Religion | Out of Mormonism

When Judy and Jim Robertson felt a spiritual void in their lives, they found "the finest people in the world" to embrace them and a beautifully packaged religion to entice them. Once drawn into Mormonism, they quickly climbed to leadership positions and became worthy temple Mormons, only to become disillusioned with the teaching and demands of the Latter-day Saint religion.

From her unique insider's viewpoint, Judy shares her life as a Mormon woman, her rediscovery of the Jesus of the Bible, and how she and Jim found freedom as they left the LDS church in the face of persecution and confrontation. (back cover)

Out of Mormonism grabbed me from the moment I laid eyes on it. Simply curious about the Mormon religion and how it compares to Christianity, I dove into Robertson's story and came out thoroughly enlightened. Having been around very few Mormons in my lifetime, I had no idea the far-reaching power of the Mormon cult.

In addition to Robertson's personal story, I found the glossary at the end of the book to be extremely helpful. It explains many details of the Mormon church, as well as the terms the religion uses that are the same as Christianity's yet mean different things (for instance, the definition of Jesus).

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book if you are looking for some sort of guide to Mormonism or something to explicitly detail the Mormon religion. Out of Mormonism is mostly a memoir. That said, if you're curious about a Mormon woman's life, this book is for you. Robertson's story not only shows the pitfalls of Mormonism but also encourages readers to really know what they believe in. At the close of the book, Robertson shares her and her husband's start as speakers about the Mormon religion and later founders of Concerned Christians, an organization that's goal is to witness to Mormons.

Some reviewers on Amazon.com are inclined to think that Robertson has serious revenge issues, but I didn't get that at all from her story. The woman I saw was one who felt unsatisfied, became a Mormon to feel whole, felt unsatisfied again, realized that only the Jesus of the Bible could fill her, and then helped others to realize the true nature of Mormonism. It's not revenge, it's testimony. Her desire to help unsatisfied Mormons turn to the true Jesus is commendable, really.

Out of Mormonism is an interesting book, and Robertson's honest look at her choices is refreshing and encouraging. I can't see someone reading it and not being changed at least a little by her story.

Also, in case you are curious, this edition of Out of Mormonism is revised and now includes a few chapters that share other ex-Mormons's stories.

Read an Excerpt | Concerned Christians

Out of Mormonism (224 pages) is published by Bethany House Publishers.

I was kindly given a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Non-Fiction | Gray Matter by David Levy, MD

A perfect blend of medical drama and spiritual insight, Gray Matter is a fascinating account of Dr. David Levy’s decision to begin asking his patients if he could pray for them before surgery. Some are thrilled. Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite literally transformed by the request. (Tyndale House Publishers)

When I found this book free online for Kindle, I knew I had to read it. (Sorry, it isn't on the free list anymore!) First because I find the medical profession quite fascinating, and second because of the topic at hand—prayer in such a scientific and secular field.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Levy, with the help of Joel Kilpatrick, brings together years worth of detailed cases to present readers with an interesting look inside his career and how he incorporates prayer into his practice.

It certainly wasn't an easy step to begin praying with patients and colleagues over health issues and surgeries, and Dr. Levy shares both the positive and negative responses he received for his efforts. But by the end of Gray Matter, readers can see that, though some patients refused help in spiritual matters, many reached out to the hand Dr. Levy offered and accepted a hope that far surpassed medical ability.

Though Gray Matter started a bit slow, I was hooked before long and became quite emotional when reading about some of the more serious cases. But more than discussing prayer and neurosurgery, Gray Matter encourages readers to really look at how God works in ordinary lives and ordinary moments. I can see it as a call to be bolder and braver when it comes to my own faith, to trust in God more fully, and to reconsider prayer's powerful benefits. Gray Matter is an enjoyable, informative read for anyone who is willing to look at the greatness of God and the power of prayer.

Read an Excerpt | Author's Bio

Gray Matter is 288 pages (Softcover), available in eBook format, and is published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Religion | In the Land of Believers

In 2005 Gina Welch, a secular Jew and self-proclaimed atheist who had recently moved from California to Virginia, devised an intriguing plan to discover the truth about Evangelicals. Because of her previous opinion that Evangelicals were an unthinking, misguided group of individuals, and due to her new found consideration after relocating to Virginia that Evangelicals might actually have brains, Welch decided to go to the source for further discovery. Thus, she went to the best place she could think of, driving two hours away to Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church and "immers[ing] herself in the life and language of the devout" (back cover). Two years later, her mission complete, she penned the book that had been growing out of notes taken along the way, In the Land of Believers: An Outsider's Extraordinary Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church.

Of course, Welch realized from the start that to really get the "inside scoop" on Evangelicals, she would need to pretend to be one. Her account of a faked conversion and subsequent baptism adds humor to her tale, though, for me (and I'm sure for many other Christians), it came with a decidedly bitter tang.

Within 330 pages Gina Welch takes readers on a journey from her initial decision to attend Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) to her emotional decision to break ties with the Christian community she became a part of. Her honest look at what I consider church "quirks" is mixed with humor and thoughtfulness; I was so glad that In the Land of Believers didn't turn out to be a judgemental, rude look at Christian culture. Welch even went so far as to join TRBC's singles group on a missions trip to Alaska to get a real look at evangelism.

Throughout the book, Welch discusses (it really does feel as though she is discussing and not telling or reporting) different Christian ideologies and practices, always including a hefty amount of personal opinion and feeling. Welch's writing is refreshing, her non-fiction account nearly reading like a beautiful volume of fiction. Her honesty about her feelings, worries, likes, and dislikes about TRBC make her story inviting and friendly. Honestly there are so many parts of the book that I could go into detail about, but that would make this post awfully long!

There are plenty of conclusions that Welch came to that I disagree with, like her opinion that Evangelicals will eventually come to terms with homosexuality and believe it to be part of the natural flow of things. Her views on Jesus' death and resurrection didn't resonate with me at all, and her belief that a person can't really choose what to believe in (they just inherently believe something, I guess), is disheartening. And the ending left me completely emotional, saddened that Welch didn't come to know Christ in the way I would have hoped. At least knowing Welch's surprise and thankfulness at the kindness and non-judgemental attitude of a good friend she made at TRBC—this was after she shared the truth about why she was there—left me somewhat comforted.

On her website, Gina Welch says that she wrote In the Land of Believers so "that people like me—people who bristle at public prayer or roll their eyes when someone asks if they’ve heard the good news—might find in my book ways of accepting and connecting to evangelicals"; likewise, to create "the possibility of common ground between the religious and the secular." As a Christian, I think In the Land of Believers can give Evangelicals a look at the church system through fresh eyes. Some of her encounters with Christians left me feeling utterly embarrassed, realizing how the church has so easily slipped into a business mindset. (I'm thinking of Welch's amusement at the enormous amounts of groups at TRBC and the trying-to-be-catchy names they possess, as well as the late Jerry Falwell's constant mentioning of things to buy in the lobby and the group leader's prayer that included the now lower price of admission to the Christmas program.)

This is a great book that I'm sure Christians and non-Christians alike could benefit from in some way. (Though it is pretty deep, so be prepared to think.) It does, unfortunately, contain a few expletives here and there and some sexual innuendo (which mainly revolved around the members in the singles group Welch was involved in and the discussions they had, as well as her discovering their reactions to secular music).

I'd like to end this review with a passage in the book (one of many) that I especially enjoyed. After listening to the leader of the singles group read Psalm 139, she says:

The beauty of this psalm unfurled in me like great spools of ribbon. God-love—I felt I finally saw it. Human love was this awkward thing, like the most delicious fish you could ever hope to eat but you had to eat it alive. Sometimes it made you feel desperate and crazed.... But God-love, the love in the psalm, the love in Jesus loves you—that was Mobius strip love, love with no beginning or end, love that was both calm and complete, unflinching in the face of anything you could reveal about yourself. (Welch, 309)

Gina Welch's Website

In the Land of Believers is 330 pages long and is published by Picador.