Loyal to the Word

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith

Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith 

Synopsis: This is the classic collection of Joseph Smith's teachings gleaned from the History of the Church, the most impressive repository of Joseph's teachings in existence. For years it has been a standard in Church literature, and contains a wealth of Prophetic teachings.

Strong Points: This book belongs in every Latter-day Saint home and should be read by every member of the Church. A must read for all! Do you want to gain insight into the mysteries of the kingdom? Then read it, obsess over it, memorize from it, love it. Next to the scriptures, it can be considered a standard by which to measure doctrine.

Weak Points: The book is not entirely complete, as the fact that subsequent volumes have since been published about the teachings of Joseph Smith attests to. Utterances like those found in the Words of Joseph Smith (from the Nauvoo era) are also incredibly valuable but missing from this book. The newer Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith's Teachings is more of a catch-all for Joseph's sayings, but is arranged completely different from this book. However, no shortcoming is great enough to make this book any less than 5/5.

Interesting: 5/5

Must Read: 5/5

Overall: 5/5  

The Lectures On Faith 

Synopsis: The Lectures On Faith is a collection of organized sermons or lectures about faith and God for the school of the prophets in Kirtland. Probably co-authored by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, it is certainly approved by the Prophet, as it was printed in the forepart of the Doctrine and Covenants ever since 1835, and wasn't removed until 1921, being not quite the status of scripture.

Strong Points: The Lectures On Faith contains many important teachings relative to God and Faith. In fact, the "Faith" entry in the Bible dictionary is nothing less than a paraphrase of these invaluable lectures. In studying the subject of faith and the nature of God, there is no better source to draw from. Also, since the Lectures are so fundamental to our understanding of God and faith, and it contains the teachings of Joseph Smith, we can class them with Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith as next the scriptures in importance and a standard for all doctrine.

Weak Points: Not every lecture is equally exciting, and sometimes the writing style can feel a little tedious.

Interesting: 3.7/5

Must Read: 5/5

Overall: 4.9/5

Discourses of Brigham Young

Compiled by John A. Widtsoe

Synopsis: This is the most well-known collection of Brigham Young's teachings, and was taken out of the comprehensive and voluminous Journal of Discourses.

Strong Points: This is a pretty well-rounded book of Brigham Young's teachings. It contains a wide variety of topics and much of it is quite interesting and powerful. Reading it gives you a good understanding of how Brigham Young taught, what much of his teachings were, and even gives you some insight into what the man was like.

Weak Points: Because Brigham Young was president of the Church for so long, and his teachings so multitudinous, it is difficult to put his teachings into such a concise format as a single volume - a natural challenge to this type of book. It is well-rounded, but the book seems to purposefully avoid the more controversial sayings of Brigham Young, a thing I found to be a little disappointing, yet understandable. My single biggest complaint, however, would be that much of the book contains practical advice and not really doctrine, and which parts were somewhat less interesting for me. But this is simply a reflection of Brigham Young's famous pragmatism.

Interesting: 3/5

Must Read: 3.8/5

Overall: 3.8/5

Jesus the Christ

By James E. Talmage

Synopsis: A biography on the life of Jesus Christ, written by the literary master and apostle James E. Talmage, and commissioned by the First Presidency. The editorial board for the book was the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and therefore it has a unique position among gospel books. It has long been a great classic in Latter-day Saint literature.

Strong Points: This book is absolutely incredible. It ought to be found in the home of every Latter-day Saint. In masterful language and story-telling, it gives a recounting of the events in the New Testament with insights and explanations that bring an excellent understanding to the events. It is told so well, I had a very difficult time putting the book down, particularly at the climax of the historical events surrounding the crucifixion, and have since considered it my favorite book I have read.

Weak Points: In Jesus the Christ, Talmage did not make use of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, a situation that has been corrected by later writers on the same topic.

Interesting: 5/5

Must Read: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

Articles of Faith

By James E. Talmage

Synopsis: An in-depth study of the doctrine relating to the 13 Articles of Faith.

Strong Points: Articles of Faith is a classic and represents a comprehensive study of the gospel by a masterful mind, Elder James E. Talmage, since the Articles of Faith really encompass all of the tenets of our religion.

Weak Points: I found the book to be well written, but for some reason not as interesting as I would have hoped. A great book in its own right, but it is not to be compared with Talmage's ultimate masterpiece, Jesus the Christ.

Interesting: 3.9/5

Must Read: 4.2/5

Overall: 4.4/5

A New Witness for the Articles of Faith

By Bruce R. McConkie

Synopsis: Elder McConkie's added witness to the principles first covered in Elder Talmage's original Articles of Faith.

Strong Points: I found this book to be a very good read, and also very comprehensive in its treatment of gospel subjects. The Articles of Faith are expounded to include the whole scope of our religion. I would say that I enjoyed it somewhat more than the original Articles of Faith.

Weak Points: The book seemed to me to get a little rushed at the end with the 11-13th Articles of Faith. This could be because there isn't quite as much interesting doctrine surrounding those ones (which I concur with), or because the book was written in the very twilight of Elder McConkie's life, and was even published postmortem.

Interesting: 4.3/5

Must Read: 3.9/5

Overall: 4.6/5

A Marvelous Work and A Wonder

By LeGrand Richards

Synopsis: An scriptural exposition of the Restoration of the Gospel and how it fits within the framework of prophecy found in the Bible.

Strong Points: Though the title of the book is meant to refer to the Restoration of the Gospel, the book is itself "A Marvelous Work and A Wonder"!This book is a great read. Elder Richards here composed a very intriguing study of the Gospel and the scriptures supporting the claims of the Church. Whether used as a conversion tool, or read to gain a better understanding or appreciation of the Church's scriptural foundation, this book is an excellent resource. 

Weak Points: I have been trying for some time to think of readily apparent drawbacks to this book, but I have failed to do so.

Interesting: 4.8/5

Must Read: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.8/5

Truth Restored

By Gordon B. Hinckley

Synopsis: A brief history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, focusing more particularly on the Joseph Smith and pioneer eras.

Strong Points: This book really surprised me. I started the reading not expecting much, but I found this little work to be extremely well-written and enjoyable. It offers a concise and clear history of the Church and really lays things out in a way that makes Church history memorable for the reader.

Weak Points: It is quite a bit shorter of a book than I am used to reading, particularly for a history book. I generally enjoy greater amounts of detail.

Interesting: 4/5

Must Read: 3.1/5

Overall: 3.8/5 

In the Beginning

By Walt Brown

Synopsis: A book written by a scientific expert explaining in very technical details why evolution is false and also proposing a very interesting theory as an alternative to tectonic plate theory, called the hydroplate theory, which explains many previously unexplained phenomena of the earth and also fits into the context of the Bible. The claims of evolutionary theory are rebutted head-on and the scriptures vindicated, as well as mysteries like the frozen mammoths explained.

Strong Points: Lots and lots of questions are answered by reading this book! Intriguing topic, as well. And it's nice to see someone vindicate the scriptural view instead of trying to mingle facets of Darwinism with scripture. Also it is very easy to tell that the author of this book is very intelligent. Plenty of interesting visual aids and illustrations are available, which make it appear much like a science textbook - only interesting to read! Really, really great book!

Weak Points: The book is very technical, often a little too technical for the layman. Not that technicalities are a bad thing, but the reader may find their interest waver just a little as they trudge through those parts. Also, the book is not written by an LDS author, but from the Protestant perspective, which is very close but not spot on to an LDS interpretation of certain scriptures or ideas about the creation.

Interesting: 3/5

Must Read: 2.3/5

Overall: 4.4/5

Darwin's Black Box 

By Michael J. Behe

Synopsis: This now-famous book discusses the virtual impossibility of evolution on the cellular level. Written by a biochemist, this book explains in terms and allegories which the layman can readily understand, just what sort of challenge evolution faces up against. It concludes that since evolution could not have created complex cells, life must have been designed.

Strong Points: This book does an effective job of communicating to the reader why it would be so incredibly improbable for a process like evolution to create the human body (much less every living thing we see in the world). I recommend this book for those who are curious or troubled with this topic. 

Weak Points: Some chapters are a little less interesting than others.

Interesting: 3/5

Must Read: 2.3/5

Overall: 3.8/5

Bones of Contention (Revised and Updated Edition)

By Marvin L. Lubenow

Synopsis: This book assesses the fossils that have been used to try to demonstrate human evolution (i.e. the "cave men" fossils). It shows that these fossils are not missing links, but are either entirely human or entirely ape, and have been interpreted incorrectly due to evolutionary bias.

Strong Points: This book is very well-researched and written on an interesting topic which ought to be relevant to all whose religion tells them that they were created in God's image. I highly recommend this book to any who are curious or struggling with the evolutionary notion that mankind evolved from apes.

Weak Points: It may be disconserting to some to find that this book was not written by a scientist, but a pastor. It is so well-researched, however, and so comprehensive that the author has become a veritable expert in the field, and the author and his book could without a doubt hold their own against evolutionary scientists. Also for weak points, in the Revised and Updated Edition, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to demonstrating how evolution has been used repeatedly to justify racism - an interesting fact in its own right but not really why I bought the book.

Interesting: 3.1/5

Must Read: 2.9/5

Overall: 3.9/5

Man: His Origin and Destiny

By Joseph Fielding Smith

Synopsis: A treatise against the theory of evolution as well as other destructive views such as higher criticism and doubts about the historicity of Jesus, written by gospel scholar and doctrinal expert Joseph Fielding Smith in 1954 while he was president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Strong Points: While it was written it 1954, I found this book to be surprisingly current in its treatment of the issues of evolutionary theory. A modern reader could still get very much out of this aspect of the book, so don't feel worried that it might seem too dated. Where President Smith was not qualified, he referred to experts on the subjects at hand. The book also covers many peripheral topics which tie in to the falsehood of evolution, such as material on "higher criticism" and the historicity of Jesus. A chapter about the defense of the Flood as a literal event is also included and I thought it was quite well done. As expected, in every case President Smith maintained a view that was faithful and consistent to the scriptures, a thing which I of course appreciate very much. This is an excellent book and fulfills a great need in the Church. It should be read widely by members of the Church and respected as a great support to their belief in the scriptures.

Weak Points: I think the book would have flowed better if each of the chapters were broken up into subheadings. Instead, each chapter ran continuously and often incorporated very long quotations for pages at a time. Also, unfortunately this book is out of print and therefore not easy to acquire.

Interesting: 4/5

Must Read: 4.3/5

Overall: 4.7/5

The First 2,000 Years

By W. Cleon Skousen

Synopsis: The first in a series of three books about the the history of the world as related in the scriptures, The First 2,000 Years and the subsequent volumes are veritable masterpieces that retell the story of mankind in a way that is strictly faithful to the scriptures. This volume covers the beginning of the world until the end of the first 2,000 years of human history, or from Adam to Abraham.

Strong Points: A fascinating read that puts things into a very interesting perspective. W. Cleon Skousen had a gift for making the Old Testament readable and interesting, even in places where it might not seem so. There are many points in the book which bring up concepts that a reader of the scriptures likely missed. The best part is that it brings the scriptures to life for the reader while staying very faithful to the scriptural text.

Weak Points: This first volume in the series, though keenly interesting, probably takes the most liberties from the text of the 3 books (which is not much, since the books are great for staying true to the course of the scriptures). Also, in this volume Skousen concludes that Melchizedek and Shem were not the same person, a conclusion that I do not agree with and that has much evidence to the contrary.

Interesting: 5/5

Must Read: 2.9/5

Overall: 4.8/5

The Third Thousand Years

By W. Cleon Skousen

Synopsis: The second in a series of three books about the the history of the world as related in the scriptures, The Third Thousand Years, as well as the volume preceeding and the subsequent volume, are veritable masterpieces that retell the story of mankind in a way that is strictly faithful to the scriptures. This volume covers the turbulent intervening years between the death of Abraham and the rise of King David. It includes very detailed information about Joseph of Egypt, Moses, and the history and struggles of Israel. It also contains explanations of the Law of Moses.

Strong Points: A fascinating read that puts things into a very interesting perspective. W. Cleon Skousen had a gift for making the Old Testament readable and interesting, even in places where it might not seem so. There are many points in the book which bring up concepts that a reader of the scriptures likely missed. The best part is that it brings the scriptures to life for the reader while staying very faithful to the scriptural text.

Weak Points: The Third Thousand Years, though interesting and well-written like the other two books, was probably the one I found to be least interesting of the three. But this, I suppose, could merely be due to my personal level of interest in the subject matter. And this is not to say that the book is boring - it is not.

Interesting: 4/5

Must Read: 2.9/5

Overall: 4.8/5

The Fourth Thousand Years

By W. Cleon Skousen

Synopsis: The third in a series of three books about the the history of the world as related in the scriptures, The Fourth Thousand Years and the previous two volumes are veritable masterpieces that retell the story of mankind in a way that is strictly faithful to the scriptures. This volume covers the reign of King David up to but not including his Divine descendant, Jesus Christ.

Strong Points: A fascinating read that puts things into a very interesting perspective. W. Cleon Skousen had a gift for making the Old Testament readable and interesting, even in places where it might not seem so. There are many points in the book which bring up concepts that a reader of the scriptures likely missed. The best part is that it brings the scriptures to life for the reader while staying very faithful to the scriptural text.

Weak Points: This is the longest book in the series. While it is full of intriguing stories and puts the history in an easily understandable layout for the reader, the subject matter of the fourth thousand years of the world was not found by me to be quite as exciting perhaps as The First 2,000 Years. But still a very excellent book.

Interesting: 4.4/5

Must Read: 2.9/5

Overall: 4.8/5

Joseph Smith and the Restoration

By Ivan J. Barrett

Synopsis: This is a one-volume history of the Restoration, from Joseph Smith's heritage and beginnings to 1846 just before the exodus from Nauvoo. Not only does it recount in great detail the experiences of Joseph Smith, it also includes side stories of his contemporaries like the mission experiences of Wilford Woodruff and also that of Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, for example.

Strong Points: This book is a fascinating read. The cover looks bland, but inside the book is bounding with incredible accounts of the Restoration that keep the reader riveted. It is also an excellent repository of information all found in one volume. If you were to only read one book about Joseph Smith and the Church History of that period, this would be the one I would recommend to you.

Weak Points: I know this sounds childish, but I think the book could have been enhanced by having more and better pictures. I say this only because I think pictures are important with historical books of this nature when trying to put the reader in the historical place and time. Also, a more exhaustive treatment of the more controversial and less-understood aspects of the Prophet's life would have been welcome.

Interesting: 5/5

Must Read: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.8/5

Brother Joseph: Seer of a New Dispensation, Vol. 1 & 2

Written by Richard N. Skousen, based off the lecture notes of W. Cleon Skousen

Synopsis: A two volume history of the life of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel. Based off of W. Cleon Skousen's lecture notes and written by his grandson, these books are the closest thing we have to W. Cleon Skousen's treatment of Joseph Smith and the Restoration era.

Strong Points: These volumes are a great read and are full of beautiful illustrations that serve to put the reader in the time and place. The look of the books, inside and out, will not disappoint. Also, the substance of these written works is very good.

Weak Points: I cannot help comparing these volumes to the one volume classic Joseph Smith and the Restoration by Ivan J. Barrett. And when I do that, they just don't quite live up to that precedent of excellence (but most books on the same subject would probably not, either). Interesting in their own right, and containing unique insights and information, these books are by no means bad. But I did not feel the same excitement I did when I read Barrett's work. Also, a thing that bugged me was that the index appeared only at the end of volume two, and volume one had no index of its own.

Interesting: 4.6/5

Must Read: 2.5/5

Overall: 4/5

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

By Richard L. Bushman

Synopsis: A biography of Joseph Smith written by a historian who is a faithful member, but written from a more-or-less objective view, and which does not shy away from the controversial events and aspects of Joseph Smith's life.

Strong Points: This book is great because it tells very frankly the facts of Joseph Smith's life without mincing words. It covers all the controversial topics, including the much-thought-of treasure-seeking, the Prophet's overblown involvement in "magic," the Prophet's plural marriages, etc.

Weak Points: Sometimes, in order to take a topical approach, the book seems to mention information out of chronological order, which might mix up a reader who is not familiar with the life of Joseph Smith. Also, I would have hoped for more development on the subject of Joseph Smith's plural marriages. Todd Compton's In Sacred Loneliness is excellent for that.

Interesting: 4.8/5

Must Read: 3.9/5

Overall: 4.6/5

The Great Apostasy

By James E. Talmage

Synopsis: A historical account of how the truth of the Gospel in the Meridian of Time was perverted shortly after the death of Jesus' Apostles.

Strong Points: This book gives in a very straight-forward yet accurate way a history of how the Great Apostasy occurred. It has many interesting facts in it yet is not so in-depth as to lose the reader.

Weak Points: The paragraphs in the book are numbered, which I thought was a strange way to lay out a book of this type. Also, naturally since it was published in 1909, there has been much more relevant research in this area which is not included in the book.

Interesting: 4/5

Must Read: 3/5

Overall: 4.1/5

The World and the Prophets

By Hugh W. Nibley

Synopsis: A written version of a radio broadcast series delivered by Hugh Nibley himself in 1954, originally entitled "Time Vindicates the Prophets." The book establishes how the prophetic tradition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Joseph Smith and his successors, is exactly in line with and a continuation of that of the Early Christian Church. The book also documents how prophetic gifts of the Early Church, which we now enjoy in the Restored Church today, when once were lost in antiquity slowly gave way to poor substitutes such as philosophy and rhetoric/argumentation skills.

Strong Points: The book is a classic example of Nibley's perceptive mind and is meticulous in its research and compelling in its arguments.

Weak Points: The book version seemed a little bit of a dry read. The audio version, "Time Vindicates the Prophets," is actually much more engaging. I highly recommend the audio version.

Interesting: 2.9/5

Must Read: 2.2/5

Overall: 3/5

Mormonism and Early Christianity

By Hugh W. Nibley

Synopsis: A collection of essays by Hugh Nibley on the subject of similarities between Mormonism and Early Christianity. A significant amount of the book discusses Early Christian rites that are remarkably similar to our temple ceremonies.

Strong Points: The reader will be enthralled to read about some of the amazing similarities between the revelations of Joseph Smith and scholarly research about Early Christianity that reach far beyond the possibility of coincidence.

Weak Points: Like virtually all of Nibley's works, they are not written for the layman and therefore may not be the most useful reading material on the subject for most people. I would recommend instead Matthew B. Brown's books The Gate of Heaven and All Things Restored if the reader is looking for concise treatments of the similarity between Mormonism and true religion of antiquity.

Interesting: 3.2/5

Must Read: 2.4/5

Overall: 3/5

Since Cumorah

By Hugh W. Nibley

Synopsis: This book takes a look at ancient literary texts and other evidences that have come to light since the publication of the Book of Mormon, which serve to corroborate the ancient origins of the sacred record from Cumorah.

Strong Points: This was actually my favorite of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley that I have read, which would have surprised me prior to investigating the book. But when I first picked up a copy many years ago, I became very interested immediately. The idea that the Book of Mormon claims to ancient authenticity could be tested, and the fact that Nibley was bold enough to do it, was intriguing to me. I found the book a very enlightening and satisfying read. 

Weak Points: The book does cover common concerns over the Book of Mormon's authenticity, such as it claim that elephants and horses existed in the Americas anciently, and that steel was used among its ancient inhabitants. But I would have liked these portions to have been expanded to a more substantial treatment of those subjects.

Interesting: 3.9/5

Must Read: 2.9/5

Overall: 3.4/5

Temple and Cosmos

By Hugh W. Nibley

Synopsis: A compilation of essays by Hugh Nibley that explore the relationship of the temple to the cosmos.

Strong Points: The book had many nuggets of precious insight relating to the temple worship that Latter-day Saints hold so dear.

Weak Points: Despite the intriguing topic of the book, I didn't find that provided as much insight into temple worship as I was hoping, or that it presented gems of insights only in scattered locations throughout the book. Though this is a good book, like other Nibley works, it is not well-suited for study by the layman. To get the readily available insights that the reader is probably looking for with this book, I would suggest instead Matthew B. Brown's books The Gate of Heaven and All Things Restored. Brown lays things all out very concisely so that the reader gets the most out of their reading experience.

Interesting: 3.2/5

Must Read: 2.7/5

Overall: 3/5

The Gate of Heaven

By Matthew B. Brown

Synopsis: This book is an in-depth study of the symbolism and doctrine associated with the temple, drawing on a variety of sources.

Strong Points: This book is well-researched and comprehensive in its scope. It is the perfect book for anyone who wants to gain the most from their temple experiences, or to answer a myriad of questions relating to the temple for those who did not grasp much of its meaning.

Weak Points: Though I loved the exhaustive end notes at the close of each chapter, and they contain invaluable information, they seemed to create a drag in the progress you make through the book as you read, and therefore constitute a bit of a chore sometimes.

Interesting: 4.1/5

Must Read: 3.3/5

Overall: 4.1/5

Joseph Fielding Smith: Gospel Scholar, Prophet of God 

By Francis M. Gibbons

Synopsis: A biography of Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of the greatest Gospel scholars that the Church has ever had.

Strong Points: This book has some very interesting anecdotes and information that give insight into the life of Joseph Fielding Smith. Keenly interesting events like the controversy with B.H. Roberts over Pre-Adamites, his encounter with Reorganite leader and cousin Frederick M. Smith, and other interesting and colorful things, are found within the pages of the book.

Weak Points: Althougth I appreciated the detail, sometimes the long recitals of Joseph Fielding Smith's Stake Conference travel itinerary (which was substantial) was a little on the dull side.

Interesting: 4/5

Must Read: 2.6/5

Overall: 3.9/5

Ezra Taft Benson: Statesman, Patriot, Prophet of God 

By Francis M. Gibbons

Synopsis: A biography about Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a true watchman on the tower.

Strong Points: This book gives some valuable insight into the life of this passionate and stirring prophet of God.

Weak Points: I think I would have liked to have read more in-depth about President Benson's interactions with other General Authorities, and more details about how his political conservativism affected those interactions and his many powerful sermons.

Interesting: 3.9/5

Must Read: 2.6/5

Overall: 3.9/5

The Bruce R. McConkie Story 

By Joseph Fielding McConkie

Synopsis: A biography of Bruce R. McConkie, apostle and one of the greatest scriptorians of the Church, by his son Joseph.

Strong Points: This book has great information in it, some of which serves well to clear up misinformation and myths. The chapter on the book Mormon Doctrine, for instance, is extremely interesting as well as a blow to the critics of that monumental work. Very interesting book.

Weak Points: I would have liked to have been told more details, and more insider information. For instance, when the book mentioned that Elder McConkie was asked to speak on assignment by the First Presidency on a controversial subject, and Bruce made a joke about going to be tarred and feathered - I would have liked to know particularly which talk that was.

Interesting: 5/5

Must Read: 4/5

Overall: 4.1/5

The Making of America

By W. Cleon Skousen

Synopsis: The Constitution of the United States is an inspired document established by God as a pattern of freedom for the world. God "suffered [the Constitution] to be established...for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles" (D&C 101:77). He said, "for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose" (D&C 101:80). This monumental book undertakes an exhaustive study of the principles of freedom which are found in the Constitution. It contains historical background to set the scene and also a clause-by-clause interpretation and commentary of the entire Constitution, using the very words of the Founding Fathers.

Strong Points: This book is jam-packed with important information, and is excellent for fulfilling its purpose - educating its readers about the Constitution and the vision of the Founders. For these reasons, it may not be out of line to consider this book one of the most important political works of our generation.

Weak Points: Because it is so comprehensive and exhaustive, the book is very long. This is not a bad thing, but it takes a strong resolve to undertake to start and finish the entire thing.

Interesting: 3.6/5

Must Read: 2.8/5

Overall: 4.6/5

The Five Thousand Year Leap

By W. Cleon Skousen

Synopsis: A book about the 28 principles which underlie the genius of the Constitution, and which have allowed America, and the world, to progress farther in the last 200 years than it has in the last 5,000 years. The principles are discussed by liberally drawing upon the words of the Founders themselves or of the philosophers and great minds that influenced them.  

Strong Points: This is an excellent book and is very important. It tells in a very concise and interesting way the inspired philosophy and principles of truth behind the Constitution of the United States, the greatest freedom-formulating document in the history of mankind. The chapters are brief and it is very readable. Nevertheless, the reader will come away with a greatly enriched understanding of the principles of freedom given to men from above, which need to be regained and preserved. Highly recommended!

Weak Points: In their haste to come out with this new edition, the editors have made many formatting and editing mistakes (with punctuation, etc.) that unfortunately detract from the excellent content of the book. Something to just look past, I guess. Also, the cover says "Forward by Glenn Beck," but what they really had him do was rewrite the book's introduction. I would have much, much preferred that Glenn Beck simply discuss the grand impact of the book and its author in his foreward and leave the original introduction as it was authored by Skousen. One last thing: The editors' inclusion of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" in the Appendix seemed to lack relevance to the purpose of the book. I would have much preferred selected quotes from The Federalist Papers or something along those lines.

Interesting: 4.4/5

Must Read: 4.9/5

Overall: 4.5/5

The Road to Serfdom

By Friedrich Hayek 

Synopsis: A classic in literature written by famous Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom is a thesis on planned economies versus freedom. The basic premise of the book is that when we allow government to encroach beyond its proper limits, individual freedom is necessarily destroyed to the extent that government undertakes to plan the economy. Taking Nazi Germany as a particular case in point, he shows that those who undertake to plan society and create it in their own image cannot allow for individual freedom to exist if their goals are to be met. Therefore freedom and general prosperity may only be provided by limited government in the tradition of the U.S. Constitution. Hayek also lays an undeniably air-tight case for the fact that Naziism (i.e. National Socialism) stemmed from the Marxist/socialist mindset that permeated Germany for many years prior.

Strong Points: The logic of Hayek's arguments are very solid, simply because what he has written is eternal truth. The truth of his writings is quite undeniable, and actually observable in history. The definitive edition is excellent with its footnotes that provide historical context and explanations that are helpful to the modern reader, as well as an introduction that provides historical information about Hayek and how the book came to existence.

Weak Points: The arguments of the book are many and sometimes fairly involved. It would be helpful if either Hayek or the editor provided a concise statement in point form of the main arguments at the end of each chapter. This would provide a much more ready reference to the ideas found within the book. Also, real or hypothetical examples would have been helpful in the case of some of the arguments, to give the reader a clearer idea of what Hayek was arguing.

Interesting: 3/5

Must Read: 2.9/5

Overall: 4/5

Hostage to the Devil

By Malachi Martin

Synopsis: Written by a Catholic priest, this book details five documented cases of demonic possession in America in frightening detail, including transcripts of conversations during the Catholic exorcisms, as well as analysis of the possession process based on the cases - i.e. how the unclean spirits seek to intrude into a person's life and the steps which follow by which they ultimately sieze control. Of course, the Catholic priests are devoid of the Priesthood of God, which makes the actual exorcism a gruelling experience that can last for days, weeks, or months. Though they do not have Priesthood power, it is apparent that the power of faith and prayer is sometimes enough to expel these frightening interlopers.

Strong Points: This book is incredibly intriguing. It will forever change the way you think about the devil and his minions. It gives very interesting insight into how the kingdom of the Devil works, their chain of command, and some of the strange rules which, for whatever reason, they are bound to abide by. I actually found that this book acted as a strong deterrent against sin because it gives its reader a clear and unveiled picture of the ugliness, horror, and darkness that pervades the kingdom of the Devil. Once you know the true horror beneath the facade of sin, you desperately don't want any part of it.

Weak Points: This book is not recommended for those who are easily frightened, have a difficult time dealing with disturbing images and concepts, or are sensitive to very foul profanity (issuing from the possessed individuals).

Interesting: 5/5

Must Read: 1.9/5

Overall: 4/5

Return from Tomorrow

By George Ritchie

Synopsis: A short book that is the true story of how George Ritchie died while in an army hospital and then had a very amazing and enlightening near death experience, and even met the Savior Jesus Christ.

Strong Points: The amazing things the author learned through the process of his near death experience give a new perspective to the Spirit World. A very good book. The most interesting and powerful point in the book is actually early on in his near death experience, where Ritchie meets the Savior and gives a poignant description of Him.

Weak Points: George Ritchie was not and never has been a member of the Church. While this is not a problem for the book, however it is not written from the full perspective of an understanding of the Restored Gospel. Also, I found myself wanting the descriptions of the near death experience to count for a larger part of the book. Much of the book was a description of Ritchie's life before and after, and while pertinent to the message and story of the book, was of secondary interest.

Interesting: 4/5

Must Read: 2.5/5

Overall: 3.7/5

The Case Against the Fed

By Murray N. Rothbard

Synopsis: A book written by a respected and prolific Austrian economist which tells why a Central Bank (The Federal Reserve in America) is detrimental to the economy and society, and advocates its abolishment. This subject matter is relevant for review by Loyal to the Word because of the Federal Reserve's undoubted place in the "secret combination which shall be among you" in the last days (Ether 8:24).

Strong Points: The book is fairly well-written for the layman, and tells in a short form the story behind the founding of the Fed, and is especially interesting when it highlights the blatant hold which the bankers had over the politicans of the day to effect their plans. It also explains the basic principles of money, the nature of banking, and the fraudulent practice of fractional reserve banking which is foundational to the Federal Reserve System.

Weak Points: The book was quite short, unfortunately, even though there was quite a bit of story to tell. Also, although the book was well written, some concepts still could have used further clarification (or could have been aided by more diagrams), in order to make the message more understandable to the layman who is unfamiliar with many of the concepts.

Interesting: 3.5/5

Must Read: 2.2/5

Overall: 3.8/5

The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve

By G. Edward Griffin

Synopsis: This book chronicles the story and workings of the secret combination that seeks control over the world (see Ether 8:24-25). Though not written by an LDS author and not written from a religious viewpoint, this book gives the details that a seeker after truth must need to know, while staying true to the correct worldview of Austrian Economics and the Constitution of the United States. Written for the layman to understand, this book gives details of history regarding money, banking and specific bankers, as well as their methods for usurping control of nations and ultimately the world. It reveals their ultimate plan to set up a feudalist-socialistic New World Order.

Strong Points: This book is tremendously well-written, easy to understand, and engaging to read. It also covers a wide range of topics, all that cross over to the main topic of discussion - the function and purpose of the Federal Reserve. Meticulously researched, the book will astonish the reader with undeniable evidence of the secret combination's plans. This book is highly recommended.

Weak Points: The book is not written in chronological order of the events discussed, but skips around a fair amount. This is not really problematic, however. The main disagreement I had (and I had very, very few), was the author's dismissal of the idea that Kennedy was assassinated by the secret combination. I disagree, and I found his justifications for his position to be insufficient for me.

Interesting: 4.8/5

Must Read: 4.2/5

Overall: 4.9/5