Christopher Blythe’s name may sound familiar to readers with an interest in Latter-day history. Currently a Willes Research Associate at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship and co-editor of the Journal of Mormon History, he has published extensively on Joseph Smith and early Mormon history as well as co-editing two volumes of the Joseph Smith Papers. With an interest in religious studies, history, and folklore/anthropology, he is a member of the new generation of Latter-day historians who employ interdisciplinary approaches and methods in their work to arrive at a more nuanced and contextualized analysis. It is in this fashion that Blythe investigates the history of apocalyptic visions that have characterized Mormonism since its inception.
Chapter 1 takes the reader back to the days of Joseph Smith and surveys the visions the prophet and some of his contemporaries in the church experienced. Acknowledging the highly apocalyptic nature...
