Mormon Envoy:
The Diplomatic Legacy of
Dr. John Milton Bernhisel
"An erudite biography. . . . Worthen does an excellent job of tracing Bernhisel's diplomacy and highlights his efforts to reconcile the Latter-day Saints' push for autonomy with the government's concern about the potential for a Western separatist movement in the lead-up to the Civil War. "
--Publishers Weekly
"Worthen's biography of Bernhisel is also an elegantly written history lesson."
--Library Journal
"In this aptly titled and impressively researched book, Bruce W. Worthen offers a fresh perspective on the historiography of events that brought Utah into conflict with the federal government in the 1850s."
--Western Historical Quarterly
"Worthen does an excellent job of emphasizing Bernhisel's accomplishments in Mormon Envoy."
--Journal of Mormon History
"Worthen achieved his goal of using Bernhisel's life as 'a powerful lens through which to view the Mormon conflict with antebellum America' (p. 7). His book reflects recent scholarship and historiographical trends in both Mormon and Western history."
--Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society
"I highly recommend Worthen's book for both historians and casual readers who are interested in knowing more about some of the unheralded members of [Brigham] Young's supporting cast."
--Utah Historical Quarterly
"What Worthen has given readers is a candidate for 'bookshelf essential,' especially for those looking for fresh perspectives on the often-told and widely-documented early events of Restoration history. Academically impeccable, Mormon Envoy is a good yarn, and Bernhisel's unique perspective makes for a narratively fascinating vantage amidst these dueling saints and senators."
--John Whitmer Historical Association Journal
"Historians strive for objectivity, honesty, and sound methodology as they work in and with the past -- but a key ingredient to all these approaches is the willingness to let these historical figures be who they were, and not who we want them to be. All in all, Mormon Envoy offers readers an important look and valuable insights into the life of John M. Bernhisel."
--Association of Mormon Letters
"Bruce W. Worthen... has written a long overdue and well-researched biography of an important figure in early Latter-day Saint and Utah History: John Milton Bernhisel (1799-1881). This is an excellent, interesting, and readable book."
--South Dakota History