Books
“Must Read” Books on Mormonism and the LDS Church:
- Overview:
- Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (Hardcover), by Richard and Joan Ostling
- The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-Day Saints, by Leonard J. Arrington (Author), Davis Bitton
- On the 19th Century Church:
- Quest for Refuge: The Mormon Flight from American Pluralism, by Marvin S. Hill
- The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, by D. Michael Quinn
- On the 20th Century Church:
- David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory Prince
- The Angel and the Beehive: The Mormon Struggle with Assimilation, by Armand Mauss
- The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, by D. Michael Quinn
- Mormonism in Transition: A History of the Latter-day Saints, 1890-1930, by Thomas G. Alexander
- On Joseph Smith:
- No Man Knows my History: The Life of Joseph Smith, by Fawn Brodie
- Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, by Richard Lyman Bushman
- An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins, by Grant Palmer
- Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell, Valeen Tippetts Avery
- Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, by D. Michael Quinn
- On Polygamy:
- Mormon Polygamy: A History, by Richard S. Van Wagoner
- In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, by Todd Compton
- On Women’s Issues/Feminism:
- Women and Authority: Re-Emerging Mormon Feminism, Edited by Maxine Hanks
- Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority, and Equal Rights, by Martha Sonntag Bradley
- On the Book of Mormon:
- By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion, by Terryl L. Givens
- Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church, by Simon Southerton.
- Mountain Meadows Massacre:
- The Mountain Meadows Massacre, by Juanita Brooks
- Massacre at Mountain Meadows, by Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley, Glen M. Leonard
- On Reconciling Thought and Faith:
- A Thoughtful Faith, Edited by Philip Barlow
- Adventures of a Church Historian, by Leonard Arrington
- The Best of Lowell L. Bennion: Selected Writings, 1928-1988, by Lowell Lindsay Bennion and Eugene England
- Lowell L. Bennion: Teacher, Counselor, Humanitarian, by Mary Lythgoe Bradford
- Religion and The Pursuit of Truth, by Lowell Bennion
- Why the Church is as True as the Gospel, by Eugene England (Author)
- Believing History, by Richard Lyman Bushman, Reid L. Neilson, Jed Woodworth
- Fiction:
- The Backslider, by Levi Peterson
[...] “Must Read” Books [...]
Hmmm… I cannot see any of the books that are supposedly listed above… it’s just a blank page. I believe my corporate firewall must be blocking them. It would be nice if there were some text with the titles. This would also be helpful for disabled users who use audio browsers.
I would recommend “No Man Knows My History” by Fawn McKay Brodie. I believe it fits with your description of “Open. Honest. Respectful.” Her work is well sited and she often is in defense of Joseph Smith when many people in the early days and today are not.
Have you read any of Blake Ostler’s books? You would love them.
I haven’t, but I’m looking to do a podcast w/ him, and from there, I will consider.
I will say that I’m not into reading philosophy much, but I’m open!
Please follow through with your Ostler interview.
Are you planning on adding Rough Stone Rolling to your list? I already have it, but if others are encouraged to buy it because of the Bushman interviews, why not get it through Mormon Stories?
You also ought to put a more permanent link to these over at the side. Women and Authority ought to be up there too, with the women’s issues podcasts coming up.
I was also wondering why “”Rough Stone Rolling”" isn’t on your list. I just bought it on Amazon. You certainly gave a great introduction to the author John.
I’d also put No Man Knows My History on the list. I’m midway through reading it right now for the first time and I’m very impressed. Makes a wonderful bookend to Rough Stone Rolling.
Also, let me pimp once again the Signature collection A Wilderness of Faith for those interested in faith development issues. I’d put it in the same general category as A Thoughtful Faith by Barlow, though the essays are a little more open-ended than Barlow’s collection of essays. By “open-ended,” I mean that the conclusions arrived at by the essayists do not always lead to a reconciliation with Mormonism. Some do, some don’t, but all are uplifting because they are brutally honest in their search for truth and meaning.
Tonight , I was watching a program about mormonism on Public television. Never have I been so ashamed to be a mormon, as to listen to this program, which to me sounded like it was put on more by protestant faith than true mormon historians. So many falsehoods, I cannot even count. The greatest being poligamy, Joseph himself stated,” A terrible thing for a man to be accused of having more than one wife, when I can only find one” And where are these women? Who are they, no information about this , He never approved any doctrine on plural marriage. Brigham Young is responsible for plural marriage , baptizm of the dead, and celestial marrige, Joseph Smith never stated we can become as gods. When the documentary was given , why not interview the direct decendents of Joseph, thru the true mormon church, the RLDS. Emma refused to go with Brigham to Utah, He also tried to steal the Inspired Version of the Bible, a manuscript that Emma had in her posession. I could go on and on. But I am weary of the lies to discredit Joseph, It was the main subject of the show, the real issues where not mentioned, such as what the book of mormon is really about, and how evidence is being uncovered today to support it. Thanks for listening, Two very good books to read , are
” And after your testimony” also ” Return of the Ancients” by F Edward Butterworth, cosmic press, at , heidelberggraphics.com
thank you, jane
“Rough Stone Rolling” needs to be on this list. Also “Lengthen Your Stride” is one of the best biographies that I have ever read.