Review
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Title: Mormons An Open Book, What You Really Want to Know
Author: Written by a Mormon (Anthony Sweat, PhD)
Publisher: Ensign Peak (an imprint of Deseret Book)
Genre: Non-Fiction
Year Published: 2012
Number of Pages: 280
Binding: Trade Paperback
ISBN10: N/A
ISBN13: 978-1-60608-811-8

Reviewed by Roger B. Greer for the Association for Mormon Letters.

At first glance, as I thumbed thru the pages of "Mormons: An Open Book", I was struck by the layout of the book. Instead of taking a straight prose style, the book is set up much like a modern textbook. Packed with nuggets of information and an appealing visual presentation, what would have been a monologue on plain white pages is instead something exciting and engaging.
Peppered throughout the book are separate text boxes of thoughts, statistics, and asides triggered by the topic on that page. It has some of the best info-graphics about the Church I have seen. The well-placed illustrations are humorous, satirical, and visually appealing.

There are boxes with “Meet a Mormon” QR codes, which smart phone users will enjoy and where you can scan the code and get to the internet on LDS.org and actually meet members of Church through the Church’s website through videos or articles, definitely targeting the technology generation!

Another box contains "Mormyths". This is a regular feature in every chapter of the book. These address specific "myths" that many people believe about Mormons. The information is accurate and presented with no apology for the doctrines that others may view as different from conventional Christianity.

In fact, the book reaches out to all types of readers and makes the reader laugh while informing.

As far as its core content, this book is exactly what the title claims: An Open Book. It’s an everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-Mormonism book. Other books on Mormonism explain the beliefs of the church, but this book illuminates the reasons for certain practices and traditions.

If you are not a Mormon, with honest questions or curiosity about the faith, this is great book to get answers without having two missionaries show up at your door!

The book provides references from the Bible that help make sense of why Mormons participate in practices that are unusual to many Western Christians.

Plus this book is FILLED with useful information. It’s packed with knowledge that you might know, but never put together within the context of a bigger picture. This is not a book to be read as much as it is a book to be studied. It’s a book to be taken off the shelf at regular occasions and re-read.

Written from the perspective of an active Latter-Day Saint, who apparently lives his religion, "Mormons: An Open Book" invites you to learn about, and better understand, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

All subjects are covered, separated into three main sections: 1)The doctrines and beliefs of the Church, 2) Mormon History, and 3) the Mormon way of life.

Especially informative and fun is the chapter on “Understanding Mormon Vernacular” called “Mo-cabulary", explaining from A to Z, words that Mormons use, like burning in the bosom, CTR, MTC, Garments, Kolob. Etc.

If you are a Mormon who has tried to explain your faith to friends with different beliefs (but feel like they were more confused after your explanation than they were before) this book is perfect! With the growth and exposure of Mormonism across the country and world, more and more people are curious about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although most have an opinion about Mormonism, many admit that they don’t know what Mormons believe. This book will answer EVERY question.

Another addition in the book is the history of the Church presented in a way that tells the story and dramatic saga of the early church.

The last section covers questions that we often get: about LDS standards, a look inside Mormon worship, and even in the last chapter we get introduced to “The Weird and Wonderful World of Mormon Culture”. This last chapter covers such things as, why we celebrate the 24th of July (the day when the Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley after the long journey of American wilderness), what “the best two years” means? (The two-year missions). The whole book is annotated with references for every chapter.

This is a great missionary tool book. It provides a non-threatening way to share the gospel and to answer questions from your friends and associates.