In doing so, Sillito has made a remarkable scholarly contribution for which he should be complimented in the highest possible terms. This is an enormously impressive work — especially the diaries themselves — exhibiting all the hopes, dreams, fears and feelings of a great man as he lived a difficult but productive life. Anyone with any level of interest in Mormon history will devour its contents — and learn a great deal in the process.

One excerpt from the numerous entries may whet the appetite of the potential reader:

March 13, 1893: Am now 36 years of age — one step down from the summit of my life so far as time is concerned, that is if we count 70 years as the time allotted to man. I shall not live that allotted time. Before that time I shall doubtless "Lay me wi' the inglorious dead, forgot & gone." But these sad thoughts aside — thoughts which ever come whenever I think upon this subject, I hope that I shall live long enough to do much more than has yet been done by me. Alas! how little one can accomplish! How like a dream is life in which things seem like shadows that flit about one almost as unstable as the summer clouds which come & go one scarce knows how. I cannot peer much into the future, I wish I could do so more. How I wish I knew where I would be next year at this time and what would be accomplished between now & then.

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E-mail: dennis@desnews.com