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Title: Mormon America: The Power and the Promise by Richard N. Ostling, Joan K. Ostling ISBN: 0-06-066372-3 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.97 (58 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Great overview of the Mormon Church: Beginning to Present
Comment: This book was very well researched and seemed to be quite objective in its presentation of Mormon history, beliefs,values, controversies, and politics. I found this book to be fascinating and it certainly helped me to respect many of the positive values that the Church promotes and why Mormons are so successful in life. The book also made me wonder how Mormons, with all of their education and success (i.e., Bill Marriott of Marriott Hotel chain, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, among many others, can so seemingly unquestionably believe that the church is "the only true church" when their are so many obvious, well known and documented inconsistencies in the values the church were founded on and what is practiced and believed today. For example, the polygamy question, and the belief that people of dark skin color are born inferior. Regarding polygamy, Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon which specifically instructs men to take only one wife, yet did not obey the very commandments he himself translated!! In fact, he had a "revelation" from God supporting the practice of polygamy!!! Also, it seems too obvious that under political pressure from the rest of American society these controversial practices and beliefs are simply swept under the rug by "revelations" by the President/Prophet of the Church of the time. However, this book also enlightened me to the very positive things that Mormons do to strengthen families. Fascinating book!! Fully recommend it!!!!
Rating: 3
Summary: Mormon 101
Comment: Based on a Time magazine article called "Mormon's Inc.", Joan and Richard Ostling have taken that original idea and expanded it into their book "Mormon America", a factual recount of the Mormon church, one of America's most rapidly expanding religions to date.
Upfront, the Ostlings claim this book is for non-Mormons as an introductory text to learn about this religion. Thus is covers many topics, some very thoroughly, in a concise, Time magazine sort of way. From Prophet Joseph Smith's visions and his establishment of the Mormon church based on his translated texts, to the current church (current as of 1999), you learn about many church aspects.
One of the most intriguing chapters early on is the polygamy chapter, which was handled fairly without judgment. Another chapter explains the complex organizational structure of the church, which comes across as being very totalitarian and a top-down form of leadership. A third chapter explains the development of the Mormon family, and the roles people play in them. The last few chapters discuss the religious beliefs of the church members.
All in all, I found while the text is very informative, it also reads very dryly. Perhaps because the authors attempt to present a vision of Mormonism without their own personal beliefs in the way, it reads very matter of fact and not very compelling. I've read other books that account the death of Joseph Smith which have moved me much more than the mere reporting of it in this book. While I appreciate authors leaving it up to the reader to make any decisions based on the material presented, a bit of humanity and a bit of themselves would have made for a slightly more enjoyable read.
If you know nothing of the LDS church, and are interested to learn what it's all about, this is the book for you. If you already have a working knowledge of the church, and want more, there are a host of other books out there that might fulfill your needs better.
Rating: 4
Summary: Power & Influence might have been a better title.
Comment: This book is the best I've read on the rise of the LDS. It may be a bit dry in parts. The book provides a detailed history of the church as well as a discussion of the beliefs and rituals of church followers. This book also provides information regarding the political and financial power of the church. Most of the critics of this book are likely to be Mormons, who dismiss anything about the LDS which is not written by the church. However, this book is not a hatchet job on the Mormon religion, to me, it seemed to present its information in a fair and neutral fashion. This is a great place to start your studies of the LDS.
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Title: No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith : The Mormon Prophet by Fawn McKay Brodie, Peter Dimock, Fawn M. Brodie ISBN: 0679730540 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 August, 1995 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: The Mormon Conspiracy by Charles L. Wood ISBN: 158275067X Publisher: Black Forest Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church by Richard Abanes ISBN: 1568582838 Publisher: Four Walls Eight Windows Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn ISBN: 1560850892 Publisher: Signature Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: America's Saints: Rise Of Mormon Power by Robert Gottlieb, Peter Wiley ISBN: 0156056585 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1986 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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