Decades in the making, an original graphic novel biography about the life of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Latter-Day Saints
In Joseph Smith and the Mormons, author and illustra
tor Noah Van Sciver, who was raised a Mormon, covers one of history’s most controversial figures, Joseph Smith—who founded a religion which is practiced by millions all over the world.
This book discusses all of the monumental moments during Smith’s life, including the anti-Mormon threats and violence which caused his followers to move from New York to Ohio, Smith’s receiving the divine commandment of plural marriage, his imprisonment, his announcement to run for president of the United States, and his ultimate murder by an angry mob in 1844 at the young age of 38.
With a respectful and historical approach, and strikingly illustrated, this graphic novel is the ultimate book for those curious about the origins of the Mormon faith and the man who started it all.
“A nuanced graphic biography of Mormonism’s founder . . . Van Sciver was raised Mormon and expertly threads the needle here, allowing space for genuine belief while highlighting human moments of doubt, dissembling, and anger in the Latter-Day Saint prophet.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Praise
Booklist, STARRED review?“An extraordinary, full-color chronicle [of Joseph Smith] . . . Gobsmacked reactions indubitably await. . . . audiences with an interest in the origins of major religions will discover multilayered, you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up history here.”
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?“Van Sciver (One Dirty Tree) pulls off an ambitious feat: a nuanced graphic biography of Mormonism’s founder. . . . Van Sciver was raised Mormon and expertly threads the needle here, allowing space for genuine belief while highlighting human moments of doubt, dissembling, and anger in the Latter-day Saint prophet. It’s an exemplar graphic narrative, reminiscent of Chester Brown’s Louis Riel, and will resonate with both believers and skeptics.”Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
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“This graphic history/biography is intensive with dialogue and text, but it’s particularly eloquent on the wordless pages, which allow Van Sciver’s artistry to shine through. The author ably captures the world in which Joseph Smith and his followers made their way west through the wilderness, facing persecution and charges of perfidy at every turn. . . . Beautifully drawn, contentious, and word-heavy, offering everything about early Mormonism that anyone might like to know.”Kirkus Reviews
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