Mormonism for Dummies by Jana Riess and Christopher Kimball Bigelow (2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc., ISBN 0-7645-7195-8)
Faith. Such a thin armor against the uncertainties of this world and what comes next. It would be easy to assail the faith of those who follow the Angel Moroni’s story, as reported and written by Joseph Smith in 1830, as the stuff magicians and con-men feed the spirit weary and soul hungry. If that’s what you’re looking for, an indictment of the Mormon faith, an assault on the origins, practices and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, this book isn’t for you. Read my review of Jon Krakauer’s expose below if that’s what you’re after. But if you are interested in learning, in a bare-bones sort of way, the history, tenets and practices of the one truly American religion, the fastest growing religion in the world, then Mormonism for Dummies is a good place to start.
Written with a sense of wry humor, easily paced and informative, this is really a beginner’s guide to the essence of Mormonism. It is not a treatise and certainly no critique, avoiding all but scant mention of many of the troubling aspects of Mormon history and the faith Joseph Smith claims to have founded with divine assistance. Still, all and all, a good place to begin. 3 Stars out of 5.
