50 Mormon Books for 50 years

January 1, 2023, marked my 50th birthday. In honor of my first 50 years, I wanted to list off 50 works of Mormon literature that I think are worth your time to read. I’m not claiming that these are the best or the most scholarly Mormon books, these are histories, stories, plays and poems that I have enjoyed and that have influenced me over the years. Some are informative, some were “life changing”, others were entertaining, and some I just found touching or they “moved me.” In a few cases I will cheat and list a whole series as one item. 😉 They are listed in no particular order.  I cheated a little. I forced myself to stop at 57, but a LOT of good books and authors were left off of this list! 

1. Lost Legacy: The Mormon Office of Presiding Patriarch, by E. Gary Smith & Irene Bates. Published by the University of Illinois Press 
2. Vampires in the Temple by Mette Harrison, published by the BCC Press
3. Book of Mormon for the Least of These, by Fatima Salleh & Margaret Olsen Hemming, published by the BCC Press
4. I Spoke to You With Silence: Essays from Queer Mormons of Marginalized Genders, edited by Kerry Spencer Pray & Jenn Lee Smith, Published by the University of Utah Press
5. Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell & Valeen Tippetts Avery, 
6. Women and Authority: Re-Emerging Mormon Feminism, ed. By Maxine Hanks. Published by Signature Books 
7. Lucy’s Book: Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith’s Family Memoir, by Lucy Smith, edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, published by Signature Books
8. Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830, by Richard S. Van Wagoner, published by Signature Books
9. Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet Hardcover, by John G. Turner, published by Belknap Press
10. Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W Kimball – Working Draft, by Edward L. Kimball, published by Benchmark Books (BOTH versions are good, the “Working Draft, published by Curt Bench is better)
11. Heber C Kimball Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer, by Stanley B. Kimball. Published by the University of Illinois Press 
12. The Making of a Mormon Apostle: The Story of Rudger Clawson, by David S. Hoopes. Published by Madison Books
13. Watchman on the Tower: Ezra Taft Benson and the Making of the Mormon Right, by Matthew L Harris. Published by the University of Utah Press
14. An Abundant Life the Memoirs of Hugh B Brown, by Hugh B. Brown & Ed. Firmage. Published by Signature Books
15. Autobiography of Parley Pratt, by Parley P. Pratt
16. The Kingdom in the West the Mormons and the American Frontier – Series, ed. Will Bagley. Published by the Arthur H Clark Company
17. Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations 1820-1844, ed. Welch, John, Published by BYU Studies
18. A Short Stay in Hell, by Steven Peck. Published by Strange Violin Editions.
19. Builders of the Kingdom: George A Smith, John Henry Smith, George Albert Smith, by Merlo J Pusey. Published by BYU Press.
20. Lost Apostles Shepard/Marquardt: Forgotten Members of Mormonism’s Original Quorum of the Twelve, by H Michael Marquardt & William Shepherd. Published by Signature Books
21. Wilford Woodruff Journals, ed. By Dan Vogel. Published by Signature Books. 
22. Temple Documents Series, Ed. By Devery Anderson & Gary Bergera. Published by Signature Books.
    Joseph Smith’s Quorum of the Anointed (Signed)
    The Nauvoo Endowment Companies (Signed)
    The Development of LDS Temple Worship 1846-2000 
23. Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, by D. Michael Quinn. Published by Signature Books. 
24. Elder Statesman: A Biography of J Reuben Clark, by D. Michael Quinn. Published by Signature Books. 
25. David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Greg Prince & Robert Wright. Published by the University of Utah Press.
26. Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration, by Cheryl Bruno, Joe Steve Swick III, & Nicholas S. Literski. Published by Greg Kofford Books
27. Life Writings of Frontier Women, (13 Volumes) Various. Published by the Utah State University Press.
28. In A Rugged Land: Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, And the Three Mormon Towns Collaboration, 1953-1954, by James Swensen. Published by the University of Utah Press
29. i-Plates (Graphic Novels, Series), by Stephen Carter & Jett Atwood. 
30. The Glass Looker (Graphic Novel, Series), by Mark Elwood
31. The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Parts 1 & 2, by Scott Hales. Published by Kofford Books. 
32. Future Day Saints: Welcome to New Zion & Future Day Saints: The Gnolaumite Crystal (Graphic Novels), by Matt Page. Published by Matt Page.
33. As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture, by Julie Smith. Published by Kofford Books
34. Conflict in the Quorum: Orson Pratt, Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, by Gary Bergera. Published b Signature Books
35. Handcarts to Zion: The Story of a Unique Western Migration, 1856-1860, by LeRoy and Ann Hafen. Published (originally) by the Arthur H Clark Company. 
36. Mercy Without End: Towards a More Inclusive Church, by Lavina Fielding Anderson. Published by Signature Books
37. Terrible Revolution: Latter-day Saints and the American Apocalypse by Christopher James Blythe. Published by Oxford University Press
38. This is the Plate: Utah Food Traditions, by Carol Edison, Eric A. Eliason, & Lynne S McNeill. Published by the University of Utah Press.
39. Visions in a Seer Stone: Joseph Smith and the Making of the Book of Mormon, by William Davis. Published by University of North Carolina Press.
40. Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness, by Paul Reeve. Published by Oxford University Press. 
41. Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows, by Will Bagley. Published by University of Oklahoma Press
42. The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History, by Darren Parry. Published by BCC Press.
43. A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women’s Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870 by Laruel Thatcher Ulrich. Published by Knopf.
44. Approaching Zion, by Hugh Nibley. Published by Deseret Book
45. Third Wheel: Peculiar Stories of Mormon Women in Love. By Melissa Leilani Larson. Published by BCC Press.
46. Collected Plays of Eric Samuelsen, Eric Samuelsen. Published by 
47. Lawless Women, by Heather Bergevin. Published by BCC Press. 
48. An Imperfect Roundness, by Melody Johnson. Published by BCC Press.
49. Heresies of Nature, by Margaret Blair Young. Published by Signature Books.
50. Queer Mormon Theology: An Introduction, by Blaire Ostler. Published by BCC Press.
51. Goodbye, I Love You, by Carol Lynn Pearson. Published by Random House.
52. Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism, by Taylor Petrey. Published by the University of North Carolina Press
53. Healing the Wounded Soul, Jack Christianson. Published by Covenant Communications.
54. Writing Mormon History: Historians and Their Books, ed. By Joe Geisner. Published by Signature Books.
55. Women’s Book of Mormon (series of novels), by Mette Harrison. Published by BCC Press.
56. Moroni and the Swastika: Mormons in Nazi Germany, by David Conley Nelson. Published by the University of Oklahoma Press.
57. Justice and Mercy: Studies of Transgression in the Latter-day Saint Community, by Gary Bergera, edited by Bryan Buchannan. Published by Bryan Buchannan.

ENJOY!

Andrew Hamilton
BCC Book Review Editor
1/1/2023