The 19th-century Mormon kingdom emphasized the common good. Later came a shift toward personal morality as the mark of saintliness.
The LDS canon's four books carry equal weight of authority. All are read as historical witnesses to God's promise of salvation.
Mormonism
An annotated list by the author of Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction.
An American original
It has become fashionable to narrate the lives of books. Paul Gutjahr offers a brief and readable account of the Book of Mormon's history.
The Peaceable Kingdom pricks my conscience every time I see it because of the enormous gap between its vision and the world's reality.
Romney's faith, like Obama's, is distinctly American yet often misunderstood. And campaigns are rarely an occasion to increase understanding.
I recently learned that "Onward Christian Soldiers" can speak truth—when it's not a display of militarism but just patently ridiculous.
I am not squeamish about most animals or insects. But snakes are a different story.
Red State Religion, by Robert Wuthnow
Kansas politics are often polarizing and angry—and rooted at least rhetorically in conservative Christianity. If this situation seems dire, Robert Wuthnow provides encouraging news.
Some Assembly Required, by Anne Lamott with Sam Lamott
Anne Lamott fans: if you're expecting a reprise of the gritty Operating Instructions, this isn't it. But read on.
People Like Us
Though this movie wants to be about and for adults, it’s hamstrung by the soap-opera mentality of its writers, Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert, and its director, Alex Kurtzman.
Take This Waltz
This low-key, intimate Canadian film is in danger of passing by unnoticed. An anatomy of two relationships—a marriage and a courtship that overlap—the film is excitingly fresh and unconventional, and one of the few bright spots in a dim summer movie season.