The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith

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The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 225 ratings · 74 reviews

With Mormonism on the verge of an unprecedented cultural and political breakthrough, an eminent scholar of American evangelicalism explores the history and reflects on the future of this native-born American faith and its connection to the life of the nation.

In 1830, a young seer and sometime treasure hunter named Joseph Smith began organizing adherents into a new religiou...more With Mormonism on the verge of an unprecedented cultural and political breakthrough, an eminent scholar of American evangelicalism explores the history and reflects on the future of this native-born American faith and its connection to the life of the nation.

In 1830, a young seer and sometime treasure hunter named Joseph Smith began organizing adherents into a new religious community that would come to be called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and known informally as the Mormons). One of the nascent faith’s early initiates was a twenty-three-year-old Ohio farmer named Parley Pratt, the distant grandfather of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In The Mormon People, religious historian Matthew Bowman peels back the curtain on more than 180 years of Mormon history and doctrine. He recounts the church’s origin and development, explains how Mormonism came to be one of the fastest-growing religions in the world by the turn of twenty-first-century, and ably sets the scene for a 2012 presidential election that has the potential to mark a major turning point in the way this “all-American” faith is perceived by the wider American public—and internationally.

Mormonism started as a radical movement, with a profoundly transformative vision of American society that was rooted in a form of Christian socialism. Over the ensuing centuries, Bowman demonstrates, that vision has evolved—and with it the esteem in which Mormons have been held in the eyes of their countrymen. Admired on the one hand as hardworking paragons of family values, Mormons have also been derided as oddballs and persecuted as polygamists, heretics, and zealots clad in “magic underwear.” Even today, the place of Mormonism in public life continues to generate heated debate on both sides of the political divide. Polls show widespread unease at the prospect of a Mormon president. Yet the faith has never been more popular. Today there are about 14 million Mormons in the world, fewer than half of whom live inside the United States. It is a church with a powerful sense of its own identity and an uneasy sense of its relationship with the main line of American culture.

Mormons will surely play an even greater role in American civic life in the years ahead. In such a time, The Mormon People comes as a vital addition to the corpus of American religious history—a frank and fair-minded demystification of a faith that remains a mystery for many.(less)

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published January 24th 2012 by Random House

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Mar 20, 2013 Maciek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, religion-atheism, read-in-2013, reviewed

In the preface to The Mormon People Matthew Bowman states that his book is a work of synthesis: over the past 40 years Mormon history has seen a sort of a renaissance, with a remarkable amount of scholarship published both by Mormon and non-Mormon academics, and he aims to weave their findings into a coherent narrative which would present a concise history of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, from its inception to the present day. Bowman compares organizing the material to "finding in this as...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Samuel rated it 5 of 5 stars

So at first I thought this book's framing was a little too narrow: how can a Mormon, Mitt Romney, be a serious contender for the Presidency in America? With the election over, I thought, wow this may not be a very relevant work in just a few years. But as I read it, it actually is a nicely packaged chronology of Mormon history and culture that demonstrates how "the Mormon people" have transformed from a radical religious group that sought to escape American political neglect and persecution to a...more So at first I thought this book's framing was a little too narrow: how can a Mormon, Mitt Romney, be a serious contender for the Presidency in America? With the election over, I thought, wow this may not be a very relevant work in just a few years. But as I read it, it actually is a nicely packaged chronology of Mormon history and culture that demonstrates how "the Mormon people" have transformed from a radical religious group that sought to escape American political neglect and persecution to an exemplary, conservative community of patriots embracing the most successful "American-born religion." In this sense, I think this work will be relevant for many years to come.

I thought the organization was well-composed; many Mormon chronologies give a weighted portion of their time to the early 19th century history (Joseph Smith through the exodus to Utah), but this book gives a fair amount of time to the 20th century developments and even a sliver of 21st century developments. Although the overall thesis statement (which follows this) is not explicitly referred to throughout the book, Bowman does a thorough job of chronicling Mormon historiography such that when he does reach his conclusion it is compelling and believable.

"It is too easy, however, to mark off the history of Mormons in binary: now and then, polygamous visionaries and monogamous Puritans, social revolutionaries and dour Republicans, 1840s Nauvoo and present-day Provo, Utah. ... At the heart of the faith a radical and transformative vision still lurks, and the Mormons made America their own as much as they made themselves Americans" (250-251).

"While the story of Mormonism in America is in many ways the story of the Americanization of a radical religious movement, it is also the story of the preservation of a dream and the still-beating heart of Joseph Smith's vision of Zion" (253).

Thus, despite fundamental transformations of the Mormon people and their religion, Bowman warns against simply reading the transformation as a complete process leaving the present state entirely indistinguishable from its origins. But rather, the evolution of Mormonism has not extinguished the optimistic hope of preparing a people for Christ's Second Coming and His millennial reign. The Mormon culture is paradoxically malleable but resilient.

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Mar 11, 2012 Nelson Chung rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: church-history

A very engaging, but not sensational, read. Bowman provides a concise narrative of how Mormons became the way they are today: theologically, politically, and socially, focusing on Mormons's engagement with American society. He offers no opinions.

Especially riveting was the evolution dispute between Widtsoe/Talmage/Roberts and Joseph Fielding Smith. Apostles Widtsoe (mathematician), Talmage (geologist) and the council of 70 member Roberts argued there were "pre-Adamites" that existed, while JF Sm...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, meridian

The Mormon People provides an overarching narrative arc of this religious movement with "profoundly optimistic theology" starting with Joseph Smith, Jr.'s early childhood and family life and moving up through the modern-day church. While there are definitely books that give a more in-depth view of the various aspects of Mormon history, or the many fascinating characters involved in its growth, The Mormon People is valuable for the "big picture" it draws, linking the history into a single flowing...more The Mormon People provides an overarching narrative arc of this religious movement with "profoundly optimistic theology" starting with Joseph Smith, Jr.'s early childhood and family life and moving up through the modern-day church. While there are definitely books that give a more in-depth view of the various aspects of Mormon history, or the many fascinating characters involved in its growth, The Mormon People is valuable for the "big picture" it draws, linking the history into a single flowing narrative.

I especially appreciate the chapters covering more recent church history - by which I mean everything after the manifesto ending polygamy. There seems to be a pretty significant blind spot in my - and I think most Mormons' - knowledge about how the church has progressed over the past hundred years or so. For example, having been born in 1978, I've never known anything but post-correlation church. Learning about the context of correlation and how broadly it affected just about every aspect of how the church functioned was very informative. Also, the financial troubles of the early church were fascinating, especially in contrast to the stability and relative wealth of today.

A few stories that have taken on "urban legend" status were also addressed, like the story of Symonds Ryder, who supposedly left the church because the Prophet Joseph spelled his name wrong in a revelation. Actually, Mr. Ryder had issues with the principle of consecration, and worried that it was a con to deprive members of their property.

Polygamy was addressed, naturally, as it was a defining feature, particularly during Brigham Young's time as prophet, not only of how Mormons saw themselves, but also how the rest of the world saw them. Interestingly, as defenders of "the principle" many members of the Church came to see monogamy as the source of many of the world's evils. "Mormons drew upon common mid-nineteenth-century American fears of urban decay, poverty, and corruption. The only difference was that the Mormons blamed these problems on the curse of monogamy from which American society suffered." Dr. Bowman explains that "though the numbers vary from place to place and over the forty-year life of official plural marriage in territorial Utah, in general some 20 to 30 percent of Mormons belonged to a family that practiced the principle."

Another fascinating tidbit: I'd always wondered when the church started ordaining 12-year-old boys to priesthood offices. Turns out it was Brigham Young's innovation in the 1870s, shortly before his death, as part of the Mormon Reformation. Prior to this change, men generally served "in only one or two priesthood offices over the course of their entire lives." The Primary, Young Men and Young Women programs also saw their genesis during this time period, prompted by concerns about youth falling away from the faith. "Brigham Young and other leaders hoped that entrusting this responsibility [the preparation and administration of the sacrament] to the young men would encourage their faithfulness and dedication." I couldn't help but think of the parallels when the lower minimum age for both men and women serving church missions was announced this past weekend.

Good section on Elder Bruce R. McConkie and his prolific writings. His "particular fondness for absolute language" distinguished his works and "embodied a particular worldview, a comprehensive theology, and a way of being Mormon." This "retrenchment Mormonism" championed by Elder McConkie incorporated a "suspicion of American culture" and a focus on warning against the "moral decline of the world" and was widely disseminated through the Church Educational System. Ripples are definitely still felt today.

I was particularly interested in the final chapter which covers from 1978 to 2011, as that encompasses the whole of my life and the only church I've ever known personally. Issues raised include low retention rates for new converts (for example, in the 2000 census, 205,000 Mexicans self-identified as Mormon, while church records showed 850,000), the "further integration of Mormons into the texture of American life" (including, for example, the Osmond Family, Mitt Romney, and pop culture like the Twilight series and the Book of Mormon musical), Mormon feminism, the lack of "theological dispute" and difficulty in "pin[ning] down what precisely orthodox Mormon belief is," the priesthood ban on members of African descent, and California's Proposition 8. Whew! It's been a busy and exciting three decades!

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Michaela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy-religion

Knowing Mormon history, but from within, I have always had a rather fragmented understanding. For once all the pieces have fallen into chronological/contextual order! For that alone, this was an invaluable read, but it also is very interesting and well-written, despite the superfluous use of the word "some".
I highly recommend it to anyone curious about Mormons, and to Mormons themselves.

After a few days of thinking I have come to the following clarifying conclusion: This book is not about fait...more

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May 04, 2013 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bowman’s extensive research into the history of Mormonism from its beginnings with Joseph Smith in 1830 up to Romney’s run for President in 2012 provides a thorough historical introduction. Though this book covers a lot of ground Bowman’s writing keeps the information provided from becoming overwhelming. Bowman also keeps himself out of the book completely and in doing so keeps the book impartial and unbiased. This book is about the history of the faith and the people who are part of it and the...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction-spiritual-religious

Matthew Bowman, a religion professor at Hampden-Sydney College in rural Virginia, has written a matter-of-fact history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bowman tries to show all sides of issues that faced the Mormon church in an unbiased way.

As I was preparing to write this review, I did a little research myself. I found out Bowman was a member of the LDS Church, which does not disqualify him from writing this book, but he is hardly impartial.

The audiobook was still very intere...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Seth Pierce rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great overview of the Mormon faith. The author is respectful but doesn't shy away from the issues of Mormonism's attempts to blend with American culture and find a voice within Christianity. The author does a nice job showing the many influences, including folk magic and masonry, that impact Mormon services. The various issues regarding polygamy and civil rights are explored and the reader gets tremendous insight into how decisions are made within the LDS Church.

The book is well docum...more

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May 01, 2012 Michelle Llewellyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book and recommend it for the author's honest account of the history of the church up to the present day. I appreciated his candid presentation of the history of polygamy (my favorite chapter) and I especially enjoyed learning more about the decades in which I was born and grew up as a lifelong member. I now understand the word "correlation" and President Gordon B. Hinkley will always hold a special place in the hearts of many gen-exers of the church.
On that note, the only gripe I h...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Sarah Bringhurst Familia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lds, history

If you're looking for a good, readable synthesis of current scholarship on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is your book. Bowman covers 180 years of Mormon history, culture, and theology, from its beginnings with Joseph Smith right up to Mitt Romney's presidential bid and the current "Mormon moment." I especially enjoyed the way Bowman contextualized Mormon history within the broader framework of religious movements within the United States. Subtitled "The Making of an Ameri...more

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Jun 07, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a good distillation of all kinds of scholarship on the history of the Mormons. Bowman includes a really comprehensive bibliographic essay at the end- this essay alone would be a great resource for anyone interested in looking into any corner of the Mormon experience, as Bowman lists several books and articles for pretty much every decade since 1830. Most of the early stuff in Bowman's book I had a pretty good handle on, from reading other histories and biographies of Joseph Smith, but I...more

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May 02, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: church-history, history, library-book

For the first time in American history, a Mormon has gained the nomination for president from one of the major political parties. Thus, this book is timely. It is not a difficult read, though it is thorough. Bowman does not just tell us about the beginnings of Mormonism and Joseph Smith, but he takes us on a complete Mormon history in the United States up to the present day. The greatest value in the book lay in all of the story from the death of Joseph Smith on. Mormonism did not stay unchanged...more

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Lee Harmon Thanks, David!
May 02, 2012 03:44pm

David S. T. I've kind of move to the idea that having set creeds and beliefs isn't necessary, at least not like I thought during my brief period as a Calvinist. I...more
May 02, 2012 08:57pm

David I guess it depends what you mean by "essential for salvation" and what salvation is and so on.

I think the Trinity is pretty important and I do still t...more I guess it depends what you mean by "essential for salvation" and what salvation is and so on.

I think the Trinity is pretty important and I do still think it is a good explanation for what the Bible says. But I do agree that if it was that important, it would not be so ambiguous. Heck, you could say the same for theology in general! If having correct beliefs (theology - God, Trinity, etc.) is so important why is the Bible a story filled with letters, poems, etc?

I also think too often the "trinity" is seen as an irrelevant formulation by eggheads. As I have come to understand it, and why the trinity is important for my faith, is that Jesus Christ is our clearest picture of who God is. I don't believe in an abstract God, I believe in the God revealed in Jesus. In other words, in the life of Jesus, God visited this planet (yet, there is more to God then just Jesus, hence Jesus constantly talking about the Father).

Usually we end up debating such a thing in an academic way. But what challenges me is this: if Jesus is our clearest picture of God AND Jesus chose to die then what does that mean for how I should live? Not to mention, if Jesus is also the one true human and we should strive to be human, like Jesus (I would reference Karl Barth and Jurgen Moltmann here)

Most clearly - I move more and more towards nonviolence (John Howard Yoder) as I more and more grasp the Trinity (of course, I have not mentioned the Spirit yet...).

Obviously there's a lot of mystery in any formulation of God. Seeing God as Trinity also emphasizes the inherent relationality of the deity.

My point is that while I think the Trinity is a good explanation of who God is, I think it would be just flat wrong to say someone is not "saved" if they believe wrongly on it. If we are judged on the correctness of our beliefs...well, I know I'm in trouble!

Its almost like there are two separate things: correct belief and correct practice (living). Jesus seems more concerned with the latter while we obsess on the former.(less)
May 03, 2012 08:32am

Apr 22, 2012 Kent rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-lds, religion

In The Mormon people, Bowman provides a concise history of a faith community that, after a 180 year progression, is emerging from some remaining obscurity and reaching for a prominent and visible place in the world at large, and not just in the religious arena. The Mormon people have suddenly, it seems, become more visible than ever before in the world of politics, sports and business.

Bowman sidesteps becoming mired in the many tangential details and sticks to the most important highlights, foun...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Jared Gillins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-american, religion

In The Mormon People, Bowman faced the difficult task of condensing nearly 200 years of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history into almost as many pages. And writing it for a popular audience. And writing the entire project over the course of about four months. In the end, he pulled this off brilliantly.

The Mormon People is the best introduction to the culture, history, and basic beliefs of my faith that I've seen outside of the Church’s Deseret printing label. In fact, this book ha...more In The Mormon People, Bowman faced the difficult task of condensing nearly 200 years of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history into almost as many pages. And writing it for a popular audience. And writing the entire project over the course of about four months. In the end, he pulled this off brilliantly.

The Mormon People is the best introduction to the culture, history, and basic beliefs of my faith that I've seen outside of the Church’s Deseret printing label. In fact, this book has a distinct advantage over many of those other writings as it benefits from having Bowman’s neutralizing historian’s perspective. Some critics of the book accuse Bowman of being overly sympathetic because he is himself an observant Mormon. This could not be farther from the truth. His treatment of Church history is comprehensive—he does not ignore or even lightly pass over some of the more controversial aspects of LDS history. His analysis is thorough and thoughtful.

I argue that a Mormon scholar was the best choice of author for a book of this sort. Who better to introduce the most important aspects of the identity of a people than someone who knows firsthand how that group identifies itself? Adding the skeptical and analytical eye of an academic to that qualification allows the author to take a step back and acknowledge history as a whole, not ignoring anything for the sake of saving face.

Bowman should also be lauded—especially considering the extremely limited time frame he was given to write the book—for its readability and flow. Bowman is a historical scholar. Historians are not known for their creative nonfiction writing savvy. The majority of the academic history texts I encountered in my graduate studies are dry bricks of wordy pages. Some scholars even seem to strive to avoid being readable because textual density gives them an odd academic street cred. The Mormon People, in contrast, is clear and concise in its prose. I found an occasional sentence here and there that required a second pass, but these were the exception.

Some individuals have found fault with the book because it did not go into greater depth on various respective topics that the readers wanted to know more about—the practice of plural marriage, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and the current struggle of feminist Mormons are some of the more common topics. Unfortunately for these readers, The Mormon People was not written to be a treatise on the major controversies and critiques of LDS practices. It clearly defines itself as an introduction and overview of Mormon history. Not delving deeper into the darker corners of the LDS past is not a deficiency in the text—the despondent reviewers who find it lacking have simply read the wrong book. Bowman gives those readers a great help in his thorough bibliographic essay in the appendix. If anyone wishes to know more about any topic he addresses (and he does address all three that I listed above), it is easy to find several works that will help them do so.

I recommend The Mormon People to anyone who wants to understand who the Mormons are and what defines us. I also recommend it to members of the LDS church—it offers a fresh perspective on our history and reminds us of our roots—whether your ancestors were pioneers or whether you joined the Church last year.(less)

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May 16, 2012 Joshua Dennis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I highly recommend this one volume history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two reasons. First, anyone who has little knowledge of the Mormon faith would benefit from this fair-minded history which helps to debunk many myths that are propagated either ignorantly or intentionally. However, Bowman doesn't shy away from any controversial subjects such as polygamy. In fact he confronts them very directly without injecting his own opinion or feelings. Second, I recommend this bo...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Villate rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This book provides an informative and easy-to-read overview of Mormon history and the changes in self-concept the LDS Church has undergone over the past 150+ years. Especially interesting was the description of how the Church went from the polygamous, clannish, and insular group of the late 19th century to the open, aggressively nice proselytizers of today. Of course there was plenty left out, and I think the author chose to focus too much on certain people and aspects of the history...more

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May 04, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bowman doesn't shy away from controversial historical and cultural problems in Mormonism, including polygamy, excluding blacks from the priesthood, correlation, feminism/ERA/September 6, etc.

The organization into chronological periods is useful in making sense of what often appears nonsensical out of context (well, even in context there is still plenty of nonsense). His document sources for the polygamy time period are quite interesting.

Some great moments:

Quoting Spencer W Kimball: "When threat...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Brent Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-history, mormons

Amazing one-volume history of the Mormons. Knowing Mormon history fairly well, I gained a new appreciation for what a single volume could add to one's understanding. Bowman has an amazing gift for narrative, presenting themes and current with enough detail - it felt at times more compelling than a mystery novel. Bowman's erudition comes through.

I'm guessing it was harder to write this one book, covering a large topic, than a lengthy book about a narrower topic.

Bowman was particularly strong in...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Magila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: religious, non-fiction

This was an excellent book. It is not deeply biased, nor deep. Each chapter would make its own worthwhile book. It is a high quality academic survey of Mormonism, it's inception, growth, culture, and theology. It covers topics across the board, from Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to evolution, feminism, polygamy, Africans and the priesthood, correlation, and various LDS commandments.

What it lacks in depth it makes up for in breadth. You will find a (at times dry) history of the LDS church from...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Ray rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My impression was that Matthew Bowman provides a good description of the history and beliefs of the Mormon religion. I felt it provided a kinder and gentler at Mormans that I had from reading Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven".

I began reading this book after hearing some questions as to whether some peope would vote for Mitt Romney during the 2012 Republican primaries. I wondered what issue peope may have had with the Mormon religion. Non Mormons may feel that some of the tenants are h...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Lietta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: valued-content

Reading through this book, and again listening to the audio version was of great value to me in wending my way through the history of the Church, what constitutes doctrine of today's times and what was historically taught as doctrine. What fell into the myths, folk legend categories,what stood as doctrinal. As a wide variety of members with whom I interact share with me their 'take' on what the Church teaches, it has been a somewhat confusing and startling journey for me as I wend my way through...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

With Mormonism on the verge of an unprecedented cultural and political breakthrough, an eminent scholar of American evangelicalism explores the history and reflects on the future of this native-born American faith and its connection to the life of the nation.

In 1830, a young seer and sometime treasure hunter named Joseph Smith began organizing adherents into a new religious community that would come to be called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and known informally as the Mormons...more With Mormonism on the verge of an unprecedented cultural and political breakthrough, an eminent scholar of American evangelicalism explores the history and reflects on the future of this native-born American faith and its connection to the life of the nation.

In 1830, a young seer and sometime treasure hunter named Joseph Smith began organizing adherents into a new religious community that would come to be called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and known informally as the Mormons). One of the nascent faith’s early initiates was a twenty-three-year-old Ohio farmer named Parley Pratt, the distant grandfather of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In The Mormon People, religious historian Matthew Bowman peels back the curtain on more than 180 years of Mormon history and doctrine. He recounts the church’s origin and development, explains how Mormonism came to be one of the fastest-growing religions in the world by the turn of twenty-first-century, and ably sets the scene for a 2012 presidential election that has the potential to mark a major turning point in the way this “all-American” faith is perceived by the wider American public—and internationally.

Mormonism started as a radical movement, with a profoundly transformative vision of American society that was rooted in a form of Christian socialism. Over the ensuing centuries, Bowman demonstrates, that vision has evolved—and with it the esteem in which Mormons have been held in the eyes of their countrymen. Admired on the one hand as hardworking paragons of family values, Mormons have also been derided as oddballs and persecuted as polygamists, heretics, and zealots clad in “magic underwear.” Even today, the place of Mormonism in public life continues to generate heated debate on both sides of the political divide. Polls show widespread unease at the prospect of a Mormon president. Yet the faith has never been more popular. Today there are about 14 million Mormons in the world, fewer than half of whom live inside the United States. It is a church with a powerful sense of its own identity and an uneasy sense of its relationship with the main line of American culture.

Mormons will surely play an even greater role in American civic life in the years ahead. In such a time, The Mormon People comes as a vital addition to the corpus of American religious history—a frank and fair-minded demystification of a faith that remains a mystery for many.(less)

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May 29, 2012 Nicole Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Awhile back I walked into a book store, saw this book and was stopped in my tracks. Oh no, what are people saying about us now? was my first thought. I read the jacket and started reading the intro and new I wanted to read the whole book.

There were two ways I looked at this book as I read it - first, what did it mean to me as a practicing Mormon, did it reflect what I believe and have experienced and learned and what could it teach me. Second, how would someone who knew nothing about Mormons fee...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Rebecca Reid rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-nonfic-history, b-nonfic-lds

Like historian Matthew Bowman, I am an active participant in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. Bowman’s recent overview of the history and people of the Church, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (published January 2012 by Random House), provides a different perspective on the history of the Church in America. He shares the history by discussing the people that joined the Church as believers and those that interacted with...more

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May 01, 2012 Sarah Belle rated it 4 of 5 stars

With Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and the popularity of Stephanie Meyer's books, I decided it was time to learn more about this ever-growing American religion. This book, while quite scholarly, offers a fascinating account of the history of the Mormon people, from Joseph Smith's vision of the angel Moroni and the blossoming of the faith as the new converts trekked west toward their promised land, to the emergence of polygamy and the structuring of the hierarchical leadership groups, to th...more

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Sep 28, 2012 William Crosby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gives a good balanced account of the history of the Mormonites who became the Mormons. Informs us of the changing theology of Joseph Smith and the church and the various criticisms it has received and how this religion is a particularly American (U.S.) phenomenon which changed as the society around it changed. I never realized that so many people had so many visions in the mid-1800s. So Smith's visions were accepted because they were not unusual in the American society of that time. Lots of litt...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars

A book aimed more at the general reader than the religious historian. Would have loved more in-depth information on events like the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I did enjoy learning more about women's changing roles in the faith. Utah women were also the first in the country to be allowed to vote by their state (1870), but Congress repealed this right in 1896. I was also amazed that Brigham Young granted divorces to women who insisted on them! When discussing famous present-day Mormons, Bowman poi...more

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May 29, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

With the Mormon church making a big membership push tied to Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign I saw this book at the library and thought (as the note on the cover states) that it would be a timely read, it has been a long time since I read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, etc. The history of the Mormon people is closely tied to their leaders revelations, and their beliefs, practices, and the focus of the Mormon church have changed greatly as these leaders and revelations have change...more

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May 05, 2012 Paul Heidebrecht rated it 5 of 5 stars

The best book I've read about the Mormon church, fair, informative and insightful, written by an outsider but with great respect. Fits what I am learning from Richard Mouw--to treat those with whom we disagree with uncommon decency, earnestly seeking to understand and appreciate their heritage, and looking for ways to encourage a common good and live together in harmony. Bowman's book may have come out too soon. Covers Mitt Romney's first campaign for the presidency but not the current one. If h...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, read-in-2012

Joseph Smith was undoubtedly a visionary, creating a utopian society in the early 19th century. Granted, that was the thing to do back then, but his lasted. Was he actually translating the word of God? That's a matter of faith (but anyone who's seen that South Park episode probably has an answer to that already).

The author is a Mormon and a scholar, and the book explains the faith and culture in clearly and dispassionately. Perhaps he is a little too dispassionate--I think that the racism (offic...more

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About Matthew Bowman

Matthew Bowman teaches American religious history at Hampden-Sydney College, and serves as associate editor of Dialogue: a journal of Mormon thought. He’s interested in evangelicalism, fundamentalism, religion and American culture and occasionally dabbles in Mormon history, noir, and the movies. He’s published in Religion and American Culture: a Journal of Interpretation, The Journal of Mormon His...more

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“In 2010, the Priesthood quorums and Relief Society used the same manual (Gospel Principles)… Most lessons consist of a few pages of exposition on various themes… studded with scriptural citations and quotations from leaders of the church. These are followed by points of discussion like “Think about what you can do to keep the purpose of the Sabbath in mind as you prepare for the day each week.” Gospel Principles instructs teachers not to substitute outside materials, however interesting they may be. In practice this ensures that a common set of ideas are taught in all Mormon chapels every Sunday. That these ideas are the basic principles of the faith mean that Mormon Sunday schools and other church lessons function quite intentionally as devotional exercises rather than instruction in new concepts. The curriculum encourages teachers to ask questions that encourage catechistic reaffirmation of core beliefs. Further, lessons focus to a great extent on the importance of basic practices like prayer, paying tithing, and reading scripture rather than on doctrinal content… Correlated materials are designed not to promote theological reflection, but to produce Mormons dedicated to living the tenants of their faith.” — 1 person liked it

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The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith

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