The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett

The bane of students of restoration history is that while there is an abundance of primary source material in specialized libraries, there is little straight forward history or biography available. This very readable straight forward bio on Dr. Bennett is an excellent starting place for students of the time and place and events of early Mormonism. I recommend it to those who are interested in taking the measure of Bennett. It remained refreshingly focused on Dr. Bennett and leaves to others the challenge of writing about the other players in these colorful and dramatic events.

Andrew F. Smith's fascinating peek into the wild and crazy life of the 1840's Western Frontier is a valuable piece of historical work. This work is neither pro-Mormon or anti-Mormon and the authors unbiased stance adds credibility to his work. The author set the story in the greater context of the era which helped this reader conclude that "The Saintly Scoundrel"- John C. Bennett fitted right in with all the other "scoundrels" of the time, including Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, James Jesse Strang, Sidney Rigdon, et. al.

Dr. Bennett was indeed a person of questionable morals and ideas, perfect for Mormonism in its Nauvoo, Ill. period. Not well-known in the present Mormon church, he presented quite a thorn in its side after leaving it. First book I've come across that gives a detailed account of his life. His book "History of the Saints" has been torn apart as a book full of lies, but history has proven at least some of it's contents as being factual. Clint Lauricella