MORMONS IN AMERICA

This entry in Oxford’s Religion in American Life series is a scholarly and well-researched history of Mormonism in America. Begun in 1830, it is one of the world’s fastest-growing Christian religions, with more than 10 million members, and a membership that doubles every 15 years. The Laupers explain, in addition to traditional Christian doctrines, the role of the Book of Mormon—revelations published by Joseph Smith when he was only 24 years old. The authors also cover the controversies, e.g., the Mormon practice of polygamy. This balanced presentation reveals how the church’s members aim to develop a faith “strong enough to withstand the reverses and temptations of daily life.” Readers will be left with a great appreciation for the determination and spiritualism of the Mormons. (b&w photographs and reproductions, chronology, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12+)