The newest issue of Smithsonian is out, with an eight-page article of Mormon history: David Roberts, “The Brink of War,” Smithsonian, June 2008, 44-51. The cover title (“The Utah War”) and interior heading (“One hundred fifty years ago, the U.S. Army marched into Utah prepared to battle Brigham Young and his Mormon militia”) summarize its chief focus and suggest the reason it is being published in this issue, on the anniversary of the de jure — if not the de facto — ending of the Utah War (that’s “Johnston’s Army” if you’re familiar with the more parochial label). This article covers a far broader slice of Mormon history than that, however. Continue reading From our exchanges: “The Brink of War,” Smithsonian, June 2008 →