Well-written and easy-going, but hollow
Coke Newell's preface highlights a theme familiar to anyone who has had the often-frustrating experience of discussing religion with Mormons: when looking into Mormonism, one can only trust books written by faithful Mormons. Anything else (particularly anything critical) is "dirty water." Newell is perfectly right, however, in saying that one should learn about Judaism from a rabbi and about Mormonism from a Mormon, which is why I read this book. I've read other books not so flattering to Mormonism, so why not go to the source and see what the faithful say about it?

Some might be amazed at the assertions made by Newell, perhaps the most brazen found in the book's subtitle (any Christian can make the case that their faith ultimately predates Jesus -- this is not the shattering novelty Newell would like it to be). Astonishingly, Newell seems to believe that only Mormonism can answer (or at least is by far the best-qualified to answer) the questions long answered in various ways by all the world's religions: "Where did I come from? Why am I here on earth? What will become of me after this life is over?" That kind of bold confidence, however, has been a core part of the Mormon spirit since its birth in the midst of New York's feverish revivalism in the early 19th-century -- a climate that produced a dizzying variety of religions and "prophets" (of which Joseph Smith was arguably the most gifted).

Newell's first seven chapters are for me the "meat" of the book and the most interesting part. In this first section he charts the basic outline of Mormon beliefs, fantastic as they are. The suspension of disbelief required here is formidable, but it's a good yarn despite the glaring historical and theological errors. The bulk of the book follows the Mormons on their dreary Westward trek in great and purple-prosed detail (Mormons good, U.S. government BAD, etc.); Newell so overdoes this story that I had to scan through whole sections to get through it. The last chapter and the Epilogue reveal much about the Mormon mindset. Newell is fond of commenting on the rapid international growth of Mormonism and quoting conversion statistics as proof of its truth (the world's religions are running scared, etc.). He also touts the high level of education and dedication of the average Mormon (smart people become Mormon and really love God, etc.). My favorite of his many dubious assertions is his notion that Mormonism is intellectually viable because Mormon scholars have possibly written as much as scholars of other religions (apparently, 98 miles of books in BYU's library = intellectual strength). Newell happily criticizes Thomas Cahill's "religious assumptions," which is ironic since Mormonism is built on some of the wildest and most outrageous assumptions I've ever come across.

Mormonism, based as it is on the subjective "intuition" of the individual (you'll "feel the truth" of it, and if you don't, you're not open to God...) and what Newell calls a "generous plan of salvation" (i.e., easy), is a remarkably irrational non-Christian religion born of a remarkable man in 19th-century New York. Coke Newell offers here a well-written and often interesting read, and to his credit he is, on the surface, more objective and forthright than any other Mormon author I've read. What he gives, however, is only a partial picture (as is the case with Mormon missionaries and their pre-packaged evangelization program). What he offers may indeed be "clean water," but it needs to be taken with more substantial food. I recommend Fawn Brodie's classic, balanced, sober and exhaustively researched biography of Joseph Smith: "No Man Knows My History.". Stay away from the really emotional and vehemently anti-Mormon stuff out there. A Mormon friend of mine criticized me for reading Brodie and Isaiah Bennett (without reading them himself), but I found in Newell's book everything they assert about Mormon beliefs. More importantly, I found much that Newell does NOT say about them, and when looking at Mormonism this makes all the difference. Straight answers are hard to come by.

Up until now there have been few books which one would happily share with one's friends. I shall continue to order this book for all of my friends who are interested in knowing more about Mormonism.

Mr Newell says what many thinking LDS Members have thought for a long time, and we now discover that many of the unspoken explanations for our particles of faith come to life in these pages.

A good read for Mormons and Non-Mormons alike.

Thank you Coke.

Review this book