American Crucifixion

The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church

By: Alex Beam

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: The founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood.

At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting the Church of Latter-Day Saints and creating his own "Golden Bible" - the Book of Mormon - he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter. He'd led his people to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago. He was running for President. And, secretly, he had married more than thirty women.

In American Crucifixion, Alex Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy: How his most seismic revelation-the doctrine of polygamy-created a rift among his people; how that schism turned to violence; and how, ultimately, Smith could not escape the consequences of his ambition and pride.

Mormonism is America's largest and most enduring native religion, and the "martyrdom" of Joseph Smith is one of its transformational events. Smith's brutal assassination propelled the Mormons to colonize the American West and claim their place in the mainstream of American history. American Crucifixion is a gripping story of scandal and violence, with deep roots in our national identity.

©2014 Alex Beam (P)2014 Tantor

Weak beginning strong finish

Would you try another book from Alex Beam and/or Michael Prichard?

I don't know

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This wasn't a novel so this question doesn't apply

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Performance was fine, it was the material

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

This is a history, not a novel, as such likely not the subject matter to be made into a movie

Any additional comments?

Beam does not do a very good job describing the development of Mormonism. He does even a weaker job in describing Smith's religious narrative, and religious narrative is what Smith did. Now as the date approached June of 1844, the month when Smith was killed, Beam's book gets much better as he leaves the religious narrative part and plunges into the history around Smith's death. Beam also does a good job in the history describing the aftermath of Smith's death. So the first third or the first half of the book is a one star. The second half is a 3 or 4 star. If you already understand the background to June of 1844 then from this point forward the book is good. If someone doesn't understand the information leading up to June 1844, this is not the book to start with.

Keeps you wanting more

If you could sum up American Crucifixion in three words, what would they be?

very well done and it leaves the listener feeling as though they were there and more informed.

What other book might you compare American Crucifixion to and why?

I would need to say the crucifixion of any great man and his cause is a tragedy, but the closest book that comes close is the crucifixion of Christ

Which scene was your favorite?

my favorite scene would need to be at the very beginning when the author describes the mob that killed the prophet in cold blood

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

How Joseph Smith Legacy Lives and Lives would be in red ink as it drips down the page as blood would.

Wonderful

Amazing book, that was nice to learn about western church and everything . I used to be Mormon and quit.

I've read better

It was OK. It focused a lot on polygamy and didn't go very deep regarding the other revelations and interactions of Joseph Smith. I'm glad I listened to it but it was a one time listen for me. The reader was good but mispronounced many common LDS words. (Small detail that was annoying because it conveyed that they didn't do their research.)

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

it is difficult to find a book on Mormon history that is both enjoyable for the casual learner and yet comprehensive enough to be insightful. for a comprehensive view of the final days leading up to and following the death of Joseph Smith, this is probably your best bet

Unbiased detailed account of Joseph Smith’s assassination.

Incredible details. Doesn’t glorify or demonize Joseph Smith. Great story. Easy to listen to. Im eager to start it again.

Great information

Recommend this book for anyone who wants to hear both sides of a story you mostly only hear one side of. Terrible injustices done on both sides, not solely victims to a godless government.

American Crucifixion

As a member of the Mormon church, the information in this book was very disturbing. It was shocking to hear especially when compared to the official whitewashed version that the Mormon church contains to propagate to this day.

Great Book, Great Narration!

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as I am, may find this book disturbing. But I didn’t. I like it very much. That’s because my testimony is strong, and I can enjoy books by church members and non-members alike. This biography is by a non-member who meticulously mentions all the complaints, criticisms, rumors, and controversies there are about Joseph Smith and the Church he founded. But the author is very respectful in so doing and also presents the believers’ views. The story he presents tells both sides of the issues. It’s also a historical work, so the dated events are what they are, and are well-described. The fact that anti-Mormons exist in the world shouldn’t scare away any readers away from listening to this book. In fact, all the anti-Mormon fervor is what lead to The Prophet’s murder in the first place, so it’s really relevant! Thus, I felt the story told by this author was fair, as well as entertaining. It’s a real “page turner” for an audiobook!

The narrator is great, one of the best in the business, and I assume a non-member of the Church. I couldn’t help wondering what he must have thought as he narrated this story. From accounts of heavenly visions to polygamy, there’s a lot to digest, and never a dull moment!

I highly recommend this audiobook for people of all faiths who are interested in the amazing life and tragic death of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Excellent History of an Critical Event in Mormon History

Well constructed and moving retelling of the people and events leading up to the killing of the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, and the subsequent trial and release of those accused of the crime. The audio recording was a pleasure to listen to with a tone and tenor of the reader that made the recording extremely pleasant to listen to. I recommend this audio book very highly to anyone interested in American history and the LDS faith.