(5) = Best; (4) = Better; (3) = Good; (2) = Fair; (1) = OK
These abstracts serve as reminders to myself; they serve to "jog" my memory on what a book was all about. That's all. This is not a literary critique, not a social commentary, and certainly nothing profound to warrant further discussion.
(5) = means that I really enjoyed this book; (1) = means I finished reading it but wonder if my time could have been better spent elsewhere.
The first few chapters of the book sets the stage for understanding what happened at Mountain Meadow. There is a brief history on the founding of the Mormon Church. The experiences, backgrounds, personalities and history of its two leaders - Joseph Smith and Brigham Young - explains the early violence associated with this church. They are charismatic, autocratic leaders who challenged the authority, rule and law of the United States. They remind me of the mass murders one reads in the Old Testament where whole villages, women and children and all the animals were killed.
The killing of Capt. John William Gunnison and a Federal Judge’s description of how he was murdered to his widow was printed in the May 1, 1857 of the NY Times. It served to arouse a horrified nation. This is a prologue to the massacre.
One can jump ahead and read the author’s Acknowledgements at the end of the book to understand why she wrote it. It is a history of the worse mass murder in this country. Jump ahead to the Epilog, too. I was moved by Stewart Udall’s poem. He’s a descendant of the executioners at the meadow.
There is an impressive bibiography and extensive footnotes to document the author’s argument. Denton cites contemporary records and newly discovered documents to support the thesis that, in fact, “the Mormon leader, Brigham young, impelled by the church’s financial crises, facing increasingly intense scrutiny and condemnation by the federal government, incited the crime by both word and deed.” The church to this day is still struggling to absolve itself of responsibility for this act of religious fanaticism.
Of course, there is a showdown between the federal government and this church! I consider this a warning for those who favor religious fundamentalism and theocracies! Power corrupts. The Christian Church is not immune to it. Look at the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials…to name just a few. Look at the Taliban. It is frightful to think of what human beings do in the name of God. Makes me want to puke. (5)
This is what the jacket cover says: “Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who years to travel in search of a worldy treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain, he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with an alchemist. The magical story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our own hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and above all, to follow our dreams.”
Key thoughts are repeated throughout this fable:
Here are a few examples - “The world’s great lie, viz., that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.”
Destiny defined: “whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.”
“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” And so on and so forth. A mix of philosophy, theology, folk lore and mythology. (3)
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