Digging into the roots of Mormonism

[rug]

Posted: Sun, Aug. 26, 2012, 3:01 AM
Reviewed by Steve Weinberg
Steve Weinberg is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and an explorer of organized religions who currently identifies as an evangelical agnostic. He has known several devout Mormons well.

Falling in Love with Joseph Smith
My Search for the Real Prophet
By Jane Barnes
Tarcher/Penguin. 294 pp. $25.95

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, was undeniably a fascinating character during a brief lifetime (1805-1844) that ended when he was murdered by a hateful mob of non-Mormons. Smith's legacy continues to fascinate, perhaps especially right now with a Mormon seeking the presidency of the United States as the Republican candidate.

It turns out that Jane Barnes (born 1942), a novelist, essayist, and documentary film script writer, is just as fascinating as the subject of her new book. Well, "subjects," not just the singular noun. The book Barnes has written is difficult to classify. At the very least, however, it focuses equally on two people: Smith and herself, making it part biography and part autobiography.

The book is endlessly captivating, and ought to appeal to readers whether they are Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics - or Mormons. Part of the appeal is Barnes' skill as a writer. She is inventive with language, but that inventiveness never strays into puzzlement for readers. You can bet I will dip into her two published novels (Double Lives and I, Krupskaya: My Life with Lenin) when I can find the time. Maybe they are as well written as this new book and if they are, I want to experience them.

Although Falling in Love with Joseph Smith is about religious faith, Barnes does not try to nudge anybody toward belief in the divine, nor toward nonbelief. As a religious studies professor tells her, "Faith has nothing to do with intelligence. If you believe, there will always be people smarter than you who don't. If you don't believe, there are always people smarter than you who do."

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/literature/20120826_Digging_into_the_roots_of_Mormonism.html

[pwb]

1. The Mormon holy land is upstate New York.

The red state so called christians will never know this because fox news will never tell them their candidate belongs to a cult. Adam is their god, Jesus was just a prophet, Their symbol is some angel named Maroni, and they believe in some planet called Kolub. And lets not forget the magic under ware.
Most religions that call themselves Christian started in the middle east, this one New York? That says a lot to me about the so called Christian south. This election they are not so Christian.

[cbayer]

2. They really do have a fascinating history and this review is glowing.

I saw the PBS documentary which she helped research and it was excellent.

This looks like a book worth reading.

[dimbear]

3. It should be useful to everyone who evaluates historical accounts to consider Smith.

His history is certainly remarkable, but consider that it plays out at a late date when America had many printed books and newspapers. There were reporters about, diarists, courts, notaries, etc. In short, all the advantages that didn't accrue to New Testament times. Regardless, Smith's actual life is filled with lacunae, with contradictory reports impossible to resolve, with miracles and with frauds.

My friends, if you cannot penetrate the past by barely two centuries, and trust me you cannot, what hope have you to penetrate twenty centuries?

[rug]

4. You do realize this is a biography, don't you?

And you do realize the New Testament is not a biography, don't you?

[dimbear]

5. The best literary classification for the New Testament is propaganda.

Knowing that is a step toward wisdom.

[rug]

6. Of course it isn't.

But your post comes close.