Here’s another attempt at a mellow Christmas post. Let’s talk about what we got for Christmas. By favorite things, I really mean favorite Mormon books, but you could also talk about the ones you wanted but didn’t get. You can even talk about gadgets (for example, a Urim and Thummim from Amazon). I’ll go first.
This Christmas, no books. No room in the luggage to haul a half dozen books home anyway, but still, zero? I did, however, talk my Millennial son into getting a library card so I could hit the local library. I found a copy of Thomas G. Alexander’s Brigham Young and the Expansion of the Mormon Faith (Oklahoma Univ. Press, 2019) which I did not even know existed until I saw it on the shelf. I’ve read Arrington’s Brigham Young: American Moses and Turner’s Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet. I’m guessing Alexander’s book falls somewhere in between the two.
My interesting fact to share so far is that Brigham was into glossolalia (“speaking in tongues”) in his early religious years, and brought that into the early Church. Joseph Smith was initially against the practice and strongly discouraged it when it appeared, but when Brigham Young showed up and did it, suddenly Joseph Smith was onboard with it and even tried it himself. That’s neither the first nor the last time Joseph flip-flopped on a doctrine or belief. It sure is strange to think of stolid Brigham — the antithesis of religious enthusiasm who in later post-Joseph years tried one formal revelation of the D&C variety, then gave up — babbling away in front of a congregation. That leads right into a book I didn’t get or find but would be interested in getting or finding: A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon: A Literary and Theological Introduction (CPT Press, 2016).
If you want to spend your Christmas money on Mormon books, here are a couple of posts you should go read from Juvenile Instructor. First, a post with notable Mormon books from 2021. The winners in that bunch seems to be the two new biographies of Eugene England, one by Terryl Givens and one by Kristine Haglund. Second, a post with forthcoming books in 2022. Lots of good stuff there. Cheryl Bruno’s book on Freemasonry and Mormonism; biographies of B.H. Roberts and D. Michael Quinn; a book of essays on Joseph Smith’s revelations in an early American context edited by Colby Townsend.
So what’s the favorite thing that you got for Christmas?
Wheat & Tares 
My favorite Christmas gift is a pair of socks that have images of the old whaling port of Nantucket Island on them.
I got a couple of family history-related books: one containing a sermon from Reverend John Wing (one of my ancestors) and the diary of Thomas Minor (another ancestor). Minor kept a diary for 30 years in colonial America, an extraordinary and unusual feat.
That urim and thummim would make an amazing white elephant at the right party.
I guess those lists are focused on history but the best Mormon-oriented book I read in 2021 was Blair Ostler’s Queer Mormon Theology. Would love to hear other suggestions not on those lists too.
The best religious history book I read in 2021, period, was Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg.
Currently gearing up for Old Testament but not reading LDS sources for that (but open to them if people have suggestions). Listened to Rob Bell’s What is the Bible, reading Marcus Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, have some other books I haven’t gotten to yet, planning to listen to the Yale Old Testament Course and going to read the Robert Alter Old Testament translation.
My favorite Christmas gift ever is an original edition copy of Mormon Doctrine.
Got a copy of A Reason for Faith, edited by Laura Hales, which is a compilation of essays from all the faithful “experts” tackling the tough LDS doctrinal or historical topics. No, I didn’t ask for it. It was “lovingly” placed on my front door on Christmas Eve by a well-meaning, but presumptuous Ward member. Really helped to crush our festive spirits as we came home from making ourselves rather merry with extended family.
Also made my family feel real loved to now know with every fiber of our being that we are the subjects of Ward gossip and judgment. This person who gave the book must have been in discussion with someone else, likely Ward leadership. Funny thing, no one else has reached out to us about their concern, no request to chat with Bishop, no visit from EQP or RSP. No visit from Ministering folks. Nothing. We wave at people, we chat at schools or stores, we aren’t giving any hint of hate or posting negative things on social media.
All this because we have been enjoying the option for distance Zoom sacrament attendance, and have not been willing to accept a calling. I thought church was now home-centered, and church supported but I guess we are mistaken? Unfortunately, all this does is make us less likely to return anytime soon or feel engaged if we do. Kids are basically telling us they are happier not attending and don’t like the church format/lessons. They like learning and talking from home.
Our faith in Christ is not an issue. But I suppose we are losing faith in the institution. I understand the disconnect I have that others don’t in separating gospel and church. Sure, I saw this coming. Hard not to in the heart of the Mormonland. But I had hoped there would have been some real conversations, not assumptions, and some better approach.
On a happier note, the kids all saved up some allowance and purchased some really nice gifts for my wife and I, displaying their desire and maturity for the love of giving as well as receiving.
As it’s OT next year let me suggest Robert Alter’s OT translations. His Five Books of Moses is good; The David Story is great. The latter made me realize the prophet Samuel was a prick.
Most of my Christmas presents this year were prints by local artists as we decorate our new-to-us home, but I did notice BCC Press was having a sale, so I picked up their new “Scrupulous: My Obsessive Compulsion for God” as well as “The Book of Mormon for the Least of These” to put into my stocking. (One of the prerogatives of being the mom – I choose what I want for my own stocking)
I’ve been following Ben Spackman’s blog for years ever since we were part of the same LDS forum, so I already own two study bibles he recommended, the Harper Collins as well as the Jewish Study Bible. However, I noticed he had a newer recommendation, the NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, so got that for my husband. My other half has always loved church biographies, and over the decades he’s widened his scope past Deseret Book, so both of the Eugene England biographies will likely be gifted to him for Father’s Day.
And may I express my appreciation for JCS? It took me a while to get the humor, but now I regard the mind behind those comments as on the same level as the old blog Seriously So Blessed. (Also, thank you for not ever disparaging the LGBTQ+. I’ve noticed that’s a line you wont’ cross and I appreciate it.) The Nantucket socks had me rolling with laughter.
@counselor make sure to treat us to a book review of a reason for faith 🙂
I haven’t read that one but if it’s anything like Faith is Not Blind by Bruce Hafen (which was gifted to me by a visiting teacher after I told her I wasn’t renewing my temple recommend) … well, I tried to read it because I know she was sincere but it was definitely one of those “this person has no clue what my thought process is” experiences.
counselor – I would be tempted to return the book to the gifter…sorry about this experience for you.
Reminds me of the guy who thought he was a hero by giving a BOM to the Jesus actor from “The Chosen”, and of course posting about it.
I bought myself the new book about Joseph Merrill – hope it’s not too devotional or hagiographical.
Elisa—I haven’t heard of your book either. But A Reason for Faith has as its essay authors the usual cast of characters: Steven Harper on First Vision and memory, Bushman on treasure/money digging, Brant Gardner on BoM translation, Muhlestein on Book of Abraham, Brian Hales on Polygamy, Paul Reeve on priesthood/temple ban, Perego on DNA stuff. If anyone has been listening to podcasts or reading some other books you’ve heard all the apologist material already.
Chet—thanks for the sympathy. Hardest on my wife right now. Kids aren’t that engaged and frankly we were never in the church for social reasons. I though about putting the book back on his doorstep but really my goal is to not create any drama or justification for the belief we have gone angry. I am going through it slowly and coalescing my thoughts and written notes to pick apart the weak assumptions or logical fallacies. It’s really worse than I thought, though five years ago much of it may have persuaded me to some extent.
Not interested in any churchy books this year but found my old copy of Emma – Mormon Enigma and may give it a read again. I recently read Greg Prince’s biography of Leonard Arrington a little while back and it was fascinating. My favourite gift this Christmas was a new easel.
@Counselor, Faith is Not Blind isn’t so much apologetics for specific issues as it is a call to just ignore all those issues and trust the brethren and stay fully engaged in the Church anyway. It purports to be a version of stages of faith a la Fowler / Thomas McConkie / Rohr / McClaren, except its version of the stage after deconstruction is actually just to return to the previous stage and pretend the deconstruction never happened. Not a new stage. (I know that the Hafens who wrote the book would claim otherwise but I’ll stand by my characterization.). And although they purport to be sensitive to people go through “faith crisis” they make some very dismissive characterizations (like calling a woman who left the Church because she was “deceived” into thinking that women should hold the priesthood “cold-hearted”), hence my surprise that someone would think it’s a good book to give to someone they know holds similar views on equality.
@Di, I read Mormon Enigma 20 years ago in college (at a non-LDS university). I really need to find my copy and re-read it because I’m seriously scratching my head at what I must have ignored when I read it the first time (which was a few months before my mission, and it gave me zero qualms whatsoever).
@Elisa I first read Mormon Enigma in the 80s not long after it came out. I think it must be a first edition. It started my faith crisis – mainly the Fanny Alger episode and other polygamy issues. Up till then the message we got was that Joseph Smith didn’t practice polygamy despite it being revealed to him. I really must read it again so was glad to find it. I was obviously able to put that on the shelf somehow but more recent awakenings on other issues put me pretty much gone but still hanging around the fringes. Husband and many immediate family still fully in.