Joseph Smith

Definitely easier to get through in audio format. Bushman writes well and presents the history eloquently. The target audience is believing mormons, but since most of them no longer self-identify as such, they may have a hard time with this book. More problematic than the frequent use of the term ”mormon” is the history itself. Bushman works hard to merge the white-washed version of Joseph Smith taught in sunday schools with the far more flawed man found in original sources. While he does not necessarily shy away from bringing up controversial facts about the man or even conclusions drawn by more critical voices, he does defend, support and justify Joseph Smiths actions even when his arguments border on the absurd. This book is perfect for someone who wants to understand the human tendency to cling to belief no matter what. Bushman book was the first of it’s kind in mormonism, confirming facts that were (and still are in some cases) labelled as anti-mormon lies. He deserves credit for openly admitting to many of the problematic ”whats” even though he is frustratingly apologetic in his conclusions about the ”whys”.