Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

~ Richard Lyman Bushman (Author)
Key Phrases: marriage revelation, plural marriage, church president, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Book of Mormon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An elegant, even-handed introduction."--Catholic Herald

Product Description

Beginning with a handful of members in 1830, the church that Joseph Smith founded has grown into a world-wide organization with over 12 million adherents, playing prominent roles in politics, sports, entertainment, and business. Yet they are an oddity. They are considered wholesome, conservative, and friendly on one hand, and clannish, weird, and self-righteous on the other.
Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction explains who Mormons are: what they believe and how they live their lives. Written by Richard Lyman Bushman, an eminent historian and practicing Mormon, this compact, informative volume ranges from the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the contentious issues of contemporary Mormonism. Bushman argues that Joseph Smith still serves as the Mormons' Moses. Their everyday religious lives are still rooted in his conceptions of true Christianity. They seek revelation to solve life's problems just as he did. They believe the authority to seal families together for eternity was restored through him. They understand their lives as part of a spiritual journey that started in a "council in heaven" before the world began just as he taught. Bushman's account also describes the tensions and sorrows of Mormon life. How are Mormons to hold on to their children in a world of declining moral standards and rampant disbelief? How do rational, educated Mormons stand up to criticisms of their faith? How do single Mormons fare in a church that emphasizes family life? The book also examines polygamy, the various Mormon scriptures, and the renegade fundamentalists who tarnish the LDS image when in fact they're not members.
In a time when Mormons such as Mitt Romney and Harry Reid are playing prominent roles in American society, this engaging introduction enables readers to judge for themselves how Mormon teachings shape the character of believers.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195310306
• ISBN-13: 978-0195310306
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #160,834 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richard Bushman's _Mormonism_, July 27, 2008

By	Richard Rust - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Richard Bushman's Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction is the best work on Mormonism that could come out at this time. It is by the right author and published by the right press. It is the best work because it defines simply but elegantly the essential nature of Mormonism and addresses in a timely way the main issues about Mormonism currently in the public sphere. With his impeccable and highly honored credentials in the scholarly world, his profound historical and doctrinal knowledge, and his exceptional communication skills, Richard Bushman is exactly the right person to have written this book. I would venture that in time his Mormonism will receive his largest audience ever. The distinguished Oxford University Press assures widespread exposure to Bushman's book by placing it in its Very Short Introductions series. This is the same press that has given us Terryl Givens' highly acclaimed books, The Viper on the Hearth, By the Hand of Mormon, and People of Paradox and is bringing out Givens' commentary on the Book of Mormon and his edited collection of essays, with Reid Neilson, on Joseph Smith, Jr.

Bushman introduces his work by asking, "What sets Mormons apart?" He answers that succinctly by an exposition on the doctrines, persons, and history of the Restoration. In his subsequent six chapters, Bushman gracefully and knowledgeably tells 1) how Joseph Smith's revelations set the pattern for every Mormon to seek inspiration, 2) how the organization of the City of Zion constituted Mormons as a people as well as a church, 3) how the Mormon priesthood is both hierarchical and democratic, 4) how Mormons understand the meaning of life, 5) how old ideals and new struggles formed Mormon identity, and 6) how Mormons left their homeland and fought to retain their distinctiveness. A dozen illustrations add interest and impact to the book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent explanation of the Latter-Day Saint faith and people, November 17, 2008

By	Tom Trails "Tom Trails" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

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This excellent book has several things going for it. First, it's brief and small in size, making it an easy read to carry around and read in bits when you have a few spare minutes to kill (it's also very inexpensive). Second, despite its brevity, it is pretty darn comprehensive in scope, covering history, doctrine, practical application and culture, and not afraid to address controversial or ambiguous issues. Third, it's published by a respected, neutral publisher (Oxford University Press) and written by a prestigious academic historian who happens to specialize in 18th and 19th century America and happens to be a solid Mormon who has served in leadership positions. Lastly, it has an excellent but mercifully brief list of sources of further reading that is subdivided by topic (these are all academic titles rather than inspirational or apologetic ones). Professor Bushman manages to show how all the history and doctrine of the church makes someone's Mormon neighbors the people they are, and that seen in the light of objective history and a sympathetic hearing the church's beliefs, the sensational elements of Mormonism in the media don't seem that weird after all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent Introduction to Mormonism, December 30, 2008

By	Bojan Tunguz "Dr. Bojan Tunguz" (Greencastle, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Mormonism is considered to be an American religion, the first major religion born on the new continent, and the first to incorporate the elements of the life on the new continent in its fabric of beliefs and practices. Ever since its inception in the early nineteenth century it has fascinated, and often repelled, the outsiders, and drown new converts. Its continuing growth in the times when religious missionary movements are supposed to be in a decline is interesting in its own right. Mormon missionaries are known by their youth, and clean-cut appearance and lifestyle that avoids the use of alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea. Its precisely this lifestyle, coupled with the strong emphasis on family life, that brings many outsiders to convert to this religion, and it creates a respect even from those who are opposed to Mormonism on religious or ideological grounds.

Richard Lyman Bushman's thin introduction to Mormonism is a useful and very interesting introduction to this faith. It covers all the major points about Mormonism that make it fascinating and unique: their history that begin with the revelation of the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith, the settling and building of a religious society in Utah, their idiosyncratic beliefs that diverge from the orthodox Christianity on many key points, and their practices, many of which like polygamy, have in the past been highly controversial and had made Mormons suspicious to the outsiders. The book also covers the present state of affairs and a few minor offshoots that have sprung out from the main Mormon Church (LDS).

Overall, this is a well-written book that could almost be considered a page-turner. If you are interested in finding more about Mormonism, this is an excellent first introduction to the subject and a useful reference for further study.