Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

Title: Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

Author: Richard Lyman Bushman

Pages: 768

Genre: Biography

Grade: A-

Synopsis: This book touts itself as "a cultural biography of Mormonism's founder" and highlights many of the external factors that influenced Joseph Smith as he tried to respond to his call from God to restore His church upon this earth. The book is setup chronologically and follows Joseph from his birth in Vermont, to the First Vision in New York, marriage in Pennsylvania, building a temple in Kirtland, Ohio, extermination in Missouri and city-building, arrest and murder in Nauvoo, Illinois.  Everything that we know about Joseph Smith is on the table in this book, from fortune hunting to Masonry, secret polygamy to his presidential candidacy and him leading the Nauvoo Legion and running from the law. He sealed his testimony with his death.

My Review: There is a lot of information in this book, based upon testimonies, journals and writings of Joseph and his contemporaries.  The information is presented as fact (i.e. that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ in the grove in 1820) and the author leaves it up to the reader to discern between truth and fiction. A couple of things stood out to me: 1) If I didn't already have a testimony of Joseph Smith, there were some things that I may have struggled with. 2) Joseph Smith is human, a flawed mortal being who was called upon to do a great work. He had his faults, as do all of us here on this earth and 3) I'm not without my faults either, but thanks to Joseph Smith, we now have the opportunity to be sealed with our families for eternity again on this earth through Priesthood power, along with many other restored gospel truths.