Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Mormon Polygamy: A History by Richard S. Van Wagoner ISBN: 0-941214-79-6 Publisher: Signature Books Pub. Date: March, 1992 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.07 (15 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Objective, "reader friendly", descriptive survey history.
Comment: In this revised and updated edition, Richard Van Wagoner's Mormon Polygamy: A History continues to be a truly informative, totally engaging, candid and comprehensive history of the practice of plural marriage (commonly called polygamy) in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). From its inception under the founding prophet Joseph Smith, Mormon fundamentalist splinter groups continued the practice after the mainstream church abandoned the practice under federal political and military pressures. Mormon Polygamy: A History is an objective, "reader friendly", highly recommended, descriptive study that will be of continuing interest and value to students of polygamy within the framework of Mormon theology, sociology, and church history.
Rating: 5
Summary: Fascinating and Thourough Study of Mormon Polygamy
Comment: As a student of religious history, I found Van Wagoner's book to be an acessible and thourough, yet comprehensive and in depth study of the history of Mormon polygamy. The nature of Mormon polygamy, its origins in the revelation of prophet Jos. Smith, and a historiographical analysis of the Mormon church are skillfully woven together to form an insightful narrative. Though the author was educated at Brigham Young University, he manages to maintain a highly professional neutrality and hard factualism in dealing with a subject which is controversial not only in wider American culture but within the Latter Day Saints and Reformed Latter Day Saints churches.
The only inclusion I would quibble with is the final chapter on cases of modern polygamy by so-called mormon splinter groups; it seems superfluous and bound to be outdated long before the rest of the book, and at a certain point any serious hitorical analyst must, in fact, pick up a newspaper for themselves.
In spite of this, Van Wagoners book is a benchmark work of the highest scholarship and a must-read for any scholar of American Religious History.
Rating: 3
Summary: A bit negative, which is OK unless you're LDS
Comment: I am a member of the LDS church. I read this book because the 'fundamentalists' have been in the news again, and I wanted to get an objective history of mormon polygamy covering both nineteenth century polygamy and modern polygamy. Overall, I believe the book is objective. I am curious about the author, because although it says he is a BYU graduate on the cover, he doesn't shy away from quotations from enemies of the church. In fact, from my point of view, he even seems to favor the negative. Most offensive to a devout Latter-day Saint would be the questions raised about the morality, integrity, and honesty of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, etc., which are revered (even today) as prophets by the LDS faithful.
I would like to find a book contrasting pre-manifesto polygamy with modern polygamy.
 |
Title: In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith by Todd Compton ISBN: 156085085X Publisher: Signature Books Pub. Date: December, 1997 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
 |
Title: No Man Knows My History : The Life of Joseph Smith by Fawn M. Brodie ISBN: 0679730540 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 01 August, 1995 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
 |
Title: Insider's View of Mormon Origins by Grant H. Palmer ISBN: 1560851570 Publisher: Signature Books Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
 |
Title: Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith by Linda King Newell, Valeen Tippetts Avery ISBN: 0252062914 Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr (Pro Ref) Pub. Date: June, 1994 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
 |
Title: The Mormon Conspiracy by Charles L. Wood ISBN: 158275067X Publisher: Black Forrest Book Promotions Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
