Customer Reviews

The Changing World of Mormonism: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Changes in Mormon Doctrine and Practice

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The more that I read the Tanner's work, the more I enjoy their easy to understand writing style. The information given in this book is painstakingly researched as to be clearly written on a basis of fact and truth. The Tanners have been very careful to specify facts and documentation. I appreciate their work and know the involvement that it requires to go beyond and seek the truth. I was born into the mormon church and involved for over 30 years. I understand what is behind the negative responses designed to discredit the author, however I have READ this book and checked many of the questionable references, and they did an excellent job in keeping to documented facts. I think that the Tanner's write for the purpose of simply sharing facts in truth, as to give the investigator a balance of information. If one simply uses information supplied currently by the LDS, it is edited and revised and changed as to be faithbuilding to its members, without reguard to the writings and teachings and history of the past. This history and its past leaders are the foundation upon which the Mormon church stands and I feel they are embarassed by it. To top it off just read some of the reviews from LDS members towards those who simply share the truth backed with facts about the beginnings of this religion. In this book I think the Tanners have done a great service to all in carefully tackling this difficult subject. The Bible played a major part in my conversion from Mormonism to freedom. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted and I am now free to truly worship the Lord anywhere, anytime, and am no longer bound to one specific building. I am no longer bound by all the man made rules, regulations, doctrines, commandments, word of wisdom, articles of faith, covenants, promises, endowments, priesthood, etc. of the Mormon religion. I have given my life to the Lord and am living my life in his will and not my own. My life is in his hands and not my own. I have been set free in Jesus! This I know cause the Word tells me so... This book, "The Changing World of Mormonism," is accurate, informative, well documented, and very useful. I would recommend that anyone read the information in this book. It is an eye opener and a must for any library.

This is a very well documented book. Most of the information is very easily cross referenced. I would recommend this book for those who wish to investigate Mormonism and its ever changing doctrine. The immense amount of factual reference is almost overwhelming. In most cases, it should be read carefully through the first 10 chapters and then indexed for further reading. A word to the wise though; this book is for non-Mormons. To share this book with a Mormon is the equivalent of giving a Bible to a Moslem.

This book is helpful for the non-Mormon to understand how Mormonism came into being and has stayed a major part of our American culture. Having lived amoung the Mormons, I got to experience first-hand many of the things that the Tanners mention in the book. Notably, the style of revisionist history that one finds throughout the Mormon dominated culture of Utah is truly astounding, and is partially explained by this book. Its detail and attention to the original documents that form the bedrock of Mormon culture help explain the slightly skewed explanations that surround the foundation of a society. The Tanners' work is thorough and authoratative. Although its not an easy read, it certainly does explain much of what one sees when the hard questions are not answered adequately by the nice missionaries that knock at the door.

I made my purchase on Amazon.com, and the price was afforded for this book.
i enjoy the book, and every Christians should buy this book. The book is a good investment, and I believe that the detail about Mormonism are help to non-mormon.

Unlike most other critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sandra and the late Jerald Tanner are/were at least honest in their ministry against "Mormonism," unlike Ed Decker, Utah Missions Incorportaed, and many critics of the Mormon faith I have come across.

However, the above notwithstanding, this book, based on their magnum opus, "Mormonism: shadow or reality?" has too many problems to be taken serously.

One of their claims, that remains quite popular in anti-Mormon "literature" even today, pertains to the fact that, an examination of the 1833 "A Book of Commandments," and the 1835 and subsequent editions of the "Doctrine and Covenants" reveal that the Prophet Joseph Smith revised prior revelations. However, what the Tanners do not tell their readers is that biblical prophets did the same exact thing. A reading of Jeremiah 36:28-32, a comparison of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, and a comparison of Jeremiah 52 with 2 Kings 24-25 and Isaiah 36-39 with 2 Kings 18:13-20:19 reveals that biblical prophets revised their own revelations and the revelations of previous prophets! This blows the Tanners, and other critics (e.g., Richard Abanes in "One nation under Gods") out of the water! If Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah can do such, why is it such a problem that Joseph Smith did the same exact thing with his revelations?

I welcome feedback at Robert.S.Boylan@nuim.ie

In a world of suspicion, no medium is safe. It seems that the forum for worldwide dissemination of nonsense known as the Internet to sell Books has provided conspiracy buffs with a chance to spread all of their theories and musings to what could be the largest audience in the world today. Hate and fear have always sold and made big bucks. The same can be said of this book. It reminds me of The Nazi propaganda against the Jews. This book is as useful as reading Klu Klux Klan material on Afro-Americans.
Like other Tanner books this is perhaps the most slanted, biased, and down right mean representation of the Mormon church there is. However, most of the stuff is true (although some of the conclusions and interpretations are a stretch).
The Mormon church and its members aren't nearly as "evil" as the Tanners would have you believe. One must note that the Tanners do have a personal grudge and do make a lot of money with their bigotry.
Another note. Most legitiment universities and historians reject their books they sell as inaccurate and highly negative to the extent of being worthless.
A non-Mormon scholar (Lawrence Foster, associate professor of American history at the Georgia Institute of Technology) who has spent many years on intensive work on Mormonism and its history says of the Tanners:
The Tanners have repeatedly assumed a holier-than-thou stance, refusing to be fair in applying the same debate standard of absolute rectitude which they demand of Mormonism to their own actions, writing, and beliefs. . .
The Tanners seem to be playing a skillful shell game in which the premises for judgment are conveniently shifted so that the conclusion is always the same--negative. (Foster 1984, 45-46, 49)

Lawsuit:
Utah Lighthouse Minisrty (Tanners) Found guilty, The judge based most of the copyright case on the vicious libel(LIES) of the Tanners web site. Tanners settled out of court in an effort to hide the judges decission.

The fact that the Tanner's intent was to attack and criticize the copyright owner carried a weight in determining the decision ...