Mormon Enigma, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery's 1984 biography of Emma Hale Smith from Doubleday, is the standard biography of Joseph Smith's wife, written by two Latter-day Saint historians who treat her opposition to plural marriage, her decision not to go west, and her later denials directly. Church authorities restricted the authors from speaking at church venues for a period after publication, later lifted, and the book is now routinely cited in church-published scholarship, which speaks to its accuracy outlasting the initial controversy. Its limit is that it remains one biography's synthesis; disputed specific claims should be checked against its own extensive citations.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery's Mormon Enigma, published by Doubleday in 1984, the top tier reflecting the standard biography of Emma Hale Smith by two Latter-day Saint historians who treat her opposition to plural marriage directly; church authorities restricted the authors from speaking at church venues for a period, later lifted, and the book is now routinely cited in church-published scholarship. Its limit is that it remains one biography's synthesis; disputed specific claims should be checked against its own extensive citations. NotesThe standard biography of Emma Smith. Written by two Latter-day Saint historians, it treats her opposition to plural marriage, her decision not to go west and her later denials directly. Church authorities restricted its authors from speaking at church venues for a period after publication, a restriction later lifted; the book is now routinely cited in church-published scholarship.
Citation
AuthorLinda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery
PublisherDoubleday
Publication Year1984
Source Typeacademic biography
Claims Backed By This Source (11 claims)
This source backs 11 claims across the atlas. As facts: 10 well-attested. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 7 claims: 7 well-attested.
- Historical Figures, 3 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Articles, 1 claims: 1 well-attested.
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