We'll Find the Place: The Mormon Exodus, 1846-1848 Rating :
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Great Book With Some Editing Issues
By B. Graff
A great descriptive telling of the 1847 trek to the Salt Lake Valley by the first companies of Mormon pioneers. Interesting narratives, a variety of source material and rich characters make for a well-written story of the trek itself and the challenges generally faced by Mormons following the death of Joseph Smith. There is a lot in the account that many members of the church most likely didn't know or understand - that was certainly the case for me, a life-long and active member of the church. It's a book worth reading; however, the book suffers from serious editing problems - including misplaced pages in several places. This sloppiness detracts from a well-researched and well-written history.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Best by a long shot on the Mormon Exodus
By A Customer
I have read countless books on the Mormon pioneers and none of them come close to this wonderful book. Bennett has lots of unique insights as well as previuosly unpublished source material. His treatment of the succession of the presidency after the death of Joseph Smith alone makes this book worth reading. His epilogue is the most insightful summary essay on the Mormon exodus that I have seen anytime, anywhere, written by anyone. Again, a wonderful book!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.A complete telling of the staggering Mormon Exodus from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley
By Craig Matteson
Richard E. Bennett wrote the book that remains the best volume on the Mormon experience in finding, settling, and leaving Winter Quarters and the surrounding lands from 1846-1852. His masterwork from 1987 is entitled "Mormons at the Missouri: Winter Quarters 1846-1852" Mormons at the Missouri, Winter Quarters, 1846-1852. It was lightly updated in 2004 and this is the edition I reviewed it in April 2013. You can find my review of it here on Amazon.
This work, from 1997, was written as part of the commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the entering and settling of the Great Basin by the Mormons in 1847. This work is not meant to replace the work on Winter Quarters and does not cover that period in as much detail as that work. However, this book tells the whole tale of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith through the exodus from Nauvoo, the trials at Winter Quarters, some aspects of the Mormon Battalion, the travel by the ship Brooklyn by some Mormons to San Francisco (Yerba Buena), and the eventual settling of the Salt Lake Valley.
This book manages the trick of being authoritative and scholarly without being heavy, pedantic, or obscure. There are many drawings, paintings, photos, maps, documents and tables that enrich our understanding of the text, and for those that want them, there is a wealth of additional information and guide to further reading in the footnotes at the end of each chapter. I would encourage you to read them.
I particularly enjoyed learning in detail about the Camp of Israel, the pioneer camp, that had the mission of getting to the valley first and planting crops and preparing for those who came later. And I was particularly moved by how seriously and fervently Brigham led these men to be true to their mission and to be clean before the Lord. He fervently did not want them to repeat the failures of Zion's Camp and bring the displeasure and punishments of God that could lead to the failure of their mission.
Another aspect of the Mormon Exodus that was not clear to me before was how many components there were and how many separate migrations there were. This was a complex movement of a vast number of people, many of whom were poor and ill prepared for such a difficult and arduous journey. Brigham wanted them brought along, cared for, and protected. This did not always happen as it should have, but to the extent it did it was remarkable.
Similarly, the settling of the valley in their poverty and in haste was amazing. I am pretty sure I could not have accomplished it. Then, the plague of the crickets and the miracle of the sea gulls was different than the image I had accumulated as a child in my primary and Sunday School classes or even Seminary. It happened over weeks, and was experienced differently in different parts of the valley. Some found it a miracle and a deliverance from the infestation. Others just experienced the plague and barely survived with their remaining crops. This was a very tough period for these people. After the journey, they got to live in adobe mud huts with dirt floors or LESS. It was quite a while before they started living even badly by our standards. That they survived at all seems to me a great miracle. Some could not take it and left. But most stayed and found ways to survive.
This is a marvelous story that has no equal in American History. I encourage everyone to read it. This book is NOT just for Mormons. The fortitude, strength, devotion, and faith of these thousands in their journey is staggering and my life was blessed by all they endured and accomplished. If you read this book and learn their story, I believe yours will be, too.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Saline, Michigan
Product Description
Following the journey of the original pioneer camp of 1847 to the Salt Lake Valley and concluding with the first conference of the church there in 1848, Richard E. Bennett shows the inner workings of the Mormon exodus by probing the minds and hearts of those who suffered and triumphed through this remarkably difficult hour in Latter-day Saint history.
A work many years in the making, We’ll Find the Place looks behind the scenes to reveal Mormonism on the move, its believers sacrificing home, comfort, and sometimes life itself as they sought a safe refuge beyond the Rocky Mountains. It is faithful both to the convictions of the early pioneers and to the records they kept.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1251888 in Books
- Published on: 2009-04-25
- Original language:English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.78" h x5.91" w x.98" l,1.35 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 448 pages
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