Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods/Rewording secondary sources

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One Nation Under Gods: Rewording secondary sources



A FAIR Analysis of: One Nation Under Gods, a work by author: Richard Abanes

Sometimes when reading a work critical of the Church, we feel that we've seen the flow of concepts and sometimes even similar wording somewhere before. This section documents some such instances in this work. There is a touch of familiarity in this prose...

Borrowing prose from Fawn Brodie's No Man Knows My History

One Nation Under Gods Brodie's prose in No Man Knows My History
  • ONUG 115: "The Missourians further satiated their thirst for violence by tarring and feathering Mormons Edward Partridge and Charles Allen."
  • Brodie, p. 133: "...the mob thirsted for the sport of mauling men, and Edward Partridge and Charles Allen fell victim to that ever-popular diversion, the tar-and-feather party."
  • ONUG 117: "They had neither provision, nor direction. some fled to nearby Clay County, but most of those exiled remained huddled in the woodlands by the Missouri River. Their only comfort was the hope that Christ would soon deliver them."
  • Brodie, p. 137: "A few fled to Clay County, where they were received with sympathy; the majority huddled for days among the cottonwoods lining the Missouri River, hungry, weaponless, and leaderless, praying passionately for a miracle."
  • ONUG 123: "Joseph knew that nothing short of a spectacular closing to the dedication week would be acceptable to the crowds. So during the final April 3 service, Smith and Oliver Cowdery, with great ceremonial show, disappeared from the congregation behind two special veils that had been lowered in front of them. No one knew what would happen..."
  • Brodie, p. 179: "But all the ecstasy that had been flaming for a fortnight paled before the dramatic effulgence of the final services. The temple was filled and overflowing. Joseph and Oliver Cowdery climbed to their pulpits and motioned for the veils to be lowered about them. The audience sat enrapt..."
  • ONUG 146: "While on a bluff overlooking the waterway, a member of his party discovered a rocky formation vaguely reminiscent of an ancient altar. Joseph gazed at the rocks, then noticed the lush prarie stretching out before him..."
  • Brodie, p. 211: "On a high bluff overlooking the river someone in the party discovered the ruins of what seemed to be an altar and excitedly led the prophet to it. After examining it, Joseph stood silent, his eye sweeping over the prarie that rolled away beneath him..."
  • ONUG 198: "Joseph, with his brother, Hyrum, decided instead to flee into Iowa. Once there, however they began to have misgivings about running from the law. First, they had abandoned their flock, which produced in them a significant degree of guilt. Second, their presence in Iowa did not insure their safety since that territory's governor had never agreed to ignore Missouri's extradition order for Smith on the old charge of treason..."
  • Brodie, p. 384: "But the river was only one factor in Joseph's gloom. He was landing in Iowa, where there was still a price on his head. The Governor of the Iowa Territory had never agreed not to extradite him to Missouri on the old charge of treason. Moreover, Joseph had neither equipment nor appetite for the lonely and savage western trails. And he could not stifle a sense of guilt at deserting his people..."
  • ONUG 199: "Joseph scribbled another message addressed to Jonathan Dunham, telling him to bring the Nauvoo Legion in order to 'break the jail, and save him at all costs.' The messengers galloped off with Smith's communiques. (internally quoted section is attributed to Brodie)
  • Brodie, p. 392: "Hastily he scribbled an order to Jonathan Dunham to bring the Legion, break the jail, and save him at all costs. Within seconds two messengers bearing this order and the letter to Emma were off at a frantic gallop..."
  • ONUG 201: "For a few moments he just swung there helplessly from the sill as the mob watched. Levi Williams shouted, "Shoot him!...Shoot the damned rascal!" But before anyone could fire, Smith dropped to the ground..."
  • Brodie, p. 394: "For an instant he hung to the sill swinging, while Levi Williams, the colonel commanding the Warsaw militia, shouted: "Shoot him! *** **** him! Shoot the damned rascal!" But no one shot...