Book Report
Once upon a time, in a bygone era of a world before the Internet, iPhones and iPads, Kindle and the like... there were books. No, not eBooks either. Those old dusty, paper or hard bound volumes you collect on a shelf somewhere to look more intelligent? And when you were a kid, you'd go to the library and all summer long and check out seven or eight at a time, if you didn't have too many overdue fines, and you'd head for a shady spot under a tree, or a hammock if you were really lucky, and devour all sorts of books, from The Indian in the Cupboard, to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I've always wondered where the fad of Summer Book reading came from, and what happened to it. If I am not mistaken, it was started by a group of overly concerned parents who, for one reason or another, were afraid their children's brains would melt in the summer heat and they would forget to how to read during the summer break and when they went back to school their children would have to repeat the previous grade over again. Embarrassing?I have been turning quite a few pages over the summer, during my lunch break, and thought I'd do a book review on this summer's treats. I have not finished the entire reading list, but I am very close. I do admit that there is a running theme (Church History), but, hey, it's probably better than some dumb book about teenage vampires...
1. The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt:
The Good: Parley Parker Pratt was a leader of the Latter-Day Saints, an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, from 1835 until his martyrdom in 1857. He was a missionary, a poet, religious writer and pioneer. The account is faith inspiring and reads almost like an adventure novel. I had to remind myself that this was supposed to be one of those "boring old non-fiction books". This is one of my favorite church history books. Elder Pratt goes into great detail about his stories and successes as an apostle in the newly organized LDS Church. Full of many great inspirational stories, and full of honest thought and philosophy of a great man. Read of mobs raging against the Saints; feel the joy and faith of first-generation converts; experience the dignity and majesty of the Prophet Joseph Smith rebuking the blaspheming guards in jail in Richmond, Missouri; and the adventures of a world wide traveler, from New England to Canada, from the Mid-West to Europe, to Utah, California and tropical South America to proclaim the Restored Gospel. Definitely a page turner.
The Bad: This is an autobiography. Who wants to make themselves look bad in their own life's story? What we don't hear about is his personal shortcomings, his weaknesses, especially towards the end, it seems more like "Missionary Reports" addressed to President Brigham Young. And when the Kirtland Safety Society bank failed in 1837 and many LDS members (including Parley) became disillusioned with Joseph Smith began to publicly blame and denounce him for their losses? (Parley was later reconciled to the Church and restored as an apostle.) We get just two vague paragraphs. Pratt practiced plural marriage, which wasn't introduced well (he had 12 wives) though he was a staunch defender of the principle. He included a single discourse on the principle, and but I found that one discourse very enlightening and powerful, and I would have preferred to have heard more of that.
2. History of Joseph Smith by His Mother Lucy Mack Smith: 
The Good:I highly recommend this book. Lucy Smith's perspective provides a singularly unique window through which to view not only the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith but also the lives of her other family members and of the early Latter-day Saints. After reading Lucy's report, one is left with a conviction of its veracity and in humbling astonishment of what she, her family members and other early Latter-day Saints experienced, sacrificed and endured as they strived to fully embrace Jesus Christ and His Gospel as restored through her son, the Prophet Joseph Smith. The chapters of the difficulty and swift flight from Missouri are heart-wrenching as the Smith family is forced, destitute, cold, without husband or father, and nearly on their death beds to the refuge of Quincy, Illinois. Regardless of how you feel about Joseph Smith, this book, written from the point of view of his mother, and reveals a very human side to his life that we don't always get to see. From the heartbreaking description of young Joseph's leg surgery, mother Smith follows the trail of miracles to which she was witness, and offers her own powerful testimony of Joseph Smith's prophetic calling. The majority of her history consists of the many trials and blessings her family and early Church members endured over the years, resulting in the death of her own oldest sons.
The Good:I highly recommend this book. Lucy Smith's perspective provides a singularly unique window through which to view not only the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith but also the lives of her other family members and of the early Latter-day Saints. After reading Lucy's report, one is left with a conviction of its veracity and in humbling astonishment of what she, her family members and other early Latter-day Saints experienced, sacrificed and endured as they strived to fully embrace Jesus Christ and His Gospel as restored through her son, the Prophet Joseph Smith. The chapters of the difficulty and swift flight from Missouri are heart-wrenching as the Smith family is forced, destitute, cold, without husband or father, and nearly on their death beds to the refuge of Quincy, Illinois. Regardless of how you feel about Joseph Smith, this book, written from the point of view of his mother, and reveals a very human side to his life that we don't always get to see. From the heartbreaking description of young Joseph's leg surgery, mother Smith follows the trail of miracles to which she was witness, and offers her own powerful testimony of Joseph Smith's prophetic calling. The majority of her history consists of the many trials and blessings her family and early Church members endured over the years, resulting in the death of her own oldest sons.
The Bad: Lucy was somewhat advanced in years when she undertook writing this history. Being primarily retrospective in nature, the dates and exact circumstances surrounding some of the early Church events are not always completely accurate, and few names appear mixed up (acknowledging that both her husband and son are referred to as "Mr. Smith" or "Joseph" with no real distinction), but no real big deal, at least nothing worth throwing a fit over.
3. Heber C. Kimball 
Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer:
The Good: I've been looking for a good read about Heber for quite a time, Brigham's First Counselor and Pioneer Utah's number two man. He, like Parley, was one of the original Twelve. Brigham and Heber were the only 2 original Twelve who never strayed from the Church or spoke ill of it. The man was a kaleidoscope of contrasting images. When standing behind a pulpit, he could be irrepressible to the point of coarseness and gaucherie (which is probably why he got along so famously with President Young). In contrast, his domestic moments were often filled with tenderness and timidity. His letters to his wife Vilate (whom he refers to as "the love of my life") are very romantic and show the innermost struggles of a reluctant polygamist. His contemporaries saw him as incurably optimistic; yet there is ample evidence that he doubted, at times severely, his own abilities. Seemingly an artless country bumpkin, those who knew him best recognized his integrity and even spiritual majesty. Heber charted the Mormon experience. He embraced the new faith in New York, experienced the trials of Kirtland and Missouri, opened the British Mission, and after a brief tenure in Nauvoo pioneered the western plains, and settled in Utah. I found the read a very refreshing perspective on an "unsung hero".
Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer:The Good: I've been looking for a good read about Heber for quite a time, Brigham's First Counselor and Pioneer Utah's number two man. He, like Parley, was one of the original Twelve. Brigham and Heber were the only 2 original Twelve who never strayed from the Church or spoke ill of it. The man was a kaleidoscope of contrasting images. When standing behind a pulpit, he could be irrepressible to the point of coarseness and gaucherie (which is probably why he got along so famously with President Young). In contrast, his domestic moments were often filled with tenderness and timidity. His letters to his wife Vilate (whom he refers to as "the love of my life") are very romantic and show the innermost struggles of a reluctant polygamist. His contemporaries saw him as incurably optimistic; yet there is ample evidence that he doubted, at times severely, his own abilities. Seemingly an artless country bumpkin, those who knew him best recognized his integrity and even spiritual majesty. Heber charted the Mormon experience. He embraced the new faith in New York, experienced the trials of Kirtland and Missouri, opened the British Mission, and after a brief tenure in Nauvoo pioneered the western plains, and settled in Utah. I found the read a very refreshing perspective on an "unsung hero".
The Bad: Author Stanley C. Kimball, Heber's great-great-grandson, will give you the entire truth the way it happened. There is no hiding any fact, no matter how unfavorable or unlikeable. This read is not recommended for the new member or those who don't quite grasp our faith. While those who may be stronger in the gospel will find the read enlightening and inspirational. The book has an entire chapter on plural marriage, as Heber reluctantly was married a total of forty-three women. It's a difficult principle to understand, but we see the immense blessings that Heber received for his obedience.
I close this post with a quote from Elder Pratt, "But I always loved a book. If I worked hard, a book was done in the morning while others were sitting down to breakfast; the same at noon; if I had a few moments, a book! A BOOK! A book at evening, while others slept or sported, a book on Sundays; a book at every leisure moment of my life!"
posted by Austin @ 5:38 PM
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