Latter Days: An Insider's Guide to Mormonism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

This is an excellent read. Coke can paint a picture that draws you in. If you think his writing is good, he can keep you on the edge of your seat as an audience member. The man is gifted.

I found this book to accurately describe contemporary mormon beliefs (unlike other books that site early mormon sources from the 1850s and then claim that these sources represent what average mormons believe today). I was curious about what mormons thought about such controversial topics as polygamy, for example, and this book addresses the topic. I asked a mormon friend about several points in the book and was pleased that the book seemed to accurately describe my friend's beliefs.The title of the book is accurate--it is an "insider's" guide in the sense that it is written by a mormon convert. What you get is a concise, clear and accurate representation of mormon beliefs from a sincere mormon believer. It's a good read--I had a hard time putting the book down.

This is a great book written by a long-time member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). Being a convert, I could appreciate the straightforward way that the history of the Church was presented. Mr. Newell takes us from Joseph Smith's "First Vision," to the death and persecution of early church members, to the pioneer trek led by Brigham Young into the Great Salt Lake Valley and lastly, to the very modern Church of today. The people in these stories were real, and their stories are told to us, very often, in their own words. From a historical standpoint, the book serves as an excellent resource.Additionally, and more importantly to the eyes of the Church faithful, Mr. Newell makes the events of the past relevant to the Church today by reminding us of prophecies and visions given throughout time. He reminds us that the pioneers struggled across thousands of miles, so that they would have the right to worship their God in what way they chose. He explains clearly and without apology, because there is nothing to apologize for, Mormon beliefs and doctrine. Finally, Mr. Newell does not seek to convert others to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through this book. Rather, he presents the events of the past, our hopes for the future, and the tenets of the Gospel to which we prescribe, as set forth by various sources of Scripture. It is for the reader, then, to take from the book what he will and let his increased knowledge take him where he will.

As a life time member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I was very encouraged to see a no nonsense description of LDS theology directed toward a general audience. I must admit that I learned a few things while reading Latter Days. Latter Days does describe the doctrine with a high level of detail. While I believe it to be accurate, a reading of the without further research may leave the reader a bit confused as to which doctrines listed are "core tenants" of the LDS faith and which are lesser known or not emphasized. As a compliment to your reading, I suggest talking to a friend familiar with the LDS faith or spending some time at the Church's website (...) to get a better feel. That said, I give the book my highest recommend.

So many books have been written on the history and beliefs of the Latter Day Saints, and so many of them fall into 1 of 2 categories. Ones who are out to attack the "Mormons" and those who are on a crusade to promote. With all of this biased authorship, it was refreshing to see Mr. Newell's book, LATTER DAYS. At first I was put off to the fact that he himself is a Latter Day Saint, but after 2 pages of reading, it was obvious that his intent was simply to inform the reader of the LDS faith, and its history. I was impressed and charmed by his unique and entertaining style. In all of my research and reading on the subject, I have never seen such a well done book.