A revolutionary book in 1962 when it was published (written through the previous 12 years) today Heinlein's masterpiece strikes as timid and naive. The 'free love' part doesn't come until the final third of the book, and even then it is not terribly provocative. Further more, to rise the ire of the modern readers, the work is written in the spirit of the 1950s, where black people were seen as inferior, women even more (Heinlein writes 9 out of 10 women who get raped had part of the blame), and there are direct references to homosexuality being an illness and unnatural. This makes this book just as difficult to read as are the Asimov's books from the 50s with all his 'atomics' and similar retro sci-fi.
The book is about Valentine Michael Smith, a 20 year old man who was raised on Mars by Martians who do not resemble us but have intelligence and a civilization. Smith was conceived on the ship of the first manned expedition to Mars (all of whom who died on landing). The second manned mission to Mars, after the "Lyle" drive was discovered, and World War 3 finished, brought back smith, who had no idea of the life on earth or humans, but possessed some abilities which, although seen as normal on Mars, would seem supernatural on Earth. Smith was also an owner of the planet Mars, and much other industry, through odd legal loopholes.
Eventually Smith gets out of the hospital, makes peace with the General Secretary of the UN and the World Government, and with the help of an aging intellectual, Jubal Harshaw, an investigative reporter, Ben Caxton, and a sexy nurse Gillian Broadmore, he sets on discovering the world, encountering and experiencing religion, especially in the powerful new sect, the "Fosterites", in whose churches whoring, drinking, gambling and general debauchery was encouraged. He tries to become a stage magician, but his magic is real, and he hasn't realized the secret of laughter yet, which comes to him later, understanding it to be a device for keeping pain at bay.
Smith organizes his own church, called "Church of All Worlds" where Martian language and telepathy are practiced. He builds a temple where his brethren practice nudism, communal living, free sex, paranormal abilities, etc. However, the Fosterites see him as threat and the masses are scared by the new religion and Messiah, so his temple gets burned (everyone teleports safely out) and then, after a long conversation with Jubal Harshaw, the patron saint of the new religion, Smith goes out in the crowd surrounding his hotel trying to pass his message to them, who promptly kill him and tear him to pieces, which he allows, and thus comes to an end all Messiahs come to.
It seems like Heinlein wanted to find his own religion and spirituality, and although was fully aware of the scientific truth which invalidates most of the major religions, he still created Smith, who's his 'Space Age Jesus' preserving the tenets of Christianity in which Heinlein was brought up and which he couldn't get himself to give up, but also mixing it with plenty of science and fiction to create the perfect religion for the modern times (at least the 60s) and embracing the full potential of the human beings. It is hinted at the end of the book that the Martian "Old Ones" (spirits of dead Martians who do all the science and research and governing on Mars) intend to destroy Earth because the humans are 'sick' and Smiths church with its curriculum is the only chance for the humanity to save itself from the faith of the fifth planet which the Martians destroyed eons ago, in which place there is now an asteroid belt (Faeton).
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