Davis Bitton (1930–2007)

I expected this book to compare and contrast the many roles that Joseph Smith played in his life, such as in business or politics, as father, neighbor, victim, publisher, visionary, reformer, churchman, etc. Some of these were mentioned only in passing. Instead, this book mostly examined Joseph's role as prophet, through an anthology of essays.

Although Davis Bitton is a serious historian, this work felt like more of a devotional exploration. It was like Bitton was cataloging and responding to old references to Joseph Smith's prophethood that Bitton had encountered during Bitton's long career, to answer why he cared or didn't care for their comments. He gave respect for people using words of faith. He was skeptical of intellectuals trying to apply their theories to Joseph. He often wrote openly from his perspective as a believer. This wasn't like a history book.

The strangest chapter was where Bitton walked through the prophecies from the Book of Mormon about a great future prophet, which we understand to be Joseph Smith. So, that chapter was about the perspective of the Book of Mormon toward the prophethood of Joseph Smith. Bitton wondered how Smith felt when taking down these revelations about himself. It might reveal some of how Joseph saw his own prophethood.

Quite a bit was written about Joseph's death. Enemies vilified him and then gravely reacted to his death. Sympathizers regretted the blood and violence. In two chapters the Saints mourned the martyrdom in personal writings and poetry. Believers heroized him in eternal glory and authority.

The best chapter (and longest?) was the last one about how scholars have argued over Joseph Smith. The scholars debate and hold up their evidence and logic, which of course can be countered by other evidence and logic. Bitton doesn't align with thinkers who neither accept or reject Smith and instead seek a middle way. But he is well versed in the literature and gave a good survey, especially on the psychological treatments of Smith. Bitton touched on the philosophy of faith, and ended with a lengthy bibliography.

It was not a clumsy or difficult read, even though the book wasn't driven by narrative. It didn't challenge my assumptions very much or reveal new insights or discoveries. This was a survey of the writings about Joseph Smith as a prophet, friendly for believers, and actually quite revealing about the faith and interests of Bitton himself.… (més)

Here is the best, one-volume history of that eccentric American religious movement known as Mormonism. Arrington and Bitton (both of them now deceased) were two of the first and the finest practitioners of what is known as the "New Mormon History," an historiography that attempted to combine the finest skills of the historian with either a professed faith commitment to Mormonism, or at minimum a healthy skepticism thereof. In other words, "New Mormon Historians" neither produced history that was subordinated to and in service of Mormonism claims of faith, nor that was overtly antagonistic to and suspicious of anything and all things Mormon.
In this case, Arrington and Bitton succeeded admirably. Both were men of faith--Arrington once served as LDS Church Historian (a period known to Mormon historians as "the age of Camelot"), and Bitton was his chief assistant. When both were overthrown by conservative Mormons--chiefly Boyd K. Packer, now the President of Mormonism's so-called "Quorum of the Twelve" and next in line to the Church's presidency--Arrington went quietly to BYU and Bitton to the U of Utah, retiring into academia. Yet both continued to produce works of substance, thwarting Packer's hope to have silenced them permanently.
"The Mormon Experience" does not accept Mormonism's faith claims blindly, nor does it discount them. It is a fine example of two faithful individuals combining their faith with scholarship. Their fine and courageous example has since been a lodestar for many who wrestle with Mormonism's rather outrageous historical claims--angels toting gold plates; temple ceremonies that smack of historical anomalies and Masonic ceremonies; and Joseph Smith's voracious sexual appetites--when weighed against many of its genuine theological insights and innovations.
I for one am glad to have this volume in my library.… (més)