Of the many correspondents of Joseph Smith in the early history of the Mormon Church movement, James Arlington Bennet was surely among the most eccentric. A flamboyant self-promoter and mathematician who likely suffered from a personality disorder, Bennet engaged in both a public and private correspondence not only with Smith, but with other leaders of the time. Brigham Young thought well enough of him when meeting Bennet on Long Island, New York, that he briefly gained the trust of Mormon leaders. Smith even made him inspector general of the Nauvoo Legion in 1842, presented him with an honorary doctor of laws degree, and considered him as a possible vice-presidential running mate in 1843. But Bennet's penchant for lying and self-aggrandizement led eventually to the exposure of his true character and relegated him to the sidelines of any meaningful involvement with the Latter-day Saints. He may have had...

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