From Mission to Madness: LAST SON OF THE MORMON PROPHET

Excellent historical biography of a very talented, Godly, yet troubled young man!

Compelling! Yo won't regret reading it.As a member of the LDS Community I highly recommend it to church members as well as members of the community of Christ and really anyone who loves a compelling and all too obscure tidbit of American history.

A laborious, depressing read but worth every tear stained page. Was the murder of the father he never met suffering enough? Apparently not.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this.

David Hyrum Smith's life was one of tragedy and mystery.

Very nice enjoyed reading about the last born son of Joseph Smith

The book From Mission to Madness proves that mental illness can afflict even the posterity of the Prophets. David H. Smith, son of the famed Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, never lived to know his father; he missed the fatherly embrace by five months. Much to Brigham Young's dismay, David became affiliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was one of its most effective and revered missionaries. Mental illness overcame him, and he spent the last three decades of his life in a mental hospital. Avery performed wonderfully well in framing his life story, using personal and official RLDS church correspondence. I felt the heartache and pain that David's family experienced as they struggled, hoped and despaired. This book was so engaging that I actually read the entire book in less than two weeks (which, for me, is noteworthy when considering any non-fiction work over 100 pages). David Smith's life was replete with pathos and unfulfilled expectations (he was destined to take his father's place as Prophet). The book also adequately describes the perpetual tension that existed, and at times does currently exist, between the Utah and the RLDS Mormon churches. Even though Avery placed an inordinant emphasis on Smith's poetical works, I would recommend this book to all.

Worth your time!

Avery is an excellent writer and she holds her readers throughout the book. She is a very astute historian sharing her research with her readers in a way that is easy to understand.