During his apprenticeship to become a prophet (1820-30), Joseph Smith, Jr., learned from village mentors how to use a divining rod; a seer stone; a hat to shield his eyes in order to see hidden treasures; and amulets, incantations, and rituals to summon spirits. In this impressive study of Mormon origins and Christian mysticism, Quinn demonstrates how different from current norms early American religious practices could be.
SPECIAL FEATURES: * Revised & enlarged edition * Best Book Award, Mormon History Association * 94 b&w photographs of seer stones, etc.
D. Michael Quinn is a writer and educator who graduated from Yale University. Quinn was a professor as well as the director of the graduate history program at Bringham Young University. Quinn's scholarly knowledge of Mormon and American histories led him to write The Mormon Hierarchy, and Same Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example. Quinn has been a grant recipient from such institutions as Yale University, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has also been awarded the George W. Egleston Prize, the Samuel F. Bemis Prize, and the Best Book and Best Article awards from the Mormon History Association.