The Rise of Mormonism: 1816-1844

Author Reveals Secret History of Mormonism as 200th Anniversary of Founder’s Birthday Nears LONGWOOD, FL— You may have heard that Joseph Smith was the prophet of Mormonism. What you may not know are some of the shocking things he did. For example: Smith secretly married female converts, including other men's wives. With the upcoming 200th anniversary celebration of Smith’s birth (December 23), undoubtedly there will be a growing curiosity concerning his teachings, beliefs, and personal legacy. A new book from Xulon Press sheds light on the history of the Latter-day Saints religion (Mormonism) in a way few titles have ever done, including an overview of the movement’s evolution, conflicts, and sacrifices made by church members. Much inaccurate information is printed about the Mormons, so here is an open, honest, and refreshing history of the foundational years of the Latter-day Saints restoration movement. In The Rise of Mormonism: 1816-1844 (August, $29.99, 1-59781-470-9, $43.99, 1-59781-471-7) author H. Michael Marquardt paints an accurate portrayal of the early years of Mormonism, based upon historical records. Using an objective, balanced, and respectful approach, Marquardt takes into account the spiritual aspects of the movement from the early story of finding gold plates to the tragic death of its founder. Marquardt studied on location where the events took place and uses primary sources to cover a twenty-five-year period, including early stories regarding how Joseph Smith claimed he discovered the Book of Mormon. Although not a dedicated biography on Joseph Smith, the book does deal with the "Treasure Hunter" who thought angels talked to him. Did Joseph Smith believe in one God or many gods? Readers will discover what Smith’s final thoughts were on this. What about the extra scriptures? Marquardt deals with this too. H. Michael Marquardt has written, published, and assisted others in writing on Mormon topics for more than thirty years. He is an independent historian and a longtime research consultant of the Latter-day Saints. He is also the author of The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text and Commentary (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1999). He has traveled to historical sites where the events took place and studied at repositories that preserve documents, journals, letters, and newspapers. Xulon Press is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,500 titles published to date. Retailers may order The Rise of Mormonism: 1816-1844 through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. # # #