Newest Biography of Joseph Smith (John Turner 1 of 6)

How did a non-Mormon who teaches in Virginia get interested in Mormon History? John Turner has written the newest biography of Joseph Smith. He is a professor of History at George Mason University and has written not only the pre-eminent biography of Brigham Young, but has a new biography called "Joseph Smith: The Rise & Fall of an American Prophet." We'll discuss both of these amazing biographies and why he chooses to write about these important Mormon figures. Check out our conversation...



Don’t miss our other conversations with John: https://gospeltangents.com/people/john-turner/



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Dive Deep into Joseph Smith and Brigham Young with Historian John Turner!

Are you a fan of Mormon history, science, and theology? Then you won't want to miss the latest interview on Gospel Tangents, featuring renowned East Coast scholar Dr. John Turner. Rick sat down with Dr. Turner to discuss his brand-new book, "Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet," which is set to release on Amazon on June 17th.

Meet the Historian: Dr. John Turner

Dr. John Turner is a professor at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Turner's academic journey is quite interesting:



* He completed his undergraduate degree in History and German at Middlebury College in Vermont.

* He then pursued his PhD in US History at the University of Notre Dame.

* Interestingly, he took a detour during his PhD to earn a Master of Divinity at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, an experience he found helpful for writing about religious experience and doctrine with more information and sensitivity.



Turner's interest in Latter-day Saint history was sparked by meeting "extremely winsome and engaging personalities" like Patrick Mason and Matt Grow while at Notre Dame. He also realized that the Latter-day Saint story was a bit of local history for him, having grown up near Palmyra, New York, "where it all began." Although his dissertation focused on American evangelicalism, he sought to learn new things for his second project and found the Joseph Smith and Brigham Young eras "so fascinating.”

Non-Mormon Scholar's Perspective on Mormon History

Dr. Turner has authored multiple books on Mormonism, including "Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet" and "The Mormon Jesus," in addition to his new Joseph Smith biography. As a non-Mormon (he identifies as Trinitarian), Turner notes a key difference in his approach: he can express his conclusions and share his findings without worrying about "an ecclesiastical reaction" or "getting excommunicated," which might be a concern for Latter-day Saint scholars. He is "pretty single-minded" when working on a book, focusing on one project at a time.

Inspiration Behind the Joseph Smith Biography

Turner found it "a really good time to take on a Jo Smith biography"11. His primary motivations for writing about Joseph Smith, especially after his Brigham Young book, were twofold12:



* Engaging Foundational Questions: Writing about Brigham Young allowed him to largely "take for granted" core beliefs and events, but with Joseph Smith, it was an "opportunity and a challenge to return to that... foundational time period" and "engage some hard questions". These include questions about golden plates, divine messages, and Joseph's motivations for plural marriage.

* Joseph Smith as a Biographical Subject: Turner describes Joseph Smith as...