Prophet and the Reformer

Brigham Young and Thomas L. Kane first met on the plains of western Iowa in 1846 The Mormon prophet and the Philadelphia reformer would go on to exchange more than one hundred letters over the next three decades. This annotated collection of their correspondence reveals a great deal about these two remarkable men, while also providing crucial insight into nineteenth-century Mormonism and the historical moment in which the movement developed. Until his death in 1877, Young guided the religious, economic, and political life of the Mormon community, whose settlements spread throughout the West and provoked a profound political, legal, and even military confrontation with the American nation. Young relied on Kane, 21 years his junior, as his most trusted outside adviser, making Kane the most important non-Mormon in the history of the Church. In return, no one influenced the direction of Kane's life more than Young. The survivingletters offer crucial insights into Young's personal life and views as well as his actions as a political and religious leader. The correspondence reveals the strategies of the Latter-day Saints in relating to American culture and government during these crucial years when the "Mormon Question" was a majorpolitical, cultural, and legal issue. The letters also shed important light on the largely forgotten "Utah War" of 1857-58, triggered when President James Buchanan dispatched a military expedition to ensure federal supremacy in Utah and replace Young with a non-Mormon governor. The Prophet and the Reformer offers a complete reproduction of the exchange between Young and Kane, and provides an introduction to each letter that contextualizes and analyzes it.

Two intriguing characters, Brigham Young and Thomas Kane, in their own words; Mormons under pressure from the United States army; the Church struggling for survival in a hostile environment while the nation goes to war with itself. They are all here in this expertly edited collection of letters and compelling narrative of two critical decades in Mormon history., [The book] reveals a profound mutual respect between the two men, and their correspondence provides considerable insight regarding the relationship of the Mormons and the US government during years that were critical for the church

Matthew J. Grow received his PhD in U. S. history from the University of Notre Dame (2006) and previously taught history at the University of Southern Indiana, where he directed the Center for Communal Studies. He is currently director of publications for the Church Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a general editor of the Joseph Smith Papers. His first two books book, "Liberty to theDowntrodden": Thomas L. Kane, Romantic Reformer and Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism have both received the Best Book of the Year from the Mormon History Association.Ronald W. Walker has lived the past thirty-five years in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the author or co-author of more than five dozen scholarly articles and nine books.