Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess is a 1994 biography of the early Latter Day Saint leader Sidney Rigdon

Sidney Rigdon

Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...

 written by Richard S. Van Wagoner

Richard S. Van Wagoner

Richard S. Van Wagoner was an amateur historian who published works on the history of Utah and the history of the Latter Day Saint movement....

. It is published by Signature Books

Signature Books

Signature Books is a press specializing in subjects related to Utah, Mormonism, and Western Americana. The company was founded in 1980 by George D...

.

The biography was recognized in reviews as the most comprehensive biography of Rigdon produced. The book won awards from the Mormon History Association

Mormon History Association

The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...

 and the John Whitmer Historical Association

John Whitmer Historical Association

The John Whitmer Historical Association "is an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in ......

 but was criticized by Mormon apologists

Mormon apologetics

Mormon apologetics is the systematic defense of Mormonism against its critics. Notable Latter-day Saint apologists include early church leaders such as John Taylor, B. H. Roberts, James E. Talmage and modern scholars such as Hugh Nibley, Orson Scott Card, and Jeff Lindsay...

as "defective" and one that "still leaves more to be desired".