In my mission, were allowed to read nothing besides the scriptures and those few books in the “Missionary Libraryâ€. I have always been an avid reader, so having a very limited reading supply was one of my challenges as a missionary. I was an English-speaking missionary, so my gospel study time was not shortened by language study time. As a result, I read the scriptures and those few books many times over. This actually was not bad, but by the end of my mission, I was desperate for something else.
In my last area, we volunteered at a library, shelving books for our service hours. To keep me from completely losing my mind while surrounded by all of those glorious but forbidden books, I carried a small notebook and pen with me to write down any and all books that looked even vaguely interesting so I could read them when I got home. I think I read all that were on that list.
In that last area, my companion and I lived with two other sisters who served in a neighboring ward. While out tracting, they’d run into a guy who gave them a well-worn copy of the book The Godmakers to help them see the error of their ways. They accepted the book, deciding it was better they took it than him giving it to someone else. Thus, that book was kicking around our apartment, on a small bookshelf next to the table where we’d eat. It was very tempting… sitting there in arms reach every morning as I’d munch my granola or cheerios… just right there…
Until that point, I’d had very little experience with anti-Mormon stuff. I knew it was out there, but I’d pretty much ignored it and avoided it. I’d read one of the pamphlets handed out at the Manti Pageant, and another one handed out at a temple open house, but they just left me rolling my eyes. One of my earlier companions had collected those little comic book things that were anti-everyone (anti-Mormon, anti-Catholic, anti-Muslim, and a couple more), and we’d found them fairly entertaining. I thought “real†anti-Mormon literature would be more substantial. I don’t remember my parents discouraging me from reading anti-Mormon things, but I recall many youth leaders telling us to completely avoid it, that it was evil and would corrupt us. I basically believed them, and thus, when I gave into temptation and read The Godmakers, I felt like a little kid sneaking into the cookie jar while mom was in the other room. Or worse.
So I read it and was indeed shocked, not by what it was saying, but that anyone could possibly take it seriously. Even then I knew of its reputation as really bad anti-Mormon stuff, and knew there was “better†stuff out there, but still it was actually enlightening because I learned that, instead of anti-Mormon stuff being something to fear, it was something that could be countered. You’d think I would have figured it out earlier on my mission, if not sooner, because we ran into quite a few people who wanted to argue, and I had no problem countering their arguments, but I just thought anti-Mormon books were different, even though a lot of what those people were arguing came from those books. Somehow, I just didn’t make a connection. Thus was born an interest in LDS apologetics, an interest that I’ve enjoyed feeding for quite a while now.
Therefore – though it pains me to say it – The Godmakers is one of the most influential books in my life. I’d always enjoyed reading doctrinal books, but after that, I delved much deeper into LDS doctrinal and historical works. It’s been a very rewarding delve.
So I ask you, is there a particular book (besides scripture) that has been particularly influential to your LDS world?