In the previous twenty years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—extensively referred to as the Mormon church—has relaxed its iron grip on its archives, permitting some historians to conduct analysis in its huge library. Professor of non secular historical past Benjamin E. Park has availed himself of this new entry and of the work of different modern historians to jot down an absorbing historical past of the church and its tradition. American Zion: A New History of Mormonism argues that Mormon historical past is surprisingly complicated, and its evolution mirrors the struggles of American society.
Mormons have been, from the outset, outsiders. They interpreted the Constitution’s safety of freedom of faith as extending to the follow of polygamy; this perception did them no favors as they sought a house. They have been dispelled from state to state as zealots, generally by means of violence—their founder, Joseph Smith, was murdered by a mob in Illinois. Escaping to the Utah desert, they have been beset by the federal authorities, which refused to allow them to kind a “State of the Desert” until they renounced polygamy. Wary, they zealously guarded their information, placing their very own spin on their historical past. In this century, they allied with the non secular proper and the Republican Party in tradition wars and extra absolutely entered the American mainstream, even producing a formidable presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
American Zion presents a fascinating account of the personalities that loom giant within the faith, particularly Smith and the church’s second president, Brigham Young. But Park additionally reveals how occasions and attitudes exterior the church have divided the religion. He traces its sophisticated historical past of racial bias; its misogyny and, fascinatingly, historical past of feminism amongst early Mormon girls; its stance on LGBTQ+ rights; and the way a church nonetheless ruled largely by aged white American males is faring as its membership grows internationally.
Park, a Mormon himself, tells the story from the within with neutrality; whereas he’s crucial of the religion’s leaders, he has no ax to grind. If you’re searching for a extra dramatic therapy, a la Jon Krakauer’s The Banner of Heaven and its ensuing tv collection, American Zion might not be for you. But if you happen to’re a curious, measured reader, you’ll probably agree with the creator that “Mormonism is a deep well.”
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