I was born and raised in the Church and I’ve never doubted the teachings, although I do believe that we all go through a conversion process, born in the Church or not. I went through mine in bits and spurts during my teenage years and now, as an adult (and not so much a teenager anymore) my testimony is strong and I enjoy a close relationship with my Heavenly Father. But when asked to explain these thoughts and feelings to someone who doesn’t understand where I’m coming from, I have a tendency to choke up, especially when it comes to historical background and details. That’s just not my strength.
I was delighted, therefore, to read the book “What’s Wrong with Mormons?” by LDS author B. Jay Gladwell. In this book, Gladwell takes some of the common misconceptions people have about the Church and explains the facts behind the myths. He breaks it all down into easy-to-understand segments, backs it up with quotes from the Bible and exhaustive historical research, and presents it in an intelligent, yet approachable way.
His chapters include discussions on the Apostasy, the need for a modern prophet, the character of the Godhead, the need for a restitution, and the reality of and the need for the priesthood. He discusses the purpose of life and the destination of us all after we die. All of this is done in a non-confrontational manner. His aim is to explain to the non-LDS reader just what we’re all about without seeking to make anyone feel “wrong” or to convert anyone, but rather, to help the reader come to an understanding of our beliefs and why we do the things we do. He talks about his own initial revulsion about Mormonism and why he changed his mind. He discusses his own confusions and misapprehensions and shares how he came to know the truth behind the Mormon myths.
I didn’t need to read this book to clarify anything in my mind—I know the Church is true. But I did find great use in this book in the way that it taught me how to explain my beliefs and the history of the Church from before its Restoration, back to Martin Luther and John Wesley. I can see how the prophecies in the Bible tie in and I now feel equipped to answer the questions that might come my way. I’ve always been able to bear my testimony, but now I have some historical data to throw into the mixture, and I feel good about that.
(This book was published in 2008 by Cold Tree Press.)
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