Description
Book SynopsisInvestigates whether the unconventional religious beliefs of their colonial ancestors predisposed early Mormon converts to embrace the radical message of Joseph Smith Jr and his new church. This book uncovers the ancestors of early church members throughout what we understand as the radical segment of the Protestant Reformation.
Trade ReviewSmith-Petit Best First Book Award from the Mormon History Association, 2005.
"Rust has succeeded in raising some very interesting questions that deserve our attention and provide the basis for what is likely to be a long, interesting, and productive discussion."--Jenny Hale Pulsipher,
BYU StudiesTable of ContentsPreface ix
Acknowledgements xiii
1. Early Mormons: A Peculiar People 1
2. Ancestors of Early LDS Converts 20
3. The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony 36
4. Puritan Ancestors in Massachusetts and Maine 50
5. Puritan Ancestors in Connecticut 60
6. Schismatic New England 72
7. The Antinomian Crisis 85
8. Anabaptists, Quakers, and Gortonists 95
9. LDS Ancestors Engaged in Alchemy and Astrology 115
10. Witchcraft among LDS Ancestors 127
11. Generational Connections 140
12. Ancestors of the American Religions 153
Appendix 167
Notes 209
Index 243
