No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith

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A FAIR Analysis of: No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith
 A work by author: Fawn Brodie
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About this work

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Overview

Brodie's Joseph Smith is a more plausible character than the consummate fiend of the earlier school in that his type is much more likely to be met with on the street any Tuesday afternoon. But he is actually much less plausible as the man who accomplished what Joseph Smith did. Some kind of an inspired super-devil might have gotten away with some of the things he did, but no blundering, dreaming, undisciplined, shallow and opportunistic fakir could have left behind what Joseph Smith did, both in men's hearts and on paper.
— Hugh Nibley, No Ma'am, That's Not History'

Claims made in this work

Quote mining, selective quotation and distortion

The "Civil War" prophecy

Reference Author's claim... The rest of the story... Use of sources
p. 124 Regarding Joseph Smith's "Civil War" prophesy, Brodie claims:

The prophecy was quietly abandoned and excluded from early collections of Joseph's revelations. It was not exhumed from his private papers until nineteen years later, when Brigham Young, seeing the whirlwind hour darkening, ordered its publication. After the Civil War it became the most celebrated of all of Joseph's predictions.

I went forth before my beard was gray, before my hair began to turn white, when I was a youth of nineteen, now I am fifty-eight, and from that time on I published these tidings among the inhabitants of the earth. I carried forth the written revelation, foretelling this great contest, some twenty-eight years before the war commenced. This prophecy has been printed and circulated extensively in this and other nations and languages. It pointed out the place where it should commence in South Carolina. That which I declared over the New England States, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and many other parts in the East, when but a boy, came to pass twenty-eight years after the revelation was given.

When they were talking about a war commencing down here in Kansas, I told them that was not the place; I also told them that the revelation had designated South Carolina, "and," said I, "you have no need to think that the Kansas war is going to be the war that is to be so terribly destructive in its character and nature. No, it must commence at the place the Lord has designated by revelation."

What did they have to say to me? They thought it was a Mormon humbug, and laughed me to scorn, and they looked upon that revelation as they do upon all others that God has given in these latter days—as without divine authority. But behold and lo! in process of time it came to pass, again establishing the divinity of this work, and giving another proof that God is in this work, and is performing that which He spoke by the mouths of the ancient prophets, as recorded in the Book of Mormon before any Church of Latter-day Saints was in existence.

Orson Pratt, "The Latter-day Kingdom of God, etc." Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 135. April 10, 1870.

Commentary

  • Orson Pratt indicates that not only did he preach regarding Joseph's prophesy in 1832, but that he was ridiculed for it. This is not consistent with Brodie's claim that the prophecy was "quietly abandoned" until the Civil War made it expedient to resurrect it.
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Reading Joseph Smith's thoughts

Reference Author's claim... The rest of the story... Use of sources
p. 18 Joseph was "impatient" with his brother's "modest hopes and humdrum fancies." He "dreamed of escape into an illustrious and affluent future." None of these statements can be corroborated: These ideas are purely creations of the author. None

Commentary

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Brigham's attitude about Joseph Smith

Reference Original quote... Mined quote... Use of sources
p. 145-6 I recollect a conversation I had with a priest who was an old friend of ours, before I was personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph. I clipped every argument he advanced, until at last he came out and began to rail against "Joe Smith," saying, "that he was a mean man, a liar, money-digger, gambler, and a whore-master;" and he charged him with everything bad, that he could find language to utter. I said, hold on, brother Gillmore, here is the doctrine, here is the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the revelations that have come through Joseph Smith the Prophet. I have never seen him, and do not know his private character. The doctrine he teaches is all I know about the matter, bring anything against that if you can. As to anything else I do not care. If he acts like a devil, he has brought forth a doctrine that will save us, if we will abide it. He may get drunk every day of his life, sleep with his neighbor's wife every night, run horses and gamble, I do not care anything about that, for I never embrace any man in my faith. But the doctrine he has produced will save you and me, and the whole world; and if you can find fault with that, find it. He said, "I have done." If he acts like a devil, he has brought forth a doctrine that will save us, if we abide by it. He may get drunk every day of his life, sleep with his neighbor's wife every night, run horses and gamble...But the doctrine he has produced will save you and me and the whole world. Journal of Discourses 4:77-8

Commentary

  • Brodie uses the extracted quote to claim that "[m]any in the church shared the attitude of Brigham Young" about Joseph Smith's "juvenile folly," and to support the claims made against Joseph's character in the Hurlbut affidavits. Brodie only mentions in a footnote that Brigham said this before he met the Prophet. She does not mention that this was not actually Brigham's attitude about Joseph Smith, or that Brigham stated that he did "not know his private character"—Brigham's response was a hypothetical statement made in response to one of Joseph Smith's critics.

Endnotes

Reviews of this work

  • Louis Midgley, "F. M. Brodie "The Fasting Hermit and Very Saint of Ignorance": A Biographer and Her Legend (Review of No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, The Mormon Prophet by Fawn McKay Brodie)," FARMS Review of Books 8/2 (1996): 147–230. off-site PDF link
  • Louis Midgley, "The Legend and Legacy of Fawn Brodie (Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer's Life)," FARMS Review of Books 13/1 (2001): 21–72. off-site PDF link
  • Louis Midgley, "Comments on Critical Exchanges (Review of: "A Hard Day for Professor Midgley: An Essay for Fawn McKay Brodie")," FARMS Review of Books 13/1 (2001): 91–126. off-site PDF link
  • Hugh Nibley, No, Ma'am, That's Not History: A Brief Review of Mrs. Brodie's Reluctant Vindication of a Prophet She Seeks to Expose (Bookcraft: 1946). off-site
  • Gary F. Novak, "Review of Dale Morgan On Early Mormonism: Correspondence and a New History by John Phillip Walker," FARMS Review of Books 8/1 (1996): 122–167. off-site PDF link

Further reading

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