The Latter-day Saint Experience in America / Edition 1

by Terryl Givens

Overview

Scholars have labeled the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormonism as it is better known, both the American Religion, and the next world faith. The Mormon saga includes early persecution, conflict, and pioneer resilience, against a backdrop of revolutionary religious, social, and economic practices. The greatest colonizing force in American history, Mormonism has outgrown its 19th-century isolation and theocratic roots to become one of the most prosperous and respected Christian communities in the country. This book examines the history of the movement, and considers carefully the reasons behind a perennial discord with American culture—and the American government—that only waned in the early decades of the 20th century. Givens also considers the range of Mormon doctrines—both familiar and peculiar—and overviews the background and content of the unique canon of Mormon scripture.

The Latter-day Saint Experience in America examines all aspects of how Mormons live, work, and worship. The book discusses: Mormon worship and Church organization; The intellectual and artistic heritage of the Latter-day Saints; Official Church teachings across a span of contemporary issues, from feminism to race to the environment; The tensions and future directions of the modern Church. Abundant appendices include a glossary of Mormonism, a timeline, a comparison with other Christian creeds, biographical sketches of Mormon luminaries, and an annotated bibliography useful for further study.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313327506
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/2004
Series:	The American Religious Experience
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

TERRYL L. GIVENS is Professor of Religion and Literature at the University of Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (2002) and The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (1997).

Table of Contents

Introduction: What Is a Mormon?
A Homegrown Religion: Mormonism in America and America in Mormonism
"These War-like Fanatics": Anti-Mormonism in American History
Christians with a Difference: Orthodoxy and Heresy in LDS Thought
Making Scripture: The Mormon Canon
Temple, Church, and Family: LDS Worship and Organization
"All things are spiritual": The Church, Politics, and Society
"If there is anything lovely or praiseworthy": Intellectual and Cultural Life of the Latter-day Saints
Schisms, Secularism, and a Global Church
The Prophets and Other Notables
The Articles of Faith
Creeds, Confessions, and Mormonism: A Comparison
Timeline
Glossary
Select, Annotated Bibliography
LDS Membership Growth