Mormonism

What Everyone Needs to Know

De: Terryl Givens

Narrado por: James Anderson Foster

Mormonism, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is America's most successful - and most misunderstood - homegrown religion. The church today boasts more than 15 million members worldwide, a remarkable feat in the face of increasing secularity. The growing presence of Mormonism shows no signs of abating, as the makeup of its membership becomes progressively diverse. The heightened contemporary relevance and increasingly global membership of the Church solidifies Mormonism as a religious group much deserving of awareness.

Covering the origins, history, and modern challenges of the church, Mormonism: What Everyone Needs to Know offers listeners a brief, authoritative guide to one of the fastest growing faith groups of the 21st century, providing answers to questions such as:

• What circumstances gave rise to the birth of Mormonism?
• Why was Utah chosen as a place of refuge?
• Do you have to believe the Book of Mormon to be a Latter-Day Saint?
• Why do women not hold the priesthood?
• How wealthy is the church, and how much are top leaders paid?

Written by a believer and the premier scholar of the Latter-Day Saints faith, this remarkably accessible introduction provides a sympathetic but unstinting account of one of the few religious traditions to maintain its vitality and growth in an era of widespread disaffiliation.

©2020 Oxford University Press (P)2020 Tantor

Best Treatise on the LDS Church

This is one of the best, no-nonsense, and uplifting books about Mormonism I have ever read. He reports on issues and covers both sides. I will listen to this often. Its words make me comfortable with uncertainty.

Enjoyed

I enjoyed it. Learned some. Easy and quick read. Well written. Fair. I would recommend.

Very informative and unbiased

Somewhat dry reader but the material seemed to be accurate and unbiased as well as extensive and thorough. Good listen for those wanting to learn more about Mormonism.

What is the Mormon church?

An excellent book explaining exactly what "the Mormon" or (The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believes.
Many books have been written about the church. This book is 100% accurate.

One of the greatest books on Mormons I've found!

Absolutely loved it. Very well researched and impartial. It doesn't hold anything back and shows all of the beliefs and controversies the LDS faith experiences. Would recommend to anyone inside and outside the faith.

You’ll Need to Know More

It has a lot of information but not everything you’d need to know about mormonism including in depth information on culture and history.

Spend Your Money Elsewhere

I was hoping this book would provide an objective history of the LDS church, but I was thoroughly disappointed. Instead the author is an apologist and only attempting to present the LDS church and it's history in a more palatable form. The author even goes as far as claiming LDS members are Christians, which is doctrinally untrue and not supported by any major (or even mini-major) Christian sect. I do not care about religious beliefs, only historical accuracy and reasonable deductions taken there from. The author is obviously biased and compromised, which is to be expected of any believer, but it's so patently obvious that the integrity of the book is questionable from the outset. The best way I describe this book is that it is a book about Mormonism for Mormons that seeks to reinforce a self-serving version of church history and inaccurate portrayal of the LDS church relative to other faiths. I was genuinely looking forward to this book, but it falls flat.

Objective

The writing seems fair and objective. Criticisms of the faith are called out early and often; with no controversies avoided. This is not a religious text.
The narration is poor. The narrator’s facetious tone adds emphasis not found in the written text so consistently it borders on contempt. This makes the objective nature of the text less possible, as the narrator’s opinion is self evident.
I recommend the book, but not the audiobook.