The nineteenth-century Mormon prophet Joseph Smith published a new scripture dominated by the figure of Jesus Christ, dictated revelations presented as the words of the Christian savior, spoke of encountering Jesus in visions, and told his followers that their messiah and king would soon return to the earth. From the author of the definitive life of Brigham Young comes a biography of the Mormon Jesus that revises and enriches our understanding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the past two hundred years, Jesus has connected the Latter-day Saints to broader currents of Christianity, even while particular Mormon beliefs and practices have been points of differentiation and conflict. The Latter-day Saints came to understand Jesus Christ as the literal son of his father, the exalted brother of God’s other spirit children, who should aspire to become like him. They gave new meaning to many titles for Jesus Christ: Father, Son of God, Lord, Savior, Firstborn, Elder Brother, Bridegroom, and Jehovah. While some early beliefs became canonized and others were discarded, Jesus Christ remains central to Latter-day Saint scripture, doctrine, and religious experience. Contemporary Mormon leaders miss no opportunity to proclaim their church’s devotion to the Christian savior, in part because evangelical Protestants denounce Mormonism as a non-Christian cult. This tension between Mormonism's distinctive claims and the church’s desire to be accepted as Christian, John G. Turner argues, continues to shape Mormon identity and attract new members to the church.

Drawing on both Christian and Latter-day Saint documents, Robert Millet clearly explains the many beliefs that Mormons hold in common with traditional Christians and also highlights differences where they exist.

Brigham Young was a rough-hewn New York craftsman whose impoverished life was electrified by the Mormon faith. Turner provides a fully realized portrait of this spiritual prophet, viewed by followers as a protector and by opponents as a heretic. His pioneering faith made a deep imprint on tens of thousands of lives in the American Mountain West.

A non-Mormon theologian explains how Mormonism is a branch of the Christian family tree that extends well beyond what most Christians have ever imagined.

Imagine what might happen if the solid foundation of what you believe suddenly begins to shake... That’s exactly what happened to Lisa Brockman, a six-generation Mormon with lineage tracing back to the early church. In college, Lisa found herself challenged to defend her faith, and the beliefs she knew to be true began to unravel. In Out of Zion, Lisa shares her journey of discovering the biblical Jesus and the key conversations that led her from the faith of her ancestors to conversion to Christianity. If you have reached a place of questioning what you believe, or you long for confidence to share your faith with others, Lisa provides the framework you need to… understand the nuances of the history and evolution of Mormon culture learn to identify the vital differences between the Mormon and biblical plans of salvation compassionately engage in conversation with your Mormon friends and neighbors As you follow the evolution of Lisa’s faith, you will face the same challenge to defend what you believe and, ultimately, learn to share the gospel effectively with others.

I have come to greatly prefer the Jesus of the Gospels over the Jesus of Mormonism. This book is an exploration of the foundations of my journey, and what I have chosen to believe, what I hope others might consider. I write on Christianity and I write on Mormonism, with the hope that struggling Latter-day Saints can find a way forward with Christ as their foundation. Looking at both Christianity and Mormonism, my intent is to lift the baby from the bathwater, to restore the Savior, with no desire to save the Jesus of Mormonism. Joseph Smith's Restoration has grave problems. He went astray in my view, because he went beyond the footprint of Jesus' teachings--committing the same mistake he claimed others had made. I suppose this book is a Restoration-type endeav∨ an effort to rediscover what is most basic, most important. How ironic to seek to restore the Christ of the Gospels from Mormonism! So what does a Latter-day Saint do when they discover that the church narrative they were taught all their life has fallen apart? For me, the "revelations" of Mormon Jesus and their practice by Joseph Smith--as especially seen in chapters 9, 17-19--is radically different from the behavior, character and personality of Jesus of Nazareth. For example, Smith produced "scriptures" which depended on nineteenth-century sources, claiming them to be ancient. He initiated a secret "spiritual wife system" which included concubines and slandered women who resisted his sexual advances. He married young teenagers and other men's wives. He cursed his enemies and set up a secret organization, had himself ordained king and sought to violently overthrow the Nation. Comparing the two portraits has been the single most cathartic event since my crisis of faith. I find the Jesus of the Gospels to better reflect God's nature and love, and thus how to clearly respond to others as a disciple.

A gripping story of how an entire family, deeply enmeshed in Mormonism for thirty years, found their way out and found faith in Jesus Christ. For thirty years, Lynn Wilder, once a tenured faculty member at Brigham Young University, and her family lived in, loved, and promoted the Mormon Church. Then their son Micah, serving his Mormon mission in Florida, had a revelation: God knew him personally. God loved him. And the Mormon Church did not offer the true gospel. Micah's conversion to Christ put the family in a tailspin. They wondered, Have we believed the wrong thing for decades? If we leave Mormonism, what does this mean for our safety, jobs, and relationships? Is Christianity all that different from Mormonism anyway? As Lynn tells her story of abandoning the deception of Mormonism to receive God's grace, she gives a rare look into Mormon culture, what it means to grow up Mormon, and why the contrasts between Mormonism and Christianity make all the difference in the world. Whether you are in the Mormon Church, are curious about Mormonism, or simply are looking for a gripping story, Unveiling Grace will strengthen your faith in the true God who loves you no matter what.

The growing popular perception today is that the Mormon church as just another denomination within Christianity, and representatives of the LDS church often encourage this perspective. Despite points of agreement, major differences exist on foundational theological matters (for example, the Trinity), as well as social and moral issues (such as racial equality). As former Mormons turned evangelical Christians, each of whom is an accomplished scholar, the four contributors to this volume provide a unique and authoritative corrective. Each contributor shares his or her story of growing up in the Mormon church, and how biblical, theological, moral, or scientific issues forced them to eventually leave Mormonism. The contributors draw on the expertise of their respective academic fields to show how Mormon teachings and practice fall short biblically and rationally. They also address common objections raised by former Mormons who have lost faith altogether and have embraced atheism or agnosticism--especially under the influence of "new atheists" like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

This volume--the work of a lifetime--brings together all the Joseph Smith Translation manuscript in a remarkable and useful way. Now, for the first time, readers can take a careful look at the complete text, along with photos of several actual manuscript pages. The book contains a typographic transcription of all the original manuscripts, unedited and preserved exactly as dictated by the Prophet Joseph and recorded by his scribes. In addition, this volume features essays on the background, doctrinal contributions, and editorial procedures involved in the Joseph Smith Translation, as well as the history of the manuscripts since Joseph Smith's day.

This exquisitely produced volume presents the official LDS edition of the Book of Mormon in an attractive, accessible, readable version that brings to Latter-day Saints the helpful features that have been part of standard Bible publishing for decades: paragraphs, quotation marks, poetic stanzas, section headings, and superscripted verse numbers. The latest LDS scholarship is reflected in its brief, thoughtfully considered footnotes, although the focus is always on the text itself¿its wording, structure, and interconnections¿allowing the book¿s sacred message to be heard anew. The Maxwell Institute Study Edition, produced by believing scholars, is ideally suited to both new readers of the Book of Mormon and also those who know the book well and have loved its teachings and testimony of Christ for many years.