Hello all. It's been awhile since I've seen a list of suggested books to aid in recovery from Mormonism and develop rational and critical thinking skills. When I took that first leap out and found myself at RfM, many posters suggested books, many of which I read (more like devoured.) Let's make some recommendations for any newcomers, or people like me who are looking for that next book.

I'll start with one of my favorites:

1. "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark," by Carl Sagan

From Wikipedia: "In the book, Sagan aims to explain the scientific method to laypeople, and to encourage people to learn critical and skeptical thinking. He explains methods to help distinguish between ideas that are considered valid science, and ideas that can be considered pseudoscience. Sagan states that when new ideas are offered for consideration, they should be tested by means of skeptical thinking, and should stand up to rigorous questioning."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2015 12:21PM by Queen of Denial.

I just read "God Is Not Great" by Christopher Hitchens and enjoyed it quite a bit.

It's directed at all religions in general and focuses on personal anecdotes and real history vs. textual analysis. It provides a scathing commentary on the toxicity of all organized religion.

I have been wanting to read that!

It changed my life. I don't say that lightly - it really did.

I recently finished that book; it was great. I highly recommend it to skeptics or people with open minds.

"Leaving the Saints" by Martha Beck.

Beck is the daughter of Hugh Nibley. The book outlines not only her journey out of Mormonism, but her facing up to "repressed" memories of sexual abuse by her father.

I'm just about done with it, and it's very emotional and compelling.

Leaving The Saints is one of my very favorites :-)

Letter to A Christian Nation by Sam Harris is very good.

For Fiction, I would recommend Higher Authority by Stephen White - this is a fun mystery. I have met the author twice and he says Deseret Book had pre-ordered the book, had it shipped to Utah before they discovered what it was about. They didn't put it on the store shelves but didn't return the books either so both times that I met the author he asked me "What did they do with all those books?" I used to work at Deseret Book.

I just finished reading 'God's Brothel' it was definitely worth reading. Also 'In Sacred Lonliness' is well researched. Both deal with polygamy.

Thanks Lady!!

"Tell It All" by Fanny Stenhouse
Fanny was an early convert immigrant from England to Utah in Utahs early settlement. She and some of her close women freinds were forced into polygamy. She was in much opposition to it. She and her husband who was an influential editor of the major non-mormon paper had a falling out with church leaders and they both left the church and Utah. Fanny is a good writer and the book is interesting. The book is available free online.

For logic and free-thinking in general:
- Mistakes were made (but not by me)
- Flim-Flam!
- Why people believe weird things
- 50 popular beliefs that people think are true

Pertaining specifically to religion, there are many books. A few examples that use logic well:
- Many lectures by Robert Ingersoll. The titles are self-explanatory.
- Godless by Barker (the second haft of the book)

Great list. A dear friend has recommended "Mistakes Were Made (but not by me)," but I haven't read it yet.

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

Devil's Gate by David Roberts (the real handcart story)

Both were good reading and hard to put down.

You might like George H Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God.

In this older book, he goes through most of the common arguments for God to weigh the merits of the argument. He refutes them with with high quality content.

This was the book that shed light on the last arguments and questions I had as a believer. After finishing this book, I said to myself, "I guess it's time to admit to myself that I'm an atheist."

Combatting Cult Mind Control - Steven Hassan

Insiders View of Mormon Origins - Grant Palmer

No Man Knows My History - Fawn Brodie

1984 - George Orwell

If you can read these and stay Mormon, well, congratulations?

Losing her Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Combatting Cult Mind Control - Steven Hassan
>
> Insiders View of Mormon Origins - Grant Palmer
>
> No Man Knows My History - Fawn Brodie
>
> 1984 - George Orwell
>
> If you can read these and stay Mormon, well,
> congratulations
If you can do that, well congratulations! Youre someone who has honestly no brain power at all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2015 06:28AM by whiteandelightsome.

Moroni and the Swastika by David Conley Nelson.
Apparently the author will be at the conference in October and he has addressed the fact that the church members in Germany during WWII actually supported the Nazi's and showed a great deal
anti semitism. It is very interesting and a part of history that I hadn't heard of until now.

The Keystone of Mormonism by Arza Evans;

He put this together when research was hard. BTW Arza was close to Holland’s family and he seems quite sure of the day that Jeff found out the true nature of the church which tore Jeff up when he was a younger man and yet Jeff sold his soul to the devil anyway.

Suddenly Strangers by Chris and Brad Morin;

Twin brothers that came to the same conclusion about the church separately.

The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan;

The Ex called it an anti-mormon book. Funny thing is Carl never mentions or hints at the Mormons. I’m thinking she’ll never read it to verify her parroted statement.

A Friendly Discussion: Mormonism Pro and Con, by Ed Bliss;

A return missionary on a plane ride home chats with an educated man. This is the book that I learned about Emanuel Swedenborg. Damn it! There went the celestial kingdom!

I can't agree more on "Suddenly Strangers." It's an excellent book for those who very recently came clean with their families.

http://www.amazon.com/Suddenly-Strangers-Brad-L-Morin/dp/1593301111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439476349&sr=8-1&keywords=suddenly+strangers

Mormon Enigma by Newell and Avery
In Sacred Loneliness by Compton
Blood of the Prophets by Bagley

And, if you have lots of time, any and all of Michael Quinn's books.

The Handmaid's Tale-one of my favorites, and given some of the political climate, a very scary book.

The Catcher in the Rye-mentioned because a Utah Mormon said she heard it was a risque book. This person has never read that book.

Escape and The Witness Wore Red, about those who have managed to get out of the FLDS cult.

The Four Agreements and The Four Agreements Companion Book by Don Miguiz Ruiz

and any classic books on over coming co-dependence