Matthias In The Second Great Awakening

Pages 3-11 introduce the story of controversial Matthias the Prophet and the turbulent religious movements that arose in the late 1820s and 1830. This is under the chapter entitled, Prologue: Two Prophets at Kirtland. Beginning with Prophet Matthias travelling to Mormon Settlement in Kirtland, the chapter fundamentally focuses on the religious terrain that Matthias endured after release from prison. While his attempt to endear himself to the Mormon Prophet Smith and the Mormon Church failed, he played a role in the Second Great Awakening. During the period, the northern opinion significantly influenced religious change movement countrywide. In resisting this evangelical reformism, Smith and Matthias separately attacked the domineering views advanced by the Finneyite evangelicalism and were central to the hostility that grew towards Finneyite reformers in late 1820 and 1830s.
Having appeared in all the newspapers for swindling and murder charges, how did Matthias still gain following after being expelled from the Mormon Church? While Finneyite reformers are acknowledged to have been more wealthy, educated and organized, how did Matthias and rest of the figures opposing the reformers still manage to establish a foothold? Is there a likelihood that the Finneyite reformers were behind the Matthias’ scandals in an attempt to curb his influence by tarnishing his image? For Matthias, was the hate towards Finneyite reformers and vice versa based on the desire to gain following or advance what they stood for? Where can be the larger cultural trend associated with the era of Matthias and his Kingdom be traced in the present American