Envisioning Scripture Joseph Smith S Revelations In Their Early American Contexts

The first fifty years of United States history was a period of seemingly endless possibility. With the birth of a new country during the age of revolutions came new religions, new literary genres, new political parties, temperance and abolitionist societies, and the expansion of print and marketing networks that would dramatically change the course of the century. Envisioning Scripture: Joseph Smith's Revelations in Their Early American Contexts brings together ten essays from leading scholars on the history of early American religion and print culture. Covering issues of gender, race, prophecy, education, scripture, real and narrative time, authority and power, and apocalypticism, the essays invite the reader--scholar, student, etc.--to expand their knowledge of early Mormon history by grasping more fully the American contexts that Mormonism grew out of. Contributors include Catherine A. Brekus, William Davis, Elizabeth Fenton, Kathleen Flake, Paul Gutjahr, Jared Hickman, Susan Juster, Seth Perry, Laura Thiemann Scales, and Roberto A. Valdeón.

Mormon founder Joseph Smith is one of the most controversial figures of nineteenth-century American history, and a virtually inexhaustible subject for analysis. In this volume, fifteen scholars offer essays on how to interpret and understand Smith and his legacy. Including essays by both Mormons and non-Mormons, this wide-ranging collection is the only available survey of contemporary scholarly opinion on the extraordinary man who started one of the fastest growing religious traditions in the modern world.

The Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) admits that it stands or falls on the validity or otherwise of Joseph Smith's claimed First Vision. This booklet examines each aspect of Smith's official account and compares it with historical evidence, including his own earlier versions of events, along with all Smith's other writings - to arrive at the only possible conclusion. Was the vision a first time, first hand, divine experience or was it made up as Smith went along and just part of an elaborate hoax? This work is made available in the interest of truth and integrity for those who want to know or share the truth which is supported by hard evidence. A PDF eBook version is also available (click on 'Author's Spotlight' for more details) which may be copied and shared (see copyright conditions). This booklet is also available to read free as an article at: www.themormondelusion.com. Click on 'The First Vision' tab on the side bar of the home page.

History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a semi-official history of the early Latter Day Saint movement during the lifetime of founder Joseph Smith. It is largely composed of Smith's writings and interpretations and editorial comments by Smith's secretaries, scribes, and after Smith's death, historians of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The history was written between 1839 and 1856. It was later published in its entirety with extensive annotations and edits by B. H. Roberts as History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first six volumes of this work cover the "History of Joseph Smith" from his birth in 1805 to his death in 1844. Volume seven covers the material from immediately after Smith's death in June 1844 until the church's first general conference in Salt Lake City. Volume 1: 1805 – December 1833 Volume 2: January 1834 – December 1837 Volume 3: January 1838 – July 1839 Volume 4: July 1839 – May 1842 Volume 5: May 1842 – August 1843 Volume 6: September 1843 – June 1844 Volume 7: June 1844 – October 1848

This book collects Joseph Smith's uncanonized revelations, offering a new edition of these texts and update to past work. While the texts featured in this volume are of course accessible in The Joseph Smith Papers, both online and in print, average Latter-day Saints will probably find it difficult or bothersome to sift through all twenty-seven volumes of the papers to locate these items. With this book we aim to remove that barrier to help facilitate more Church members becoming familiar with this interesting material.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Reminiscences of Joseph, the Prophet, and the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon" by Edward Stevenson. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

In this interdisciplinary work, William L. Davis examines Joseph Smith's 1829 creation of the Book of Mormon, the foundational text of the Latter Day Saint movement. Positioning the text in the history of early American oratorical techniques, sermon culture, educational practices, and the passion for self-improvement, Davis elucidates both the fascinating cultural context for the creation of the Book of Mormon and the central role of oral culture in early nineteenth-century America. Drawing on performance studies, religious studies, literary culture, and the history of early American education, Davis analyzes Smith's process of oral composition. How did he produce a history spanning a period of 1,000 years, filled with hundreds of distinct characters and episodes, all cohesively tied together in an overarching narrative? Eyewitnesses claimed that Smith never looked at notes, manuscripts, or books—he simply spoke the words of this American religious epic into existence. Judging the truth of this process is not Davis's interest. Rather, he reveals a kaleidoscope of practices and styles that converged around Smith's creation, with an emphasis on the evangelical preaching styles popularized by the renowned George Whitefield and John Wesley.