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One Nation Under Gods:
A History of the Mormon Church |
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“Richard Abanes
succeeds in detailing not just
the LDS Church’s quest for religious supremacy, but also its desire for economic and political dominance in order to pave the way for the Kingdom of God on Earth. Joseph Smith’s occult practices, the creation of the Book of Mormon, the mysterious Danite assassins, Joseph Smith’s murder, the Mormon move to Utah, blood atonement killings, polygamy, Mormon cover-ups and conspiracies all are discussed in this volume. One Nation Under Gods is a well-written and absorbing book that is ideal for anyone wanting a concise, accurate, and easy-to-understand history of Mormonism from its inception to the present.” SANDRA TANNER Great-Great Grandchild of Brigham Young “This
book is sure to stir up things in both the Mormon and Christian
religious communities. No one challenges accepted religious doctrines,
ideologies, and behaviors more cogently and bravely than Richard
Abanes, and with he has once again triumphed in
bringing to light matters most religious leaders would rather leave
buried. One
Nation Under Gods is a triumph of research and wisdom.” “Abanes
has produced a unique and fascinating book that reveals not only the
true and complete history of Mormonism from its nineteenth century
origins to the 2002 Olympics, but also documents many of those rarely
discussed aspects of Mormon history known only to serious investigators
of Mormonism’s past. Although One
Nation Under Gods is documented as
meticulously as any scholarly work, it reads more like the screenplay
to a fast-paced action movie. Interested persons of every reading level
will
HANK
HANEGRAAFF
Library Journal: A conservative Christian writer
and
director of the Religious Information Center in Southern California,
Abanes presents an unvarnished history of Mormonism. As in some of his
other works, such as End-Time Visions: The Road to Armageddon, his
intention here is primarily to expose falsehoods and contradictions. In
the process, he has created a chronological account of Mormonism that
includes many things often intentionally suppressed by leaders of the
Latter-day Saints (LDS).
C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S.,
Lafayette, IN Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This
text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Abanes knows his facts and documents his material with careful footnotes, creating a good counterweight to the one-sided image presented in LDS-approved histories. He makes use of private journals and secular articles of the times as well as a wide range of scholarly writings. The resulting book gives a piercing historical overview of Mormon teachings and development. It also looks at contemporary Mormonism and the controversial changes in language and policy, which have resulted in the projection of a more mainstream image. This well-researched and readable history will be of interest to anyone seeking an objective Mormon history and is recommended for both academic and public libraries. * * * * * * *
Fortean Magazine: The
Trouble With Brigham: The historical facts and foundation myths of a
religion collide in a detailed history of the Mormons—and Young
was no latter-day Saint.”
(Fortean Times, issue #191, p. 58)Many religions have shaky starts: rather dubious founders, and unpleasant incidents that don’t appear in their official histories. The harsh reality is that, if you are a founder, prophet or guru figure, there’s quite likely to be something unsavoury in your character. . . . Abanes chronicles teh well known story of Joseph Smith. . . . Smith’s death in prison occurs on page 201, less than half way through the main text, which continues with the story of the Mormons under brigham Young. . . . . Abanes’s book is one of the best you’ll find. [CLICK FOR FULL REVIEW]. 9 out of 10 rating. * * * * * * *
Bookslut.com: First, let’s talk about bias. As any halfway responsible
writer knows, it’s impossible to escape it—everyone has an angle, and
the best any journalist can do is to own up to it.
Richard Abanes, author of this critical history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), is no different. A former Broadway singer/dancer, Abanes now makes a living as an evangelical Christian author and inspirational musician. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but his biography immediately telegraphs the fact that he’s not going to be a huge fan of the LDS church. There’s nothing wrong with that, either, but it probably would have been better for the publisher to make Abanes’ religious affiliation a little clearer—the only hint readers of this book get about the author’s right-wing Christianity is in the dedication (“To my God, my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer...”). So what? You’re either a Mormon or you’re not, and if you’re waiting for the LDS faithful to pen a candid history of their faith, you’ll be waiting an awfully long time. And One Nation Under Gods is nothing if not candid, the author’s lack of disclosure about his own faith notwithstanding. Drawing from a wealth of primary sources, Abanes presents what might be the most well-researched criticism of LDS this country has ever seen. But it is criticism, and not, I think, history. This book was apparently conceived as a counterpoint to books by Mormon apologists, it does the reader well to remember that Abanes might be more interested in “witnessing to” (read: converting) Mormons than writing a purely objective history of an admittedly odd church. That being said, it’s nearly impossible to fault Abanes’ scholarship—although this book is clearly more journalistic in tone than historical. Abanes backs up his assertions with an exhaustive bibliography, and there are almost 150 pages of endnotes. He’s made it difficult for peeved Mormons to dispute some of his more controversial claims—such as the ones he makes in Chapter 16, with the self-explanatory, if heavy-handed, title “Mormon Racism: Black Is Not Beautiful.” It’s also hard to find fault with Abanes’ prose style, which is understated, level-headed, and enviably clear. It doesn’t exactly read like a novel, as some breathless Amazon.com readers claim, but it’s as absorbing as a nonfiction book on religious history can be. But Abanes’ bias inevitably gets in the way. The penultimate chapter, “Is Mormonism Christian?,” presents a pretty good argument that LDS is quite far removed from “mainstream” Christianity (if, indeed, there is such a thing). But why was it included? The only people who this might interest, it seems, are fundamentalist Christians looking for yet another religious group to exclude. Interesting, sure, but it’s difficult to see how this fits into a supposedly objective history. It’s also hard to ignore Abanes’ repeated warnings that Mormons are trying to take over the American government. He quotes both LDS leaders and Mormon politicians (like his fellow songwriter Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah), all of whom offer some variation on the well-known Mormon prophecy that LDS members will save the U.S. when “the Constitution is torn and hangs by a thread.” A suitably horrified Abanes concludes: “But what would such a scenario mean for America? Continued freedom? Greater liberty and prosperity? Widespread pluralism? That is doubtful. The history of Mormonism is rife with nefarious deeds, corruption, vice, and intolerance. So far the fruits of Mormonism have included lust, greed, theft, fraud, violence, murder, religious fanaticism, bribery, and racism." All this as opposed to fundamentalist Protestantism? Whether Abanes is right in his conclusion is debatable—based on the few Mormons I’ve met, I think he seriously overstates his case here—he should know he’s setting himself up big time. Abanes’ own religion has given us plenty of lust (Jimmy Swaggart), greed (Jim Bakker), intolerance (Pat Robertson), and religious fanaticism (take your pick). And it’s hard to maintain an air of objectivity when your own oeuvre includes Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick. That’s not to say One Nation Under Gods is without merit—indeed, it’s beautifully written, well-researched, and cogently argued. But Abanes’ own history suggests that he has (pardon the cliche) one hell of an axe to grind, and he and his faithful readers shouldn’t be too surprised when the rest of us take this book with a grain from the Great Salt Lake. * * * * * * *
Christian Book Reviews: Richard Abanes meticulously sifts through the facts surrounding the early history of Joseph Smith and his followers in One Nation Under Gods
and presents perhaps the most complete treatment of Mormon origins yet
published. The result is understandably controversial as the official
mythology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is shown
to be built upon fantasy, deception, paranoia, and violence. Given the
respectable image presented by contemporary Mormonism, the untidy
events of the past are quite shocking, but Abanes backs up his claims
with extensive documentation.The book is divided into four sections detailing the period leading up to Joseph Smith’s “revelations,” the development of the Church as a separatist movement in various states and the reaction against them, the institution of a Mormon theocracy in the Utah territory, and the mainstreaming of Mormon beliefs beginning with Utah’s statehood. Abanes paints a picture of a struggling Smith family resorting to various scams to get by -including the occultism popular in his home area of upstate New York—and how Smith imported this into what would be the Mormon religion. Evidence is given for the Mormon Church’s revising their history to substantiate early dates for later doctrinal developments and in so doing demonstrating the unlikelihood of Joseph Smith ever receiving a revelation from anywhere apart from his own vivid imagination. The early years of the Mormons in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois demonstrate a pattern: the Mormons arrive at a settlement, they attempt to dominate through numbers and institute a Mormon theocracy, they become hostile towards their neighbors after gaining control, and a reaction by non-Mormons leading to violent conflict and a resettlement elsewhere. The evidence is quite compelling that Mormon leadership engaged in illegal and unethical practices (including bank fraud and acts of violence against their non-Mormon neighbors) even in communities where they had been initially welcomed. Thus they came to be viewed as a criminal, violent sect who thought nothing of murdering local officials and this eventually led both to their being removed under threat of force and to Joseph Smith’s arrest and death at the hands of an angry mob. An important insight by Abanes is the Mormon belief in an imminent fulfillment of their eschatological vision. They were certain the second coming of Christ was imminent and expected all earthly authority to be handed to them. Such a belief places them as one of many restorationist churches rising to prominence in the period. All such movements wove novel beliefs and historical ignorance in a strange blend to cast themselves as the “one true church” restored. In this framework, their later doctrinal shifts become far more understandable. When the prophecies of such movements did not materialize, new interpretations—and novel doctrines to follow from their consequences—were introduced to explain away the apparent failure. The death of Joseph Smith and subsequent relocation to the Utah territory under Brigham Young gave the Mormons an opportunity to create their ideal society. Geographically isolated from the rest of the nation, Young and other Mormon leaders quickly installed a Mormon theocracy and began a reign of terror. The elimination of any possible dissenters enforced a cultic mentality and widespread distrust of outsiders. With eschatological expectations at a fever pitch, the United States government became a symbol of evil (a far cry from their current patriotic beliefs) to be replaced by Mormon rule. Revelations of their polygamy and other forms of sexual immorality, their use of violence against non-Mormons and Mormon dissenters, and the seemingly treasonous comments of Young and other Mormon leaders led to an inevitable crackdown by federal troops. The Mormon theocracy was over and the threat of the church dissolving was real. It is in his treatment of Mormon decision to enter mainstream American life that Abanes fails. Although his historical facts are in order, his interpretation of them relies upon questionable conspiratorial assumptions. Raising the issue of current Mormon intransigence in dealing with the historical data, he interprets it as a sign of sinister motives. However, it seems far more likely to be indecision and confusion as they must face history without alienating the faithful. The initial Mormon change of heart to fit better with mainstream America might, as Abanes claims, have been somewhat duplicitous, but if so it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Today, the Mormon populace has fully embraced mainstream American ideals if not mainstream American religion. The current sensitivity to outside attacks Abanes cites as a sign of cultic tendencies are just as prevalent within his own Evangelical tradition as in Mormonism and are a common reaction of a cultural minority to criticism from the larger society. These objections aside, the exhaustive and fruitful research Abanes has put forth in One Nation Under Gods is a landmark in the study of this unique and fascinating American religion. Any future study of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will have this book as its starting point. Were it not for the heavy handed Evangelical bias in the latter chapters, the work might be the final word on Mormonism. Even with these faults, it must still be highly recommended. |
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