A friend of mine is going on a mission very soon. She just had her birthday yesterday, got a lot of gift cards and has asked me to give her a list of church history books for her to read.

I know there is a lot out there and I only just started reading some. Can I get a list of books that she can read now and maybe on her mission? Maybe even a list that the titles make her excited to read but has conflicting facts?

Thanks in advance!

The history of Joseph Smith by his Mother Lucy Mack Smith.

A long title I know. This was originally a biography of Mother Smith. Brigham Young suppressed it.

Her grandson, church president Joseph F. Smith had it reviewed by George A. Smith an apostle at the time and retitled to a history of Joseph Smith Jr.

What TBM could find fault with something published at the direction of the church president?

What will she find?

That Joseph Smith Sr. had visions as well and they may be the basis for the visions of Lehi.

That Joseph way before he had the first vision, would tell stories of the native Americans to include their religion, warfare and daily lives.

Thanks, I was looking into that one but wasn't sure what it had in it.

Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman. It speaks to a lot of the JS history that TSCC wishes they could hide. The excuses that Bushman gives for JS behavior are totally lame. It should leave your friend wondering, "He did what?". That's what it did for me.

Awesome! Thanks!

this is the book that first made me start to realize..

+2.... definitely this one, she can even get it at Deseret Book. So she won't be afraid that it might be anti.

Agreed - Rough Stone Rolling is at Deseret Book and it will introduce her to things we question from the safety of her approved bookstore.

My friend just messaged me asking for anything on the trek to salt lake. Do you know any books on that subject?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2013 11:46PM by vodkamdew.

Yes...The Price We Paid
Cant remember the author....

It's totally a faithful version, but very honest and informative about the horror and reality of the situation.......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2013 12:46AM by closer2fine.

Devil's Gate

Mormon Enigma. Written by TBMs but doesn't shy away from the difficult issues and doesn't put any spin on them. It's similar to Rough Stone Rolling but much more readable.

Devil's Gate. It was brilliant. I read it a while ago so I can't think if there is stuff in it that would come across as anti-Mormon but it is a very interesting read and covers the subject well.

Try Mormon Midwife the diaries of Patty Bartlett Sessions.

She made the journey to Salt Lake in her 50s.
Both her and her daughter Sylvia were plural wives of Joseph Smith. There is a copy or her sealing certificate in the book.

She was a fiesty old gal and delivered 3000 babies.

You'll find her thoughts on polygamy, see that she was part of the old school relief society that actually went and had women bless the sick.

I like her story of trying to get a refund from the church when she decided she overpaid tithing. Try that one this year!

Be careful as there are other books with Mormon Midwife in the title.

"In Sacred Loneliness" by Todd Compton.

Position it as a way to learn the facts about polygamy in case investigators bring it up. The book itself is an exhausting slog through polygamy in the time of the early church.

Try "This is My Doctrine" by a BYU prof. Excellent review by all sides Nt. OT, old Mormon, New Mornon, etc.

Forgotten Kingdom, the Mormon Theocracy in the American West.
David L Bigler
USU Press

If there was one book then it would be Rough Stone Rolling. It can't be viewed as anti-Mormon because its sold at Deseret Book and takes a pro-Mormon slant but it discusses many of the troubling aspects of Mormon history that might open her eyes.

I'd also recommend the following two books by Quinn. They go deep into historical details on the origins of Mormonism and the inner workings of the church. They really flesh out the true history without sounding like an anti-Mormon expose.

The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power by D. Michael Quinn
The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn

Another great one, especially for women, is,

Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith by Linda King Newell

It talks a lot about Joseph Smith's polygamy and Emma's struggle with it. Women HATE polygamy and it will certainly change her view of the founding prophet.

I'd browse Signature Books publishing. They specialize in scholarly books on Mormon history. They present a very honest and objective history of Mormonism but aren't "anti" either.

I recommend suggesting she read books she will love, she has enough church crap in her future.

You know, develop a well rounded world view. Empathy and perspective.

Emily Dickinson!!

From Mormon apostle Russell Nelson's July 1993 Ensign magazine article, "A Treasured Testament" (about the BoM):

"Adapted from an address given 25 June 1992 at a seminar for new mission presidents, Missionary Training Center, Provo, Utah."

"Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.”

(Ref. http://www.lds.org/ensign/1993/07/a-treasured-testament?lang=eng )

From the LDS Church's Friend magazine for children:

"Joseph also used an egg-shaped, brown rock for translating called a seer stone. The translating was done at Peter Whitmer’s home, a friend of the Prophet’s where Oliver Cowdery, Emma Smith (Joseph’s wife), one of the Whitmers, or Martin Harris wrote down the words spoken by the Prophet as soon as they were made known to him.

"Martin Harris said that on the seer stone 'sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by [the one writing them down] and when finished [that person] would say "written;" and if correctly written, the sentence would disappear and another take its place; but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates.'

"Even with the help of the Urim and Thummim and the seer stone, it wasn’t easy to translate the sacred record."

(Ref. http://www.lds.org/friend/1974/09/a-peaceful-heart?lang=eng )

The LDS Church's Joseph Smith Papers contains the following account of JS' First Vision:

"I called upon the Lord for the first time, in the place above stated [the "silent grove"] or in other words I made a fruitless attempt to pray, my toung seemed to be swolen in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some person walking towards me, <I> strove again to pray, but could not, the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprung up on my feet, and and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking, I kneeled again my mouth was opened and my toung liberated, and I called on the Lord in mighty prayer[.]"

(Ref. pp. 1 + 2 of 4 at http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/interview-9-november-1835?p=1 )

The LDS Church's FamilySearch.org website contains huge lists of JS' wives: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/995N-B25 and https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/9S9S-PD2

JS' first polygamous spouse (their marriage was illegal in Ohio) was Fanny Alger. The LDS Church's online genealogical info. about their union is at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/SP82-WTV

The full list of JS' plural wives is at http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/ Note that 11 of the women were already married.

More info.:

"In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith": http://signaturebooks.com/2010/02/in-sacred-loneliness-the-plural-wives-of-joseph-smith/

Also, JS knew polygamy "doctrines and principles" from 1831 onward. For more than three decades prior to 2013, TSCC’s summary for D&C 132 was:

"Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, recorded 12 July 1843, relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternity of the marriage covenant, and also the plurality of wives (see History of the Church, 5:501–7). Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831."

Per the info. from the 'true' LDS Church, 'faith'-busting facts in relation to two of the "principles" known to JS were:

1. "the first" wife had to "give her consent" (ref. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132.61?lang=eng)

2. "...as pertaining to the law of the priesthood — if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another...and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else." (Same verse)

In violation of these 'revealed' "principles", JS secretly - and illegally - made teenager Lucy Walker his 22nd plural wife in May 1843 and didn't ask or inform his "first" wife, Emma. Here's what Lucy wrote: “Emma Smith was not present and she did not consent to the marriage; she did not know anything about it at all.” (Ref. http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/23-LucyWalker.htm)

The Wives of Joseph Smith website also says: "Joseph kept his marriage to [teenage servant girl in the Smith home] Fanny [Alger] out of the view of the public, and his wife Emma. Chauncey Webb recounts Emma’s later discovery of the relationship: 'Emma was furious, and drove the girl, who was unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet, out of her house'." (Ref. http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/02-FannyAlger.htm)

An adolescent girl being "unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet" was a euphemistic way of saying 'Prophet' Smith got the poor, vulnerable girl pregnant.

On January 27, 1844, JS' seventh polygamous wife, Sylvia Lyon, wife of Windsor Lyon, told her daughter, Josephine, that she "was the daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith" (see the last paragraph at http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/08-SylviaSessionsLyon.htm).

With regards to Point #2 above, 11 of JS' plural wives were already "vowed" to their husbands - and as married women, assuredly were not virgins - when JS targeted them to become part of his harem.

D&C 132:61 was explicit in terms of Mormon men being commanded by "the Lord" via JS to restrict their desiring of "virgins" to females who were not "vowed." Since JS went after the wives of 11 men in violation of this "principle", he was, based on 'revealed' scripture, an adulterer.

According to D&C 76:103, adulterers will spend eternity in the dreaded Telestial Kingdom, with "liars, and sorcerers, and...whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie." (Ref. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/76.103?lang=eng)

Verses 52 to 54 of D&C 132 say:

52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those [females] that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law."

(Ref. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132.52-54?lang=eng)

Like any married Mormon woman (and with children to care for), Emma despised polygamy. On top of her family responsibilities, she was in charge of the Relief Society. And what was her husband doing? Pursuing single women, married women, and teenage girls (see the www.wivesofjosephsmith.org list and https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/99P4-SHN).

Ask your TBM friend: What happened in JS' life just two months before July 1843, when he wrote down that "the Lord" would destroy Emma, his wife and the mother of their children, if she did not accept his plural wives and "cleave unto" him?

Answer: At age 37, JS made 14-year-old Helen Mar Kimball his youngest-yet plural wife. She is listed as one of JS' wives toward the bottom of https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/99P4-SHN

The 'true' BoM decried polygamy, while JS' D&C 132 contradicted the BoM. Jacob 2:23-24 says:

23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning [Biblical King] David, and Solomon his son.

24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

(Ref. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/jacob/2.23-24?lang=eng)

However, supposedly 'revealed' scripture from Jesus Christ to JS in July 1843 stated: "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines—" (Ref. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132.1?lang=eng)

According to the LDS Church, the BoM's Jacob wrote about the "abominable" practice of Israelite kings David and Solomon of having "many wives and concubines" "About 544–421 B.C.", quoting the church's chapter summary for Jacob 2.

Fast-forward 23.5 centuries and 'the Lord' supposedly informed polygamist JS that he "justified my servants...David and Solomon...as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines."

However, 1 Nephi 10:18 says that "he ["the Son of God"] is the same yesterday, today, and forever;" (Ref. http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/10.18?lang=eng)

So, why the glaring discrepancy between what the BoM and D&C state relative to David and Solomon practicing polygamy (i.e., having "wives and concubines")? Because in July 1843, when JS wrote his 'revelation' about "the principle of plural marriage", he forgot what he'd written in the BoM manuscript 13+ years earlier! Oops!!

"An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins" by retired LDS Church CES director Grant Palmer is a must-read: http://signaturebooks.com/2010/02/an-insiders-view-of-mormon-origins-2/

"The Changing World of Mormonism" is an excellent book (it's free online): http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changecontents.htm

"Early Mormonism and the Magic World View" by Mormon history expert and former BYU history professor Dr. D. Michael Quinn is incredible in terms of explaining the genesis of Mormonism (with hundreds of pages of notes and references): http://signaturebooks.com/2010/02/early-mormonism-and-the-magic-world-view/

"Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church" by Dr. Simon Southerton, a genetic scientist and a former LDS bishop, explains clearly that Native Americans descended from Asians (from northeast Asia), not ancient Israelites: http://signaturebooks.com/2010/02/losing-a-lost-tribe-native-americans-dna-and-the-mormon-church/