After a search across the internet for the most influential texts in christian history came up empty, i decided to create my own. These books, all published since 2010, are sexy, vulnerable, venerated and courageous. And, grant hardy shows, its far from the comainducing doorstop caricatured by twain. Another, more common, approach is to see ourselves in the narrative stories and. Book of ether mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. The ultimate list of lds classics every mormon should read lds.
Mormon books mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. This is a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years, and it manages to be, all at once, a transgressive roman a. The book of mormon touted as fourth most influential work. The most influential books of the past decade published on november 9, 2014 november 9, 2014 933 likes 158 comments. The book of mormon has excited very little enthusiasm outside of mormonism. Additionally, books by nonmormons about the church may be described as mormon books. The book of mormon touted as fourth most influential work in american literature. A biography, then paul gutjahr is a particularly wellqualified nonmormon writer. It was a grim indictment of the us meat packing industry of that time. This will be a classic work in the field of mormon studies for decades to come. The books on this list have all had a significant influence on mormon culture or the lds church, lvlany have had a great effect on the development of mormon historiography, the curt bench is the proprietor obenchmark books, which deals in fine and rare ld5 books.
In fact, recently the book of mormon was named the fourth most influential book in american literature. One of the greatest mysteries of all time consists of whether or not joseph smith wrote the book of mormon. The book of mormon is one of the most influential, as well as controversial, religious documents in american history, and is regarded as sacred scripture by followers around the world, including members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, the fourthlargest. Readers will come to know the ancient editors nephi. And if an lds scholar could not have written the book of mormon. This area of mormon memorabilia provides a listing of books relating to mormonism or religion. The book of mormon is part of the scriptural canon of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, or often referred to as the mormon church. Is mormonism just the byproduct of a great novelist. Ie a wrinkle in time almost any woman of thought will list this in her top ten. Selecting the books that can be said to have defined a decade as.
Jon krakauer goodreads author shelved 61 times as mormon. All content will remain the same but the interior will have updated fonts. The only thing i can think to do is analyze the feasibility of joseph smiths ability to write the book of mormon. Items are arranged in alphabetical title sequence images not scaled. The books on this list have all had a significant influence on mormon culture or the lds church, lvlany have had a great effect on the development of mormon historiography, thecurt bench is the proprietor obenchmark books, which deals in fine and rare ld5. It is widely considered to be one of the most influential works of 20th century german literature.
Here are 10 of the most popular lds books ever, summarized in just a sentence each. No one has been able to prove whether or not it was an authentic record. The book of mormon may be considered as a moral melodrama. Note that this is not a most important books list, a best mormon history books list, a best written books list, or even my favorite books list. Finally, it is important to note we opted to not list the most obvious influential mormon, namely the churchs beloved president, thomas s. The book of mormon contains many religious themes, most notably those of faith and doubt. The church of jesus christ of latter day saints holds this book to be part of their four books of scripture. A very short introduction by richard bushman, the viper on the hearth by terryl givens, the. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Since that time the books influence has been recognized by many. The book of mormon is not the voice of a 22 year old young man. The history of thought from ancient times to today 1998 is a book of intellectual history written by martin seymoursmith, a british poet, critic, and biographer. While a few valuable scholarly works do emerge from time to time, many or most of these books are controversial in nature, and are more properly described as anti mormon books. The 40 best books of the decade, from the testaments to bring up. Otherwise, ancient americans, who the book states are descendants of israelites, must have been no different than revolutionary americans of 1776. It is being replaced with a second edition which is a single book covering the entire book of mormon. With over 140 million copies in print, it is a central text of one of the largest and fastestgrowing faiths in the world. One was the drive, in the heady early decades of the republic. According to the text, the first seven chapters were abridged by the prophet mormon and the last two by his son moroni.
Perhaps no book in the 20th century was as influential as mcconkies compilation. Presenting the maxwell institute study edition of the book. The top most influential books selected by the online public vote span an eclectic range. This should make reading the book of mormon a new adventure, hopefully full of. Designed for multiple use as study guides, handouts, and masters for creating projectable images, the charts convey a wealth of information that will enrich personal study and. Private collector of rare mormon books, the 1830 first edition book of mormon, mormon art and artifacts, historic mormon paintings, autographed historical documents, early mormon historical photographs, mormon imprints from palmyra, zion, kirtland, and nauvoo, and anything related to the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. The spiritual text that forms the basis of mormonism, in the last edition edited by its founder, joseph smith, jr. Most people have met members of the church or know famous members.
The book of mormon is the name of a book, or subdivision, of the larger book of mormon. Church members believe that the book of mormon is more correct than the bible because the bible was the result of a multiplegeneration translation process and the book of mormon was not. The most powerful description of repentance anywhere. In case you didnt know, the book of mormon is an actual book not just a successful broadway musical. Many chapters in the book of mormon refer to the peoples bondage and deliverance both spiritual and physical. Some very famous individuals have actually had little influence, while the names of some tremendously influential people are little known to the general. This book of mormon study guide is designed to fit the needs of various ages and study habits and is ideal for personal, class or family study. Incorporates a bit about living in the mid 1800s, the mormon religion, and the. Brodie written in 1945, this book portrays the life of mormon church founder joseph smith in a way rarely seen. A printing history of the book of mormon 101 the year 2000 marked an important event in the publishing history of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The books on this list have all had a significant influence on mormon culture or the lds church, lvlany have had a great effect on the development of mormon historiography, thecurt bench is the proprietor obenchmark books, which deals in fine and rare ld5 books. The comparisons indicate the book of mormon is a retelling of history, rather than a case of history repeating itself. The mormon 100 is a ranked list of the 100 latterday saints mormons who have had the most influence on the world.
The mormon 100 lds 100 100 most influential latterday saints. New items are added without notice, so please check back frequently. The magic mountain is a novel by thomas mann, first published in november 1924. A historical encyclopedia helps readers explore a church that has gone from being an object of ridicule and sometimes violent persecution to a worldwide religion, counting prominent businesspeople and political leaders among its members including former massachusetts governor and recent presidential candidate mitt romney. According to most adherents of the latter day saint movement, the book of mormon is a. March 26, 1830 first copies of the book of mormon appear in e. Books recommended by the mormon chronicle enter your email address to subscribe to the mormon chronicle and receive notifications of new posts by email. Top ten books the lds mormon church doesnt want you to. These ancient secret manuscripts reveals the truth behind the mormon religion, from its inception during the 1800s to its growth today into one of the largest and most powerful business corporations in the world. Mainly from the point of view of jennie as a little girl but sometimes from other family members. The book of mormon is where the literary and spiritual ambitions of the antebellum age most tenaciously converged. These ancient secret manuscripts reveals the truth behind the mormon religion, from its inception during the 1800s to its growth today into one of the largest and most powerful business corporations in.
Here are 10 of the decades most influential books cnn. Alma was delivered from the bonds of sin through the atonement of jesus christ. It was a grim indictment of the us meat packing industry of. In case you didnt know, the book of mormon is an actual booknot just a successful broadway musical. The 100 most influential books ever written 181 books. For the record, i think that the feminine mystique is probably the most influential book of the 20th century. The publication history of the book of mormon bruce satterfield department of religious education, brigham young university idaho this article appeared in the church news, jan. Book of mormon sets new record for most expensive manuscript ever. As author of the enormously popular twilight series, meyer is one of the nations most influential young writers. Mormon words of mormon through book of mormon 7 and his son moroni book of mormon 89, ether, and moroni. Yet it is unquestionably one of the most influential books ever written. In fact, church members have been changing the world for many years, but many of the most influential mormons simply arent wellknown among the general public. As with other lists, individuals have not been listed here based on fame.
And many have been adapted into films, merchandise or netflix specials. The kind tickets has great the book of mormon tickets for all performances. Organized in 1830, the church had recently issued february 2000 the one hundred millionth copy of the book of mormon, the volume that has been central to. Popular mormon books showing 150 of 1,484 under the banner of heaven paperback by. Mormon describes himself as a pure descendant of lehi 3 ne. Missing indices indicate people in the index who are not in the book of mormon.
A readers edition, edited by grant hardy, mormonism. And yet the book of mormon has excited very little enthusiasm outside of mormonism. Perhaps the most significant difference between mise and the readers edition is that the latter was expressly an academic work, designed for religiously neutral scholarship, while mise is edited and presented from an explicit position of faith and is intended primarily for readers who regard the book of mormon as revealed scripture. There are many members, and all of the elders have learned to accept themselves and be truly happy. Although purportedly also written by prophets dating back to 2200 b. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints is no longer a small church isolated in utah. While a few valuable scholarly works do emerge from time to time, many or most of these books are controversial in nature, and are more properly described as antimormon books. At byu, where he taught for two decades, he was alternately chair of the. The book of ether tells of an ancient people the jaredites, descendants of jared and his companions who were led by god to the americas shortly after the destruction of the tower of babel. Aug 24, 2016 finally, it is important to note we opted to not list the most obvious influential mormon, namely the churchs beloved president, thomas s. Book of mormon reaches 150 million copies church news and. A very rare and unique modern edition of the book of mormon.
The other nine books are attributed to two authors. There has been an exegetical trend during the last several decades to draw endless parallels to text from the ancient. Though latterday saints have long known that the book of mormon is an important religious text, it is encouraging to see it considered as such by a prestigious american university. Monson, like the other general authorities are clearly the most influential mormons, certainly on the members of the church. No matter how many documentaries you watch or books you read on mormonism. Its been a few weeks since the mormon missionaries in uganda were kicked out of the church and adopted a new religion based on the book of arnold. My top 10 chapters in the book of mormon the gospel home. Great semibiographical of jennie booth if interested in history andor the mormon religion.
With hundreds of new books published each year by lds authors, its impossible to keep up with the best in lds writing. The book cuts through the myths to reveal malcolm x in all his. The top ten books the lds mormon church doesnt want you to read 1 no man knows my history. The book of ether is one of the books that make up the book of mormon. Although the musical satirizes organized religion and the literal credibility of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, the mormons in the book of mormon are portrayed as wellmeaning and optimistic, if a little naive and unworldly.
Most influential christian books james mirror christian. Book of mormon charts charting the book of mormon is a collection of more than 175 visual aids that promote deeper understanding and appreciation of the book of mormon. She speaks frequently about the influence of mormon faith and traditions in her. For most of a decade, elder holland has read the book of mormon repeatedly and thoroughly, focusing on all references to the savior and his teachings. It is admittedly biased toward western, evangelical, protestant books with a skew toward more recent publications. Ive argued that there was no way a frontier boy like joseph smith could have written one of the most influential books in human history. Oct 14, 2015 the other nine books are attributed to two authors. Incorporates a bit about living in the mid 1800s, the mormon religion, and the life of the booths as they travel from england to the us. Book of mormon sets new record for most expensive manuscript. Monson, who faithful mormons revere as a living prophet. May 22, 2015 with hundreds of new books published each year by lds authors, its impossible to keep up with the best in lds writing. Nov 09, 2014 the most influential books of the past decade published on november 9, 2014 november 9, 2014 933 likes 158 comments.
If you need help with any of your the book of mormon ticketing needs please give us a call and a representative will be happy to. Again, these are books that i wish the average member of the church was familiar with. Book of mormon study guide volume one spiral bound book. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Over the last few years, ive had lots of people tell me that mormonism is the byproduct of a genius writer and conman, namely joseph smith.