Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet

From an award-winning biographer, a riveting and deeply researched portrait of Mormonism’s charismatic founder

Joseph Smith Jr. (1805–1844) was one of the most successful and controversial religious leaders of nineteenth-century America, publishing the Book of Mormon and starting what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He built temples, founded a city-state in Illinois, ran for president, and married more than thirty women. This self-made prophet thrilled his fol...