FAIR Reviews
FAIR has, from time to time, reviewed books related to Mormonism. The reviews listed on this page are in three categories: Articles, Books, and Media. Each category has two sections:
- FAIR Resources. These are links to resources available on any FAIR-hosted website
- Other Resources. These are links to resources available on other sites around the Internet
Articles Reviewed
FAIR Resources
- Articles critical of Mormonism—FAIR analyzes and offers a claim-by-claim analysis and response to books critical of Mormonism. (Link)
- Books critical of Mormonism—FAIR analyzes and offers a page-by-page analysis and response to books critical of Mormonism. (Link)
- Videos critical of Mormonism—FAIR analyzes and responds to videos critical of Mormonism on a claim-by-claim basis. (Link)
- Websites critical of Mormonism—FAIR analyzes and responds to websites critical of Mormonism on a claim-by-claim basis. (Link)
Other Resources
- “Anti-Universalist Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon,” Dan Vogel. Reviewed by Martin S. Tanner
- “A Rhetorical Approach to the Book of Mormon: Rediscovering Nephite Sacramental Language,” Mark D. Thomas. Reviewd by Richard Lloyd Anderson
- “Book of Mormon Christology,” Melodie Moench Charels. Reviewed by David Ross Baron
- “Does the Bible Teach Salvation for the Dead? A Survey of the Evidence, Part I,” Luke P. Wilson. Reviewed by John A. Tvedtnes
- “Joseph Smith’s Use of the Apocrypha,” Jerald and Sandra Tanner. Reviewed by John A. Tvedtnes
- “Meeting the Book of Mormon Challenge in Chile,” Dean Maurice Helland. Reviewed by Louis Midgley
- “Of Cities and Swords: The Impossible Task of Mormon Apologetics,” James White. Reviewed by Matthew Roper
- “The Disappointment of B. H. Roberts: Five Questions That Forced a Mormon General Authority to Abandon the Book of Mormon,” James R. Spencer. Reviewed by Daniel C. Peterson
- “The Use of Egyptian Magical Papyri to Authenticate the Book of Abraham: A Critical Review,” Edward H. Ashment. Reviewd by John Gee
- “The Word of God Is Enough: The Book of Mormon as Nineteenth-Century Scripture,” Anthony A. Hutchinson. Reviewed by Louis Midgley
- “Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Population Sizes,” John C. Kunich. Reviewed by James E. Smith
Books Reviewed
FAIR Resources
- American Massacre, Sally Denton
- A FAIR Analysis of American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows by Sally Denton (FAIR Wiki Link)
- An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins, Grant Palmer
- A Summary of Five Reviews of Grant Palmer’s “An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins” (with a Few Comments of My Own) by George Cobabe
- FAIR Analysis of An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins by Grant Palmer—In Insider’s View of Mormon Origins was developed during a period of time that its author worked as a teacher in the Church Educational System (CES), and was published after the author’s retirement from Church employment. The book attempts to explain many otherwise clearly described events of the restoration by reinterpreting them as spiritual rather than physical events. (FAIR Wiki Link)
- Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book “Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon,” Jerald and Sandra Tanner
- Reviewed by John A. Tvedtnes.
- Reviewed by Matthew Roper.
- Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism Raised by Mormon Defenders, Jerald and Sandra Tanner
- Reviewed by Matthew Roper.
- Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, Jerald and Sandra Tanner
- Reviewed by William J. Hamblin.
- Becoming Gods, Richard Abanes
- A FAIR Analysis of Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism by Richard Abanes—This book could best be described as an Evangelical apologetic work against Mormonism. The book spends much time refuting LDS interpretation of scriptural passages in the Bible, often claiming that Mormons have misinterpreted the scriptures and that they require “deeper study.” In fact, it is claimed that LDS scholars have only a superficial knowledge of the scriptures, at one time stating that “[p]roperly interpreting them is not as simple as reading today’s newspaper” (FAIR Wiki Link)
- Leaving the Saints, Martha Nibley Beck
- Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church, Simon G. Southerton
- A FAIR Analysis of Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church by Simon G. Southerton (FAIR Wiki Link)
- Mormon America, Richard and Joan Ostling
- A FAIR Analysis of Mormon America: The Power and the Promise by Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling (FAIR Wiki Link)
- Mormonism 101, Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
- Nauvoo Polygamy: “… but we called it celestial marriage,” George D. Smith
- A FAIR Analysis of Nauvoo Polygamy: “… but we called it celestial marriage” by George D. Smith (FAIR Wiki Link)
- No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, Fawn Brodie
- A FAIR Analysis of No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith by Fawn McKay Brodie (FAIR Wiki Link)
- One Nation Under Gods, Richard Abanes
- A FAIR Analysis of One Nation Under Gods by Richard Abanes—In early 2002 a new book entitled One Nation under Gods (ONUG) appeared on bookshelves, promising to tell the “real” history of the Mormon Church. The author attempts to pull disparate sources together to paint a picture that, when compared to objective reality, more closely resembles a Picasso than a Rembrandt—skewed and distorted—obscuring and maligning the actual doctrines and beliefs as understood and practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than 150 years. (FAIR Wiki Link)
- Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith & Early Christianity, Barry R. Bickmore
- A Look At Barry Bickmore’s Book From a Non-LDS Perspective. Reviewed by David Waltz
- Studies of the Book of Mormon, by B.H. Roberts
- A FAIR Analysis of Studies of the Book of Mormon by B.H. Roberts—The content of this book is not written by a critic, but its purpose and audience are often misrepresented by critics in an effort to make it appear that Roberts lost his testimony of the Book of Mormon. (FAIR Wiki Link)
- The Changing World of Mormonism, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
- The Kingdom of the Cults, by “Dr.” Walter Martin
- Under the Banner of Heaven, John Krakauer
Other Resources
- Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable? Harry L. Ropp
- Reviewed by Diane E. Wirth.
- Ashamed of Joseph: Mormon Foundations Crumble, Steven and Charles Crane
- Reviewed by LeIsle Jacobsen.
- Behind the Mask of Mormonism, John Ankerberg and John Weldon
- Reviewed by Daniel C. Peterson.
- Book of Mormon Authorship: A Closer Look, Vernal Holley
- Reviewed by L. Ara Norwood.
- By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri, Charles M. Larson
- Reviewed by John Gee.
- Reviewed by Michael D. Rhodes.
- Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon, Jerald and Sandra Tanner
- Reviewed by Tom Nibley.
- Reviewed by L. Ara Norwood.
- Cultures in Conflict: A Documentry History of the Mormon War in Illinois, John E. Hallwas and Roger D. Launius
- Reviewed by Elden J. Watson.
- Dale Morgan On Early Mormonism: Correspondence and a New History, John Phillip Walker
- Reviewed by Gary F. Novak.
- David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness, Lyndon W. Cook
- Reviewed by Daniel C. Peterson.
- Decker’s Complete Handbook on Mormonism , Ed Decker
- Reviewed by Daniel C. Peterson.
- Early Mormon Documents, compiled by Dan Vogel
- Reviewed by Craig L. Foster
- Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, D. Michael Quinn
- Farewell to Eden: Coming to Terms with Mormonism and Science, Duwayne R. Anderson
- Reviewed by Robert R. Bennett
- The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
- Reviewed by David Grandy
- How Wide the Divide?, Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
- Reviewed by Eugene England
- Matthew R. Connelly
- Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, Richard Lyman Bushman
- Reviewed by Louis Midgley
- Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet, Dan Vogel
- Leaving the Saints, Martha Nibley Beck
- The Refiner’s Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844, John L. Brooke
- Reviewed by Davis Bitton
- Under the Banner of Heaven, John Krakauer
- Reviewed by Craig L. Foster
Reviewed Media Productions
Media productions include radio and television programs, as well as movies and videos.
FAIR Resources
- 8: The Mormon Proposition—A June 2010 documentary called “8: The Mormon Proposition,” written and produced by Reed Cowan, claims to be an expose of the role that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played in the passage of California Proposition 8. Reviews of the film generally agreed that it was a polemical treatment of the issue, pitting the Church as villain in a quest to limit or remove the rights of same-sex couples. FAIR reviews some of the individual claims made in the documentary. (Link)
- “Big Love” episode “Outer Darkness”—It is not our intention to discuss details of the portrayal of the temple ceremony here. We will, however, address some of the portrayals of other LDS beliefs and practices that were depicted in this episode. We found these portrayals to be highly inaccurate. In fact, there is ample evidence of anti-Mormon “advice” present in the episode. We treat some of these in the following sections. (Link)
- The Bible vs Joseph Smith—We review a film produced by Living Hope Ministries and Sourceflix which claims that Joseph Smith is a false prophet. (Link)
- DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography—A DVD released in 2007 by Rodney Meldrum.
- Religulous—The film’s title is a combination of the words “Religious” and “Ridiculous,” thus providing a one-word summary of the film’s tone and intent. The film follows Bill Maher as he travels to various locations throughout the world for the purpose of demonstrating the absurdity of religious belief. Maher accomplishes this by seeking out believers and posing questions which allow the respondents to appear foolish in their responses. (Link)
- Search for the Truth DVD (Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith)—This video claims to contrast the beliefs of Mormonism and the beliefs of Christianity. Although the producers of this video state that it was produced out of love, the numerous mischaracterizations, misrepresentations, errors, and outright falsehoods found on the DVD make it difficult for believing Latter-day Saints to see that expression of love as sincere. (Link)
- September Dawn—”When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.” (The Publicity Dilemma, LDS Newsroom, March 9, 2009.) (Link)
- The God Makers—The God Makers is an anti-Mormon film that was produced in 1982 by Jeremiah Films. The film represents an appeal to ridicule, by taking beliefs or doctrines of the church and presenting them in a manner which makes them appear so strange and bizarre that nobody could possibly accept them. (Link)
Other Resources
- The Bible vs. the Book of Mormon (video), by Joel P. Kramer and Scott R. Johnson (and Living Hope Ministries)
- Reviewed by David E. Bokovoy
- Reviewed by Brant Garnder
- September Dawn (movie), by Christopher Cain (Black Diamond Pictures, 2007) based on book by Carole Whang Schutter (Author-House, 2007)
- Reviewed by Craig L. Foster