allieeveryday 's review for:

American Zion: A New History of Mormonism by Benjamin E. Park

4.0

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I didn't know anything about the history of the LDS church, so this was an interesting read. Definitely could get bogged down in names, but Park did a good job of reminding you who people were when they reappeared in the text. This church struggled with a lot of the same issues that American evangelical churches have been dealing with in the 21st century, so I can see how they have become more mainstream. I did wish for more sometimes on the international church, as so much of the infighting was so specific to U.S.-centric issues, and I wondered how that affected the majority of the church's membership, which was not in the U.S. 

Also, I already know the answer to this is effing patriarchy, but if polygamy was a divine right at one point where were the ladies with multiple husbands!!