What 10 Books Should Every Mormon Own?
[Updated]
I got an informal email questionaire today from a member of my ward asking the following:
What are the 10 most important LDS books members should have as the foundation of their LDS library?
There were a couple of ground rules: Multi-volume books are treated as one (Doctrines of Salvation), with the exceptions of the Journal of Discourses and History of the Church, as those are excluded. Obviously, the Standard Works are also excluded (as I assume you all have those already and are feasting upon them for a minimum of 30 minutes, every day. Right?).
My quick response was the following (not in any order):
- Jesus the Christ, by Talmage
- Articles of Faith, by Talmage.
- Either the current Joseph Smith manual or TOPJS, but preferably the former, since the latter is loaded with gems but so unorganized that it’s almost not worth the effort.
- The Messiah Series by Elder McConkie–in ways I think this may be less valuable because #1 already covers much of the material, but it just seems like it should be included.
- Lengthen Your Stride, the biography of Spencer W. Kimball’s presidency
- David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism–In tandem with #5, these two books are must-reads for understanding the way the Church works today. Neither of these are “doctrinal” books, but they are invaluable in teaching how revelation comes to the leaders of the Church, how it is processed and passed onto the members, and how and why the Church’s programs and policies have come into existence.
- The Encyclopedia of Mormonism–the only reference you’ll ever need, compiled by some of the greatest scholars in the Church. (and available online now!)
- Something by Elder Neal A. Maxwell. I couldn’t find a single book by him that stood out above the rest, since they’re all phenomenal.
- The Miracle of Forgiveness–because we all need a little pain, right?
- Mere Christianity. Look at me going all non-LDS author…I’m wild like that. That book was inspired in ways that most LDS books can only dream about.
My Honorable Mention list:
- Christ and the New Covenant–because we need something related just to the Book of Mormon, and Elder Holland’s book is just dripping with awesomeness.
- Rough Stone Rolling, by Bushman–I couldn’t justify putting this one on because I already had 2 biographies, and while I luuurrve it, I will admit that it is not for everyone. I loved the Prophet Joseph Smith before reading it, and I love him much more after.
What 10 books would you want to serve as the foundation of a gospel library in your own home? What did I leave off? What should be omitted?
That’s a good list. Mere Christianity is one of my all time favs – religious or secular.
But what about Mormon Doctrine? It covers all of those subjects and keeps most entries down to just a couple of paragraphs each. Earning it the honorary nickname “the stick of McConkie”
I’d like to include Mormon Doctrine, and it seems like a natural fit for a lot of reasons, but there’s just something about that book…knowing just exactly how many things are *not quite* accurate makes me nervous. Same reason for excluding Doctrines of Salvation, etc…
I’m a big fan of Elder McConkie, and use MD frequently. But I don’t know if I would base my family’s gospel instruction on it before some of the others.
MD is the Wikipedia of Mormonism. I use it when I want a quick and short answer.
I know it may not be right, but I am too lazy to do the real research.
See, now you’re exposing me for the fraud that I am. I didn’t want include MD, because then people would think I use it and not take my gospel understanding seriously. I do use it, and probably shouldn’t be taken seriously.
I just didn’t want people to know that.
Nice list and honorable mentions, but I would definitely have included at least something by Joseph Fielding Smith. He wrote too much to be ignored on any kind of gospel library list.
-JR
JR–
Technically, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith has JFS’s name on the cover, so that counts, right?
Okay, maybe not.
A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by LeGrand Richards.
David-
You make a worthy suggestion. I had forgotten about Elder Richards’ book.
———————-
I should also clarify my earlier comment about things that are *not quite* accurate in MD and DoS. First, I should have said “about which the accuracy is disputed”. Second, I should point out the obvious fact that all of the other books likely have many inaccuracies, too. I am just unaware of what they are, and non-GA’s are generally forgiven more easily (deservedly or not).
Mike–
One thing that I should have mentioned in my post was that I came up with that list in about 5 minutes at work. As soon as I had posted it, I thought of other books I would have included instead, and when I got home and looked at my bookshelf, I regretted my original choices even more. Once again, done in by my near-infinite discount rate.
I may need to borrow some of the books you listed…I’m not familiar with a few of them.
Nice list Scott. All of them are good ones.
I’d remove 4 because Messiah series is too long-winded. It’s basically an attempt to rewrite the life of Christ with JST because nobody including Talmage used JST. But it really doesn’t add a whole lot IMO.
I’d remove 9 because it is not as effective at promoting repentance (though you gotta love that Satan-Cain connection in there).
These lists are tons of fun, and they usually tell you more about the person writing the list than anything else. My own list would probably be half inspirationa/devotional/doctrinal and half academic/historical given my split personality.
For inspirational:
1. TJPS, though this could possibly replaced with Cook and Ehat’s “Words of Joseph Smith” with it’s terrific footnotes.
2. “Jesus the Christ”
3. “Articles of Faith”
4. MD, a severely flawed classic that tells you more about what Mormons think other Mormons are supposed to believe than what Mormons should actually believe.
5. Widtsoe’s “A Rational Theology.” One of my all-time favorites. It derives inspirationn from out-of-date science, but Widtsoe’s vision is amazing and inspiring.
For academic:
6. Allen and Leonard’s “The Story of the Latter-day Saints.” The best single volume history of LDS bar-none. Get the 2nd edition, not the 1st.
7. Mauss’s “All Abraham’s Children.” Super insightful book about Mormons and race relations. Every Mormon should read this!!!
8. Newell and Avery’s “Mormon Enigma.” A bio of Emma Hale Smith, not for your recent convert, but a terrific sympathetic treatment. This can also serve as a biography of JS, though the seminal JS bio would now be Bushman’s if you prefer a JS bio to a bio for someone else.
9. O’Dea’s “The Mormons.” Still a classic after 50 years. The only entry by a non-LDS author on my list.
10. McKay and Rise of Modern Mormonism, same as your #6. There’s very little published on the last 50 years, Mauss’s Angel and Behive being the exception.
I confess that this list could be different if you asked me tomorrow, but this is what I’m in the mood for tonight. Lengthen Your Stride is an honorable mention, especially that DVD with the earlier manuscript. And Mere Christianity is just plain awesome. Another honorable mention is Alexander’s Mormonism in Transition.
Well that's a pretty good list in 5 minutes. Yeah, I might change one or two on my list with some more thought, too.
E.g., another honorable mention for the inspirational category came to mind after I posted my comment last night: "Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints." This volume from the FARMS Nibley Collected Works, not really a classic Mormon text but it had a strong impact on me when I read it. So it might be an honorable mention to me but not to others because of the more personal impact it had on me. But that's also one of the fun things about these lists; we can always think about improving them.
I guess that makes me wonder about another list: Top 10 LDS books that are not classic LDS texts but that had the greatest on me.
Feel free to borrow any book any time.
Tangentially, it's fun to compare our lists with what a regular library might want to have in its collection. This article gives an interesting look, obviously light on inspirational/devotional, but you gotta love the inclusion of New York Doll:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6551783&articleid=CA6590468
Lectures on Faith.
JB
JB–
Hrmmm…Lectures on Faith is an interesting suggestion–I admit that it hadn’t ever occurred to me. However, there may be reason to exclude it from the eligible choices, as it was formerly published in the standard works. Hmmm…have to think more about that one.
any book written by the Yorgasen brothers or Jack Weyland
Oh, wait, you said SHOULD own. My bad.
any book written by the Yorgasen brothers or Jack Weyland
*peeing my pants*
Isn’t there a cd or dvd with these all on it?