As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the
Mormon pioneers' arrival in the
Salt Lake Valley, LDS church president
George Albert Smith tasked Hinckley (then employed as the Executive Secretary to the Church Radio, Publicity, and Mission Literature Committee) to write a book which would introduce the Church to non-members; it is divided into two sections— "The Mormons Today: A Contemporary Picture" and "The Mormons Yesterday: Their History"; beginning in 1969, the Church began publishing the historical part alone under the title Truth Restored: A Short History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A semiofficial encyclopedia for topics relevant to the LDS Church. Published in four volumes, with an optional fifth volume containing the "
Standard Works."
A compact (144 pages) history of the LDS Church, and survey of contentious issues in contemporary Mormonism; an installment in the Very Short Introductions book series by an eminent historian and practicing Mormon.
Scholarly analysis of the religion's origins and development; written by a
cultural historian, who is a leading authority on Mormonism (yet not a member of the faith).
A collection of the viewpoints of contemporary Mormons in America, on their beliefs, rituals, and practices; also their views on race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexual orientation.
A single-volume history covering the LDS Church down to 1991. Commissioned by the Church Historical Department; it puts the history of the Church in the context of its times. First published on the one-hundredth anniversary of
Joseph Fielding Smith's birth; it was subject to some controversy within the Church, with some considering it not "spiritual enough."
Smith, Joseph (1858).
Roberts, B. H. (ed.). History of the Church.
Deseret Book Company.
ISBN0875794866. Originally entitled History of Joseph Smith; a revised edition was published in seven volumes under the title History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1902 to 1932; it is currently published under the shortened title.
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A semi-official history of the early Latter Day Saint movement during the lifetime of Joseph Smith. It is largely composed of Smith's writings with interpolations and editorial comments by Smith's secretaries and scribes; and, after Smith's death, historians of the LDS Church.
An examination of the first two decades of LDS history and the move from Joseph Smith's charismatic spontaneity, and the
egalitarian chaos of the early church, to Brigham Young's well-defined structure and the
bureaucratization of Mormonism.
A collection of essays about
primitive Christianity, with particular focus on the connection between the practices and the doctrines of the early Church and the LDS Church.
A
historiographical survey of how the writing of Mormon history has evolved since the establishment of the church; a companion volume to the bibliography, Studies in Mormon History, 1830–1997; includes a contribution by
Armand Mauss.
Compilation of fourteen essays on history and the Mormons by Arrington, the first professional historian to serve as
Church Historian, and a prominent founder of the
New Mormon history; includes a biographical sketch by Walker, a bibliography of his works and speeches by Whitaker, and a personal tribute by his daughter,
Susan Arrington Madsen.
A study of the early history of the Church, introducing readers to groups and individuals who seem to have anticipated its kind of
religious primitivism, especially the
Seekers (who resembled Mormonism's concept of authority during its formative years).
Survey of Mormon history and doctrine; recounting the church's origins, explaining the evolution of the Mormon vision, and its place in American public life.
A history of the development of Mormon doctrines and the attempt to develop a communal utopia under a theocratic government during the 1830s and early 1840s; an interpretation of the LDS movement as a reaction to the diminishing role of religion in an emerging democratic, competitive, and increasingly secular world.
A collection of 16 biographical, local, background, and general articles on
Mormonism in the British Isles, emphasizing the period of 1840 to the late 1850s; written by a mix historians of British history, and of American history.
Story of the social and cultural ramifications of
Danish conversions to Mormonism; explores the range of Danish public reactions over a seventy-year period.
A reader-friendly version reformating the complete, unchanged 1920 text in the manner of modern translations of the Bible, with paragraphs, quotations marks, poetic forms, topical headings, multichapter headings, indention of quoted documents, italicized reworkings of biblical prophecies, and minimized verse numbers; also featuring a hypothetical map based on internal references, an essay on Book of Mormon poetry, a full glossary of names,
genealogical charts, a basic bibliography of Mormon and non-Mormon scholarship, a chronology of the translation, eyewitness accounts of
the gold plates, and information regarding the
lost 116 pages and significant changes in the text.
An analysis of the work's narrative structure; takes readers through its characters, events, and ideas, as it explores the story and its messages; seeks to reconcile believing and nonbelieving readings by offering a literary approach.
Mostly written with a beginner in mind; it makes a case for Joseph Smith's description of the Book of Mormon as "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion," and that "a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."[1]
Biographical sketch of
Joseph Smith with background information about the origin of the Book of Mormon; posits the idea that Smith used the 1823 work View of the Hebrews as a source of ideas in creating the Book.
Collection of teachings from the 6th president of the LDS Church (from 1901 to 1918); first published as a course of study for
Melchizedek Priesthoodquorums.
A lengthy reference work combining doctrine and history; each chapter summarizes a particular doctrine followed by scriptural references from the
standard works, and any relevant statements from Joseph Smith; a favorite of field missionaries at the time.
An encyclopedic work written by a
general authority of the LDS Church; intended primarily for a LDS audience, it covered a wide array of gospel topics in much detail; very popular among average Church members.
An attempt to consolidate the author's "theological thought into a unified whole and to reconcile science with scripture." Deemed too controversial by the
LDS First Presidency and
Quorum of the Twelve, it went unpublished for over 60 years.
A controversial book by one of the
September Six and his wife (who some view as a "seventh" member of the Six); explores a range of theological issues, such as the
nature of God,
gender roles, religious authority, and
symbolism.
Philosophical study of the similarities between Mormonism and
Hellenistic Christianity; and Mormonism's contribution to the overall pursuit of life's fundamental,
ontological questions.
Collection of sermons and writings by
Spencer W. Kimball, a
LDS Apostle (from 1943 to 1985) and Church President (from 1973 to 1985); quotations aiming to provide instruction and inspiration on a wide range of gospel topics.
A series of letters from
Rev. Crowell (a
Baptist former colleague) inquiring about Spencer's conversion to the Mormon faith, together Spencer's responses.
An approach to the subject of
death from both a medical and a theological point of view by a (then) LDS Apostle; discussing topics such as the purpose of life and of death; the purpose of mourning; factors of choice, such as
suicide,
euthanasia, and use of mechanical means to extend life; and
life after death.
Compilation of all known authoritative statements by LDS Church leaders on the topics of evolution and the origin of human beings; with historical context for the statements.
A collection of thirty official or authoritative Church statements on the status of
African Americans in the LDS Church; with editorial comments and analysis, contextualizing each within the history of race and religion in the US.
Study of the evolution of traditional Mormon beliefs and practices concerning minorities; examining how members of the LDS Church have defined themselves and others in terms of racial lineages.
Once popular work about the
atonement,
repentance, and the
plan of salvation by a, then, Apostle of the LDS Church; controversial for its treatment of masturbation, homosexuality, premarital sex, and rape.
Published by the LDS Church, it discusses the doctrine, purpose, and importance of
temples; the first book to contain photographs of the interiors of Mormon temples (including those in
Kirtland,
Nauvoo,
Salt Lake,
St. George,
Logan, and
Manti).
LDS Apostle discusses the doctrine and purpose of the temples, including an explanation of
the entrance requirements; also explains why Church teachings focus on
family history and genealogy; Deseret Book published an extended, illustrated version of the book in 2007.
Investigation of the histories of the LDS Church, and the crimes of a small splinter group called
the School of Prophets; also examines the ideologies of both the LDS Church and the
fundamentalist Mormon polygamous groups, such as the
FLDS Church.
The story of the
Mark Hofmann case, told from the perspectives of the murder victims and the LDS Church; written by an
Assistant Church Historian with church leaders' support and access to interviews, diaries, journals, memoranda, and other records.
A collection of articles by twenty-five scholars and activists on the issue of
gender equality in the LDS Church; examines the high public visibility of the
Ordain Women movement, and details the theological debates about gender and priesthood authority.
A survey of the involvement of Mormons in the
women's movement (including early Utah leaders such as
Emmeline B. Wells) and the shift to championing a more conservative view of women's roles; culminating in the concerted effort to defeat the
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
A history of marriage and family life among first-generation Latter-day Saints; focused on the world of early Mormon women— pieced together through diaries, letters, albums,
minute-books, and
quilts— their practice of "plural marriage," and their attainment of
female suffrage.
Examination of the presence and reception of the
Mormon image in contemporary culture; how nineteenth- and twentieth-century American writers frequently cast the Mormon as a stock villains in fiction; the updated edition has an expanded final chapter, on the Mormon presence in contemporary American culture, discussing the musical, The Book of Mormon, and the political campaigns of
Mitt Romney and
Jon Huntsman.
A chronicle of the author's journey out of the LSD faith; and an exposé by a civil trial attorney, alleging fraud committed by generations of Mormon Leaders— misrepresentations resulting in damages (political, environmental, and psycho-social) to believers; presents The Book of Mormon as a 19th-century work of fiction
Overviews a variety of the world's religions with commentary following each one; offering
a LDS perspective, noting beliefs held in common, and divergences.
Collection of papers from a BYU
symposium in October 1981; focuses on parallels, similarities, and contrasts with
Islam and the LDS. Revised edition includes new material by
Arnold H. Green and
Daniel C. Peterson.
A monograph by a
PentecostalNew Testament scholar offering an irenic, critical reading of the Book of Mormon; utilizing
narrative analysis, it investigates of the book's overall structure; presents an extended reading focused on its literary and theological dimensions; and traces the book's reception amongst followers and opponents alike.
A collection of essays bringing some of the stories of
missionaries of the LDS Church to the study of Mormon
missiology; the result of a BYU Church History Symposium.
A four-volume
biographical dictionary by an Assistant Church Historian; includes a church chronology and biographical information about leaders and other prominent members of the LDS Church from its founding in 1830 until 1930.
A biography of the formative years, covering the period of Smith's life up until 1831; argues that Smith was a
pious fraud, interpreting the
Book of Mormon as springing from his psychology and experiences.
Comprehensive biography by a Mormon historian; described as having a temperate, balanced, middle-of-the-road approach— in the spectrum of pro and con biographies.
Admiring biography of
Brigham Young, the 2nd President of the LDS Church (from 1847–1877); nicknamed the "American
Moses" because he led his followers in an exodus through a desert, to what they saw as a promised land.
Essay collection discussing
Heber J. Grant's life and service; from his birth to middle age, prior to becoming the 7th President of the LDS Church (from 1918 to 1945).
Biography of
Spencer W. Kimball, the 12th President of the LDS Church (from 1973 to 1985), written by his son; focused exclusively on Kimball's ministry at Church President.
Biography of
J. Reuben Clark; focused on his time as an attorney and government servant, prior to being called as a Counselor in the
First Presidency (from 1933 to 1961).
Biography of
Russell M. Nelson, the seventeenth President of the LDS Church; a collection of personal reminiscences, written by a former secretary to the First Presidency, drawing on more than sixty years of association with President Nelson; the eighth and final part of the series entitled Remembering the Prophets of God.
An assemblage of writings about the Latter-day Saints by a preeminent non-Mormon interpreter of Mormonism; combination of a portrait of the evolution of contemporary Mormonism (from a provincial to a universal belief system), with an intellectual autobiography of her personal encounters.
Memoir of growing up in a devoutly LDS home; growing older and coming to wrestle with some tenets of the Church (including its stance on women's rights and homosexuality).