The Valley of God Summary and Analysis

Joseph left Kirtland, as Ms. Brodie supposes, exiled by his own disciples. For whatever reason he left Kirtland, he was sorrowful about the actions of the members of the church. Ms. Brodie further assumes, with no supporting evidence in the records, that the "Kirtland debacle became a persecution symbol which heightened rather than humbled his sense of destiny...explained only in terms of enemy conspiracy and the machinations of the devil" (p. 209) providing no soul searching and few regrets.

Joseph reached Far West Missouri to the joy of the Saints who had previously settled there. The community had been laid out as Joseph had planned earlier, with wide streets dividing square blocks, a schoolhouse, and the basement of a temple already dug. This was a neat, organized city, with few dissensions among the Saints. Soon...