What do you think?
Rate this book
Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel
Book by England, Eugene
149 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
4 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Eugene England
45 books15 followersA remarkable teacher, writer, and human being, Eugene England (1933-2001) profoundly influenced thousands of students, readers, and colleagues. A tireless advocate of what he called “great books and true religion,” he co-founded Dialogue, the first independent Mormon scholarly journal, and the Association for Mormon Letters. His thought-provoking personal essays explored the issues of belief, peace, poverty, race, gender, academic freedom and community. An eternal optimist, he encouraged dialogue between conservatives and liberals, skeptics and believers, traditionalists and postmodernists during the decades-long culture wars. England’s life and work reveal a faithful scholar and loyal critic who followed the admonition of Apostle Paul: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 16, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel, by Eugene England (1987)
In 1987 a group of friends started a book club/study group. We were all earlier in our careers, had small children, and were experiencing spiritual growing pains in a sense. All were active and held callings in the church and wanted deeper conversations of contemporary issues in the church. The group started as a “renegade” ad hoc Sunday school class that started meeting together during the regular Sunday school block. The bishop walked by the room one Sunday and noticed the group and asked if he could join them. Shortly after that the bishop called one of the group as the official teacher. Later we became a study group across 3 wards.
One of our first books was Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel. In some respects it served as a spiritual lifeline for many of us. England’s essays capture both the promise and the paradox of Mormon thought and community. England writes as a believer deeply committed to the ideals of the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet also as a critic who is unafraid to probe the cultural and institutional weaknesses of the Church. His essays are not apologetics in the traditional sense; rather, they are attempts to wrestle honestly with faith, history, and human nature. What makes the collection so enduring is England’s ability to hold tension—to affirm the gospel while admitting the frailties of the church, to see divinity in imperfection, and to invite others to engage in that same vulnerable journey.
One of the most impactful pieces is the title essay, “Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel.” Here, England challenges the assumption that the gospel, as a set of divine principles, is somehow purer or truer than the church itself. He argues that the church, in all its messiness, is where the gospel comes to life because it forces us to practice forgiveness, patience, and charity with real people in imperfect situations. The church becomes “true” not in spite of its flaws but because of them—because those flaws compel members to learn love in action rather than in theory. It is a deeply moving argument, one that resonates with any believer who has ever been disillusioned by the realities of organized religion yet continues to find meaning in community.
Another standout is “On Finding Truth and God,” where England explores the relationship between intellectual inquiry and spiritual devotion. He resists the temptation to separate faith from scholarship, insisting instead that truth must be sought in all realms—academic, historical, and spiritual. This essay reflects England’s lifelong commitment to the idea that the life of the mind is not a threat to faith but an essential expression of it. He frames this pursuit as part of Mormonism’s own theology of eternal progression: that human beings are called to expand in both knowledge and compassion. This is one of the essays where England’s voice is most prophetic, pushing against anti-intellectualism while rooting his argument firmly in Mormon doctrine.
Taken together, these essays embody England’s vision of a religion that embraces both the reality of human weakness and the divine potential for growth. His writing carries both tenderness and urgency; he is gentle in acknowledging pain yet insistent that discipleship requires work. In the end, Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel is not just a book about Mormonism but about the nature of faith itself—faith that survives and even thrives in imperfection. For readers today, England’s essays remain not only relevant but indispensable in understanding how one can remain committed to community without sacrificing intellectual and moral honesty.
Selected Quotes
“The Church is as true as the gospel because it is where we are given the opportunity to work out our salvation with one another—sometimes in irritation, sometimes in disappointment, but always in the hope that through such struggle we might discover the deeper meaning of Christ’s commandment to love.”
“Faith is not certainty but the courage to act in trust; it is not the absence of doubt but the willingness to live fully with doubt. And the Church, in its imperfection, is the perfect schoolmaster for faith—teaching us that God is not found in escape from human weakness but in our embrace of it, transformed by charity.”
In 1987 a group of friends started a book club/study group. We were all earlier in our careers, had small children, and were experiencing spiritual growing pains in a sense. All were active and held callings in the church and wanted deeper conversations of contemporary issues in the church. The group started as a “renegade” ad hoc Sunday school class that started meeting together during the regular Sunday school block. The bishop walked by the room one Sunday and noticed the group and asked if he could join them. Shortly after that the bishop called one of the group as the official teacher. Later we became a study group across 3 wards.
One of our first books was Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel. In some respects it served as a spiritual lifeline for many of us. England’s essays capture both the promise and the paradox of Mormon thought and community. England writes as a believer deeply committed to the ideals of the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet also as a critic who is unafraid to probe the cultural and institutional weaknesses of the Church. His essays are not apologetics in the traditional sense; rather, they are attempts to wrestle honestly with faith, history, and human nature. What makes the collection so enduring is England’s ability to hold tension—to affirm the gospel while admitting the frailties of the church, to see divinity in imperfection, and to invite others to engage in that same vulnerable journey.
One of the most impactful pieces is the title essay, “Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel.” Here, England challenges the assumption that the gospel, as a set of divine principles, is somehow purer or truer than the church itself. He argues that the church, in all its messiness, is where the gospel comes to life because it forces us to practice forgiveness, patience, and charity with real people in imperfect situations. The church becomes “true” not in spite of its flaws but because of them—because those flaws compel members to learn love in action rather than in theory. It is a deeply moving argument, one that resonates with any believer who has ever been disillusioned by the realities of organized religion yet continues to find meaning in community.
Another standout is “On Finding Truth and God,” where England explores the relationship between intellectual inquiry and spiritual devotion. He resists the temptation to separate faith from scholarship, insisting instead that truth must be sought in all realms—academic, historical, and spiritual. This essay reflects England’s lifelong commitment to the idea that the life of the mind is not a threat to faith but an essential expression of it. He frames this pursuit as part of Mormonism’s own theology of eternal progression: that human beings are called to expand in both knowledge and compassion. This is one of the essays where England’s voice is most prophetic, pushing against anti-intellectualism while rooting his argument firmly in Mormon doctrine.
Taken together, these essays embody England’s vision of a religion that embraces both the reality of human weakness and the divine potential for growth. His writing carries both tenderness and urgency; he is gentle in acknowledging pain yet insistent that discipleship requires work. In the end, Why the Church Is As True As the Gospel is not just a book about Mormonism but about the nature of faith itself—faith that survives and even thrives in imperfection. For readers today, England’s essays remain not only relevant but indispensable in understanding how one can remain committed to community without sacrificing intellectual and moral honesty.
Selected Quotes
“The Church is as true as the gospel because it is where we are given the opportunity to work out our salvation with one another—sometimes in irritation, sometimes in disappointment, but always in the hope that through such struggle we might discover the deeper meaning of Christ’s commandment to love.”
“Faith is not certainty but the courage to act in trust; it is not the absence of doubt but the willingness to live fully with doubt. And the Church, in its imperfection, is the perfect schoolmaster for faith—teaching us that God is not found in escape from human weakness but in our embrace of it, transformed by charity.”
November 19, 2020
I saw this book sitting on our shelf while perusing our church-related books I have yet to read and believe it came at a most opportune time. The book started on a high note with perhaps his most revered essay, the first, entitled, “Why the Church is as True as the Gospel.” I was on board until I reached his concluding statement:
“If we cannot accept the Church and the challenge it offers with the openness and courage and humility they require, then I believe our historical studies and our theological enterprises are mainly a waste of time—and possibly destructive. We cannot properly appreciate the history of Mormonism or know the truth of Christ’s restored gospel unless we understand—and act on—the truth of his Church.”
So...don’t study church history and theology unless you already believe, and act on the belief, that the Church is True? That seems like grounds for bias and the basis of poor research. As I understand conversion, it is more fluid than static, hence the call and reminder that “faith is a choice” and must be continually made throughout one’s life.
The next few essays were okay—nothing life changing. My favorite, and the most compelling for me, was the essay in Chapter 8: “On Finding Truth and God.” This one, for me, provided convincing evidence that it is through faith, not reason, that we can know the mysteries of God...of whether He exists and this is His True Church.
But then we get to Chapter 9, an essay on the oratorical skills of Spencer W. Kimball, and everything falls apart. Where did the Eugene England of Chapter 8 go? Chapter 9 begins with England espousing the false idea that the people of Polynesia and Native Americans are the descendants of Nephite-Lamanites. Even the LDS church has backed away, somewhat, from these claims. Soon after their marriage, he and his wife received calls to serve as missionaries in Samoa, sparking something of the “spirit of Lehi” in them...to help the Lamanites “blossom” and prepare for Christ’s second coming. Where is the support for this claim? As a literary professor, I would think he’d be more careful to write critically accurate, evidence-based information.
Then, as an example of Spencer W. Kimball’s compelling oratory skills, England chose this 1951 BYU Speech:
“Unchastity is the great demon of the 1950s...I am sure that the immodest dresses that are worn by our young women and their mothers contribute in some degree to the immorality of this age.” And backless or strapless dresses are “a sin...and they are an abomination in the sight of the Lord.”
Seriously? This is your best example of President Kimball’s great speaking abilities? So much for the Mormon ideal of returning to the 1950s as the hallmark of righteous living.
In his concluding statement, England insinuates that Spencer W. Kimball actually saw Jesus Christ. But I believe he is grasping at straws here and reading into a statement President Kimball made, but was not something he directly said.
Overall, the essays were well-written and interesting, but I came away feeling they were lacking.
“If we cannot accept the Church and the challenge it offers with the openness and courage and humility they require, then I believe our historical studies and our theological enterprises are mainly a waste of time—and possibly destructive. We cannot properly appreciate the history of Mormonism or know the truth of Christ’s restored gospel unless we understand—and act on—the truth of his Church.”
So...don’t study church history and theology unless you already believe, and act on the belief, that the Church is True? That seems like grounds for bias and the basis of poor research. As I understand conversion, it is more fluid than static, hence the call and reminder that “faith is a choice” and must be continually made throughout one’s life.
The next few essays were okay—nothing life changing. My favorite, and the most compelling for me, was the essay in Chapter 8: “On Finding Truth and God.” This one, for me, provided convincing evidence that it is through faith, not reason, that we can know the mysteries of God...of whether He exists and this is His True Church.
But then we get to Chapter 9, an essay on the oratorical skills of Spencer W. Kimball, and everything falls apart. Where did the Eugene England of Chapter 8 go? Chapter 9 begins with England espousing the false idea that the people of Polynesia and Native Americans are the descendants of Nephite-Lamanites. Even the LDS church has backed away, somewhat, from these claims. Soon after their marriage, he and his wife received calls to serve as missionaries in Samoa, sparking something of the “spirit of Lehi” in them...to help the Lamanites “blossom” and prepare for Christ’s second coming. Where is the support for this claim? As a literary professor, I would think he’d be more careful to write critically accurate, evidence-based information.
Then, as an example of Spencer W. Kimball’s compelling oratory skills, England chose this 1951 BYU Speech:
“Unchastity is the great demon of the 1950s...I am sure that the immodest dresses that are worn by our young women and their mothers contribute in some degree to the immorality of this age.” And backless or strapless dresses are “a sin...and they are an abomination in the sight of the Lord.”
Seriously? This is your best example of President Kimball’s great speaking abilities? So much for the Mormon ideal of returning to the 1950s as the hallmark of righteous living.
In his concluding statement, England insinuates that Spencer W. Kimball actually saw Jesus Christ. But I believe he is grasping at straws here and reading into a statement President Kimball made, but was not something he directly said.
Overall, the essays were well-written and interesting, but I came away feeling they were lacking.
April 19, 2019
I really, really wanted to love this book. As my first introduction to Eugene England, a man who so many people I admire hold in esteem. I did resonate with the title essay, but I found the rest of the book to be offensive. In praise of Brigham Young? Then include his racism. He was a complex man. Raving about the oratory of Spencer Kimball? He showcases a talk of his that blatantly invokes rape culture, blaming young men's sexual thoughts on young women's immodesty. I'm very disappointed in this book.
November 20, 2020
Excellent. Some was a bit hard to understand and I had to gloss over it, but the overall ideas, and logic behind the ideas, were very well written and thought out. Definitely helped my perspective about church, people there, the experiences I’ve had there, and reasons to go.
April 11, 2022
Loved it, it has stayed with me.
A love letter to our unique ward/branch families. A reminder that we go to church not to be served, but rather we go to sincerely serve, and in the process we can experience and develop love, patience & grace.
A love letter to our unique ward/branch families. A reminder that we go to church not to be served, but rather we go to sincerely serve, and in the process we can experience and develop love, patience & grace.
July 14, 2016
If any one thing can keep me engaged in Mormonism, more likely than not it's Eugene England's essays. I'm captivated by his humble and imperfect wisdom. It's hopeful, deceptively simple fare that deserves rereading and continued reflection.
August 23, 2021
Sooooooo we love dear old Gene, and the title essay with thoughts on paradoxes is one of the best things I’ve read in a while. But this was a solid reminder that he was still a product of church culture in the 1980s and that includes some very problematic things that he didn’t address fully. Read the title essay and don’t worry about the rest.
June 30, 2025
I really appreciated this book. Some of the essays spoke to me more than others. But some offered unique and powerful insights I had not considered previously. I love his commitment to knowledge and growth and the Savior and to loving our fellow man. Wish I would have taken a course from him while at BYU. But grateful to hear his voice now
October 18, 2023
DNF 50% through. Title is super misleading, this is just a collection of his old addresses. The first address is quite good, the Shakespeare one a bit dense, the Hawthorne one fairly interesting, and the rest very boring and better fit for the 80s.
March 20, 2021
Excellent essays. I love when authors lead me off on tangents of discovery. England has ignited my further exploration of the writings of Brigham Young, Spencer W. Kimball and Shakespeare.
November 15, 2023
I couldn’t actually get a hold of a copy of the book, but I read the titular essay and others on the Eugene England Foundation website and loved them!
May 3, 2012
This book is a compilation of essays written by Eugene England, a beloved BYU professor and "Mormon intellectual" who has written extensively about his experience with Mormonism.
Although I found most of the essays enlightening, in this review I'm only going to be addressing the one essay entitled "Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel". First off, the title was a bit confusing to me; I thought it meant that the Church is merely as true as the Gospel, or rather: 'only if the Gospel is true could the Church be true'. In fact what England is saying is that the Church is just as important to our salvation as the Gospel is. We shouldn't subscribe to the cliche that while the principles of the Gospel are perfect, the Church itself is imperfect because of the weakness of man. It is the very experience of working with others who offend us, or who exercise unrighteous dominion, that enable us to grow in the Gospel by developing patience, compassion, and forgiveness. Thus, these 'imperfect' experiences, if endured with the right attitude, are the very experiences that allow us to become more Christ-like.
He points out that the idea that the Gospel is perfect is itself misleading, because different principles of the Gospel can't be cleanly understood in the abstract. There are many apparent conflicting and even paradoxical ideas: justice vs. mercy & forgiveness; faith vs. testimony & sure knowledge; obedience vs. free will. Participating in the activities of the Church, and struggling with the 'imperfection' of what we consider before-hand to be the way things ought to work, all help us come closer to a greater understanding of why these paradoxes exist, and what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.
Thus, if we allow ourselves to reject the body of Church because we see in it inconsistencies with (our understanding of) the Gospel, we miss the whole point. Our salvation comes not in saying The Words and getting dressed in white a handful of times; it comes by loving our fellow man and in helping to bring others closer to Christ. The whole organization of the Church is geared towards facilitating opportunities to serve others and in trying to help others develop an understanding of their relationship with God.
Although I found most of the essays enlightening, in this review I'm only going to be addressing the one essay entitled "Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel". First off, the title was a bit confusing to me; I thought it meant that the Church is merely as true as the Gospel, or rather: 'only if the Gospel is true could the Church be true'. In fact what England is saying is that the Church is just as important to our salvation as the Gospel is. We shouldn't subscribe to the cliche that while the principles of the Gospel are perfect, the Church itself is imperfect because of the weakness of man. It is the very experience of working with others who offend us, or who exercise unrighteous dominion, that enable us to grow in the Gospel by developing patience, compassion, and forgiveness. Thus, these 'imperfect' experiences, if endured with the right attitude, are the very experiences that allow us to become more Christ-like.
He points out that the idea that the Gospel is perfect is itself misleading, because different principles of the Gospel can't be cleanly understood in the abstract. There are many apparent conflicting and even paradoxical ideas: justice vs. mercy & forgiveness; faith vs. testimony & sure knowledge; obedience vs. free will. Participating in the activities of the Church, and struggling with the 'imperfection' of what we consider before-hand to be the way things ought to work, all help us come closer to a greater understanding of why these paradoxes exist, and what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.
Thus, if we allow ourselves to reject the body of Church because we see in it inconsistencies with (our understanding of) the Gospel, we miss the whole point. Our salvation comes not in saying The Words and getting dressed in white a handful of times; it comes by loving our fellow man and in helping to bring others closer to Christ. The whole organization of the Church is geared towards facilitating opportunities to serve others and in trying to help others develop an understanding of their relationship with God.
March 31, 2014
This was very compelling but not convincing. I really like England's ideas but I'm just not totally swayed. He argues that because the church is full of people who all believe in the gospel but have very different views and backgrounds, it is the perfect place to cultivate learning to live the gospel. He challenges us to learn to love everyone at church. Learn to see people who you think "have problems" as people to learn from as well as serve in a way Christ would serve. He argues that you can transcend differing political views and worldviews at church once you have embraced your brothers and sisters in the gospel, really embraced them. All of that I can get on-board with and are things I am currently working on. What I am not as convinced by is arguments about the church being as necessary for our salvation as the gospel. Or that we shouldn't say the gospel is perfect but the church isn't because he says we need them both. Maybe I'm missing something but I very much disagree with that idea. I did find much of his insight useful and I will be trying to implement some of his ideas into my own church-life, but I believe the gospel could exist without the church but definitely not the other way around.
July 28, 2008
I discovered this jewel of a book by my former colleague, Dr. Eugene England, because the forward was written by High Nibley and included at the end of Nibley's book, "Temple and Cosmos." I ordered it and was delighted. Edited by my friend and colleague, Gideon, Burton, this book shows the range and depth of Dr. England's thoughts. I have page corners turned to refer back to and made many marginal notations as I read. Although I didn't enjoy all of the essays equally well, here are my must reads:
Chapters on "Why the Church is a True a the Gospel" --why we need the wards of the Church
"Shakespeare and the At-One-Ment of Jesus Christ"-- how the Bard saw Jesus Christ
"The Trouble with Excellence" -- discovering our singular gifts
An honest voice; very uplifting and charitable to read. As Nibley wrote in 1986: "At last an LDS book that really says something!"
Chapters on "Why the Church is a True a the Gospel" --why we need the wards of the Church
"Shakespeare and the At-One-Ment of Jesus Christ"-- how the Bard saw Jesus Christ
"The Trouble with Excellence" -- discovering our singular gifts
An honest voice; very uplifting and charitable to read. As Nibley wrote in 1986: "At last an LDS book that really says something!"
September 24, 2013
Every Latter-Day Saint over 25 would significantly benefit from reading the essay after which this book is titled (you can find the text online- just Google it). A fantastic discussion on how the opportunities provided us by working with so many different personalities with so many different backgrounds - people with whom we normally would not interact on our own accord - is part of the brilliance of the church as an organization and how we draw closer to Christ through such service as we allow love to replace our personal, imperfect bias.
The chapters on Brigham Young as orator, Spencer W. Kimball's speaking style, and Shakespeare's view on the At-Onement of Jesus Christ (I want to read Hamlet and King Lear now!) were fantastic as well.
The chapters on Brigham Young as orator, Spencer W. Kimball's speaking style, and Shakespeare's view on the At-Onement of Jesus Christ (I want to read Hamlet and King Lear now!) were fantastic as well.
December 16, 2008
Good points made in this book. He made a good case for how we benefit from attending church with all kinds of different people and how the challenge to work with others helps us live the gospel more fully. I think he's right. I had the opportunity to be in his home and know some of his children.
February 7, 2011
I read this because of Hugh Nibley's forward. I was disappointed that this book was just a book of essays on a variety of topics only one of which was about the church. I did enjoy the article on 'Why the Church is as True as the Gospel, but that is just about all I enjoyed.
June 9, 2016
A good variety of England's devotional and more academic essays. England models well an open and honest exploration of gospel subjects (especially difficult subjects). Recommended if you're looking for a unique Mormon voice and authentic engagement with Mormon ideas.
March 28, 2009
This book has had a huge influence on me and my relationship with the institutional Church. It's carried me through some difficult times and helped me have perspective when I needed it most.
April 19, 2009
Title essay and the one on Joseph Millet are wonderful. Be sure and read his essay, "Blessing the Chevrolet," a classic found elsewhere. Reread this lately.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews