The City of the Mormons

In Short

An English divinity professor crosses the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1842 to investigate the growing Latter-day Saints movement firsthand. He tours the rising city, observes open-air Sunday preaching, views Egyptian papyri framed as holy relics, and tests Joseph Smith with a Greek manuscript. Combining vivid travel reportage, sharp theological debate, and hostile local testimony, the author frames Mormonism as an absurdity and a dangerous fraud. The narrative survives as a rare, highly specific contemporary portrait of early frontier Mormonism captured at its physical and political height through the eyes of an unsparing Anglican critic.

The Story

The journey opens as Henry Caswall stands on the Iowa banks of the Mississippi River, seeking passage across to the sprawling settlement of Nauvoo. Joining thirteen Mormon converts in a dugout canoe, he braves a treacherous river current to reach the rapidly expanding town. Upon arrival, he climbs the rising ground to inspect the half-built stone temple overlooking the river, where he meets believers who estimate the local population at nearly ten thousand.

Caswall attends a Sunday outdoor service where elders address the crowd. One preacher discards his jacket in the heat and delivers a sermon attacking traditional Christian views of God, arguing that divine revelation must exist for ancient American civilizations just as it did in Asia. The service blends religious instruction with practical civic affairs, as leaders use the platform to announce missing property, including a lost ten-dollar bill and a stolen keg of white lead, warning the thief that punishment awaits within city limits. Following the service, Caswall inspects the temple grounds, examining a massive wooden baptismal font supported by twelve life-sized carved oxen.

Seeking direct interaction with the leadership, Caswall visits the office of Joseph Smith. There, a storekeeper displays framed papyrus sheets unrolled from mummies, claiming Smith deciphered them as original writings of Abraham. Caswall also meets Smith’s mother, who offers her solemn testimony regarding her son's discovery of the golden plates, the Urim and Thummim spectacles, and the sacred breastplate.

The climax arrives when Caswall meets Joseph Smith himself. Carrying a ancient Greek Psalter, Caswall presents the manuscript to Smith, asking him to translate it. Smith erroneously declares the text to be a dictionary of Egyptian hieroglyphics, leading surrounding followers to celebrate their leader's supernatural insight. Caswall counters the claim, setting off heated debates with Smith’s followers over apostolic authority, biblical prophecy, and the lack of genuine miracles supporting Smith’s claims.

Retreating across the river to Iowa, Caswall gathers damaging testimony from neighboring residents. Local witnesses describe instances of public intoxication involving Smith, broken promises made to impoverished English converts, and chaotic baptismal rituals. He concludes his account with an urgent appeal to traditional Christian readers, warning them against the movement's rapid expansion in Great Britain and North America.

How It Unfolds

Crossing the Mississippi Caswall joins thirteen Mormons in a hollowed-out tree canoe to navigate the swift currents of the river. He arrives on the shores of Nauvoo and ascends the hill to inspect the rising stone walls of the unfinished temple.

Observing the open-air service Standing among the crowd, Caswall listens to Mormon elders dismiss traditional biblical theology in favor of new American revelations. The meeting abruptly shifts from theology to community notices regarding lost money and a stolen keg of white lead.

Examining the temple and papyri A local convert shows Caswall the temple's wooden baptismal font resting on twelve carved oxen while explaining his conversion. Afterwards, in Smith's private office, a guide presents framed Egyptian papyri, claiming they depict Abraham, Jacob's ladder, and the devil.

Testing the prophet Caswall meets Joseph Smith in the street and hands him a Greek Psalter to test his divine translation powers. Smith confidently misidentifies the manuscript as Egyptian hieroglyphics, prompting praise from his devoted followers.

Debating the believers In the aftermath of the test, Caswall engages in a fiery theological argument with an American convert and a local doctor over divine authority and moral character. The doctor argues that a prophet can commit severe personal sins while still delivering true revelations.

Collecting local testimony Returning to Iowa, Caswall interviews residents and gathers reports detailing Smith's alleged public drunkenness and harsh treatment of struggling English immigrants. He concludes the book by urging orthodox Christians to actively oppose the spread of the movement.

The People

• Henry Caswall: An Anglican minister and divinity professor who travels to Nauvoo to investigate Mormonism. Intent on exposing what he views as a dangerous heresy, he uses his knowledge of ancient languages to test Joseph Smith's authority, remaining an unyielding defender of traditional church orthodoxy throughout his visit.
• Joseph Smith: The founder and leader of the Latter-day Saints, described by Caswall as a coarse, plain-spoken man holding immense authority as prophet, mayor, and general. He claims the ability to translate ancient records, confidently identifying a Greek text as Egyptian script to maintain his position before his followers.
• Lucy Mack Smith: The mother of Joseph Smith, who warmly receives Caswall in her home. She presents a firm, emotional defense of her son's divine calling, offering eye-witness testimony about handling the golden plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the gold breastplate.
• The Mormon Doctor: A committed follower who rides in the canoe with Caswall across the Mississippi. He aggressively defends the movement, arguing that the divine truth of Smith's revelations remains completely valid even if Smith himself engages in fraudulent or immoral behavior.

In Its Own Voice

"In this doubtful-looking craft, thirteen Mormons on their way to the meeting in Nauvoo, proceeded to take their seats."

Caswall describes his precarious crossing of the Mississippi River alongside local converts.

"No, it ain't Greek at all; except, perhaps, a few words. What ain't Greek, is Egyptian; and what ain't Egyptian, is Greek."

Joseph Smith evaluates Caswall's Greek Psalter, mistaking the ancient text for Egyptian hieroglyphics.

"He might be a swindler, a liar, a drunkard, a swearer, and still be a true prophet."

A Mormon doctor argues to Caswall that a religious leader's personal flaws do not invalidate his divine revelations.

What It's Really About

Underneath its travel narrative and local color, the book is a fierce debate over religious authority, revelation, and legitimacy on the American frontier. Caswall argues that genuine divine revelation must align with historic Christian orthodoxy and be backed by verified, undeniable miracles. He presents Mormonism as an exploitation of spiritual gullibility, driven by charismatic leadership and false claims of modern prophecy. Beyond theological disputes, the text addresses the social displacement of European immigrants drawn to the American West by promises of a restored church. It serves as an early document on how mainstream European religious institutions viewed new American religious movements during the nineteenth century.

Why Read It Today

This account appeals to readers fascinated by nineteenth-century American history, religious movements, and frontier travel. Caswall writes with a sharp, observant eye, capturing details of daily life, landscape, and dialogue in early Nauvoo. His prose moves quickly from vivid descriptions of river crossings to intense personal encounters.

The reader should be prepared for the author's open hostility toward his subjects. Writing as an Anglican clergyman, Caswall makes no attempt at neutral observation; his explicit purpose is to discredit the movement, and his language reflects the religious biases of his era. He frequently dismisses Mormon beliefs as absurdities and includes unverified local gossip alongside his own direct observations.

What remains compelling is the immediacy of the reporting. Caswall gives readers a direct seat at a historical encounter, capturing the physical landscape of the Mississippi valley and the voices of ordinary believers attempting to build a new society on the edge of the wilderness.