Hello everyone, I was hoping you could leave a list of what books helped or inspired you the most on your journey out of Mormonism. I feel like I need a good book to read and some more facts to solidify my decision in making a clean break from the church. I want to keep myself current and knowledgeable. I would appreciate it greatly!

No Man Knows My History (Fawn Brodie)

aisuru Wrote:
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> No Man Knows My History (Fawn Brodie)

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No Man Knows My History - by Fawn Brodie
Mormon Enigma - by Linda King Newell & Valeen Tippetts Avery

My journey out started with reading Mormon Doctrine as a TBM.

I had a book called "2 minute answers to Anti- Mormon Questions". I read the book and felt quite satisfied at the answers it gave. Can't remember the particular question, but it was on blood atonement and the book said it was a misquote and BY had never taught that. Of couse, I took it at face value and didn't worry about it any more. Then I was reading in Mormon Doctrine where Bruce R. McConkie states that we believe some folks must shed their own blood, so I did deeper digging and found in the JofD that BY had indeed taught that! So there you go, 3 LDS sources led me right out of the church!

This topic seems to come up every so often and I have started a word document where I cut and paste the suggestions people make.

Here's what I have from my file so far (in addition to the ones already mentioned above):

* Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith -- by Jon Krakauer
* In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith -- by Todd M. Compton
* Mormonism - Shadow or Reality? -- by Jerald and Sandra Tanner (pretty much any book by the Tanners)
* Studies of the Book of Mormon -- by B.H. Roberts
* The Demon-Haunted World: Science As A Candle In The Dark -- by Carl Sagan
* Secret Ceremonies -- by Deborah Laake
* Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships -- by Janja Lalich
* By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri -- by Charles M. Larson
* The Book of Mammon: A Book About A Book About The Corporation That Owns The Mormons -- by Daymon M. Smith
* Wife No. 19: The Story of a Life in Bondage, Being a Complete Expose of Mormonism, and Revealing the Sorrows, Sacrifices and Sufferings of Women in Polygamy -- by Ann Eliza Young (read online here for free: http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=5URCAAAAIAAJ&dq=wife%20no.%2019&as_brr=5&source=webstore_bookcard )

If you want to stick close to "official" church sources, the "Journal of Discourses" and "Doctrines of Salvation" are what got me started on the road out. BH Roberts was the church historian, so he is a 'safe' bet as well, and Ann Eliza Young was one of Brigham's wives so she has an inside view. I'm in the middle of "Shadow or Reality" at the moment and everything is so well-researched and documented that I don't see how anyone could argue that it is 'made up'.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2011 02:53PM by AngelCowgirl.

I would recommend Tanner's "Changing World of Mormonism". They have it free on their website either pdf or view online. It is great as a reference or when you get some down time at work.


http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changecontents.htm

This was the first true "Anti-Mormon" book I read. I was amazed at their attention to detail and their references. I was always under the impression that people that wrote anti-mormon literature were dishonest and clearly not as intelligent as the folks at FARMS. What I found was the complete opposite. Legitimate sources, great references, and even photocopies of the original documents.

I had read multiple apologetic P.O.S. prior to reading this and didn't care to read much about blood atonement, Adam-god, etc. Once I had read everything else in the book and knew that the Tanners are much more reliable than FARMS/FAIR, I read the other stuff that I already knew the apologetic response for. Final decision: Pro-mormon=false, "Anti-mormon"=true.

Changing World is highly recommended! It definitely changed my world.

The two that were the most useful for me were No Man Knows my History by Fawn Brodie and An Insiders View of Mormon Origins by Grant Palmer.

Brodie's book is a decent biography of Joseph Smith. It really takes a look at him as a man first to see if he really was a prophet rather than assuming first that he was a prophet and then telling the story.

Palmer's book is a good summary of some of the foundational issues with the church. I found it a simple read but still well researched. I don't buy all of his arguements but for the most part it's good.

I bought Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman to read a supposedly unbiased biography of Joseph Smith from a believer's point of view but found the book a little too dense to read staright through and found it more useful to just look up certain topics in the index and focus on them. I also found that he did a little too much brushing aside of issues.

Thank you, I am going to do some serious reading to keep my mind on cue and sharp. I need to know how to communicate better with people when talking about the touchy subject. It all makes sense in my mind why I left but I for sure forget details if I don't keep reading. I am going to get started on some of those. I look forward to it.

The Rough Stone Rolling Arthur gave a forum at BYU-I. My super Mormon best friend told me to read that one. It must be endorsed a little by the church. I have avoided it since hearing him talk and the recommendation from her. I actually have a strong desire to read them all now.

'Who Really Wrote the B o Mormon'...along with:

Mountain Meadows Massacre, Juanita Brooks

Learning abt Mark Hofmann was also A Real Kick

Mormon denials 'work' by themselves (sort of); but when U add them together... YUCH!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2011 04:13PM by guynoirprivateeye.

the BIGGEST challenge of Mormonism is the difference between what is said/'written'... and that which is Done.


Mos say they're / we're Christians, but: Don't believe it!
they value the Church More than Christian Basics... Honesty, Kindness, Charity, etc. all 'sort of' in Morland!
(they DON'T ACKNOWLEGE the Basics!)

Family + code word for CHURCH & its petty requirements...

they criticized the Catholics for selling indulgences.. BUT:
ALL (employed, all with an income) have to pay LDS, Inc. to get into the Temple!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2011 04:45PM by guynoirprivateeye.

I'm reading a book right now called "Farewell to Eden" authored by Duwayne R Anderson. It's pretty educational although me thinks he quotes way to much mormon prophet's and scripture (to define mormon doctrine without getting blamed for taking things out of context I guess). "Guns, Germs and Steel" is another educational book that without the slightest intention completely debunks mormonism.

Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck (daughter of Hugh Nibley)

I read this as well... deals with Hinkley and his molestation... Though this is more of a narrative with the church members being bad people rather than actual doctrine being discussed and refuted. Good read but wouldn't recommend it over more doctrine related books, atleast for me.

Suddenly Strangers.

Two brothers accounts of how they found out TSCC is a scam, and how it affected their relations with each other, immediate end distant family.
RG

I'll second two from above:

No Man Knows My History by Brodie (You will view JS without the rose colored glasses.)

By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri -- by Charles M. Larson (Reveals the papyrus fiasco and what JS tried to pull off.)

Also get Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. Short and sweet. It's what Paine thought about the Bible.

Another must read: Demon Haunted World by Sagan. Includes a bologna detection kit. Great read.

I'd vote for "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins."

I find the Tanners to be a little to blatant and in-your-face, D. Michael Quinn (although you learn a ton from his books...) to be a bit pedantic, just including a ton of details that obscures the main points. Grant Palmer keeps you focused on the main points with supporting details, and presents everything in a way that's not too blatant and in-your-face.

No Man Knows My History is good, but focuses mostly on history, not on the problems with the history.

Read this;

"Why the hell would I send my money to SLC?"

by you

The bible is a really good one...discredits ALL things Mormon in practice.

One Nation Under Gods
Mormon Enigma

http://mormonstories.org/?p=980

149-152: LDS Anthropologist Daymon Smith on Post-Manifesto Polygamy, Correlation, the Corporate LDS Church, and Mammon

My top 5 were:


The New Testament (especially Paul's letters)

No Man Knows My History

By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus

Under the Banner of Heaven

An Insider's View of Mormon Origins

Has anyone read, "Inside Mormonism," by Isaiah Bennett? Is it worth a read and do you feel it is an accurate description of Mormon beliefs?

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this one yet. It takes care of all the theistic superstitions including kolobianism..

I agree with this. I rejected theism first; Mormonism was just the bathwater that went out with the baby.

the very fist book i got was a 1912 edition of

"the latter day Saints: A Study of the Mormons in the Light of Economic Conditions by Ruth Kauffman and Reginald Wright Kauffman"

i chose it because it was a english couple who went to view mormonism in the US in 1912.
it just seemed to be a good starting point for me personally....