Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism

I am the author of "Becoming Gods." It has been re-titled "Inside Today's Mormonism." For those interested, please refer to that title for this book. They are identical, but only with different covers and titles. Thank you, R. Abanes

While reading this book, it's not painfully obvious that the author is Christian and as someone who is not religious, I appreciate that. Some Mormons may try to argue their way out of his line of reasoning, but his logic is well-founded and clear. If a person tries to say things like Lehi's family was only a small contributor to the population of the Americas, he should look at the introduction to the Book of Mormon, which states the contrary. Also, the hill cumorah as described in Mormon 6:6 clearly states Mormon hid the plates in the hill. Joseph Smith found them over a thousand years later, supposedly where they were originally hidden. In NY, not anywhere else. Abanes is objective, while Mormon apologetics seem to try backflips to keep their brand of "logic" on top while failing to do so to the analytical mind.

Written by an evangelical Christian, this book could have been part of the superb "for Dummies" series. Neat, readable, and highly accurate, Abanes clearly breaks down the most deep Mormon doctrines (the progression of men to godhood, women as polygamous spirit-baby producers, the three levels of heaven, etc.) in very simple, clear terms. I especially reccomend this book if you are investigating the church, because the missionaries tend to focus on the simpler aspects of LDS belief, and try to guide you toward an emotion-based conversion. Read this and you'll know what you're getting into. If you like what you see, or don't have a problem with it, then you'll be just fine in Mormonism. Otherwise prepare to have a long and difficult struggle with these concepts, as they are everything Mormonism builds to.

In what appears to be a sequel to his well-researched book "One Nation Under Gods," Richard Abanes provides "a closer look at 21st-century Mormonism." And overall, he is successful, dealing with such issues as Joseph Smith, God, and polygamy. The issue is, how do Mormons think today (or, at least, how are they taught by their LDS Church leaders), and Abanes provides abundant documentation to show that this material is more than just his personal opinion. I found it interesting that he included a short chapter in the appendix by Mormon apologist Dr. Daniel C. Peterson titled "Why I am a Mormon." I am surprised Dr. Peterson would write what amounted to a page and a half (of a 460+-page book) about why Mormonism is, for him, "inexpressibly good." Anybody reading the parts before the appendix would certainly not be convinced by Peterson's limited words dealing with his personal testimony that Mormonism is good, especially given the detail that Abanes provided to show how, no, there are too many issues to say this is a true religion. Perhaps this could have led to a "Mormon and Evangelical in Conversation" type of book, though we've already been there and done that. Although Mormons may not like Abanes' analysis, there is no arguing with his facts. I think he did a very thorough job reporting the differences, making it very clear what Mormonism teaches and showing "Evangelical Thoughts" (in subtitles) to counter the doctrine(s). My only complaint with the book is that the endnotes are copious--in fact, maybe too copious, taking up a full quarter of the entire book (125+ pages!). Some of the material, I felt, would have been better placed in the regular text. I also wish publishers would get over their apparent fear of scaring readers by feeling they have to use endnotes rather than footnotes. I like to see the information readily at hand, but having them in the back requires a lot of work. Every paragraph seems to have an endnote, and I too often would lose my place, either with the regular text or the endnotes. I just wish it could be placed at the bottom of each page, allowing a reader to either skip them or, if they wanted, look at it and see what else is available. Abanes gets information from a wide variety of sources, and I think these nuggets should not be hidden. Overall, I recommend Becoming Gods for both the layperson and scholar.

I have read a great number of books dealing with Mormonism, both pro and con. To be honest, it usually sounds like a cat fight between to very large cats (Traditional Christianity vs. Mormonism). Accusations, insults, false assertions, misguided criticisms abound on both sides, and NOTHING is accomplished. This book by Abanes, I am pleased to say, goes in a different direction. He is clearly and evangelical Christian, but seems to have chosen a path of tolerance and accuracy rather than just seeking to bludgeon another religion. He tries vey hard to not shy away from difficult issues by raising concerns he has about Mormonism, but at the same time, seeks to simply lay out where differneces between Mormonism and his evangelical views exist. It is a very, very fine line he tries to walk in this book, but the job he does is admirable. The volume is broken down into 10 chapters, covering ten different doctrinal topics, and each is discussed in a way that, was rather enjoyable. The writing style is fast, popular, and engaging. There are four appendices at teh end of the book. One of which is actually written by Dr. Daniel C. Peterson, a Mormon professor of Islamic and Arabic studes at BYU. This has got to say something about what Abanes is trying to do with the book. I especially like the personal stories that Abanes shares form his own life in order to start off each chapter. He uses these short stories to illustrate his personal interaction with Mormons involving the very issue he is going to discuss in the chpater. Brilliant, and again, very engaging. Endnotes abound, if that is your cup of tea. They add a whole different dimension to the book for those who want to dig even deeper into the issue of Mormon beliefs. This is a great book. No need to worry here about whether or not it is just going to be some fundamentalist diatribe against a faith that is held by millions of sincere people. It is critical, to be sure, but in a way that I think has moved us all beyond the name-calling and barbaric bashing of each other that has marked the history of communication between traditional Christians and Mormons. 1. God's Latter-day Prophet; 2. And It Came to Pass; 3. Thus Saith Joseph; 4. One God vs. Many Gods; 5. Heavenly Father Is A Man; 6. Siblings from Eternity Past; 7. After All We Can Do; 8. Ye Are Gods; 9. More Than One Wife; 10. The "Christian" Question.