The Columbia Sourcebook of Mormons in the United States

Starred review from November 15, 2014
Mormon-studies courses have several college-level textbooks to choose from, but none can wear the label sourcebook quite like this one. Where others provide surveys of Mormon history and theology with a smattering of quotes, this work is basically one big quotestraight from the church itself. LDS primary sources fill this work from beginning to end, organized by themes that define this unique religious group. The thematic sections include Theology & Doctrine, Race & Ethnicity, Sexuality & Gender, and five moreeach section containing approximately one dozen sources. The editors explore these themes in a truly academic way by selecting what they consider core documents from both orthodox and nonorthodox LDS perspectives. This is why readers will encounter the writings of founder Joseph Smith and a Mormon homosexual in the same chapter. The work provides chronological diversity as well. Among the 14 sources in the Government & Politics section, 6 are from the 1800s, 3 from the early 1900s, and the rest from 1981 to the present, including a piece by Mitt Romney in 2007. To provide much-needed context, the editors supply a half-page introduction for every source. Although many of the documents have been excerpted for the sake of space, the work remains amply substantive. Highly recommended for most academic libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)