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Mormons: An Open Book

Anthony Sweat

4.26 · Rating details · 68 ratings · 15 reviews

From New York Times bestselling authors to record-breaking

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Paperback, 246 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Shadow Mountain

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· 68 ratings · 15 reviews

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May 26, 2012 Lacey rated it it was amazing

Incredible. Especially for anyone who wants to know more about the Mormon church. It breaks things down into a simple way and helps anyone to understand the basic doctrine and principles.

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Jul 23, 2012 Scott Fabel rated it it was amazing

I have to confess that I have been fascinated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for a long time. I was first introduced to Mormons by meeting a pair of young missionaries wandering around the streets (with their white shirts and black name tags!). For quite a while, I thought that Mormonism was simply another crack-pot religion with its own book and set of rules. More recently, my interest has been piqued because of several South Park episodes; the movie, Orgazmo; and most rec ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 Cathi rated it really liked it

This is a terrific book, which is written by an active Mormon and explains the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a very practical, thorough, and engaging way. The three main sections are: Mormon Beliefs, Mormon History, and The Mormon Way of Life and each is packed with great information, including charts, photos, artwork, diagrams, and even a bit of whimsical humor thrown in for good measure. There are a couple of times where the humor is just a bit too flippant for me, but most of ...more

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Mar 14, 2018 Kay rated it liked it

Part-way through I discovered that the author, Anthony Sweat, is the son of a man from whom I took missionary discussions as a young adult. Nice coincidence.

I learned a few things I didn't know, but think this book is best suited to those new to the LDS Church or aren't members but are curious. Entries are somewhat encyclopedic and there are tons of photos, pictures and sidebars which makes it accessible. ...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Erika B. (SOS BOOKS) rated it really liked it

Shelves: spir-tual

Hooray for getting your hands on advance copies of books! Thank you job! I am so at war with this star rating simply because I usually give five stars to books that blow me away-and while this book was amazing it was a book of aesthetically pleasing Mormon topics so I don't know what to think! Darn you stars! It's like a fantastic reference book that everyone should read! hahaha Would I recommend this to someone? In a heartbeat! I have been a Mormon my whole life and there was stuff in this book Hooray for getting your hands on advance copies of books! Thank you job! I am so at war with this star rating simply because I usually give five stars to books that blow me away-and while this book was amazing it was a book of aesthetically pleasing Mormon topics so I don't know what to think! Darn you stars! It's like a fantastic reference book that everyone should read! hahaha Would I recommend this to someone? In a heartbeat! I have been a Mormon my whole life and there was stuff in this book that I was like, "Wow! Really? No way! I didn't know that!" Example-"The LDS Church has more than 28,000 congregations in 177 countries worldwide. Nearly half of the country of Tonga are Mormons. (46%) and there are two million Mormons in Mexico and nearly a million in China." If I had a non-LDS friend asking me questions about my faith I would love to have this handy. I would really give this book to LDS missionaries preparing to to teach people due to the fact it is so basic and a good representation of what the average LDS person believes. I think I'd also recommend it to LDS teenagers because the chapter dedicated to teenagers was very well done. The book starts this way. "In 2009, the comedian and host of The Tonight Show, Conan O' Brien, along with his sidekick, Andy Richter, and drummer, Max Weinberg, did a little song in honor of Mormons. The chorus went, "Oh Mormons, Mormons, Mormons, we haven't got a clue what you folks believe in, or think or drink or do." Conan, you are hilarious-and you're not alone. According to a 2007 Pew Forum Poll, 51% of Americans feel that they know, "not very much" or "nothing" at all about the Mormon Church. " -preface So good ol' Anthony Sweat, the author, tackled the huge task of breaking down Mormonism and making it entertaining to read! Mr. Sweat broke down his book into three parts-Part 1- Mormon Beliefs-where he covers: The message of Mormons, Priesthood Authority, the scriptures, stances on marriage and family, Mormons are Christians, views on the afterlife, and what happens inside an LDS temple. Part two-Mormon History. This covered: the history of the LDS Church in thirty seconds (fun page!), Joseph Smith's story, The Book of Mormon, Latter-day Prophets, and even had a page dedicated to Temple Square. Part three-The Mormon Way of Life. This covered-Mormon vocabulary or "mo-cabulary" (when we say meet at the "stake house" we mean a church building, not a place where you will be served delicious meats), standards, roles of women, views on sex, LDS teenagers, Church organizations, an average Mormon Sabbath Church service, missionary work, money, politics, and our "peculiar" cultural habits". Mr. Sweat covers subjects from CTR rings (jewelry LDS member tend to wear for the acronym Choose the Right-reminding us to lead a good life-making good choices) to polygamy. (Which by the way hasn't been practiced since 1890! I learned that in this book. :) ) If you aren't LDS and read this I definitely think you would be like, "Huh, that's really not such a mysterious religion after all." As always my favorite line from the book was this one-

"Last, of all the beautiful creations on earth, we believe that women are God's crowning creation, His signature stroke in the masterpiece of the universe." -pg. 170
...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Brittany rated it really liked it

I mainly read this book because I'm not very good with words and I feel like sometimes I don't do a good job explaining my beliefs and/or answering people's questions about the church.

I thought the author did an excellent job describing all the main points of doctrine, beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as well as answering all the main FAQs people have about the church and its members in a simple and interesting way.

I like how this book is organized and ha ...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Shanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: religious-nonfiction, for-review, lds-authors

Mormons: An Open Book is an informative book, packed with explanations and clarifications as well as gorgeous color graphics and photos inside a pretty, minimalistic cover. I enjoyed reading various articles about my religion as I paged through the book. Most of the information was familiar, but there were a few things that were new even to this lifelong member.

There are three sections to the book, with several articles addressing different topics in each section. I really like the way the infor ...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Kristen Seaton rated it it was amazing

What I love about this book is that it was written by an active member of the LDS Church, with the intention of educating people about the beliefs (not preaching or converting). Too many books on Mormons are written by disgruntled ex-Mormons or people who have never even been Mormon. This is a great book for setting the record straight about doctrine and beliefs. It is the perfect resource for anyone looking to learn about the church in a very non-threatening, non-confrontational format.

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Oct 18, 2012 Verona rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Excellent book! One of the best, most comprehensive books about Mormons I have ever read. It is divided into 3 parts: Mormon Beliefs, Mormon History, and Mormon Way of Life. Every detail is covered in detail, with completely accurate information. I am so impressed with the honest, open writing and the illustrations, graphs, and graphics are beautifully done. I loved this book! It made so proud to be a Mormon; I am proud of this author for "getting it right." ...more

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Apr 26, 2014 Sharon Ivey-Swofford rated it it was amazing

If anyone is curious about us "Mormons" or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this is definitely a book you will want to read. Then after you finish this book, get a copy of The Book of Mormon and read it, too. ...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Susan Dalley rated it it was amazing

Even as a lifelong member, there were still many things I learned. I really appreciated how articulate the author was in answering the questions. The light and appropriately tone made for easy reading.

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