We thought that in light of the current news about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you might need some materials to work with in your church. Below are some book reviews and related stories that may help you find a way forward in addressing particular issues concerning Mormonism from the pulpit or in related pastoral settings. Please exercise caution, however, in relating all Mormon practice to the more fundamentalist branch that is being highlighted in Texas. Most of these resources speak to the Mormon faith in general with a few hints of insight into the FLDS.
In the article "Hearing Voices," Tim Stafford reviews Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, a book that examines a Mormon fundamentalist family that engaged in murder because of a perceived prophetic word. Though the book deals with murder and not polygamous behavior, it also deals with how those generally regarded as fundamentalist find themselves believing in what seems "wild" to most (which has ranged historically from violent faith to inappropriate sexual relationships).
In "The Mormon Story," Tania Rands Lyon and John Lyon provide an overview of Richard N. and Joan K. Ostling's Mormon America: The Power and the Promise. They feel the Ostlings' work is "a well-researched and eminently readable overview of Mormonism that is penetrating but also respectful." In "Evangelicals and Mormons Together?" James E. Bradley reviews two other potentially helpful resources.
Dean Merrill's "A Peacemaker in Provo" talks about how one Pentecostal pastor taught his congregation to love Mormons (note: not FLDS, but LDS in general). John W. Kennedy chimes in with additional thoughts in his article "Winning Them Softly."
In this final article, James A. Beverley examines "The Mormon-Evangelical Divide."
Posted by Brian Lowery at 10:29 AM on April 24, 2008
Comments
A good resource on Mormonism would be Mormons themselves.(tongue in cheek)!
Posted by: Barry on April 28, 2008
Absolutely! That's why I encouraged readers to take a look at a few articles on how some churches learned to create dialogue that was welcoming but not affirming (to borrow a phrase from Stanley Grenz). There is no greater research than incarnational research. A good point for us all to keep in mind...
Posted by: Brian on April 28, 2008