Roberts was an LDS General Authority, intellect, scholar, author and fluent speaker. Born in England in the late 1800's and son of an alcoholic who desereted his family, Roberts said, "My childhood was a nightmare: my boyhood a tragedy. . ." Roberts' life is a testament to the fact that the Lord can polish even the roughest stone to shine and lift others.

The prophet, Heber J. Grant counseled his large family, "Never pass up a chance to listen to B.H. Roberts speak, even if you have to travel a half day to hear him." Roberts would speak for hours, laying out the pure truths of the Gospel. He said, "Mormonism is for thinkers!" and was this man a thinker! (Another present-day great LDS thinker and scholar is Truman Madesen, who authored this book and who passed away the week I finished reading it.)

I love this part: "Speakers were crowded off the agenda by his length ('I should stop now but I have started this thing and I am going to finish it if it takes all night'). Once at a meeting he spoke nearly an hour and left his colleague, J. Golden Kimball, only five minutes. J. Golden arose and said in his dry falsetto: 'B.H. Roberts is the senior president of the Seventy and has taken all the time. Someday he will be dead and I will be president. Then I will take all the time.' He then sat down."

And I loved this part because I had a similar experience in my missionary setting apart blessing: "A young lady missionary who with six or seven others came to his office to be "set apart" for missions, found him austere in his instructions and she was wishing she had been assigned to someone else. But then 'he put his hands on my head and gave me a blessing--such warmth and gentleness and understanding I shall never forget. The blessing was so mine--all the things I had wondered about he made clear. The Spirit of Heavenly Father was there in rich abundance."

Okay, I'll stop, before I quote the whole book. But my thanks to my daughter-in law, Rachel, who loaned me the book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography is informative and at times engrossing, and gives B. H. Roberts a well-earned place among the leaders of the LDS Church who bridged the gap between the early days of the Restoration and the post-World War I, twentieth-century Church, in a time when the Church's doctrines and history were being libeled and missionaries persecuted and even murdered. Roberts worked hard to obtain an education and writing and speaking skills that allowed him to meet the Church's critics as a historian, theologian, and debater, as well as enriching the lives of Church members through his speaking and writing. Roberts sacrificed much, including a great deal of his family life, in order to defend the faith. While he is remembered chiefly for his multi-volume Comprehensive History of the Church, his life and work encompass much more. Madsen's biography is a thorough, faithful record without ignoring Roberts's flaws. Madsen also avoids giving the reader the feeling, even in this comprehensive work, that he was compelled to include every bit of information that his years of research uncovered, as some writers are wont to do. And there are moments of poetry and insight that only Truman Madsen could have provided. Indexed and thoroughly annotated.

[Cindy]

I decided not to finish this one. I found Roberts story fascinating. His early life was something out of a Dickens tale. His journey across the plains was filled with story after story of the mischief a mostly unsupervised child could get into. Once he was so tired, he snuck into a wagon and climbed into a barrel to get some sleep. Only invalids and the elderly were allowed to ride. But once he got into the barrel, he realized it contained molasses! He figured since he was already covered and sticky, he might as well stay put, and went to sleep anyway. Then he had a terrible time getting cleaned up afterwards.

But the writing was not my style at all and I had a hard time staying interested. I think I will skip this one for now.

[Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely informative book which taught us a great deal about Church history and helped us to realize that general Church leaders are indeed ordinary humans even though they are exceptionally strong and good humans. Maurine and I read this book together, and we both learned a lot that was new to us. Both B. H. Roberts and Truman G. Madsen are intellectually on a higher level than we are, and some chapters were somewhat difficult to grasp. Madsen wrote this book as his Ph. D. dissertation at Harvard. The Church, political, and historical parts were easy, enjoyable, and very educational, but those parts dealing with Roberts' philosophy were sometimes only words without a lot of meaning. Taking time to read some of the end notes helped.

[Mark Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story begins in Dickens'England with a young boy in extremely disadvantageous circumstances (far worse than David Copperfield's)who goes from illiteracy to becoming one of the finest writers and thinkers of the Utah Zionist community at the end of the 19th century. Tapped by the LDS Church as one of the Presidents of Seventy, Roberts was an outstanding apologist and missionary many of whose insights have become mainstream present-day Mormon dogma.

[Jonathan Plowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dates and facts are sometimes inconsistent, but overall this is an enjoyable, educational read about one of the Latter-day Saints' most keen minds and souls. I enjoyed learning a lot about Roberts's teacher Hannah Holbrook, because I attended Hannah Holbrook Elementary School in Bountiful and never knew anything about its namesake.

[Stefie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my Great Great Uncle. My grandpa was named after B.H. I found this book amazing. He was a very strong willed person. It gave me insight on why our family is the way they are. I bought the book and can't wait to tell my kids who they are realated to and have them read it.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brilliant book, Brilliantly researched & written about an extraordianry man.

[Baden · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Person in Church History.

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob and I read this book aloud together. What an amazing man B.H. Roberts was! We loved learning about him.

[Jack Nieporte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the life of B. H. Roberts an LDS apostle

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first 3/4 but felt like it fizzled towards the end. B. H. Roberts is a new hero of mine!

[Sherilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious, do not understand how anyone could plow through this book!

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK biography of B.H. Roberts, a historian and LDS leader.