John Russell of Bluffdale

John Russell of Bluffdale (1793–1863) was a 19th-century American novelist, writer and licensed Baptist preacher. He wrote the first published novel featuring Mormons. Russell was born in Vermont, but lived most of his life in .

In the early 1830s Russell was exposed to the teachings of Mormonism by Parley P. Pratt and William E. McLellin.

Among Russell's works were The Venomous Worm, a pro-temperance story published in McGuffey Readers. He also had published in 1853 The Mormoness, the first published novel featuring a Mormon. It represented a more balanced portrayal of Mormons than most 19th-century mentions, lamenting attacks on their religious freedom while still largely disparaging their beliefs and practices.

Sources[]

• Terryl L. Givens and Matthew J. Grow, Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 57-58.
• John T. Flanagan, "John Russell of Bluffdale", Journal ofo the Illinois State Historical Society, Vol. 2, no. 3, Sep. 1949.