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Book Review of The Mormon Trail: The History and Legacy of the Trail that Brought the Mormons to Utah

jjares avatar reviewed on + 3294 more book reviews


Recently, I picked up a paperback that talked about Nauvoo, Illinois, and the problems they experienced with the early Mormons. The booklet was about the town, not the inhabitants, and I was curious about the issues the religious Mormons had with their neighbors. This book tells the story. I thought the telling was reasonably even-handed.

Before picking up this book, I didn't know much about the Mormons and Joseph Smith. It may seem strange that people would have sightings and conversations with God. However, when this took place (the 1830s), there was a movement sweeping America with people wanting to create Utopia. When the Mormons could not complete the system they wanted, they realized they had to move West to empty land.

From the descriptions, the Mormons were very organized. Considering how little was known about the lands westward, they achieved much.