New Mormon history books

"Recent Releases and New Sale Books" by Benchmark Books
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Within These Prison Walls: Lorenzo Snow's Record Book, 1886-1897 edited by Andrew H. Hedges and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel. Published by the Religious Studies Center & Deseret Book, 2010. 152 pp. $21.99. In this fascinating notebook kept by Rudger Clawson we find copies of personal correspondence and poems by Snow, his doctrinal writings on pre-earth life and the origin of plural marriage, and some detailed notes regarding the goings on in the penitentiary. Many items are show as full-color scans and the transcription of each. One such example is a list of 150 "Names of brethern confined in the Utah Penitentiary for Polygamy and Unlawful Co-habitation." The list includes the age, name, residence, prison term, date of Imp., and by whom each were sentenced.

 

Mormon Graves in Kirtland: A Biographical Dictionary of Early Saints Buried in the Kirtland Area by Janet Lisonbee. Published by John Whitmer Books, 2009. 120 pp. Paper. $9.95. The Kirtland, Ohio area is the final resting place for over a hundred members of the early church. Lisonbee tracks down the burial locations and familial information of these early members. Also included are brief biographies that help to bring their stories to life.

 

150 Years of Song: Hymnody in the Reorganization, 1860-2010 by Richard Clothier. Published by Herald Publishing House, 2010. 111 pp. $15.95. Clothier tells the story of Community of Christ through the story of its hymns and hymnals. As Community of Christ moves into the future, and as its tenth hymnal is in preparation, Clothier provides an important look into the history and musical heritage of a unique people.

 

Community of Christ: An Illustrated History by David J. Howlett, Barbara B. Walden, and John C. Hamer. Published by Herald Publishing House, 2010. 72 pp. Oversize paper. $19.95.  A brief history, along with full-color maps and and striking photographs, gives a look back into the beginnings of the church and tracks its journey to the present day.

 

Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain by Roy Morris, Jr. Published by Simon & Schuster, 2010. 282 pp. $26.00. Contains approximately 10 pages dealing with Mormons and Mark Twain.

 

Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell by John W. Rockwell & Jerry Borrowman. Published by Covenant Communications, 2010. 166 pp. $18.99. This book is not a comprehensive biography, nor is it fiction. It is a collection of accounts about Porter Rockwell that provide insight into his character, his physical stamina and skill, and his devotion to the gospel.

 

Sale Books:

 

The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith, Jr. and the Dissociated Mind by William D. Morain. Published by The American Psychiatric Press, 1998. 246 pp. Reg. Price $69.00, NOW $9.99. "Dr. Morain draws on his experience as a surgeon treating childhood trauma to theorize brilliantly about the psychological consequences of young Joseph Smith, Jr.'s painful leg surgery. He relates this, along with other insightful observations about Smith's familial and environmental influences, to a textual analysis of The Book of Mormon that is remarkably original and convincing. You might not agree with all the controversial conclusions reached in the book, but you won't put it down until you've turned the final page." - William D. Russell, Professor of American History, Graceland College, Former President, Mormon History Association.

 

The Book of Mormon. Facsimile of 1830 edition. Published by Experience Press, 2006. Paper. Reg. Price $20.00, NOW $9.99. Leather (sheepskin). Reg. Price $95.00, NOW $75.00. This paperback facsimile edition uses re-typeset text but is a very inexpensive way to own an 1830 facsimile.  The leather-bound edition features genuine vegetable tanned sheepskin, sewn signatures and blue dye sprinkled on the text block edges.

 

Forthcoming Book - Order Today:

A Tentative Inquiry into the Office of Seventy, 1835-1845 Remarks Presented by Lyndon W. Cook. To be published by Grandin Book Company, 2010. 132 pp. Cloth (400) - $75.00, 3/4 leather (74) - approx. $125.00, full leather (26) - approx. $300.00. This book, written by well-known author and historian Lyndon Cook, explores a topic that has had little examination and includes dozens of photographs of early Seventies in the Church, many of whom are little-known.  Cook details the first ten years of the somewhat fluid office of seventy, highlighting (among other topics) their often tense relationship with other priesthood authorities.  He does an admirable job of analyzing the contentious debate in Kirtland regarding the primacy of seventies versus high priests.

 

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