Most readers of these reviews will recognize the Mormon History Association as one of the many active groups studying the history of Mormonism in its various flavors. Their publications, and their meetings (attended by many on these lists), are often the subject of heated debate among amateur and professional historians.

In a sly bow to Grant Palmer's controversial book on Mormon origins, the publisher of this volume, in its publicity, calls this collection "The Best 'Outsider View' of Mormon History Ever Published." Wow! Quite a claim. It will take a lot to live up to this kind of expectation.

As implied, the contributors to this volume are all outsiders -- non-members of any of the Restoration groups. Over the last 20 years, these interested, and interesting, scholars have presented papers as part of the long-running Tanner Lecture series. Here, in one volume, we have 21 of the best entries, exploring many avenues of Mormon history and thought.

The book is divided into three parts:

Part 1 is titled "Beginnings." Introduced by Richard Bushman, these essays discuss the origins of Mormonism. They include an excellent essay comparing the two Restoration traditions -- the Mormons and the Church of Christ (Campbellite). Another entry, "Learning to Play: The Mormon Way and the Way of Other Americans" offers an insightful look at how Mormonism, and the surrounding American culture, treated such niceties as card playing, dancing, and theater-going.

Part 2, "Establishing Zion," introduced by Thomas G. Alexander, picks up the story as Mormonism expands throughout the United States and Europe. These essays discuss various aspects of the growing Mormon tradition, including the role of women inside, and outside, the Church and the attitude of the Americans toward Utah's statehood.

Part 3, "Mormonism Considered From Different Perspectives," opens with an introduction by Jan Shipps, and contains some of the most intriguing and, perhaps, controversial of the essays. Martin Marty, for example, contributes "Two Integrities: An Address to the Crisis in Mormon Historiography." It lays bare the need to move beyond the sanitized histories so popular in growing religions. He compares the shift in Mormonism's perception of its own history to the radical changes of Vatican II -- the need to rethink one's approach to one's history, offering historians an opportunity to explore every aspect of that history.

Saying something about every essay in this book would make this an overlong review. And, in fact, although each has a salient point, some are better than others. While there are no badly written entries, a few rise above the others in engaging the reader's interest and encouraging further study.

This is a good volume for any person interested in Mormon history. Many of us have never had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the Mormon History Association, but we're well aware of the many contributions it has made to study of the Restoration tradition. I am glad to recommend this book to anyone interested in studying these ideas.

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Jeffrey Needle
June 6, 2006