Kingdom of Nauvoo

The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier

By: Benjamin E. Park

Narrated by: Bob Souer

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

An extraordinary story of faith and violence in 19th-century America, based on previously confidential documents from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Compared to the Puritans, Mormons have rarely gotten their due, often treated as fringe cultists or marginalized polygamists unworthy of serious examination. In Kingdom of Nauvoo, Benjamin E. Park excavates the brief, tragic life of a lost Mormon city, demonstrating that the Mormons are essential to understanding American history writ large. Using newly accessible sources, Park re-creates the Mormons' 1839 flight from Missouri to Illinois. There, under the charismatic leadership of Joseph Smith, they founded Nauvoo, which shimmered briefly - but Smith's challenge to democratic traditions, as well as his new doctrine of polygamy, would bring about its fall. His wife Emma, rarely written about, opposed him, but the greater threat came from without: in 1844, a mob murdered Joseph, precipitating the Mormon trek to Utah.

Throughout his absorbing chronicle, Park shows that far from being outsiders, the Mormons were representative of their era in their distrust of democracy and their attempt to forge a sovereign society of their own.

©2020 Benjamin E. Park (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Nuanced look at early limits of American ideals

"the reciprocity required to maintain democratic balance between citizenry and government seemed to erode on the American frontier, where tyrannical majorities stamped out dissent."
- Ben E Park, alluding to both Lincoln and Tocqueville, in Kingdom of Nauvoo

Having grown up in the LDS faith tradition, my relationship to both Mormon history and Nauvoo was largely influenced by a purely religious and almost myth-based history. I knew that Mormon history in the 1830s -40s took place before the Civil War in New York, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois (and eventually Utah), but I largely thought of pre-Civil War, Jacksonian America and the pre-Utah history of my faith as existing in isolation of each other. That false, historical separation was unfortunate. It is impossible to truly understand either early Mormon history without understanding the context of American politics (especially frontier politics) at the time OR to understand American history during the post post-Jackson era without understanding the "Mormon Problem". Using the Mormon city of Nauvoo as a lense, Ben Park is able to weave both the story of early Mormonism together with the limits of American democracy as it pertained to minorities in the pre-Civil War, pre-14th amendment, America. The inability of the Federal government to adequately protect minority groups, before the 1868 amendment, from states (read Missouri) or mobs was a nearly fatal flaw in American democracy.

If all Ben Park did was tell a good history of Nauvoo, I would have probably given this book four stars, but Ben was able to weave a fantastic narrative that integrated Nauvoo's story into the challenges of American democracy. He did it with fantastic research* and a nuanced approach that didn't forget that women were a large part of the early Mormon history AND that adequately put into perspective Mormon persecution against the larger brutality of Slavery and America's genocide and persecution of Native tribes. He does this skillfully in a way that helps give nuance to his narrative rather than simply as an after thought.

That gift for nuance also comes in useful as Ben Park explores the genesis of Mormon polygamy in Nauvoo and the internal and external conflicts its practice created.

Great history from a great historian

A very well written and a very fair telling of an interesting period in American history. This book does an amazing job of putting Mormon history in the full context of American history.

Exceptional!

This was such a masterful telling of history. It felt so true to all perspectives, not "whitewashing" anything but leaving one with a deeper compassion and understanding of events as they unfolded. Can't recommend enough!

fair and enjoyable experience

Tho I find myself struggling with modern history books, this one seems to give a fair and enjoyable narrative into the final years of the latter day saint experience in the east.

Well Researched. Great Book

Great Book. The Author clearly did his research and showed very objectively all of the events and drama surrounding Nauvoo during early Mormonism. I highly recommend this book to both LDS and post/non LDS.

A great audiobook

This is a must read if you like Mormon history. I learned so much. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Nauvoo period through the eyes of the displaced and marginalized. Unique perspective about how the politic of the day failed in keeping Mormons safe in Missouri (and before) and how this impacted Joseph Smith and his quest for security and safety.

So many new perspective. Thank you Dr. Park for your research using new sources never made available to researchers previously.

An NFL Films Approach to History

I had high hopes for this book to “Tell the Story of Nauvoo” It however felt more like an NFL film recounting the milestones of polygamy and polyandry. No real story just a splattering of events that happened in Nauvoo told with a lack of emotion and interest that would even give Spock pause.

I was excited to see something on Audible on this subject that was not censored by Mormon influence, which is why 4 stars, but not on par with histories with broader appeal.

well documented!

very informative and well documented! I presume many from a more orthodox Mormon upbringing will reject this book as the political and polygamous side of Nauvoo history is never told in their books and films. However, understanding these two elements give a complete picture to the turmoil and persecution the Mormons endured.

Learned a lot, wild ride.

Fascinating book on a topic I didn’t really know much about. Like any great book, left me wanting to learn more.

incredible! best book yet on nauvoo

I've read nearly every book available on nauvoo and early Mormonism, and this is the best. extremely well written and impeccably researched. neither pro or anti Mormon, just as history should be done. the book covers basically every controversial thing, but does so fairly and liberally with direct quotes. can not recommend highly enough.

don't be scared away by complaints about the narrator. he did an amazing job, and pronunciation of "nauvoo" , while being slightly off, was not that bad and became unnoticeable to me quickly. I'm glad I didn't let that stop me. I loved the narrator and felt his voice and talking style were great and really added to the story.

it's rare to have a book that I look forward to resuming each day as much as this one, and always a bit bitter sweet when it's over. if you have any interest in history, get this book!