Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is someone everyone is curious about. There are so many misconceptions, and lies about the Prophet Joseph Smith. How are you suppose to know what to believe about him. There are many books, and how do you know which books to trust. Even some books put out by Deseret Book have not added to my testimony on the prophet. Here are some books that have helped me get the know the prophet bette, and a good read for all.
These books are a good place to start on learning about the prophet. If you are your family are going on a Church History Trip and want to learn more about Joseph Smith these are great books for the whole family. What here are many books out about the Prophet Joseph Smith. He changed the world, with the doctrine he introduced of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
There is so much to Joseph Smith's life, so here are some good books to start:
Best Books on Joseph Smith
- “Joseph Smith History told by his Mother”
Joseph Smith History told by his Mother, is one of the best accounts of Church History. Her book is jam packed with amazing stories about her family, starting with her ancestors and goes into the life of her son Joseph Smith and what he had to overcome.
Lucy Mack Smith was older when she recorded this book, and the new additions remind you of her age and that some of the dates were not correct, but I absolutely love this book. The stories in her book are told in different books, but reading amazing story one after another is wonderful. There is such a personal touch hearing it right from Joseph’s mother.
“Work and the Glory” by Gerald N. Lund
It might seem a little funny to have a fictional book as one of the "best books" to read on Joseph Smith, but Gerald Lund did a great job teaching history with great footnotes at the end of chapters, for the history buffs. These books are great to read as a family, with so much information, its the best to read on long drives. There is a lot of information that needs to be unpacked about the Prophet Joseph Smith and Work and the Glory does a good job doing it slowly and making Joseph Smith become a real person. I started reading his books as a seventh grader and fell in love with Church History.
If you would like an ‘easy-to-read’ book for the family this is a great place to start.
Work and the Glory is about a fictional family that lived in the same area of New York where the Prophet Joseph Smith was from. They were there for all the big evens, like the obtaining of the Gold Plates, the translation of The Book of Mormon, moving from New York to Kirtland. The book is packed full of Church History facts and information. The author added the fictional family right into the real life characters of Church History. The book makes you feel like you really know who Joseph Smith is, and what he and his family were like.
I absolutely recommend these books for a great, spiritual introduction to Church History. It is a great book for adults and teenagers.
3. “Saints”
“Saints” is another great read, or listen. This book is a great overview of a lot of information, great factual accounts of real people, and easy to read. The Church put out this book and wanted it for everyone, not just history buffs.
"Saints" is a great book to get a little information on a lot of different people and places. There is a lot of people packed into the book, but it does not go in to depth on them, on purpose. It is a great book for an introduction into Church History.
4. “They Knew the Prophet” By Hyrum L. Andrus
"They Knew the Prophet", is a compilation of quotes and first-hand accounts on the Prophet Joseph Smith. This book was really great because it is not a historian telling the stories of Joseph Smith. It is not a book of people interpreting what should have happened but is is of actual people telling their personal accounts of the prophet Joseph Smith. Some accounts are simple and some are more detailed, but they are all about the prophet Joseph Smith. The accounts of people make you feel like you know the Prophet Joseph Smith, and what he was like. They are not all roses, but there are accounts of people who hated Joseph Smith too, and they are all great accounts to read.
This was a great book, because often you hear terrible things about the prophet Joseph Smith, and reading account after account of the good and kind things he did was very up lifting. The Prophet Joseph Smith was told his name would be had for “good and evil” and we have seen that come to pass. Hearing from real people who knew and loved the prophet was a great read for me!
5. “Precept Upon Precept” by Robert Millet
“Precept upon Precept” by Robert Millet is a wonderful book on Joseph Smith. This books connects the prophets teachings to his life, it is an excellent read. Robert Millet did are great job teaching about the prophet Joseph Smith. It goes through important scenes in the Prophets life and helps the reader know who the Prophet Joseph Smith was.
More Blog Posts on Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith finding the “Right Person” to obtain the Gold Plates
Joseph Smith’s Countenance by Mary Elizabeth Lightner