Recently, a new biography was published about Hyrum Smith (1800-1844), Patriarch, Prophet and President of the Church. While I know of at least a dozen biographies of Joseph Smith, I was surprised to discover there are only four published histories of Hyrum (of which I am aware). I now have all four of these accounts in my own library.
As I have been reading this latest life sketch, I compiled a number of links to sites, pages, articles and posts about Hyrum in preparation to share my own thoughts about the new biography. While this may not be an exciting post, I hope it will prove helpful for those wishing to learn more about Hyrum. I know I will use it in my next post.
Books:
1) Hyrum Smith – A Prophet Unsung (2022) by Whitney N. Horning
This is the new biography recently published which I am now reading. Whitney published an excellent biography of Joseph in 2019, which I reviewed on this site previously. As I mentioned in my interview with Dr. Jana Riess, Whitney’s book on Joseph did more to answer my questions about Joseph Smith and polygamy than any other resource I have ever read.
If you have read this new biography, I would encourage you to post a review on the Amazon site. I intend to do so after I finish reading it. I bought the book specifically so I could do so as a “verified purchase.” As a published author, Carol informs me the more reviews she gets on Amazon, the higher on the search rankings it shows, thus more people see and read the book.
Amazon – Amazon Reviews – Benchmark
2) The Other Martyr – Insights From the Life of Hyrum Smith (2020) by Susan Easton Black
I read this one in about two hours. It’s a little over 100 pages. I like her writing style and enjoyed the book. Yes, it is a light summary and was not intended to be an exhaustive treatise on the life of Hyrum. I highly recommend it for those who want a short, yet concise summary of Hyrum’s life. I did not care for this critical review from the Association for Mormon Letters.
Amazon – Deseret Book – Barnes & Noble
3) Hyrum Smith – A Life of Integrity (2003) by Jeffrey S. O’Driscoll
Isn’t that a beautiful painting of Hyrum by Del Parson featured on the cover? As the author mentions, he is not a descendant of Hyrum, but wrote the book at the request of a friend who is. As he noted in the beginning, he believes he adds additional insights into Hyrum’s life based on new material that became available since Corbett’s 1963 biography.
Amazon – Deseret Book – Barnes & Noble (less expensive):
4) Hyrum Smith – Patriarch: (1963) by Pearson H. Corbett
This was one of the first biographies published about Hyrum by one of his descendants. It is a good resource for succeeding authors who reference it, and includes a lot of material to which the author had access that was not publicly available at the time. My copy is from the “Classics in Mormon Literature Series” and is a reprint published in 1995.
Amazon (1995 reprint)- Here is a link to a Less expensive edition
Additional Resources:
Denver Snuffer Blog Post Series (2012):
Hyrum Smith – Hyrum Smith Part 2 – Hyrum Smith Part 3
Denver Snuffer Podcast Transcript (2019) – This is a great podcast containing some unique insights into Hyrum’s life.
Goodreads:
O’Driscoll – Corbett – Black – Horning
If you get a chance, and have read Whitney’s book, please leave a review on Goodreads. I intend to do so along with my Amazon review.
Hyrum Smith Family Association
Joseph Smith Papers – A specific link to a page with all references to Hyrum
Church History – A short biographical sketch from the official church history site.
Church History Museum – An interesting article showing the clothes Hyrum wore in Carthage.
Family Search – Link opens to a page full of Hyrum’s genealogy, ancestors and descendants.
Find a Grave – Another helpful family history site with pictorial links to Hyrum’s family.
Hyrum Smith Papers at BYU Archives (donated by Eldred G Smith)
Elder Ballard (descendant) – Three Ensign articles (1994-1995):
Ronald K. Esplin – An Ensign article from 2000 -The Mildness of a Lamb, the Integrity of Job
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