Letters to a Mormon Elder: Challenging Eye-Opening Information for Mormons and the Christians...

by James R. White

Book Overview

A New Edition of a classic volume on a vital subject for our day. Originally published in 1990, this volume has gone through different editions and printings, but is presently unavailable. In... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 155661344X
• ISBN13: 9781556613449
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

My favorite book on Mormonism

I have amassed a rather large library on the subject of mormonism (over 300 books, articles, dvd's, and videos), and this book was so incredibly helpful for actually talking to missionaries. James White is a brilliant Theologian. In this book he wonderfully presents arguments that a real missionary would have, and then explains things to him biblically. I learned so much about Orthodox Christian Theology from this book. If you are a person who is looking for resources to better understand your Christian faith, then this is the book for you. Even if you have no interest in Mormonism, it will help you understand difficult topics such as predestination, election, salvation, and eternal security. Everyone should own a copy of this book.

excellent and informative

This is an excellent book by James White and I heartily recommend it and his book "Is the Mormon My Brother?" which clearly states the case, using the words of LDS leaders themselves, as to why Mormonism is contrary to Christianity. Please do not be swayed by the other reviews, obviously written by Mormons, who are slamming this book and calling it an ill-informed attack on their faith. I was a Mormon for several years, ordained an Elder and attended the temple, which actually few Mormons are eligible to do, given their numbers. Everything that White writes about in this book is accurate. He does not misrepresent LDS teachings in any way. They were the same teachings I read about in the LDS scriptures, from the works of LDS leaders and which were taught in priesthood and sacrament meetings on a consistent basis.

A "must-read" for anyone who knows a Mormon.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who has family or friends who are Mormons, or who ocassionally has Mormons stop at their door. For that matter, I'd recommend this book to all Mormons, too!The book is constructed in a somewhat unusual manner; it's written as a series of letters from Mr. White to a (fictitious) "Elder Hahn," following up on a (again, fictitious) visit to Mr. White's home.Mr. White does a fantastic job of presenting the major false doctrines of the Mormon religion, and contrasting them with the truth of God's Word. I've done a little studying on Mormonism in the past, but Mr. White brought up some fascinating things that I'd never heard before.The book is very "readable," and would be a valuable resource to any Christian.

A grounded, evidential look at Mormonism

This was an excellent book--the best I have read on the topic thus far. James White is not out to "destroy the faith of others;" he obviously has a heart for Mormons and wants desperately for them to know the truth (as do I). This book helped me develop a very deep compassion for the members of the LDS church, and this wouldn't have happened had Mr. White written with hatred and the intent to destroy, as some claim. Mormons are wonderful people--I pray that they will read books such as James White's and realize that their doctrines are built on sinking sand. James White does a very good job of taking the focus off of the "burning in the bosom" and looking at the LDS religion from an intellectual and evidential viewpoint. Simply, the evidence is just not there. Our faith, Christianity, should be grounded in truth and history, not one's emotions or how one "feels" about it. If you read any book on Mormonism, this should be the one.

An exceptional and balanced analysis of Mormon doctrine

This well-researched and clearly written book deals with the fundamental doctrinal divides between Mormons and Christians. Lovingly presented and impressively documented, White discusses in detail such issues as the "translation" of the Pearl of Great Price, the prophet status of Joseph Smith, the question of godhood, the divinity of Christ, and the promise of grace. This book surpasses other works written by non-Mormons about the Mormon faith in that it does not seek to tear down Mormons, but to build up Christianity. In addition, White does not rely on many of the straw-person arguments detractors of the Mormon church traditionally utilize(which generally only increase antagonism, without getting at the real issues). The research and effort involved in this book are truly astounding, as is the apparent care with which it was written. I think this book could only be characterized as anti-Mormon by those who are so threatened by its well-documented truths that they cannot respond to it any other way.