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I'm working on a term paper. My general topic is Mormonism, but I haven't narrowed it down yet. I'm having some difficulty finding reliable sources written by non-Mormon authors. I figured that there couldn't possibly be a more qualified group than Hatrack. Any suggestions?
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There's an excellent biography of Joseph Smith published by Penguin Books whose author is not a Mormon.
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Just your basic US history. I'm taking this as an opportunity to learn something that I know I should have looked into long ago but was just too lazy. :]
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If you want an idea for a specific subject within Mormonism, you could pick the FLDS. You could discuss the fascinating sociological elements of cult polygamy, and in the process remind and reinforce the notion that LDS != FLDS by a long shot.
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Probably the best non-Mormon authority on Mormonism is Jan Shipps, though some of her books are hard to come by. Check your library. Her most thorough "Mormonism: The Story of a New Religions Tradition" was published in 1987. Good luck.
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I was going to recommend Jan Shipps, but beaten to it. We read a couple of her papers in my "Mormonism in the 19th century" class and I thought her treatment was generally 1) objective and 2) well-written.
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BTW, why does it need to be a non-Mormon author? There are several good historians within the church including Leonard Arrington, Ronald Walker, and Dean Jessee (although you might have some difficulty locating their works).
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Why are you limiting yourself to nonMormon authors? There is great scholarship done by both.
Off the top of my head, try Jan Shipps, Richard Bushman, and Michael Quinn.
I'll tell Matt (history student into Mormon studies) about this thread - he may have some more specific suggestions.
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Mary Bednarowski has a book on religious movements in America that includes Mormons. It's more a theological study than history, though.
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The problem is that Mormonsim is a very specialized subject, and very contraversial. It doesn't make for an easy subject. The least biased sources are for the most part a tiny selection. From the perspective of many Mormons, most non-Mormons who write on the subject are simply wrong.
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Pretty much the ones that have been mentioned already (Robert Remini, Jan Shipps, and if I had time I could find at least two more).
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I think Katharina, we are talking cross purposes. If you are asking if the ones I mentioned get things wrong, that isn't what I am saying. They are the ones I feel get things the most correct. If you are asking what respected ones I feel get things wrong, I will have to do some research to find names and examples.
In othe words, not sure what you are asking me.
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I just read Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition by Jan Shipps. It was okay. In my opinion she is not as good a writer (style-wise and ease of reading) as Bushman. Also, she seemed to make numerous assertions without citations to her sources. Of course her book was written 20 years ago so perhaps that is why. From what I hear and have read, she is the pre-eminent non-LDS Mormon scholar though.
I have only read two books by Bushman and that one by Shipps but I'm also interested in any other good authors/books on Mormon history.
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Shipps is Methodist, and understands Mormons about as well as an outsider to the tradition can. In addition to the Mormonism book, try Sojourner in the Promised Land, a collection of essays about Mormon topics not addressed in the book.
Remini's book is good, but short, and is more a synthesis of other work than an original interpretation of his own.
John Brooke's book The Refiner's Fire is a wildly original and speculative examination of Mormon origins; it gets some things deeply wrong, but the ride is fun.
Douglas Davies, an Anglican theologian, has written some interesting stuff about Mormon theology. His most general book is called An Introduction to Mormonism - might be a good place to start.
Roger Launius is a member of the Reorganized LDS church; if that counts. He's done some stuff on the Mormon War in Missouri and wrote a biography of Joseph Smith III.
Quinn's not Mormon anymore.
Posts: 794 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Since this is for a history class, you may want to look at Wallace Stegner's "The Gathering of Zion: The Story of the Mormon Trail". It only deals with one segment of Mormon History, the pioneer trek from Illinois to Utah but it is a very interesting period of history and certainly has enough meat for a history paper. Stegner quotes many Mormon Pioneer journals in the book. Its well written, a respected neutral source, and an entertaining read.
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I was asking in particular about non Mormon authors mainly because I figured that I wouldn't have any problem finding books written by Mormons. I was looking for "unbiased" sources, if you will.
Thanks, everyone, for the authors and titles. This has helped quite a bit and I appreciate you taking the time.
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I assume you put it in quotes because you know that everyone historian brings their own biases. Some, Mormon and nonMormon, are more successful in seeing past them than others, Mormon and nonMormon. Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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I'm getting the feeling that I have insulted, and if that is truly the case, I apologize. Nothing was intended. You can assume what ever you'd like, though. I've been thinking about it for quite some time now and I can't actually decide what prompted me to use quotes.
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No no, you haven't at all. I'm sorry to give that impression. I think this is very cool, and I wish you the best.
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