It must be difficult to reduce such a complex subject as Mormonism into a good, short book for non-member young people, but that is what the Bushmans have done for this installment of the Oxford University Press series "Religion in American Life." I assume Richard, the well-known historian, wrote the chapters on basic LDS history. He doesn't sugarcoat or sensationalize. Claudia must have written the chapters on Mormons facing contemporary issues. They are refreshingly candid, and give the accurate impression that Mormons are human beings who struggle with personal problems along with everyone else. The two viewpoints nicely complement each other and give insight into a much-misunderstood movement. That they have been a successful couple in the New York academic world should make Mormons proud and should attract the attention of curious "gentiles":-)

I picked this book up in order to quickly get a better understanding of Mormon history. The Bushmans rapidly cover LDS history, but I was not satisfied with the depth of the material. The book is pretty much a straight narrative with little attempt at interpretation or critical evaluation. Of course, the book IS part of a series of religious history surveys for the general reader, so it is not too surprising that the Bushmans do not go very deep. Nonetheless, at only 103 pages, they could have offered a little bit more meat to their treatment of LDS history. The first half of the book dealing with early Mormon history is the best, but far too uncritical. (What ever happened to those golden plates revealed to Joseph Smith?) The second half of the book starts to read like a tract put out by the Church. It has an almost apologetic tone. When a controversial issue is broached, like Mormon teaching about African Americans, the authors handle it very delicately. Since the authors are both historians at Columbia, I expected better. It almost seems that the book was slapped together, especially at the end where the Bushmans jump from topic to topic. Having said all of that, I did learn some things from this volume, but there has got to be a better introduction to Mormon history out there. For those interested in a more critical look at one event in Mormon history, check out "Blood of the Prophets" by Will Bagley.

The authors did a reasonable job, the book is organized and readable, they just shouldn't have presented their expository as an objective history. It is simply an LDS primer with historical context. This book is not balanced and objective. While it does point out the controversies surrounding the religion, it tends to slide right on by rather than really address those issues. The preface actually points out the real purpose of the book, "The aim of this book is to explain how Mormons feel about their religion and how they hold on to their faith in the modern era." With that the real purpose, the subtitle, "A History..." should have been left off.

The authors' approach was stated to be to "understand Mormonism in terms of the experience of Mormon people". They presented the sometimes-stormy history of Mormonism, often in the midst of controversy, in a straighforward and non-judgmental way.

There has been some dispute as to whether Mormons are Christians. Critics say that the LDS doctrine of God does not conform to traditional Christian creed. Joseph Smith said he communicated directly with God; this is unlike reformers such as Calvin and Luther who used reason to interpret the Bible in new ways.

The authors presented a thorough background of Joseph Smith, from his fist vision at age 14 and his translation of the gold tablets into the Book of Molrmon. They then followed the Mormons as they headed West and founded settlements in Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois, among other places, on their way to Utah.

Plural marriage and its repercussions were thoroughly explained. By 1844, this and other pronouncements by Joseph Smith carried Mormonism beyond the bounds of conventional Christian belief. Smith was jailed after ordering the press of a dissenting newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois destroyed and he was then killed by an angry mob while he was in jail.

By September 1846 14,000 "Saints" had fled west from Nauvoo and undertook a brutal trek toward the Rocky Mountains. Over the next 22 years, 300 wagon trains with over 10,000 wagons would travel to Utah. In Utah, Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor, designed the Salt Lake Valley according to Smith's plan for New Jerusalem.

In 1896, Wilford Woodruff, the LDS President, declared an end to polygamy, the price paid for Utah to become a state. This practice had raised national opposition to Mormonism.

Mormonism became more mainstream, no longer practiced in isolation. The Church Welfare Plan, which continues today, seems to be a model to promote self-sufficiency and co-operation.

The last section of the book dealt with Mormonism today: the church structure (local and national), tithing, missions, and religious education.