Reddit mentions: The best mormonism books

I feel for you. I decided I no longer believed just as my younger daughter was being born. My timing was just slightly better, as I was somewhat out the door, but not publicly, at the time of her blessing. So, I was able to give a good blessing that was more of a general "your parents love you, make good decisions" then anything Mormon specific.

My wife also left eventually, but it was after some pretty rocky conversations and tense times in our marriage. I would wait for times when she would say something that I could use as an "in" to say something about church history she didn't know about. Joseph's polyandry, especially with teenage girls, is very powerful stuff with many women. So, if a report came out about a guy in the news that had sex with a teenage girl, my wife might say how that is gross, and I would reply "Joseph Smith did it multiple times" and leave it at that. It planted seeds. Later she would bring it up and ask for supporting details. Try and think of what responses she might give to those ("back then, men married younger women", etc.) and have calm counter-responses to those points. It will get the wheels turning. Eventually, like I said, my wife left and is now a more ardent/militant atheist than I am. I can proudly say my children will not be brainwashed by any religion.

I would also emphasize that you need to really concentrate on your love for her. Women are taught in Mormonism that their marriage is their key to exaltation. They cannot do it alone, they need a priesthood holder sealed to them. They can see this apostasy of yours as the end of their marriage in a very real way. Constantly ensure her of how much you love and cherish her, and how you need her in your life. That will help comfort her that you are in it with her and not to take off and be a sinner in the world.

Good luck. If you need "softer" info that your wife can read if she gets to the point that she is willing to look, there are resources people can recommend here. I would recommend these:

1. Why people leave the Mormon church. This video takes the approach that people leave for legitimate reasons. It isn't the best as far as conclusions, because in the end it tries to say that they should stay, but it can get her started in reasons from a non "anti" point of view.
   
   
2. 20 Truths About Mormonism. I LOVE this site and don't think it is referenced enough. Have her read it in order, because the intro is very important, as it sets the context that he is only seeking truth, and that is why he left.
   
   
3. Remembering the wives of Joseph Smith. This site is good in that many members don't think Joseph was a polygamist, or that much of the story are just anti lies that are spread. It has a wonderful table on the front page that shows his wives, their husbands at the time Joseph married them, and how old they are. The links are to a short biography of each, with reference links to the LDS church's own family search genealogy web site for source info.
   
   
4. Book: An Insider's View of Mormon Origins. Great book. Also, this interview (4 PARTS) with the author is wonderful to listen to, maybe even before reading the book.
   
   Good luck!

Hello!

Congrats on your journey so far. I am a convert to the church (baptized a little over a year ago) and remember feeling exactly like you did. Being baptized into the church was the biggest (and best) decision of my life, but it was not a decision I wanted to make lightly. I have a few book suggestions and then some semi-unsolicited but hopefully helpful comments.

The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens — I read this one while investigating the church, and it really opened my eyes to how truly beautiful Mormon theology is. So many other religions only left more questions for me, and Mormonism was the first thing that clicked. This book brings a lot of those ideas together. Also I am obsessed with Terryl Givens, everything he writes is fantastic, which brings me to...

Wrestling the Angel also by Givens. This is definitely more of a Mormonism 303 lesson as it is quite academic. But Givens does a fantastic job explaining Mormon doctrine within the larger historical landscape of Christianity. The book is organized topically, so you can kind of skip around and read about what interests you.

Some of my favorite talks that have really spoken to me:

His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox

God is the Gardener by Hugh B. Brown

On How We Know by Truman G. Madsen

Some other suggestions:

Not sure where you live, but I highly recommend attending any local Institute classes that might be happening (your missionaries will know of them). It's a once a week class where people get together and discuss the Gospel. For me it was great to discuss things with people other than the missionaries and the member who introduced me to the church.

Don't feel like you have to know everything. This was my biggest stumbling block to deciding to be baptized. I felt like because this was such a huge decision (it was), I had to know absolutely everything I could before agreeing (impossible). One of the things I love most about the Gospel is its promise of never-ending, always increasing knowledge to anyone who will seek it. Baptism is not the destination. It is merely the gate into the kingdom of God, the beginning of a journey that has brought so much endless peace, joy, and love into my life. At a certain point I realized I could never know everything, but I knew enough to know that this path would take me to where I needed to be, that this is a life worth living.

Oooo this is my wheelhouse!

First, I would recommend looking at the Mormon History Association Best Book awards going back to 1966. Quality scholarship, research, and writing are a mainstay with them.

Required reading:

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet by John Turner / Brigham Young: American Moses by Leonard Arrington

Considered two of the best books about early Utah and the Brigham Young years. Arrington's book was considered groundbreaking when he wrote it, and Turner's book brings in the valuable perspective of the non-Mormon writing about Young. For many Mormons, Turner's book will be less sympathetic to Young than Arrington's, but Turner also worked closely with the Church Archives (and spoke glowingly about them and that process), so his research had access to some better sources. If you need a primer for Brigham Young, I recommend Arrington's book. For a Brigham Young graduate level course, I recommend Turner.

Early Mormonism and the Magic Worldview by Michael Quinn

To understand much of what happened in early Mormonism, you must understand the role that folk magic played in the lives of Americans in the 1800s. Quinn's research at this time was top notch, and he was a quickly rising star among Mormon historians. Considered one of his best works, and foundational to the understanding things like seer stones, divining rods, visions, and everything else that happened in the early church days.

David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Greg Prince

Covers late 1940s - 1960s Mormonism, one of the "rising moments" of Mormonism when we went from a Utah-church to a worldwide church. Prince had amazing access to the journals of President McKay's secretary, which led to some candid discussions about things like the publishing of Mormon Doctrine by McConkie, blacks and the priesthood, ecumenical outreach, and politics.

Spencer W. Kimball by Edward Kimball / Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball by Edward Kimball

Ed was Pres. Kimball's son, and the books cover both the apostle years and presidency years of Spencer W. Kimball. If you had to choose one, get Lengthen Your Stride, but make sure it has the CD that comes with the book. This has the unabridged manuscript prior to the Deseret Book edits, which is much more interesting.

By the Hand of Mormon by Terryl Givens (heck...anything by Terryl Givens!)

I'll admit - I'm a Terryl Givens fanboy. By the Hand of Mormon was the one that first got me in to him, mostly because he took the Book of Mormon as a serious work of literature to examine it's merits. It's not as devotional as many traditional LDS books about the Book of Mormon (it was put out by Oxford University Press), but it really gave me a deeper appreciation for the Book of Mormon as contemporary literature. Also check out Viper on the Hearth (Mormons on myth and heresy), People of Paradox (Mormon culture), When Souls had Wings (the pre-existence in Western thought), and so many others.

And just because I'm a big book nerd, here's the list of books that are on my desk right now that I can give you quick reviews if you want:

• Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History by Greg Prince
  
• The Mormon Jesus: A Biography by John Turner
  
• Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings, edited by Brooks, Steenblik and Wheelwright
  
• Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness by W. Paul Reeve
  
• Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority and Equal Rights by Martha Sonntag Bradley
  
• A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine & Church History, edited by Laura Harris Hales
  
• Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet 1839-1844 by Martha Bradley Evans
  
• The Mormon Church & Blacks: A Documentary History, edited by Harris & Bringhurst
  
• From the Outside Looking In: Essays on Mormon History, Theology and Culture, edited by Neilson & Grow
  
• Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, edited by Mason & Turner
  
• Mormonism & American Politics, edited by Balmer & Riess
  
• Seeking the Promised Land: Mormons and American Politics by Campbell, Green & Monson
  
• A Book of Mormons: Latter-day Saints on a Modern-Day Zion, edited by Jensen & McKay-Lamb
  
• Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine & Covenants by the LDS Church
  
• Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830 by Richard S. Van Wagoner
  
• Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths by Ann Taves (looking at Mormonism, Alcoholics Anonymous and A Course in Miracles)
  
• A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
  
• Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex, and Marriage edited by Holly Welker

"The rise of the Hitler movement in Germany caused a great many to fear that religious activity and missionary work would meet with disastrous opposition. Since the National Socialist party have come to power, a few sects have been prohibited or restricted, but activities in the 'Mormon' church have been carried on about the same as before. As a matter of fact, a number of interesting parallels can be seen between the church and some of the ideas and policies of the National Socialists."

So began the fawning Deseret News op-ed dated Dec 9, 1933. That article can now be viewed here:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x5dOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0LUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2672%2C4026967

And what were those parallels between Mormonism and Hitlerism? "Fast Sunday" and the "Word of Wisdom". American Mormons could see Mormon theology fulfilled in Hitler's government policies. Clearly, the line separating church and state was not so clear at that time in Mormon eyes.

But wait... there's more: Blood purity. Just as the Mormons of the 1930s were particularly careful that not a single drop of Negro blood gets access to the Melchizedek Priesthood, so were the Nazis very careful that not a single drop of Jewish blood gets into their veins. So the Nazis were quite pleased to know that Mormons can be extremely good at looking into German genealogy charts.

"Many of those who felt the greatest anxiety about being able to carry on their religious activities are finding that at least one branch of their church work has received its greatest boon since Germany’s adoption of Hitlerism. It was always difficult for Genealogical workers to get into the archives of the recognized church to trace back family records. When the pastor learned of the intention access to the records was often denied. Now, due to the importance given to the racial question, and the almost necessity of proving that one’s grandmother was not a Jewess, the old record books have been dusted off and stand ready and waiting for use. No questions are asked. In fact, some of the Saints instead of being refused by the pastors now have received letters of encouragement complimenting them for their patriotism.

All genealogical workers who are interested in tracing back family history in Germany should take advantage of the present unusual opportunity."

So did the Mormon church take advantage? I think an entire book was written to answer that question.

https://www.amazon.com/Moroni-Swastika-Mormons-Nazi-Germany/dp/0806146680

It takes a socialist to recognize a fellow socialist. Mormonism was born out of Protestantism but nurtured with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young's utopian socialist ideals. In the 1930s, these ideals were still pretty much alive. At that time, the US government under Franklin Delano Roosevelt had embarked on the most ambitious socialist expansion of government, and it had all the appearance of success. FDR and Hitler's Nazi Germany were still allies. The Mormon Church didn't see anything wrong with socialism and being friends with fellow socialists. Why would it when the whole idea was such a rousing success?

Feel free to skip over my essay, and down to my recommendations. The essay is intended to add some context for someone trying to understand mormonism from the outside.

The mainstream branch of mormonism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is starting to diverge significantly from its historical roots. The folk magic/occult practices found at the church's origin are now considered completely foreign and abhorrent. The same for the practice of polygamy, it is disavowed and a distant memory within the mainstream church. The membership hardly remembers how central of tenet plural marriage once was. It isn't a relevant part of the religion anymore.

The original church is being watered down and the rough spots sanded over and evened out. The temple rituals originally included some very disconcerting elements and language. They have been significantly revised over time. First, they modified their nude bathing initiation to be a semi-nude washing off with a small hose. Now, as I understand it, all washing is omitted. Initiates are allowed to wear undergarments and not be naked under a sheet. Now, the officiant doesn't touch the initiate at all, if I understand correctly. Also, the death oaths for revealing the secrets of the temple are gone, as is the oath of vengeance against the United States of America for not preventing the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

The personal priesthood interviews to determine worthiness are another thing that is being changed and toned down within mainstream mormonism. The change is being driven by new order mormons, NOMs, who are putting their ward bishop on notice that they won't tolerate the bishop asking invasive questions of their children. I don't think that would've have gone over very well when I was a youth in the church. My parents would have been excommunicated for trying to dictate terms to the bishop. Still, today, I assume that some bishops would not accept terms presented by the NOMs.

I believe studying the church's origins helps to show that the church is not the one-true church that many of us have been taught that it was from birth. Studying the early history shows their practices were even more cultish than today. That said, outsiders would still consider their current secretive, masonic-based temple rituals plenty cultish, though.

Outsiders need to be able to separate its history from its current practice. Except for the temple, the LDS church's Sunday and weekly worship services are standard fare, albeit with a significant time commitment each week. Most of their services are about propping up their mythology, with some socialization- getting to know one another thrown in. They don't delve too deeply into any troubling elements of scripture, or of church history or former practices. The lessons are standardized by committee. Certain topics are definitely too hot to handle. If I were to say one thing about it, I think church is now more about being one of the ways that is used to present their family into the community, especially in highly mormon communities. It's a way to primp and preen, and try to impress the neighbors. Parents thoroughly wash, dress, and parade their families before the other members of the ward. The goal is to appear to be the perfect mormon family. To add the final piece to the puzzle, the family must fall into line and prove they are worthy of respect, that means regular participation in temple rituals. To be eligible to attend the temple, the member must affirm they agree with and try to follow the current theology of the church 100%, but mostly that boils down to agreeing to pay 10% of their income to the church. At this point, I think the temple rituals are a lot like Tevia said in Fiddler on the Roof in the lead in to Tradition! They don't know why they do those rituals, but it was good enough for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, so it must be good for something. The faithful would say it is a requirement to seal a legal agreement with god; it is buying an insurance policy that says families are forever.

I'll stop here, except for stating that a new dynamic is emerging in the church. People are quitting, either by simply not attending (going inactive), or by formally resigning. Issues like the church's support for prop 8 begin to call into question whether the church is on the right side of history. They see the tremendous cash outlay required to build their mall and wonder whether the church is making the right kind of financial choices for a so-called charitable organization. As noted above, these issues can lead a member to begin to question whether their church is everything it claims to be. Is it the one true church? That question runs headlong into the buzzsaw of early mormon history. The information is available online that shows that it is not what it claims to be. Of course, this type of research can lead to loss of faith. What happens when only one partner in a marriage learns the truth? How should young adults respond to their parents' expectations for them knowing that missionary work for something they don't believe in is not something they are wiling to do? How should young women attempt to break out of the rigid sex roles and limited life plan offered by mormonism? I discovered these existential, heartbreaking, and painful experiences detailed here on this subreddit. The politics of how to deal with that fallout when the blinders come off and people face a new reality is what the subreddit is mostly about. It provides a new community for those who are looking for a new worldview, free from the clear cut and rigid worldview presented from childhood as the truth.

Recommendations

• Brodie's No Man Knows My History
  
  
• Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, which you've read.
  
  
• Bhattacharya's Secrets and Wives
  
  
• Church Administrative Handbook, Instruction for stake presidents and bishops. (In two volumes: one is publicly available; the other is available if you look hard.)
  
  Next on my reading list:
  
  
• D. Michael Quinn's Early Mormonism and the Magic World View
  
  I am about halfway through with Jessop's Escape, which you've read.
  
  Other media:
  
  
• Mormon Expression Podcast # 200: top ten changes to the temple
  
  
• Mormon Expression Podcast # 176: top reasons to leave mormonism
  
  
• Mormon Expression Podcast # 175: top reasons to stay in mormonism
  
  
• Mormon Expression Podcast # 192: Community of Christ, the most liberal branch of mormonism, by far.
  
  Other subreddits you might like to take a look at...
  
  
• exit stories
  
  
• bestof exmormon
  
  

The Oxford Short Introductions Series has a great volume on Mormonism that covers the faith in a very even-handed and neutral manner. If you're pressed for time, this would probably be the best thing to read. The Dummies and Idiot's Guide are actually not that bad in their presentation of the faith; they're both by what would be termed "liberal Mormons" and do a pretty good job of being realistic in their presentation (though both still being very positive, of course, but they're not conversion texts).

To understand the different faiths in the Latter Day Saint movement you need to understand the history of the faith as so much of the faith claims are rooted in historical events. Books like Rough Stone Rolling and No Man Knows My History give a good overview of Joseph Smith's life. The upcoming Brigham Young biography by John Turner seems like it will also be a good source for information on Young's tenure as president of the Church as it will discuss some of the darker/stranger issues like blood atonement and Adam-God. If you want to go in depth on the history of the Temple ritual, I'd recommend Buerger's The Mysteries of Godliness.

The last information I would give is that most (but not all) books published by Christian publishers should probably be avoided. Nowadays most of them are factual in their content, but their presentation is not meant to provide an understanding of the LDS Church but rather is meant to provide a multiplicity of reasons not to associate with the faith. A few exceptions I'd say are most books by Sandra and Gerald Tanner, and By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus which is an amazing overview of Joseph's "Book of Abraham" and the history and implications of the papyri Smith used in producing it which were rediscovered in 1967 to the subtle consternation of the CHurch ever since.

If you have any interest in books (sorry--that's my jam), Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings is a fantastic collection of essays, sermons, some blog posts, and other writings by Mormon women about feminism. It has the benefit of being easily digested in small chunks that stand alone pretty well, so you can skip sections that don't interest you as much or jump to some areas that really speak to you.

I actually think the book Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact might be another great option for what you're looking for. It's by a very believing Mormon woman who until a few years before writing the book had worked for the church (I think in PR if I remember right) and it basically has two halves: first, explaining to Mormon men (and many women) who don't see any problems with sexism in the church why faithful members feel that there really is (and they're not crazy); and second, laying out suggestions that could be implemented at the local level that wouldn't be against any church policies but which could alleviate some of the problematic aspects of Mormon culture w/r/t sexism.

A few other book options to consider: Mormon Women Have Their Say Essays from the Claremont Oral History Collection; Mormon Women: Portraits and Conversations (covers everyone from a Utah housewife who started a major charity to a woman who fought the Marcos regime as a communist guerrilla in the Philippines!); Educated: A Memoir (a memoir about growing up in a seriously dysfunctional Mormon family but going on to achieve awesome stuff); literally anything written by Chieko Okazaki (or even listen to some of her talks in General Conference to the worldwide church)--she is beloved by literally every Mormon woman I've ever met, liberal or conservative; and Carol Lynn Pearson has written some great stuff about women and Mormonism, like The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men and (if you're into one-woman plays) Mother Wove the Morning. Many of these have Kindle editions if you don't like hard copies.

Anyway, hope some of that might sound interesting to you. Good luck!

It seems to me that you are having a bit of a crisis of faith /u/villaged . I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out about you.

Joseph Smith was a guy that was far from perfect. Changing the story of the First Vision is only the tip of the iceberg. If you'd like to learn more about the man the founded Mormonism I would recomend stopping in at Deseret Book and picking up Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard L. Bushman. This is a book that is great for folks that are not sure about Mormonism and don't want to read any "anti-Mormon" literature. If you'd like to learn more after that you can wander into the Utah Lighthouse Ministry and speak with the awesome folks there.

Another wonderful resource for folks that have questions is New Order Mormon. The moderators of the board there work very hard to keep the discussion open and to help folks get honest and well researched answers to their questions.

As for me personally, I left Mormonism almost 10 years ago because I couldn't stay in a church that was (in my opinion after doing my own research) lying to me about its founding. I don't believe that Joseph Smith had a vision of God and Jesus, and I think he was a con man that started a religion. I think that Brigham Young was a tyrant that forced people to do his will and he put them in situations where they had no choice but to follow his commands.

That being said, I love Mormons. Most of my family is Mormon and many of my closest friends are Mormon. I guess this is why I feel like I need to defend incorrect statements about Mormons. I'm not trying to convert or deconvert anyone, I just want the truth out there.

If you have other questions that you'd like to discuss with me please feel free to message me. Or you can find me on NOM or some of the other boards I mentioned above. I hope you are able to find peace.

Namaste

You're allowed to want basically the same things the church wanted for you. You don't need Mormonism to fall in love with a great guy who's lifestyle and goals align with your own. It sounds like you may be very naturally religiously inclined and that's okay. As a matter of fact, you don't even have to believe in God in the traditional sense to have the same connection and focus on understanding God. Mormons do not have a monopoly on spirituality.

In some ways Mormons lead ascetic lives that aren't terribly dissimilar from monks or nuns. They abstain from much of the world's pleasures and concerns. They spend a great deal of time in religious worship and thought. They primarily socialize with each other. They live in a monastery of the mind, rather than a physical one. Unfortunately it's not a very good monastery, but guess what? Now you have choices.

I would recommend looking up Karen Armstrong and reading the Spiral Staircase. Armstrong was on her way to becoming a nun. Near the end of her Noviship she began to doubt, but her passion for knowledge of religion and God never left and she has spent her life studying it. You will probably be able to relate to her anguish and feeling of loss of the life she so deeply wanted to live. If you like it, read A History of God. Remarkably, Instead of remaining angry, though you certainly feel it, especially near the beginning, her intense passion for religious knowledge kept her intensely fascinated.

If you want to keep a connection to your pioneer ancestors you have to go beyond the CES letter. It's invaluable, but it's not designed or meant to take you beyond the point of disbelief. Instead or in addition to, read the works of believers who have studied the early church and it's people in great depth with both curiosity and compassion, rather than anger and nihilism. You don't have to believe what your ancestors believed to stay connected to them. Knowing Mormonism isn't true isn't the same as intimately knowing the truth of it's people and the time and place they inhabited. Put yourself in the mind of a historian who loves what and who they study and wants to get to know them, even in their flaws, beyond the faith promoting anecdotes shared at family reunions.

Start with Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, which is sourced from the RLDS archives and In Sacred Loneliness by Todd Compton, who is still a member.

edited to add: It would likely be too much for your family to handle now, but at some point you might look up the Unitarian church or the Quakers (underground railroad anyone). If you miss a religious community you can find one much more focused on actually doing good; not just self justifying busywork.

edited edited to add: Mormon Enigma and Sacred Loneliness should be okay to read in front of your mom so you also don't have to feel like you're sneaking around. Replace the fear with curiosity. It will be okay.

There's evidence even Mother Teresa seriously doubted the existence of God. It didn't stop her.

Others have given good suggestions, but I'll add my own thoughts. First, let me recommend "Joseph Smith--History" which you can read here, https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng. That is the canonical description of the initial events (visions, angelic visitations, etc.) that led him to found the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was written by Joseph Smith himself in the mid 1830s. If you have downloaded the LDS "Gospel Library" app for Android/iPhone, it's also available via Scriptures->Pearl of Great Price->Joseph Smith--History. It's just a few pages long.

Secondly, I recommend the Book of Mormon, which we view as a book of ancient holy scripture like the Bible. According to Joseph Smith's account, he was given the ancient record from an angel of God and translated it miraculously in 1829 (when he was 23), then returned the ancient record to the angel when complete. It describes God's dealings with a branch of the Israelites who migrated to the Americas around 600 BC. It's named after Mormon, who (according to the book) lived around 400 AD and was instrumental in compiling the records of the various prophets before him in addition to adding his own account. This book is core to my own personal witness that he was a true prophet. It's around 450 pages long, and as scripture it is fairly dense, so it's not just something you can read in an afternoon. You can read it online here, https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng, or in the "Gospel Library" app via Scriptures->Book of Mormon. Or, if you would like a hard copy, you can request a free copy here: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon-request. (Free books are made possible by donations of church members.) Someone else recommended a few chapters to begin with, which sounded good to me. I'll add a suggestion, namely 3rd Nephi chapters 11-27 where it presents an account of Jesus visiting these people after his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. And starting from the beginning is also not a bad plan. Certainly read the modern introduction and the testimony of the various witnesses who said Joseph Smith showed them the ancient plates from which the book was translated.

Thirdly, for a more in-depth historical view, I strongly recommend Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman, https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400077532. He's an award-winning biographer, and this is a fantastic book with a very complete description of Joseph Smith's life. (Also quite lengthy, but I found it easy to read.) To me it strikes a great balance between being respectful towards Joseph Smith and those who view him as a prophet (Bushman himself is a believer), and being historical and not afraid to talk about things Joseph Smith did which were somewhat questionable. It made Joseph Smith a very human figure to me. Most other accounts of Joseph Smith's life by contrast are very one sided--presenting only the good about Smith to argue that he was a true prophet, or presenting only the bad about Smith to argue that he was a fraud.

Good luck in your quest to learn more! Don't hesitate to ask more questions here.

Highly recommend reading a good book together with your wife written by LDS women about Emma Hale Smith. It will help you both appreciate Emma's perspective and is well researched. It's called Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith. http://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Enigma-Emma-Hale-Smith/dp/0252062914 It was sold in Deseret book stores. There shouldn't be too much about this that threatens your wife but if read together can lead to interest in that time and good discussions together. This was very helpful for my wife and I when we were in a similar situation two years ago. Show more love now with your wife, your courage honesty and integrity will make a huge difference, that's what's real, that's what's good.

I've found that I've really enjoyed some books that address topics that are interesting to Mormonism without being related to it at all.

Karen Armstrong (comparative religion/religious history), Bart Ehrman (biblical textual criticism), Timothy Keller (I really loved "The Reason for God"), Joseph Campbell (mythology), have all helped me gain a greater understanding of religion in general.

Other books that cover science and history have been excellent as well. I had what could be called a spiritual experience learning about the magnitude of life and how it exists when I read Carl Zimmer's "Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea". I would also suggest learning a bit about the origins of modern civilization by studying about Mesopotamia. I found a bit of interesting American history (that also briefly mentions the 19th century "burned over district" and Joseph Smith) in "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation."

My current read is "This is my Doctrine: The Development of Mormon Theology" by Charles R. Harrell, a BYU professor. It seems like the type of book that many Mormons would find offensive, while many Mormons would find it inspired.

I also enjoy reading scripture and seeing what it says without trying to make it fit what I think it should say, especially the New Testament. Honestly, I think that the New Testament inspires fewer wtf moments than any of the other books of scripture :)

This is a particular difficulty in Mormon history--for a long time anything put in print seemed to have an extreme bias one way or another. In recent years there seems to be a greater effort in Mormon Studies in adhering to better historical standards that I think result in better, more accurate, and less biased narratives. Personally, I don't think I'd use Krakauer as a source because he's a good writer, but not a historian.

I think better sources to use would be:

Richard Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling (2005). Bushman was a history professor at Columbia University and is a Mormon. His bio of Smith will likely be considered the "standard" bio for years to come. It's a bit longish, but I think it's very readable regardless if you are Mormon or not.

Robert V. Remini's Joseph Smith (2002) is a quick read--a lot shorter than Bushman and a good overview. Remini was a history professor at the University of Illinois and is not a Mormon. He's best known for his massive biography on Andrew Jackson, a contemporary of Smith.

Fawn M. Brodie's No Man Knows My History (1945) is old, but is still often referenced. Brodie was a history professor at UCLA. She was raised Mormon, but was later excommunicated. Her book is a psychobiography which is a historical approach that has largely fallen out of fashion these days.

I'd definitely recommend looking at josephsmithpapers.org. It is an on-going publication project that is putting digital images and transcriptions of all of Joseph Smith's personal papers as well as the papers produced by his clerks under his direction. You'll find letters, revelations, early editions of the Book of Mormon, and all sorts of stuff! I'd take a look at Smith's own personal history written in 1832, and his history begun in 1838 and continued over the years even after his death and finally finished in 1856. (For more info on these specific documents, be sure to read the text under "Historical Introduction" in the bottom half of the pages.)

Another good narrative on that site is the book written by Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith. You can find the published 1853 version here. (Skip most of the early stuff--she spends a lot of pages talking about her own parents and childhood. While interesting, it's probably not pertinent for your paper.)

The site also has a good overview of Joseph Smith's life and his papers written by Richard Bushman and Dean Jessee too.

There are a lot of academic journals out there too that will have articles about various aspects of Joseph Smith's life or of his contemporaries (in no particular order): BYU Studies, Journal of Mormon History, John Whitmer Historical Association Journal, Mormon Historical Studies. You can find articles in BYU's Studies in Mormon History database and I bet JSTOR or other places probably have some of them.

If you need help finding info on a specific aspect on Smith, feel free to send me a message and I'll try to help best I can.

Hi! I also recommend the Mormon Expression podcast. It's a 6 part series, on Masonry. See http://mormonexpression.com/.

• I would also recommend reading this address by president David O. McKay
  
  http://www.understandingyourendowment.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DavidOMcKaysTempleSermon.pdf
  
  
• I also recommend Toscano's analysis of the temple endowment as a messianic sacrament. This is discussed at length in "The Serpent and the Dove" (try the second edition). He does a rich analysis of the symbols.
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Dove-Messianic-Mysteries-Mormon/dp/1514240033/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479989901&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=the+serpect+and+the+dove
  
  
• I would add that due to the Masonic character of the endowment, each person is invited to discover / assign the meaning of the ritual to himself/herself. You may receive inputs of the meaning from the ritual itself. Even the covenants may mean different things to each individual. There is no authoritative interpretation. Unfortunately, when the ritual is changed the meaning is changed too.
  
  One interesting aspect of the interpretation of the ritual were the lectures held after the ceremony to explain its meaning. This is documented in Buerger's "The Mysteries of Godliness"
  
  (https://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Godliness-History-Mormon-Worship/dp/1560851767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479990756&sr=8-1&keywords=The+mysteries+of+godliness). I recommend reading the explanations about the keys of the priesthood as related to prayer.
  
  I have mentioned before here in this sub that Brigham Young wrote THE lecture at the veil in 1877.
  
  http://www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/adamgod.shtml
  
  In it you can learn about the character of God as manifested in Adam.
  This lecture was morphed into a summary of "the instructions, ordinances, and covenants, and also the tokens, with their keywords, signs, and penalties, pertaining to the endowment, which you have thus far received" in the 1980s (or before). This lecture ended with this beautiful statement (in part it is taken from BYoung's lecture at the veil).
  
  "Brethren and sisters, strive to comprehend the glorious things presented to you this day. No other people on earth have ever had this privilege, except as they have received the keys of the priesthood given in the endowment.
  
  These are what are termed the mysteries of godliness--that which will enable you to understand the expression of the Savior, made just prior to his betrayal: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent."
  
  May God bless you all. Amen."
  
  What I mean by quoting all this: at first there was a lot of help to understand the meaning. The ritual had practical use in everyday life (order of prayer), and the people who designed the ritual were alive to guide in this aspect. Masonry was a stepping stone for sure. Then you arrive to the point were the deletions/etc obscured the meaning to the point that you are alone to understand what it means. In 1989 the lecture said that the "keys" received in the endowment are to understand the expression of the Savior recorded in John 17 (and D&C 132).
  
  So, in practice this means that: (1) you have to experience the ritual, (2) study, meditate, etc (3) try to live what it means to you in order to achieve spirituality. By spirituality I mean what David O McKay once said:
  
  "Spirituality, our true aim, is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the Infinite" (David O. McKay, In Conference Report, Oct. 1969, 8).
  
  Hope this helps a bit. Cheers!
  (sorry if it is long).
  

Studies of the Book of Mormon

Elder Roberts was the LDS historian I admire the most. Leonard J. Arrington, who is commonly called the "Father of Mormon History", once remarked that Elder Roberts, who was the assistant church historian for 21 years, was “the intellectual leader of the Mormon people in the era of Mormonism’s finest intellectual attainment.”

Some more from him: “If from all that has gone before in Part 1, the view be taken that the Book of Mormon is merely of human origin… if it be assumed that he is the author of it, then it could be said there is much internal evidence in the book itself to sustain such a view. In the first place there is a certain lack of perspective in the things the book relates as history that points quite clearly to an underdeveloped mind as their origin. The narrative proceeds in characteristic disregard of conditions necessary to its reasonableness, as if it were a tale told by a child, with utter disregard for consistency.”

“One other subject remains to be considered in this division… viz. – was Joseph Smith possessed of a sufficiently vivid and creative imagination as to produce such a work as the Book of Mormon from such materials as have been indicated in the proceeding chapters… That such power of imagination would have to be of a high order is conceded; that Joseph Smith possessed such a gift of mind there can be no question….In light of this evidence, there can be no doubt as to the possession of a vividly strong, creative imagination by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, an imagination, it could with reason be urged, which, given the suggestions that are found in the ‘common knowledge’ of accepted American antiquities of the times, supplemented by such a work as Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews [published in Palmyra in 1825], it would make it possible for him to create a book such as the Book of Mormon is.”

This was an account of his meeting with other church leaders: “Richard Lyman spoke up and ask[ed] if there were things that would help our prestige and when Bro. Roberts answered no, he said then why discuss them. This attitude was too much for the historically minded Roberts…After this Bro. Roberts made a special Book of Mormon study; treated the problem systematically and historically and in a 400 type written page thesis set forth a revolutionary article on the origin of the Book of Mormon and sent it to Pres. Grant. It’s an article far too strong for the average Church member but for the intellectual group he considers it a contribution to assist in explaining Mormonism. He swings to a psychological explanation of the Book of Mormon and shows that the plates were not objective but subjective with Joseph Smith, that his exceptional imagination qualified him psychologically for the experience which he had in presenting to the world the Book of Mormon and that the plates with the Urim and Thummim were not objective. He explained certain literary difficulties in the Book….Instead of regarding it as the strongest evidence we have of Church Divinity, he regards it as the one which needs the most bolstering. His greatest claim for the divinity of the Prophet Joseph Smith lies in the Doctrine and Covenants.”

Hang in there, man. Your story is a common one, and one I’m all too familiar with.

My wife’s reaction was almost identical. We are in a good place now, but it took us almost 4 years to get here.

Here are some resources that have helped:

• Natasha Helfer Parker’s book, One Family, Two Views: How to Fortify your Mixed-Faith Mormon Marriage
  
  
• Jon Ogden’s book, When Mormons Doubt: A Way to Save Relationships and Seek a Quality Life
  
  
• The “Mormon Mixed-Faith Marriage” Facebook group (good for both the believing and non-believing spouse)
  
  
• Natasha has her own virtual counseling practice, Symmetry Solutions - we have used their services and they are really good at understanding the Mormon mixed-faith paradigm and helping both spouses approach the marriage from a healthy standpoint.
  
  Best of luck, feel free to ask me any questions, I’m happy to discuss further.

Pro-Nazi



"Dec 9,1933 - [Less than a year after Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany,] 'Church News' article 'Mormonism in The New Germany,' enthusiastically emphasizes parallels 'between the LDS Church and some of the ideas and policies of the National Socialists.' First, Nazis have introduced 'Fast Sunday.' Second, 'it is a very well known fact that Hitler observes a form of living which Mormons term the Word of Wisdom. Finally, due to the importance given to the racial question by Nazis and the almost necessity of proving that one's grandmother was not a Jewess, there no longer is resistance against genealogical research by German Mormons who now have received letters of encouragement complimenting them for their patriotism.'



"Jan 25,1936 - 'Church News' Section photograph of LDS basketball team in Germany giving 'Sieg Heil' salute of Nazi Party."

"Many of those who felt the greatest anxiety about being able to carry on their religious activities are finding that at least one branch of their church work has received its greatest boon since Germany’s adoption of Hitlerism. It was always difficult for Genealogical workers to get into the archives of the recognized church to trace back family records. When the pastor learned of the intention access to the records was often denied. Now, due to the importance given to the racial question, and the almost necessity of proving that one’s grandmother was not a Jewess, the old record books have been dusted off and stand ready and waiting for use. No questions are asked. In fact, some of the Saints instead of being refused by the pastors now have received letters of encouragement complimenting them for their patriotism. All genealogical workers who are interesting in tracing back family history in Germany should take advantage of the present unusual opportunity." –Deseret News 1933

Moroni and the Swastika: Mormons in Nazi Germany http://www.amazon.com/Moroni-Swastika-Mormons-Nazi-Germany/dp/0806146680/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424195771&sr=8-1&keywords=Moroni+and+the+Swastika

For the past year I've had regular conversations with the missionaries who work in our area. In an effort to understand their beliefs I've gone through several books, among which is Grant Palmer's An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which deals with issues like the authorship of the Book of Mormon, the golden plates, and other hot-button issues. Palmer, an active Mormon, ends this book with the conclusion that Joseph Smith probably never translated anything correctly; that the Book of Mormon is an amalgamation of the Bible, 19th-century doctrine, and his own fruitful imagination; and that some of the foundational events (such as the First Vision) were the result of elaborations over time. Yet Palmer does not reject Mormonism and instead calls for a renewed focus on Jesus Christ.

When it comes to the question of whether Mormons are Christians, I think we must tread cautiously for two reasons. First, Jesus said that it's not our place to decide whether someone else is saved; that authority belongs to Jesus alone. Second, Mormonism is a spectrum like any other system of thought. Someone like Grant Palmer could identify as Mormon while clearly demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit that always accompanies saving faith. In the same way, it's possible for someone to identify as Christian and yet clearly fail to keep in step with the Spirit.

I tend to think that if Paul were to write a letter to the Mormon church today, he would write something like his letter to the Galatians. The Galatians were given the plain and simple gospel, yet they were convinced by a rogue sect to add on all the burdens of following the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament. Did Paul consider the Galatians to no longer be Christians because of this? I don't see a clear indication of this. What is clear is that Paul insisted that the gospel remain absolutely pure, even if an angel brought a different gospel. This is a good lesson for the Mormon church as well as Christian denominations.

What keeps Mormonism going is not the evidence for their faith (since there is little if any at all), but their reliance on emotions (the "burning in the bosom") as a sort of spiritual divining rod for truth. Random chance will ensure that some small fraction of people will get a positive answer to their prayers, even if it's purely coincidental. The fact that emotions are so untrustworthy is precisely why Jonathan Edwards preached against the dependence on one's emotions as proof of conversion nearly a hundred years before the Mormon church was founded.

The aspect of Mormonism that most concerns me is not its unique beliefs, but its tendency to produce atheists. It seems to me that most Mormons who leave their faith because of the lack of evidence also assume that Christianity, on which Mormonism claims to be based, has just as little evidence in its favor. I firmly believe that Christianity is an evidence-based religion, and so I spend a lot of time talking with the missionaries about the reliability of the New Testament and the historicity of Jesus's resurrection. They may never leave Mormonism, but if they do, I want them to see that Christianity is a rational choice.

May be it would be helpful to point you to some honest source that seeks to give a non subjective and fair evaluation for the claims of the church.

1.   A book that provides a general view on how to go about thinking about hard church issues. It is really good. Entitled the Crucible of Doubt by Teryl Givens: https://www.amazon.com/Crucible-Doubt-Reflections-Quest-Faith/dp/1609079426/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crucible+of+doubt+givens&amp;amp;qid=1561524835&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;sr=1-1<br />

   
   

2. My favorite book to start thinking very thoughtfully and from an academic perspective on the book of Mormon. Incredible stuff. Entitled “Understanding the BOM” by Grant Hardy: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Book-Mormon-Readers-Guide/dp/0199731705/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KBX8MX63A88H3GCBCHYR
   
   
3. My favorite book on early church history focused around the life of Jesus Christ. Written by the renowned Columbia U History Professor Richard Bushman. Entitled Rough Stone Rolling: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400042704/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=richard+bushman+rough+stone+rolling&qid=1561524690&s=books&sr=1-1
   
   
4. My favorite book on modern day church history. It is a careful look at the David O McKay era with incredible source material. It completely changed my view of how the upper echelons of church governance works, but somehow at the same time strengthened my faith in our very fallible leaders. Entitled The Rise of Modern Mormonism by Greg Prince: https://www.amazon.com/David-McKay-Rise-Modern-Mormonism/dp/0874808227/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+rise+of+modern+mormonism&qid=1561524807&s=books&sr=1-1

My wife is still active and never had any interest in reading any of my "anti" books. But I did get her to read Suddenly Strangers by Brad and Chris Morin. She was interested in it because it's about relationships, and what it felt like to lose belief in the church and have to deal with the fallout from believing family and friends.

Though it's not the main focus of the book, they do go into some detail about the doctrinal and historical issues that led to their disaffection, so it's a good way to introduce some of these issues in a non-threatening way.

Another tack might be to ask her to read something from an apologetic perspective that nevertheless goes into all the details. The great service that apologists provide is that they substantiate a lot of claims that members often assume to be anti-Mormon lies. One of my favorite examples is this paper from FAIR. It basically says, "why yes, Joseph Smith did in fact marry women who were already married to other men, now let me explain why that shouldn't bother anyone..." To me, the apologetic spin is weak sauce compared to the acknowledgement that the anti-Mormon claim is rooted in fact.

A good book in this vein might be Michael Ash's Shaken Faith Syndrome. It's a pretty good introduction to the whole LDS apologist scene, and most people who venture into those waters don't come away very impressed.

Try Krakauer's other well known book Into Thin Air, and because there's some controversy regarding his version of events, also The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev who was a major player that day.

Krakauer's other book Under the Banner of Heaven is a good "true crime" style story about some Morman murders, but may not be enough like Into the Wild to appeal to you.

Over the Edge of the World is more of a history, covering Magellan's circumnavigation of the earth. It was facinating and definately had intrigue, machinations, and survival elements.

Another book on exploration and survival, Endurance: Shakleton's Incredible Voyage

And another one, Fatal Journey: The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson. I think this is the one I read, but I can't be certain. It doesn't seem to be as well regarded, but i thought it was still interesting.

A book on diving and survival: The Last Dive, Chowdhury

The Hot Zone could be thought of as science survival. Anyway, you'll probably love the opening bits in Africa, although it does slow way down after that.

Far away from survival, but still about travel are the wonderful Bill Bryson's travelogues. Witty and informative. In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods are particularly recommended.

Thanks for mentioning us pre-internet pioneers of exmo-ness.

I left in late 1995. Made the mistake of reading Richard S. Van Wagoner's "Mormon Polygamy: A History"

I felt so guilty for reading that book. But, I just couldn't put it down. It was the first time I felt like someone was giving me a real picture of Joseph Smith the man, not the myth. Decided I needed to balance out what I was getting in Van Wagoner's book with something more "church approved." Went to Deseret Book. Asked the girl working if they had anything on polygamy. She said she thought they had one book- they did. It was the book I was already reading.

That was the moment I took the red pill. There was no turning back and the floodgates were opened. I then read:

• No Man Knows My History
  
• Quest For The Gold Plates
  
• By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus
  
• Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders
  
• Secret Ceremonies
  
• Where Does It Say That?
  
  And then I started checking out copies of Sunstone and Dialogue.
  
  I started checking out some of the articles at Utah Lighthouse Ministries and made one trip to their book store, but I was already becoming an atheist and I didn't really like how they weren't just trying to debunk Mormonism but also trying to sell born again xianity.
  
  By November of 1996 I was already attending a Unitarian Universalist congregation and also pretty much an athiest at that point.
  
  When stuff like MormonThink came along, I was already pretty much post-Mormon. And, when I discovered r/exmormon, I was suddenly surprised at how much I liked watching what was happening here.
  
  I'm always surprised at the announcements people make about being done with this place. But, then I found it when I was already over all the emotional rage at having been deceived. I think I just like watching the train wreck at this point. People's posts here really give me the sense that Mormonism is imploding at a rate faster than this stodgy institution is prepared to deal with- makes me happy.

Here is a multi-volume work of the history if the LDS church written by B.H. Roberts. It's like 80 years old so it is a bit outdated in a few areas.

Rough Stone Rolling is a biography of Joseph Smith written by Richard Bushman. It is generally considered to be the pretty good historically and is pretty well cited.

I also find Wikipedia to be a pretty good starting point for studying different topics in LDS history. Apparently there does end up being some editing wars for a lot topics so you have to be careful.

A new 4 volume narrative history of the LDS church has also been announced and will start coming out next year. That might end up being good.

Edit: just realised I didn't read your post well enough. I just gave you general history sources when you were asking for specific leads. Sorry about that. I hope someone else the info you're looking for.

The book Recovering Agency could be helpful for you and your friend to read, it would be from an outside perspective of a different church which your friend may be more willing to listen to. It's really good, as is using logic and reason. http://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Agency-Lifting-Mormon-Control/dp/1489595937

The other book is The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine one of America's Founding Fathers. you can get it free online or for not much on amazon, it is a very excellent book and a good read.

Not mormon specific, but there's a great one called Talk Origins (play store link, couldn't find it in iStore) that goes through a lot of creationist claims in a FAQ way.

I've also got the kindle app for whenever I'm bored - you can email yourself documents and it'll sync across multiple devices. Quite easy to load up a bunch of eBooks ahead of time to have a read through. Mormon wise, Under the Banner of Heaven is excellent, as is It's Not About the Sex, My Ass.

I struggle with this as well. I find that, in general, most people I encounter do not feel the need to think about things as much as I do. I can't help it. I just think about everything all the time and it doesn't ever stop.
For the logic of a lot of thing, I really recommend this book . It helps me understand so many specific issues better, and has an incredible set up to help strengthen faith in general. I found one of my favorite quotes in this book. I believe it was Joseph F Smith who said it, and I don't know it verbatim so forgive me for paraphrasing: it doesn't matter if you don't understand, agree with, or believe every single thing taught in the church. Anyone who relates to our core values & beliefs (Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Book of Mormon being the word of God, etc) is welcome.
That quote kept me from leaving the church at a time where there was much I didn't understand.

Letters to a Young Mormon by Adam Miller. This books is a series of letters on gospel topics. It really makes you think about topics that we sometimes gloss over, and I feel like it's helped me be a more deliberate disciple.

First Principles and Ordinances by Samuel Brown. This book is next on my reading list, but everything I've read from this guy has been excellent. I recently saw someone recommend this book for prospective missionaries.

Wrestling the Angel by Terryl Givens. This book is a great history and explanation of Mormon doctrine and compares our beliefs to historical and modern mainstream Christian beliefs. I would highly recommend this one for future missionaries

"Mormon Feminism" compiled by Joanna Brooks, Rachel Hunt Steenblik, and Hannah Wheelwright. It has all of the essential feminist essays that show the history of an empowered relief society, women's blessings, and the political influences that diminished women's roles in the church. (see here: https://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Feminism-Essential-Joanna-Brooks/dp/0190248033)

For instance, it has these essays that were very important in my faith transition:

1. "A gift given, a gift taken" - women's blessings and how they ended in 1946 when men coming home form WWII https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/029-16-25.pdf
   
   
2. "Mormonism's Odd Couple: the Priesthood-Motherhood connection" - how misogyny has been used by the patriarchy throughout time to subjugate women, e.g. Nazis used a lot of the same arguments Mormons use http://signaturebookslibrary.org/woman-and-authority-13/
   
   
3. "Toward a Mormon Theology of God the Mother" - how Heavenly Mother could be the Holy Spirit based on BoM and D&C scripture, got Janice Allred excommunicated - https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V27N02_27.pdf
   
   Also, I'd consider "The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy" by Carol Lyn Pearson https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Eternal-Polygamy-Haunting-Hearts/dp/0997458208

Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman:

http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400077532


The best researched biography of Joseph Smith by an award winning historian who taught at Harvard, Columbia and BYU who is also an active believing Latter-day Saint.


Edit: If you like archaeology and the Book of Mormon, then try Mormon Codex by John L. Sorenson:

http://www.amazon.com/Mormons-Codex-Ancient-American-Book/dp/1609073991/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450660578&sr=1-1&keywords=Mormon+Codex

The doctrine is not straightforward. There are several explanations, including Adam-God to which you referred and Jehovah-Jesus. The Book of Mormon teaches both modalism and trinitarianism. Mormons could also be thought of as somewhat Arianist. My favorite vision is of heaven as sci-fi Mormon Valhalla, derivable from the King Follett Discourse. And don't forget to include Heavenly Mother, or Mothers if you're double-true blue.

If you want a quick answer to what Mormons believe God to be, you won't find one. But if you're interested in meditating on this more fully, check out the section on The Divine in Terryl Givens' recent book.

> You better believe I am going to plug it here for two reason: 1. This is my target audience…

Yes, /u/Porter_rockedwell, this is your target audience. Luna Lindsey plugged her book Recovering Agency here and even bought banner adds for the top of the page, and I remember much complaint but lots of praise. I suggest that you make your book available for kindle, which is easy for amateur self-publishers and how most people here would buy it.

As far as /u/daysofapostacy goes, it's seriously bizarre that anyone would claim that /r/exmormon is a lucrative place to gain followers for a fashion blog instead of sticking to bourgeoise TBM Utah Valley-girls. If /u/daysofapostacy was chasing fame and profit she would gone on pretending to be TBM. Choosing to come out as apostate is probably going to hurt her business.

If you happen to like reading, and are interested in more on the history of Mormonism, I once read this biography of Joseph Smith called No Man Knows My History. It was actually recommended to me by a District Overseer I knew a long time ago, (he knew how much I loved to read) which was really the only reason I got away with reading it at the time. People would see me reading it and ask what I thought I was doing and I would just tell them the D.O recommended it to me and they would shut up. Anyway, it was fascinating, well written, and really just an interesting perspective on the history of the church.

>Much longer issue here, and some of the research is so new that it is only a few years old. In summary though, the hypocephali, the lion-couch scene, and the sacrifice/altar scene were all used by ancient Egyptians as a "and/also" metaphor. It was one story used to tell another. Or in other words, the author got to create stories analogous to commonly known stories. It's hard to find a modern day equivalent, it's so foreign to our way of thinking. Since the original authors of these died, we can never know what the author intended by his or her use of these scenes.
>
>Also, to state the attached text to the scrolls were the Book of Abraham is incorrect reasoning. It was common practice to attach vignettes to entirely different texts. We assume "if they're adjacent, they match". This is not the case with Egyptians. Further underscored by the idea that Facsimiles 1 and 3 are not even referenced in the adjacent extant scrolls we do have.

Everyone watching, this is that self delusion in action. Your explanation is so ridiculous that it doesn't even warrant a response. Pick up a copy of "By His own Hand Upon Payprus." Your excuse is that basically the symbols we see don't actually mean what we think they mean, even though we can read them. I have a book full of pictures my dad bought at Deseret Book that has the little hieroglyphic on the margins, and a very lengthy "translation." We have the book the "translators" used to code what each symbol supposedly meant. The very fact the church locks these documents up and doesn't talk about them is all the proof one should need. Even Hugh Nibley's assistant who was assigned to review left the church.

It does disprove it, and non-peer reviewed ramblings of paid apologists can't cover up the obvious truth.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560851570/ref=kinw_rke_tl_1

As far as the Kinderhook plates go, why are you trying to slander the man who created the plates? That was the tactic the leaders of the church took BEFORE we found them, and scientifically proved that they were not ancient, and were in fact created by the very process described by the guy who waited 36 years to announce it. A more pertinent question would be why did every Prophet, Seer, and Revelator defend Joseph Smith's claim that he could translate the plates up until we actually found them and science vindicated the farmer?

The people who planted the plates weren't the ones that claimed he translated them. William Clayton, Joseph's trusted scribe who recorded all sorts of very important revelations and church documents was the one who claimed that. And you expect me to believe that out of nowhere he just noted some random note about the Kinderhook plates that he made up and never mentioned again?

Obviously the conspirators were hoping that eventually Brigham would have tried to translate them. It doesn't matter why they waited so long, we know that they created them, and the church has already admitted that. But I guess that footnote in History of the Church is still around so you may have not understood the latest apologetic argument.

So rather than resorting to lying and slander to defend the church, I'd suggest you start being more honest in your research.

First off, welcome! I'm glad you're here. But I'm sorry for what you're going through right now, and for the loss of your parent. What a hard situation. I'm not exactly sure what to say for each of your three points (except I totally agree with you on the 3rd - those thoughts pop into my head too). But I just suggested these two books for someone else on here, and I'm going to recommend them to you too. They were both helpful to me in sorting out what I was feeling, and why. Good luck!

• [Leaving the Fold] (http://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Fold-Marlene-Winell/dp/1933993235/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464644226&sr=8-1&keywords=leaving+the+fold), by Marlene Winell.
  
  
• [Recovering Agency] (http://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Agency-Lifting-Mormon-Control/dp/1489595937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464644338&sr=8-1&keywords=recovering+agency), by Luna Lindsey.

Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction by Richard Bushman. Part of a series by Oxford University Press that tries to concisely summarize a variety of complex topics.

For something more in depth, but hitting all the bases you described quite well, I highly recommend the The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism. Seriously if you read that, you will come away with a very in depth understating of Mormon history, theology, culture, practice, and experience. But it is very long.

Oxford has also published a great book on the development of LDS theology called Wrestling the Angel.

Matthew Bowman's The Mormon People is also very good and has been used as a textbook in university religious studies introduction to Mormonism courses.

As for Freemasonry itself, you will have to be very discerning with the information you come across, and especially on reddit.

In the Golden Verses of Pythagoras, it is said,
>
> -> 30. Never do anything which thou dost not understand.
>
> -> 31. But learn all thou ought'st to know, and by that means thou wilt lead a very pleasant life.

I advise against joining Freemasonry as a means to contrast it with Mormonism. A prominent feature of the Mormon temple ceremony is the trade of oaths with penalties for guarded information. This is also present in Freemasonry, and though they would portray themselves as benevolent, there is much to cast this into doubt.

I'm happy to direct you towards information relevant to your search. Maybe this information is not exactly what you are asking for, but I'm sure it will broaden and deepen your understanding of the topic at hand.

• 
  Joseph Smith and Kabbalah:
  The Occult Connection by Lance S. Owens
  
• 
  Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn (Amazon)
  
  Both of these works were rigorously researched and have cited sources. Quinn's Early Mormonism and the Magic World View has over 300 pages in notes and sources. It is my opinion that if you don't have an understanding of the esoteric, occult foundation of Mormonism, then you don't understand Mormonism.
  
  Personally, it has allowed me to temper my understanding of Early Mormonism and the actions of my ancestors. For some, learning this may only condemn it further.
  
  After finding the edges of the current popularly held views of scientific materialistic reductionism, we are left looking at chaos and nondeterminism with wonder. There are so many evidences that our universe and our existence is much more meaningful than society would admit. Without passing judgement on the details of early Mormon history, I now have greater context for understanding it.
  
  If you should find yourself lost in searching for answers within the paradigm of linear thinking, send me a message. I have found that some of the greatest minds have been marginalized or silenced for embracing nonconforming, nonlinear, nondeterministic thinking.

There's an excellent episode from the podcast "LDS Perspectives Podcast" that invites prominent LDS scholar and author, Robert Millet, to speak on this exact issue:

> I wouldn’t press young people or older people for that matter to insist we’re Christians just like they are, because I think that wouldn’t be true. It’s not true.

>How we define ourselves. A religious group ought to have the right of self-definition if anything, and [Mormons] haven’t generally been given that right.

It's popular in an evangelical-LDS dialog to have the principle of “let us define for you what you believe.” Mormons do the same thing. We have in our heads, “You believe this. You believe this.”

The LDS Church has a published essay on the issue of "Are Mormon's Christian?"

Finally, as a source and study of Mormon thought in the context of Christian Theology as it evolved over the centuries I would recommend, "Wrestling an Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity", by Terrly Givens.

One thing that helped me was to focus on the transcendentals like truth, goodness, and beauty. This book was great for that.

I also started trying to write out what it was I believed in. Most of it has stayed pretty constant, but some has changed slightly as I've thought more about my beliefs.

Best to you!

Not sure if this fits under your definition of "world religions" but Mormonism is currently undergoing an interesting, scholarly reassessment of its history. Mormons have a pretty unique and (if I may say so myself) fascinating cosmology that you may enjoy learning about. If you're interested I would start by reading Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling.

All great suggestions here! I just wanted to add that Royal Skousen's Earliest Text edition of the Book of Mormon is also a great option. No pictures or footnotes, but it flows really well and there is lots of space in the margins. The verses are broken down into what he calls "sense lines" and it makes it super easy to follow. I felt like I was breezing through it.

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Mormon-Earliest-Text/dp/0300142188

> Can you think of any parts of the Smith narrative that don't fit with the sex-and-power idea, outside of trivialities?

Have you ever read anything about Joseph Smith from a sympathetic perspective? I don't mean apologist literature. I mean work that is actually trying to understand Joseph Smith, rather than to support a preexisting thesis. Things like Rough Stone Rolling, In Heaven as it is on Earth, American Crucifixion, Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, etc. When the events of Joseph Smith's life are put into their full, rich historical context, it quickly becomes apparent that J.S.'s motivations were complex and variegated. Certainly sex and power played a role, but so did sincere, intense religious belief, a desire to unite and redeem his family, and a firm conviction that God was working through him. For instance, the money digging events can only be understood when put into the context of early 19th century folk religion, as Quinn does in Early Mormonism. This is not an avaricious Joseph Smith, but someone who is trying to help lift his family out of poverty using methods of folk religion that were ubiquitous in the region.

For a TBM, he does a pretty good job staying neutral, but yes, he has his biases.

You might prefer his:

https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-View-Mormon-Origins/dp/1560851570

Grant Palmer's book is fantastic.

Go read "This is My Doctrine: The Development of Mormon Theology" by Charles R. Harrell. It is the best topical summary of the evolution of LDS doctrine available, written by a believing but uncorrelated BYU Engineering professor.

If you're interested in the changing claims about God that developed in Joseph's lifetime, I wrote a few blog posts documenting my findings and resources:

Darwinian Deity: The Evolution of the Mormon Concept of God – Part I

Darwinian Deity: The Evolution of the Mormon Concept of God – Part II

Darwinian Deity: The Evolution of the Mormon Concept of God – Part III

>certain claims by prophets that it is the most correct of any book.

That's J.S. claiming it's the most true on principle, not like, the most historically / scientifically accurate. "“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (History of the Church, 4:461.)"

The archeology and geological aspects are pretty disappointing. Mormon's Codex by Sorenson is encouraging, but I mean, he claimed to have gold plates given him by an angel that the angel took back. There's only so much you can do with that.

Academic studies in general as well as work on the text is much better.

Oxford press (I recommend both these authors):
http://www.amazon.com/Wrestling-Angel-Foundations-Thought-Humanity/dp/0199794928/
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Book-Mormon-Readers-Guide/dp/0199731705/

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/ (including http://publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/periodicals/jbms/ )

http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/

http://www.gregkoffordbooks.com

BYU's philosophy department professors

I do not recommend FAIR.

That should be a good start : )

Lee was eventually convicted and executed, but the others all escaped punishment for the most part (albeit living as fugitives). Brigham Young played a role (enormous to some, tacitly implying in others) and yet has a university named after him.

It's not to necessarily blame the Mormons, but they did secede from the United States and were not very good at integrating with society under their initial leaders. To claim that Mormons are actively trying to destroy the United States now is as spurious as saying that Obama is a Muslim communist nazi.

Krakauer's excellent Under the Banner of Heaven contains a well-investigated version of the story, as well as a good amount of the Mormon history.

Thank you for this reply. I forgot about that Article of Faith, that's very useful in instances like this. Mormons certainly do have an interesting history. I was so shocked when I learned about all the unpleasantries about church history (with the scrying, the Jupiter Talisman, etc). It definitely helped drive me away form that religion, because it wasn't what I though it was. But actually, now that I'm more into "the occult" side of things, that bitterness that I felt about the church has worn off and it's become more of a fascination.

On a related note, I've been wanting to get this book, Early Mormonism and the Magick World View. Have you read this, by chance? If so, what did you think about it?

Dude, I've been right where are currently are. I decided to go on the mission and then to BYU and only recently ended up circling back around to my previous doubts and leaving the church. Oh how I wish I could go back to my pre-mish self and just move on. Pressure from family and friends is real.

​

As you make this decision, I would recommend reading When Mormon's Doubt by Jon Ogden. It has helped me navigate those relationships as I've move on from the church.

​

Good luck! Sending you love through the binary

I was coming to say this exact thing! I'm about 1/3 into it and it's SO fascinating. I live in SLC, so I went to his author event when the book came out at Wellers Book Works. He had a lot of pictures and things on display, gave a great talk, and there was some really great Q&A and discussion. It's by David Conley Nelson.

Here is a great book about it:

https://www.amazon.com/Early-Mormonism-Magic-World-View/dp/1560850892

It wasn't just Smith Jr and the peep stone (whitewashed to "seer stone",) there were lots of other magical practices the Smith family engaged in. From dowsing that has been scrubbed from the D&C (now listed as the "Gift of Aaron", you know, the one with the staff that allegedly turned into a snake?) to animal sacrifice and the nature of the solstice and what it had to do with recovering the mythical golden plates, the Smiths were deeply engaged in folk magic and the occult. Smith Jr had a Jupiter talisman in his pocket at his death that you can get a replica of today on eBay, and hairs from his and Hyrum's head were placed in walking canes that can be seen at the Daughters of the Pioneers museum today.

One more thing: Smith Jr supposedly learned how to scam people use a seer stone from another seer, Sally Chase and (allegedly) used her stone to locate his first one. I believe it was simply an attempt to legitimize his own scamming by showing he learned from another confidence schemer. Smith Jr never found any treasure that was recovered with his peep stone other than the golden plates, which no one has ever seen, including none of the 3 or 8 witnesses or anyone else. And where are the plates today? Taken away in to heaven? Really?!?

Joseph made edits to the manuscript while it was at the printer. And from the time Joseph received the plates (1827) to the time the manuscript was completed (late 1829) was more than two years. That's plenty of time for Joseph to have the story completely laid out in his head. Read an original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon and you'll see how different it is from today's version. And I'm not talking about punctuation, chapter headings, or verse separations.

Stephen King wrote Running Man in a week. Brilliant and creative people can write stories in a flash. BH Roberts, a former General Authority in the 1920's and 1930's, did a study on the Book of Mormon and Joseph's history. He concluded that Joseph had the necessary faculties and intellect to produce the Book of Mormon on his own. Read this.

The Book of Mormon is nothing more than Bible fan fiction.

I keep seeing this thing where people want "the government" to take care of more and more stuff for people. Can we instead say "the taxpayers should pay for this, including paying for anyone that wants to have huge families and contribute nothing at all to the rest of their community". See https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC1R2S/ for a good take on how some very out-there crazy communities essentially live off of the rest of the taxpayers by using whatever they can to get money.

I mean sure, it'd be nice. I'm all for revising the tax code. But how many immigrants are you willing to absorb, how many other people are you willing to pay for, and how high are you willing to see your tax rate go? The money has to come from somewhere, and the people you take the money from, they tend to get pissed off if you just hand it out to people they don't think contribute very much. That causes a lot of friction, and tends to attract a lot of people who just see free money and services, so there's no need for them to stay and fight or stay and try to improve the place where they're at?

Bret Metcalfe’s Book demonstrates how the first books of the BoM were produced at the end of the “translation “ process after the rest of the book had been written because of the loss of the 166 pages Joseph continued on and did not backtrack to first produce Nephi until the end of the process. He shows how the specific details about Christ were written after the later portion of the story had been produced and how vague Joseph is in the first few books with names and places and the story as he perhaps could not remember the names or details written in the 116 pages of the book of Lehi.

Dan Vogel’s you tube accounts demonstrate how the BoM directly deals with issues in Joseph’s home and family issues in an attempt to bring family together on theological issues and draws on the popular issues of the day such as the presumed advanced lighter skinned peoples who were responsible for the mounds and advanced civilizations they observed.

Michael Quinn’s Early Mormonism and Magic World View truly provides the context for Joseph’s treasure digging and how the BOM fits into the magic world perspective even to the day Joseph looked for the plates to have significance in the magic calendar. It is not valid to view the history without the magic overlay.

The most important thing to discuss is the spirit and elevation emotion see https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/2017/08/premium-fix-faith-crisis-one-weird-trick-wood-vs-steel-tools/


https://www.discoverbooks.com/New-Approaches-to-the-Book-of-Mormon-Exploration-p/1560850175.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw753rBRCVARIsANe3o44oLXnpzGkS8gnEgABdjlmH8YPThwelpNYor5d3N75kKSd8g662I3waAjxbEALw_wcB

https://www.amazon.com/Early-Mormonism-Magic-World-View/dp/1560850892

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv91bBcxP_pnTAArZuIJqFUPuj8zS2Xwa

Dude: Close this deal.


• Grant Palmer's Insider's View of Mormonism

• Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith


• MormonThink.com


Close this crap now. Immediately. If you haven't read the two books, they are super easy reads. Nearly as easy as the CES Letter. DO IT!!!

The Mormon church is rich as FUCK.

And they are one of the few established religions that take $$-making so seriously as to schedule annual settlements with their members.

I like the pre-prohibition Mormonism that dealt in the occult like Jupiter Talismans, seeing stones, completely mis translated papyrii (the PoGP sure is a fun read), and other cool out-there shit.

Post capitulation (ditching polygamy for statehood, changing/enforcing the WoW during prohibition, Elohim deciding black people were cool as of '78) Mormonism is boring AF.

This is the good stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/Early-Mormonism-Magic-World-View/dp/1560850892

That depends on what you think of academic works. I think it's super fascinating! But I'm into that kind of thing. Check out the reviews here! I use it as more of a reference than a straight through read. Most of the text is the Book of Mormon itself as well as textual comparisons of the extant original manuscript, printers manuscripts, and 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon.

It is covered in this great book, which I highly recommend. The history of Mormon temple worship is totally unknown and fascinating. Like, did you know that until Jos. F. Smith's Presidency, the Logan, Salt Lake, Manti, and St. George temples all had different versions of the endowment? Lots of good stuff in there.

Brigham H. Roberts was considered the best church historian of his age, (early 1900's). A brilliant man, faithful member of the church, and author of "The Comprehensive History of the Church". In my mind nobody knew the history of the church better.

He also authored a volume called. "Studies of the Book of Mormon" which was published after his death by 'Signature Books'. I think it is the most damning evidence for the book of mormon fraud that I have read.

"Studies" is available on-line for your personal library, or do what I did and just borrow it from the Local Library. A fascinating read, thoroughly footnoted and documented in the style of one of the worlds great historians.

I agree with many of the comments here, I think a few soundbites here and there aren't going to do much unless you have a more solid understanding. I would strongly recommend this book
so you can really discuss the issues from a knowledgable standpoint. Besides, maybe you will find out the Mormon church is really true and he will baptize you. Haha.

Scott Carrier is absolutely brilliant on the radio, but I found this piece to be a bit unfocused. Reading it in his voice seemed to help a bit.

If you found this story interesting, I highly recommend Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven. Krakauer more deeply explores Elizabeth Smart's story, along with many more in an absolutely fascinating book.

On the lighter side, Dave Chappelle asks, How old is fifteen really?

When I was NOM transitioning to exmo, my wife was already mentally out, the only way I felt comfortable ever baptizing our then 1-year-old daughter, would be if my wife could participate on some level, either as a witness or participate in the confirmation circle. I got to this after reading about the historical practice of women's blessings, see "A gift given, a gift taken" and I'd get this book to start reading to prepare your daughter with some mormon feminism, Modern Feminism: Essential Writings

I would be very, very cautious of any religious organization that compels you to formally "join" it (complete with secret ceremonies) and forces you to tithe to be a full-fledged member. It seems to me that true religion is transparent rather than secretive. The LDS organization is anything but transparent. Have you read Jon Krakauer's book Under the Banner of Heaven? If not, I highly recommend it (the Amazon reviews are also a good resource) for a very thorough and unbiased history of the LDS movement. This is another recent article about the LDS that brings up some pretty troubling dealings on the business end of things.

I spent several years out in the American West living very close to a large LDS community and I saw a lot of very upsetting things go on within that community. Most of them had to do with the mistreatment of women and children, but a lot was simply cronyism and manipulation. It is a community that works very hard to keep appearances up to "outsiders", but they weren't able to hide everything.

I'm sure you are considering this conversion very carefully and I don't mean to undermine or disrespect your personal beliefs in any way, but I'd really encourage to you spend a great deal of time reading accounts from people (especially women) who have left the LDS church before you decided to join. Their recruitment can be quite intense, but it does not tell the whole truth behind the organization.

In the context of this community, I will also say that is is next to impossible to be a feminist and a Mormon at the same time. The ideologies conflict that violently.

OK, I will shut the fuck up now. Best to you in whatever choices you make in your life!

> Is the book of Mormon peer reviewed?

Start with By the Hand of Mormon by Terryl L. Givens, Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide by Grant Hardy and The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text by Royal Skousen.

These are three independent works, all published by reputable academic presses (Oxford and Yale) by scholars whose scholarly credentials have landed them academic positions at accredited institutions of higher education.

If you want the real deal, start here and learn and see academic scholarship at it's finest painting a majestic picture of this incredible text.

http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400077532 - Rough Stone Rolling - The best biography of JS that I've ever read.
http://mormonthink.com/ - Probably the best researched and least partisan resource.
http://20truths.info/ - 20 Truths about Mormonism

I recommend Maxine Hanks' Women and Authority: Re-Emerging Mormon Feminism (1992) for some perspective on feminism within Mormonism. Mormonism is fundamentally patriarchal, which has made feminism and feminist theology necessary. Sister Hanks was excommunicated for the anthology as part of the infamous September Six purge, as well as some of the book's contributors, including D. Michael Quinn.

There's also a new book, Mormon Feminism: Essential Readings (2015), edited by a handful of prominent Ordain Women players. I have not yet read it, so I can't vouch for it, but it could also be informative.

I have appreciated Feminist Mormon Housewives and the community they provide for Mormon women-- active, transitioning, and ex.

>doesn't mean he had any interest in living with them

We know this isn't true. That he lived with them and slept in their beds is explicitly documented in some cases.

I recommend Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, an excellent biography of Emma by two faithful LDS historians.

This article seemed appropriate to share in light of Pres. Nelson's recent remarks (pulled from this summary article on lds.org):

> “Jesus Christ invites us to take the covenant path back home to our Heavenly Parents and be with those we love,” said President Nelson. He stressed that we can be together with our families in the next life only if we receive sacred ordinances in the temple and keep the covenants we make there.

> ...

> Now, as President of His Church, I plead with you who have distanced yourselves from the Church and with you who have not yet really sought to know that the Savior’s Church has been restored. Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now.

___

I'd highly recommend everyone read Jon Ogden's book When Mormons Doubt: A Way to Save Relationships and Seek a Quality Life.

Lots of people here are or have been in the same boat. You are not alone.

Focus on your relationship with your wife and kids. Most people recommend going very slowly with spouses. You will have to bring up your issues some day. If nothing else your wife may notice your change in attitude. The critical thing at that point (or before that point) is to make sure your wife knows that you love her. You are questioning the church, not your marriage. Many TBMs have trouble making that distinction.

The second most important thing is that when you do start talking to your wife about church issues is to make sure she does not run to her family for advice. That is one reason to start slowly at the very edges. Ask that she keep your confidence. Cultivate the idea that this is something that the two of you have to work out together, and that family interference will only make it worse. It is the two of you against the world.

A family member or close friend leaving the church might be an opportunity to talk about why they left. I know you said that your families are uber TBM, but don't be surprised if someone does come out as ex.

One thing you might do is get a copy of No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie. It is an old book. Get it in paperback and let your wife see you reading it. Encourage her to read it with you.

I think the book used to be sold at Deseret Books, but I don't see it on their website. It might still be available in a brick and mortar store. Here is the Amazon link if you can't find it an official church site.

I like this approach. I may consider this.

What I've found is this, at the beginning of my apostasy, it caused a big cognitive dissonance for both myself and my wife. It was all we could talk about, it threatened us both. I decided the church wasn't for me and shared my concerns and findings with my wife. She listened but didn't really investigate objectively, she'd read what the church and apologists had to say about the issues and read this piece of garbage that her mom sent her but wouldn't lend any credence to any 'anti-Mormons'. That God awful book seemed to calm her and she dug in her heels further and doubled down. We started seeing a marriage counselor and are to the point that we both love each other and are both ok with where the other is spiritually.

My question is this, when (if ever) should I bring the issues back to the surface again?

I know that the literature you are allowed to read on a mission is very limited. However, before you go, you could do some research on Joseph Smith as a person. He was a very colorful character, and had an extremely interesting life. Sometimes you have to go outside of official church doctrine on him to get the full picture because they don't want their prophet to look like what we all are: flawed human beings.

Myself, I am a non-believer. However, even with the flaws Joseph Smith had, I don't think that precludes anyone from believing that his message has value.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/No-Man-Knows-My-History/dp/0679730540/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1405797598&sr=8-4&keywords=joseph+smith

I would STRONGLY recommend this book. I feel it gives a balanced account of his life. It's not a book that tries to demonize JS, nor a book that portrays him as a perfect, godly man. It's just a book that tries to get at what his life was all about.

I’m an exmormon! This book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Joseph Smith and his magical practices.

https://www.amazon.com/Early-Mormonism-Magic-World-View/dp/1560850892

Also, if you want to know why members like me are leaving, this website explains all the dirty laundry of Mormonism.

Cesletter.org

A relevant passage about Joseph Smith and magic in the ces letter:

“In order to truly understand the Book of Mormon witnesses and the issues with their claims, one must understand the magical worldview of many people in early 19th century New England. These are people who believed in folk magic, divining rods, visions, second sight, peep stones in hats, treasure hunting (money digging or glass looking), and so on.”

If you have any more questions about the real story of the book of mormon without being preached at, feel free to ask me or the exmormon subreddit.

• 
  Which part of the mormon movement do you belong to? Community of Christ? Temple Lot? Bickertonite? Strangite? Cutlerite? Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? How do you know that your particular branch is the true church?
  
  
• 
  Have you ever read "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie?
  
  
• 
  What is your opinion on the origins of the Book of Abraham? Specifically, how do you rectify the fact that the original papyrus that Joseph Smith claimed to translate was found in the 60's and accurately translated by Egyptologists, and it had nothing to do with anything J.S. said it did?
  
  
• 
  Have you ever seen any of the 3 Nephites, or heard stories about them?
  
  
• If polygamy was made legal in the United States, do you think that the LDS church would have another "revelation" and allow it for their members again?
  
  
  
• 
  Have you been to r/exmormon?
  
  

My initial thoughts:

• [No Man Knows My History] (https://www.amazon.com/No-Man-Knows-My-History/dp/0679730540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502508499&sr=8-1&keywords=no+man+knows+my+history), by Fawn M. Brodie
  
  
• [An Insider's View of Mormon Origins] (https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-View-Mormon-Origins/dp/1560851570/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502508636&sr=1-1&keywords=an+insider%27s+view+of+mormon+origins), by Grant Palmer
  
  
• [Mormon Polygamy: a history] (https://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Polygamy-Richard-Van-Wagoner/dp/0941214796/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502508741&sr=1-1&keywords=mormon+polygamy), by Richard S. Von Wagoner
  
  
• [The Mountain Meadows Massacre] (https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Meadows-Massacre-Juanita-Brooks/dp/0806123184/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502508843&sr=1-1&keywords=mountain+meadows+massacre+juanita+brooks), by Juanita Brooks
  
  
• [A Gathering of Saints] (https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Saints-Story-Murder-Deceit/dp/0671651129/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502508882&sr=1-1&keywords=a+gathering+of+saints), by Robert Lindsey
  
  See if any of those pique your interest. I found them all to be fair, with little bias. Happy studying!

The Case for God and The Bible: A Biography by Karen Armstrong are both good. The God Delusion is a simple breakdown and explanation of most major religious claims. Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World by the Dalai Llama is an interesting book on ethics. The Koran: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Cook is 150 funny and insightful pages on Islam. Under the Banner of Heaven is a shocking and fascinating account of fundamentalist Mormonism. The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan discusses religion, and Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot are my secular versions of holy books. And of course given the occasion, I can't leave out God is Not Great.

I recommend avoiding authors like Lee Strobel and Deepak Chopra. Both are essentially liars for their causes, either inventing evidence, or deliberately being incredibly misleading in how they use terms. Popularity in those cases definitely doesn't indicate quality.

Somewhat unrelated, but have you read Charles Harrell's "This is My Doctrine: The Development of Mormon Theology"? It's written by a believing (but nuanced) professor at BYU and reviews the historical developments of mormon doctrine from OT to NT to BOM and early church to modern church. It's pretty fascinating.

Rough Stone Rolling would be a good place for her to start. You might enjoy it as well. It was written by an LDS historian, so it shouldn't be too scary, but it does tell a slightly different story than what we'd typically hear from the Church. It's not a book that's likely to convince her the Church isn't what it claims to be, but it could help her to see that the Church isn't particularly forthcoming with a lot of its history, and get her thinking on those terms.

While I don't consider it to be a cult, the history of Mormonism is extremely interesting, as is the life of it's founder, Joseph Smith.

A good book written by a member of the church is called "Rough Stone Rolling." Another great one by a non mormon is called "No Man Knows My History"

I don't believe there is. However, on Amazon's listing you can send feedback to Audible requesting an audio version. The link is on the bottom of the right hand column.

>Looking for the Audiobook Edition?
Tell us that you'd like this title to be produced as an audiobook, and we'll alert our colleagues at Audible.com. If you are the author or rights holder, let Audible help you produce the audiobook: Learn more at ACX.com.

Here is my Top 10 list:

1. The Original Manuscript of The Book of Mormon
   
   
2. The Printer's Manuscript of The Book of Mormon
   
   
3. The First Edition of The Book of Mormon (E.B. Grandin version)
   
   
4. The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition (Grant Hardy version)
   
   
5. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (1981 Version)
   
   
6. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (2013 Official online version)
   
   
7. The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text (Royal Skousen version)
   
   
8. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (1920 Version)
   
   
9. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (1994 Official MP3 version)
   
   
10. The Book of Mormon (Penguin Classic version)
    
    Honorable mentions: Le Livre de Mormon; The Book of Mormon (Moroni's gold plated version); Book of Mormon Stories (children's edition)
    
    

I wouldn't say it was the best non-fiction book I ever read but Under the Banner of Heaven was the best non-fiction book I read in the past year or two.

Joseph did posses a stone that he believed helped him see things which were hidden. His translation was initially through the Urim and Thummim, and as he learned to use that easier, he used his stone, and at some point probably no stone at all.


I don't have sources handy, so hopefully someone else will post some. A great book with tons of sourced info is Rough Stone Rolling. Fantastic book.

love those books, another great one and aimed at exmos Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control

It's interesting to hear NOMs or other apologists explain this. Richard Bushman acknowledges this, but somehow passes it off like it would be expected of a boy from back then.

After all, the world was very different back then. He was a good boy from the country. /s

Not to be critical, but I was raised in a religious household, and I started to question the doctrines of the church and the bible when I was a teenager. What was it that allowed you to believe so strongly and so blindly for so long? Was it your choice, or do you feel like you were manipulated into a sort of blind faith even into adulthood?

Also, are you all familiar with ["Under the Banner of Heaven"] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FC1R2S?btkr=1)? Krakauer is a great author who really tried to give the history of the Church an even handed analysis, and as an outsider, I think he succeeded greatly. I don't think it was well received by LDS though.

This book is good, written by an LDS member. D Michael Quinn is another excellent historian on this and other subjects.

Whether you agree with it or not, Prop 8 is a good watch, and would not require the investment of time that a book would.

I enjoyed Grant Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon. It gave me some interesting things to think about while reading the Book of Mormon.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Book-Mormon-Readers-Guide/dp/0199731705

Margaret Singer's Cults in Our Midst is a good one.

Luna Lindsey's Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control is worth a look (it does mention JWs too).

And Eric Hoffer's The True Believer should be in every right-thinking apostate's top pocket.

I've read A View of the Hebrews. I recommend reading B.H. Roberts' Studies of the Book of Mormon first as a primer. There are significant historical knowledge gaps between the time View was published and our own and I found Roberts' work helpful in bridging those gaps. Roberts set out to answer a few simple historical questions about the BoM that a member had written in to a GA...

Reading View will get you:

• a firsthand read at what was probably the source of a lot of major thematic points of the Book of Mormon, rebutting FAIRs claims of no connection; and,
  
  
• firsthand read of numerous and very specific pseudoscientific linguistic and cultural theories that were considered credible at the time the BoM was written, which have since been discredited, and which were incorporated into the BoM by the author(s) of that work.
  
  Reading Roberts work provides:
  
  
• firsthand knowledge that when FAIR characterizes Roberts' work as a piece of "devils advocacy" they are lying;
  
  
• a well-articulated summary of early concerns with BoM anachronisms (linguistic, anthropological, metalurgical, and agricultural/animal husbandry);
  
  
• strong evidence to the theory that Joseph Smith incorporated material from his life/social milieu into the Book of Mormon;
  
  
• examples of overt and thinly disguised plagarism from the Bible;
  
  
• analysis of simplistic and superficial stories/teachings of the BoM;
  
  
• Roberts' retelling of how his findings went over with the 12 and FP when he shared them with that body; and,
  
  
• all of this written from a perspective of faith from a President of the 70 who died in full fellowship, was church historian, who literally wrote The History of the Church and was formerly a strident defender of the Book of Mormon.
  
  Your husband might read Roberts work with you or on his own, given that he probably has a copy of Roberts six volume History of the Church and doesn't consider that anti-Mormon (in fact it's quoted extensively in official church publications.)
  
  Best of luck.

By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri by Charles M. Larson

Quick read, great full color foldout photos of the papyri (best available anywhere, I believe).

No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie

https://www.amazon.com/His-Own-Hand-Upon-Papyrus/dp/0962096326

https://www.amazon.com/No-Man-Knows-My-History/dp/0679730540

You can go to the Marriott library Special Collections dept on the 4th floor...just ask them about the BH Roberts stuff, they will be glad to bring you tons of stuff...that I am sure that the church doesn't like people to know about. You can also buy his writings now. The book is called Studies of the Book of Mormon...here is the amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1560850272/qid=1091914132/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-3960798-7723963?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

2 great books, on this topic.

1. An Insider's View on Mormon Origins
   https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-View-Mormon-Origins/dp/1560851570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540922636&sr=8-1&keywords=insiders+view+of+mormon+origins
   
   
2. Secret Combinations Evidence of Early Mormon Counterfeiting 1800-1847
   https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Combinations-Evidence-Counterfeiting-1800-1847/dp/194414109X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540922568&sr=8-1&keywords=mormon+counterfeiting
   
   In summary: Joseph, and others, were heavily involved in conning others. This was their thing. These were not honest farmers trying to make an honest buck. They swindled people. The gold plates were just another con that eventually worked its way into a religion (only after Joseph couldn't sell the copyright to the Book of Mormon in order to make some $).

"Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith"

Don't be confused by the title. It engages very successfully with Joseph's lecherous side all throughout. It's almost as much of a book about Joseph as it is a Emma. It merely looks at things through her perspective. It was written by 2 faithful LDS historians as a way to honor Joseph and Emma, but by the time they were finished their shelves were completely destroyed and both eventually left the church. This is why it is probably one of the best unbiased sources there is.

https://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Enigma-Emma-Hale-Smith/dp/0252062914/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540329851&sr=8-1&keywords=emma+smith+mormon+enigma

I recommend that you read this article and that you read this book.

An excerpt from the article:
>Sometime after Henry and Zina were married, Joseph told Dimick Huntington, Zina’s brother, the story of why he was compelled to introduce plural marriage, and asked that Dimick tell the story to Zina. As Zina is quoted by one author to have said, “Tell Zina I have put it off and put it off until an angel with a drawn sword has stood before me and told me if I did not establish that principle [plurality of wives] and live it, I would lose my position and my life and the Church could progress no further.”

I would also add that Celestial law supersedes the Levitical law.

I suggest reading those things and go to the Lord about it to give you peace.

I too had questions about this and have been patient in receiving understanding. [D&C 50:40] -
>"Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth."

Oh certainly he was very controversial, as was polygamy, but the age of the bride wouldn't have been at all in my understanding, and certainly doesn't constitute pedophelia. My great grandmother was around the same age when she was married.

Reread over my post in the other thread and I think you'll understand my point. I'm not supporting pedophelia or polygamy, I simply think it's unreasonable to lampoon Joseph Smith as a pedophile for having a 14 year old bride. Though I have no moral issue personally with either (a 14 year old bride that is, not pedophelia), they do both seem like really bad ideas. And of course a 14 year old in our culture today is rarely (if ever) prepared to make that kind of commitment.

Scharlatan, mad genius, or divine seer, he led a fantastically interesting life no matter how you judge him. Early Mormonism and the magic world view is a terribly interesting book if you're interested.

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Mormonism-Magic-World-View/dp/1560850892

I mean, what's your bar for acceptable sources? There's a long history of scholarship surrounding early Mormon history. You shouldn't feel bad that you don't know everything there is to know--few people do. But you likewise shouldn't blame others for your ignorance. You also shouldn't project your experience on others (and like /u/everything_is_free said, we all should be better about that).

But some stuff to get started:

The Maxwell Institute

FairMormon

Our own /u/brianhales

Richard Bushman

I suggest you read Under The Banner of Heaven. Not only is it a fascinating read, but it will also explain how the FLDS's brand of polygamy (which is obviously the most prominent form of polygamy in the country) goes hand in hand with child rape.

The Mormon polygamists are now exclusively members of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS), citing Biblical and prophetic precedence as proof and reason for their actions. An unfortunate outcome is that these sects are secretive, often residing in remote areas that are segregated from the rest of the population. The frequency of inbreeding and the desire to become "sealed" with several mates has produced a staggering rate of birth defects. For those interesting in learning more about the Latter Day Saints (LDS) or the FLDS, I highly suggest the following:

• Irreligiosophy - a podcast by two former Mormons. They discuss their previous faith and many more issues.
  
  
• Under the Banner of Heaven (Krakauer, 2003) - an excellent book that discusses the history, tenets, and culture of Mormonism. Additionally, it is carried by or carries a story regarding the murders committed by two FLDS members.
  

Grant Palmer’s Insider’s View is a great start:
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins https://www.amazon.com/dp/1560851570/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3IlOBbH90V1ZN

First off, I’m a different person than who you originally ranted at. Second, I’m active LDS and heterosexual and married with kids.

I’m asking these questions because you keep saying DOCTRINE in all caps as if there have been ANY spiritual principles that have remained the same throughout LDS Church history.

This is a verifiably false assumption. Even “Doctrines” change over time. There’s a great book called This is My Doctrine by BYU professor Charles Harrel that discusses this in far more detail than i am capable.

It makes me sad to see such cold-hearted fundamentalism as yours in mormonism.

I believe that they are referring to The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition by Grant Hardy. His other book, Understanding the Book of Mormon is highly recommended by other redditors. /u/Karl_Marxxx

Magic World View is a great book, but the first half -- the section that traces the development of folk magic in the West -- is so dense and hard to get through that I usually suggest it after some more accessible material. But Quinn's insights into magical thinking, folk practices, and superstitious traditions in 19th century America and among Mormonism's founders are fascinating.

I came her to post ths. I've never personally read it, but I hear good things. Here is the amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/This-My-Doctrine-Development-Theology/dp/1589581032/ref=sr_1_24?keywords=lds+doctrine&qid=1573148979&s=books&sr=1-24

SECTION | CONTENT

--|:--
Title | Jehovah's Witnesses v. Mormons - Ep. 1 - Faith versus Faith (with Jonathan Streeter)
Description | In this new series I explore the similarities and differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and other high control groups. First up are the Mormons, with ex-Mormon vlogger and blogger Jonathan Streeter answering my questions about the various beliefs and practices of the LDS Church. Resources mentioned in the video: 1. LDS.org Official Gospel Topics Essays: https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng&old=true Essay acknowledging that Joseph Smith married 14-year-olds and other men's wives: https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo?lang=eng&old=true 2. Rough Stone Rolling: sold in official church bookstore here: https://deseretbook.com/p/joseph-smith-rough-stone-rolling-richard-l-bushman-5351?variant_id=104298-paperback On amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400077532 3. Insider view on Mormon Origins, on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-View-Mormon-Origins/dp/1560851570/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SP990KXWHKW4G8ZH8G8S  4. CES Letter: http://cesletter.com/ 5. "Letter for my wife and children" - similar to CES letter above, but with a softer tone. More accessible. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B18W3AgWXw6zMUllRW85bXc0RWc/view 6. FAIRMormon Apologetic website: https://www.fairmormon.org/ 7. Exmormon Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/ 8. Mormon Stories Podcast: http://www.mormonstories.org/ 9. Jonathan’s Website: http://thoughtsonthingsandstuff.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTCFh3uDMH0GZlwl1JOoHQ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtsOnThingsAndStuff/ 10: Mormon Spectrum (for finding local support groups): http://www.mormonspectrum.org/  Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cedars Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cedarsjwsurvey Buy my book, "The Reluctant Apostate": http://a.co/5qFN4JU
Length | 1:30:08






****

^(I am a bot, this is an auto-generated reply | )^Info ^| ^Feedback ^| ^(Reply STOP to opt out permanently)

I hear Mormon Enigma is pretty good.

If you read grant palmer's book "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins" at the same time you read rough stone rolling you can identify more issues. They both address the same problems to some degree but bushman spins it in a pro-mormon way while palmer spins it the other direction.

It is actually quite fascinating to see how two scholars interpret the same facts totally differently.

https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-View-Mormon-Origins/dp/1560851570

http://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Feminism-Essential-Joanna-Brooks/dp/0190248033/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449848981&sr=1-1&keywords=mormon+feminism

Honest to gosh, I did this innocently ... because I've noticed that my daughter-in-law is interested in the subject.

That phrase from the temple ceremony was autobiographical. JS was not an original thinker as much as he was very well-read and very tuned in to the philosophies of men and the theological trends of the day. You could have taught your class using Grant Palmer's excellent book.
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins https://www.amazon.com/dp/1560851570/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_4r3sxbY6AYSPN

If you're interested in the subject Jon Krakauer - Under the Banner of Heaven, contains a narrative history of the beginning of the Mormon Church and their westward migration to the Midwest and then to Utah. It covers other subjects too in a meandering back and forth, but it makes for very interesting reading.

The video says that you wouldn't be able to do research.

That's BS. I didn't watch past that. If they are going to make stipulations like that, assuming Joseph didn't have access to some sort of research, or a pre-written book even, than I could care less what other shit they dribble on about.

If you have time to read a book, No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie covers a lot on the authorship of the BOM. Truthfully though it wouldn't matter what books or websites you gave your brother, as a true believer he has to deny all evidence contrary to his beliefs.

*Grammar

I feel ya there. It's been healing to learn about the psychological manipulation the Church uses, and how my own cognitive biases played right into their game. This book has really helped me deprogram and separate my identity from the Church.

Remember, TSCC was just scaffolding. Your values, personality, memories, quirks, and strengths are your own.

Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/1489595937/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LTe1DbDEDBCEQ

I was just looking for both of these on Audible, too. Thanks for the tip to request the audio version. I just requested it for both, too. I'd appreciate it if others did, too:

http://www.amazon.com/An-Insiders-View-Mormon-Origins/dp/1560851570

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Mormonism-Magic-World-View/dp/1560850892/

Kolob is the first explanation. This is directly from the LDS scriptures on their site

Rough Stone Rolling is the best book about Joseph Smith there is

I have heard good things about Grant Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon

Yes, it does. Read this book to learn more about Mormon leaders and the Nazi party during WW2: https://www.amazon.com/Moroni-Swastika-Mormons-Nazi-Germany/dp/0806146680

If you want to learn more, this book does a good job examining the evolution of temple worship.

I thought you were making some shit up but you are correct:

From Moroni and the Swastika Book Review

"Chapter Five focuses on how Mormons used their strong belief in genealogy, which they used to provide sacred saving proxy ordinances for deceased family members, to ingratiate themselves with the Nazis, who had a strong belief in genealogy, which they used to determine an individual’s racial purity and whether or not they would lose civil rights or even be imprisoned. Chapter Six is called “Mormon Basketball Diplomacy in Hitler’s Reich”. It covers the German hosted 1936 Olympic games and gives details on how Mormon missionaries were the early coaches and trainers for the German Olympic basketball team. "

Photo

Buy the book

Early Mormonism and the Magic World View was on my reading list, but I eventually (and recently) lost interest in reading anymore about Mormonism. I might get back around to it eventually. I did read Studies of the Book of Mormon by B.H. Roberts and An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, by Grant Palmer. From what I understand of The Magic World View, a lot of the same themes are covered in those other two books.

Grant Palmer's An Insider's View of Mormon Origins has a nice high-level roundup of the prevailing issues in the 1800s North American protestant zeitgeist that wound up in the BoM, too.

I highly recommend Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. He wrote The Perfect Storm, Into to Thin Air, among others. It's not complimentary of Morman ideology or their political influence over Utah. Despite that, I admire a lot about their culture.

The best examination of this is Royal Skousen’s “The Book of Mormon: the Earliest Text.”

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Mormon-Earliest-Text/dp/0300142188

Absolutely best historical account of it all coming to be is "No Man Knows my History" by Fawn Brodie.

https://www.amazon.com/No-Man-Knows-My-History/dp/0679730540

Worth reading every page.

Check out this book. I enjoyed it. Also, seeing a therapist (even if on your own) isn't a bad idea.

Also if anyone tries to claim it is just an Anti-Mormon lie, go to Deseret Bookstore, owned by the Mormon church, open up Rough Stone Rolling.

It is documented there. An official documentation of the event from first hand accounts.

You can also purchase it online from the Deseret Book

https://deseretbook.com/p/joseph-smith-rough-stone-rolling-richard-l-bushman-5351?variant_id=104298-paperback

Or get an ebook from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling-ebook/dp/B000XUBEZM

it must be a spin off of the LDS church because it was spurred by a "revelation" to the husband. If you want to check out more fun ways that mormons act out on their "revelations, check out Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer. Mysterious ways, indeed.

This bookby Royal Skousen put the biggest crack in my shelf. It costs money, but is an easy way to show people that a Mormon "scholar" knows all about this shit.

I read Mormon Polygamy: A History by Richard S. Van Wagoner. That was it for me. Once I knew the truth about this subject, the rest was like a house of cards tumbling down.

Actually....

Magical beliefs were prevalent in the US during this time. Smith was not the first. There is an amazing book by Michael Quinn called Early Mormonism and the Magical World View.

2 is answered really well in An Insider's View. Essentially, JS knew the bible incredibly well.

You should read An Insider's View of Mormon Origins. It feels less amazing when you take out the parts that could be found in his own back yard.

This has the best answers on the issue. But in short yes it is has occult or magical views as early principles but maybe not satanic. There were peep stones, talismans, magic handkerchiefs and canes, etc.

I found my way out by reading about church history over the course of many months (I didn't know about about the CES Letter at the time). The issues never seemed to end and never had good explanations, and I finally could not keep trying to dig the church out of the pit it had created for itself.

Nothing can definitively prove that the church isn't true. I still can't prove it isn't true, but I have overwhelming evidence that it isn't. If you're 1) a reasonable, open-minded person; 2) read about problems in the church/church history; and 3) realize that it is illogical that a supreme being would allow and perpetuate these problems, then you'll find peace of mind in leaving the church. Try picking up a copy of "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie from the library. Hide it under your bed when you're not reading it--that's what I did :)

Leaving has removed an enormous burden that I didn't even know I was carrying.

I want to second /u/amertune's motion for the LDS Institute manuals and /u/lispbliss's suggestion of Grant Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon.

To those I would add both of the Mormon-related contributions to Oxford's A Very Short Introduction Series. There is one about The Book of Mormon and another about Mormonism generally.

I really liked An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, despite the somewhat clickbaity title.