First of all, let me start out by identifying myself as a devout Catholic evangelist. Over the past year, the study of comparative religion has interested me greatly, and at first, my approach to study was marred by the use of unreliable and biased resources. I made the mistake of trying to learn about Mormons by reading anti-Mormon literature. However, what I found there (in books such as The God Makers, Kingdom of the Cults, etc) was not only appalingly uncharible and vindictive, but also appalingly deceitful and false! Unimpressed with their rhetoric and straw men tactics, I decided instead to do what I should have done in the first place; ask the Mormons what they believe.
Aside from the BOM and D & C, this is the first resource I purchased. The layout was impressive - very easy to use, concise, and well cross referenced. I was at first dismayed at the lack of an index, but that became a moot point since the book is so well laid out. Furthermore, although I know this is of course not scripture any more than the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas are to Catholics, it does present a good yet fallible summary of, well, Mormon Doctrine. My only complaint is that McConkie is a bit too brief in covering some points, and doesn't always give references to relevant sections in the canonized books of the Mormon Church. Because of this, further study is not always easy to persue. On the pro side of that, this book can rightfully be considered a "primary source" when citing, by and large.
While I still disagree with many aspects of Mormon theology, at least now I can be confident that what I am stating on a particular point is actually what the LDS church believes. Persuing Mormon literature (and conversations with Mormons) prevented me from going down the fiery path of polemics and hatred for Mormons. As a Catholic, I know all too well what it is like to be on the receiving end of hatred and bigotry which roots itself in misunderstanding. As someone who is oftentimes on the receiving end of counter apologetics, I know well the difference between mere theological disagreement and outright bigotry. The distinction makes all the difference in the world when it comes to dialogue.
Persual of literature such as this will require some extra effort, yes, but it will also help you obey the commandment not to bear false witness. There is no excuse for lazy research.
Anyway - I fear that this book review had turned into an admonishment for my fellow apologists to be honest. However, since I think it needs to be said, and it does tie into this book in a sense, I'm keeping it here. In any case, if you want to learn about Mormonism, don't listen to idiots like Dave Hunt. Rather, you do well to start here for a good, reliable primer and a lasting resource.
