I know we have several LDS out there. We are at the place where we are going to be studying the beginning of Mormons, and their contribution to American history. I was wondering if any of the LDS folks know of any good historical fiction that are fairly accurate. Thanks!!!
I'm not a Mormon but I watched a very fascinating PBS Frontline series about Mormonism a few months ago. I went to their website and found some FAQs that might be helpful to you. http://www.pbs.org/mormons/faqs/
When I was in HS I read a book called "Woman of Destiny" I cannot for the life of me remember the author. It was the fictionalized history of one of Brigham Young's wives? I Think. I do recall it having quite a bit of history of the Mormon Church and their struggles and why they ended up in Utah, etc. It was BIG (Like a "North and South" type epic) so it most likely would be a read-aloud rather than a read alone. Sorry, only one I know about - I'm not LDS.
I'm not at home, so I can't find it easily, but the PBS special was available to view online for a long time. You might check to see if it's still there. I am not Mormon, but just about every one of my friends is (don't get me started on how odd that is...lol). They all agreed that the PBS special, while they included biased individuals, was a very balanced documentary.
I asked an LDS friend of mine and in addition to asking around at church on Sunday, here's what she had to suggest: Articles of Faith are the basis for the LDS faith. Anything that's not on those things are man-made doctrine and not what the church believes. Proclamation to the Family. (she said it's a booklet put out by the church that would be good information). Usborne books has a book called The Encyclopedia of Wold Religions. She aslo suggested letting your older children "take the discussions". It's just a simple series of meetings with a member of the church that goes over the 'what we believe and why' stuff. It's not designed to convert you or anything, just inform. I was impressed that she pointed out that a younger child might end up confused about their own beliefs since the discussions will likely contradict some of the things you are already teaching.
How far do you live from Kirkland, OH If you live close to Kirkland, OH, you could plan a field trip there. There are a couple of historic sites with tours, etc. HTH, Tara
I'm looking more for historical fiction. I don't really want to do an in-depth study on Mormon beliefs, but I do want to be sure they are portrayed accurately.
I don't know if this will help you at all Jackie but the Encyclopedia of Moronism is free online: http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Encyclopedia_of_Mormonism I looked under "H" for History of the Church and it seemed really helpful.
I don't know how in depth you're looking for, but there is a series called "The Work and the Glory" by Gerald Lund. It is a historical fiction about Joesph Smith and the beginning of the LDS church. The author is one of our church leaders and he tried really hard to make it accurate. But it is a looong series, although it is a very enjoyable easy read. Even if you only read the first book or two it would give you a good idea of that time period. Other than that, there are a few other series but they're not specifically about the church, more the characters are LDS. You want something that will teach a little bit about beliefs? I don't know where you live but you should see if there is a Deseret Bookstore or a Seagull Bookstore near you. Both of those are LDS bookstores and everything in them will typically be pretty correct and they have a lot of fiction and a worker could direct you to some historical fiction. Also if you just want some general information on the church, we have a really good website. Where they list our basic beliefs and you can ask questions. www.mormon.org Also if you have any questions there are several of us LDS on the Spot! We'd be happy to try to answer any questions. Good Luck! Amy
Thanks, Amy! I'll see if the library has that. It sounds pretty much what I want, but we probably will only read the first book (unless Rachael really enjoys it and decides to read the rest of them on her own!)
I'm coming up with a movie. Is it the same? I'm getting very little info. Our library doesn't have the book, but it does have others written by the same author. One is "Behold the man".
They've been making some movies on them but I would not recommend them to you. The first book is called "The Work and the Glory; A Pillar of Light" By Gerald Lund. You might want to see if you could request it from your library. Or if you wanted to buy it I know Amazon has it. Or if you know any LDS in your neighborhood you could probably borrow it. If I had it I would mail it to you to read but for some reason I only have numbers 3 & 6 in that series now. Amy
Why wouldn't you recomend the movies? I was at the library last night looking for something totally unrelated, and just came across the movie. I almost got it, but decided to wait. "A Pillar of Light" is the one I was looking for. The main library I use doesn't carry it, but I also have cards for two others that are not part of the system. I'll check them, too.
Like most books that are turned into movies I think the true content of the book is lost in the movies. The books are so rich in detail and scope and you lose those subtle things in movie form. Also they have to cut a lot out for time purposes and I think when you watch movies you get more focused on what people look like instead of what they're saying. I also like to come up with my own images of people in my head. The movies aren't bad but they are not nearly as good as the books. Good Luck!
