Go the Deseret Book Catalog a few days ago and it's amazing to me how full of fluff it is. Like I heard on a podcast last month, it's more of a gift company than a book company.

Your post reminded me that I needed to look online for an x-mas gift for my mom. I looked under the link "gifts" and the sublink "mother" and found this as an option: Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room: How LDS Women Can Protect Families from Pornography.'
What a wonderful gift for someone's mother.

either go to a Deseret Book or use the catalog and pick out the most awful thing you see. They will love it. Trust me - I've done that for my mom's last 2 birthdays and Mother's Day (Christmas she got stuck with a World Vision Donation) and she's loved my gifts. I don't know if it's a sign of how different we are or if the idea of me in a Deseret Book makes the gift all that much better or what but it's been very successful. I got Monson's book for her just a couple of days ago. She was absolutely delighted. I'd rather be shot than read it. Works every time.

I heart World Vision. We're sticking my parents with a donation too. Probably a goat?

I used to be a member of the Deseret Book Club.
I wrote and told them I wished Signature Books had a book club!
Signature gets most of my business now.

I have no clue why I am on their mailing list- maybe because I am BYU alum.

Anyway I just flipped through it. It is headed for the trash.

You are right, Major B.... it is full of total fluff. The books look about as mentally stimulating as staring at a rock.

I did notice a lot more books about Christ than I expected. Totally lame. Here's one you'll want for your reading pleasure: The Messiah Series by McConkie. Six volumes of Jesus lore including The Promised Messiah, the Mortal Messiah, and the Millennial Messiah. Sounds like McConkie knows more about Jesus than Jesus did!

In my town every other house has that lame picture of George Washington acting Mormon praying at Valley Forge. The catalog has that painting and many more like "Christ in a Red Robe." Maybe they should make a dress up Jesus doll that you could dress in any color robe you want.

There was a lot more Mormon kitsch than usual - being marketed as potential Xmas gift crap no doubt. They seem to be pushing their reward/points club gimmick too.

Here are some books you'll be dying to get as presents:

"The House of Learning". Here's the blurb: "Do you love to attend the temple but wish you could gain greater fulfillment from your temple worship? This book from a former temple president and matron can help!...prepare to be more receptive to the spiritual teachings of the temple..." LOL! Good luck with that.

"The Remarkable Soul of a Woman" written by Uchtdorf. "He encourages us to make the world a better place and provides assurance that our efforts will lead us to discover lives of meaning, grace and fulfillment." Doesn't that sound deep?

Incredibly with all the amazing books out there to read in the world people buy actually buy and read this drivel by choice. I don't think my MIL has read a non-LDS book in 30 years- and it shows.

I am a HUGE book nut. I have about 1500 and I've read them all. Actually I used to have 1500. My 28 year old daughter and her dh came to visit about 4 months ago. I cleaned off all the shelves in the library of every llds book. I had all books written by Nunes,Stansfield,and all the other lds authors of lds fiction.I just kept pulling them off the shelves and throwing them on the floor. I would come to one that would really make my blood boil-like the about Porter Rockwell,or any of the prophets. I would say some smart ass remark,quietly,and my dd would say "what mom".They boxed them all up-at least 250 f them.Her dh was shocked I didn't want to keep them. He hardly spke to me the rest of their stay.

Did anyone else notice that they had an Amish nativity scene? Isn't that weird?

And what is with the "prayer before valley forger" painting?

Some temple visitor centers have nativity scenes displays. They like to display nativity scenes from around the world. I think this makes them feel more international or or helps them think their beliefs are shared by people all over the world or something. Lame.

They were big on ginger bread house displays for a while. Now it seems to be popular to do international nativity scenes.

more than the literature they produce, I don't know what it would be!

I'd be willing to bet that:

1. Most of the books by LDS authors don't get read past page 5

(and)

2. People who buy and display those books seldom if ever read any quality literature.

We live in Europe and they send their fluffy catalogue via New Zealand. There must be some financial logic in there.

Anyway, we just flipped through it, got a couple of laughs, and it ended in the dustbin, like always.

I've tried to stop it but they keep sending it although we never order anything.

I know they love to BUY them and GIVE them as gifts. Buy does anyone actually READ them? I love to read and a good book, a couch, and a blanket is my idea of a good time. But I can't imagine actually sitting down to read something 'ghost' written by Packkker or Tommy. I'd be asleep by page 3!