Resources for the Reader
This site isn’t a catalog of everything wrong with the church. Other people have done that work, and done it thoroughly. When someone asks me where to read more, these are the places I point them.
A fair warning first, especially if you’re a believer. Some of this material is true and is still corrosive to faith and testimony. I don’t much care for writing that only tries to tear faith down. I prefer material that leads to a more open, honest understanding of where our faith and community came from. But I won’t pretend these are gentle. Read them when you’re ready, not because someone dared you.
If you’re new, start here
Start with A History of God by Karen Armstrong. It’s a gentle way into the bigger questions, and it doesn’t try to tear anything down.
The bigger questions
Questions about Joseph Smith often lead to questions about God and religion in general. These take those on from very different angles.
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- A History of God by Karen Armstrong
- The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
- The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Dawkins is the best-known case against religion in general. I’m not anti-God, and I don’t subscribe to the kind of atheism that tries to be the opposite of theism, so read him alongside Armstrong, who traces how people have understood God across thousands of years.
Reading is only one way in. If you’d rather watch, try the viewer list. And if you haven’t yet, read why this site exists.