After the Martyrdom

by. Jerald R. Johansen

This book is a well-prepared, highly readable, carefully documented explanation of many little-known events in the era following the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It spans the period from June 27, 1844, when Joseph and Hyrum were slain, to December 10, 1914, when Joseph Smith III, the last living child of Joseph and Emma, passed away.

After the Martyrdom vividly describes Emma's trials after Joseph's death. She was almost forty when he died, and pregnant with his child. Their son was born five months later, and Emma was left to raise five fatherless children. The book chronicles her increasing bitterness, her remarriage, and the many difficult events she endured before her life ended in 1879.

It tells of the formation of the Reorganized Church in 1860, with 27-year-old Joseph Smith III as its reluctant leader; their extensive efforts to win converts from among the Utah Mormons; and their support of the anti-polygamy crusades which brought great suffering and persecution to Utah.

After the Martyrdom also deals at length with the pros and cons of the doctrine of plural marriage, the differing historical perceptions of that practice by the Utah Mormons and the Reorganized faction, and the end of the practice with the Manifestos of 1890 and 1904.

Reading this remarkable book will increase the knowledge, understanding, and faith of all who pursue its pages. It's highly recommended!