The Library

                                                    

                                                           Bibliography

Some of this is repeat information. But I thought it useful to those looking for resource material. I began my studies of Morgdoc at age 13. Somehow I just could not get enough of the Book of Mormon, reading it once for every year of my life until I excommunicated the CJCLDS. More than forty times (no, not the Church--the book!). The irony is I didn’t want to read the Book of Mormon during my teens, and began Seminary only at the insistence of my father. Not the kind of guy you said “No” to. So I ended up graduating from four years of Seminary. I also audited enough Institute of Religion classes on the college campus to have graduated twice had I been interested. I also read the Bible at least a half dozen times, as also the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, probably a dozen times. I thoroughly highlighted and trashed two sets of Church scripture editions from heavy use. All my questions began with these, and I never looked into “apostate” material until after eschewing the Morg. I didn’t read all of Roberts’ history of the Church. He is a boring writer, romanticizing the rise of the Church way beyond reality. It is also evident he did not perform due diligence in his research as Church Historian, until he wrote his essays about A View of the Hebrews published in Studies of the Book of Mormon.

I also read at least 3-4 dozen books by various Church leaders and educators. None of them are really helpful in analyzing the Morg’s doctrines or history. I will say that the worst volumes I read were Take Heed to Yourselves –Joseph Fielding Smith, Miracle of Forgiveness –Spencer Kimball, and everything Cleon Skousen wrote, particularly his “Thousand Years” series. Cleon did not know anything about ancient or modern history, and was one of the worst authors for knowing what he was talking about on any topic.

Next after that was the works of Neal Maxwell and Bruce McConkie. Bruce loved the sound of his own voice everywhere he went, and Neal had that loquacious gift of not having said anything meaningful, page after page of Cool Whip rhetoric. Hyrum Andrus was actually on to something with his Foundation series. Unfortunately, though what he wrote seemed to make sense, it was a construction built on a false premise. Same with Avraham Gileadi. I also read nearly everything Hugh Nibley published, starting with Since Cumorah on the mission. He was a good but fraudulent writer, and only two of his books were really worth reading once (if you like ancient history); The Ancient State and Temple and the Cosmos. The problem with Nibley is you really have to know your stuff, do a lot of digging, to identify where he is off his rocker. After a half-century of reading Mormon publications I am forced to conclude with regard to History, the Mormon version is always and irretrievably distorted beyond recognition.

Short List of publications I read as a member:

Bible
Book of Mormon
Doctrine & Covenants
Pearl of Great Price
Discourses of Brigham Young
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Doctrines of Salvation –Joseph Fielding Smith
Principles of the Gospel –Joseph Fielding Smith
Journal of Discourses
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints –Joseph Smith
Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints –B.H. Roberts
History of Joseph Smith –Lucy Mack Smith
Jesus the Christ –James Talmage
Articles of Faith –James Talmage
Studies of the Book of Mormon –B.H. Roberts
Missouri Persecutions –B.H. Roberts
Entire Nibley series
Proper Role of Government (ad nauseum) –E.T. Benson
Book of Enoch (Ethiopian & Slavonic)
The Nag Hammadi Library –James Robinson
Mormonism in Transition –Thomas Alexander
Extension of Power –Michael Quinn
Origins of Power –Michael Quinn
Religion and Sexuality –Laurence Foster
In Sacred Loneliness –Todd Compton
Mysteries of Godliness –David Buerger
The Great Angel –Margaret Barker
Bible in Cockney –Mike Coles
Far and Wide –Douglas Reed
Lest We Regret –Douglas Reed
A Prophet at Home –Douglas Reed
The Grand Design of the 20th Century –Douglas Reed
The Controversy of Zion  –Douglas Reed
The gamut of Psychiatric publications by Dr Thomas Szasz


Short List of publications I read after booting the Morg:

An Insider’s View of Mormonism –Grant Palmer
Jesus Interrupted –Bart Ehrman
Misquoting Jesus –Bart Ehrman
Forged  –Bart Ehrman
Joseph Smith’s New York Reputation Reexamined –Rodger Anderson
Keystone of Mormonism –Arza Evans
Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith –Linda Newell/Valeen Avery
Mormonism: A Latter-day Deception –Martin Wishnatsky
Sidney Rigdon –Mark McKiernan
Temple Theology –Margaret Barker
The Lost Prophet –Margaret Barker
The Temple –Margaret Barker
The Older Testament –Margaret Barker
On Earth –Margaret Barker
Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon –Wayne Cowdrey/Howard Davis/Arthur Vanick
Realm of the Ring Lords –Laurence Gardner
Genesis of the Grail Kings  –Laurence Gardner
The Origin of God –Laurence Gardner
Revelation of the Devil –Laurence Gardner
Origins of Totalitarianism –Hannah Arendt
Nature of Totalitarianism –Hannah Arendt
Threat of Conformism –Hannah Arendt
Religion and Politics –Hannah Arendt
Seeds of Fascist International –Hannah Arendt
Proofs of a Conspiracy –John Robison
Fire in the Minds of Men –James Billington
The Essene Gospel of Peace
The Gospel of the Holy Twelve




Also of interest are a few websites:

www.lds-mormon.com
www.content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/dialogue
www.dialoguejournal.com
www.mormonlit.lib.byu.edu/lit_work.php?w_id=117
www.signaturebookslibrary.org/?p=6774



There is a lot of material on the Web these days, and a lot more books than when I exited now available at Amazon. I found the conference archives at the Exmormon Foundation informative and a fair representation of modern membership life.

SethSmee