 | |
| Author | Daniel H. Ludlow (editor) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishing Company |
Publication date | 1992 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 978-0-02-904040-9 |
| OCLC | 24502140 |
| Website | lib |
TheEncyclopedia of Mormonism is a semi-officialEnglish-languageencyclopedia for topics relevant tothe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church, see also "Mormon"). The encyclopedia's five volumes have beendigitized and are available for free online via theHarold B. Lee Library's official website.
Published in 1992, theEncyclopedia contains nearly 1,500articles, including several short unattributed entries in four volumes. The text is approximately one million words, and over 1,850 pages including pictures, maps, charts, index, and appendices. The title for theEncyclopedia of Mormonism was chosen byMacmillan, the publisher that initiated the project. The set was originally expected to be priced at $240 ($554 in 2024),[1] but has since been digitized and made available for free.
There were over 730 contributors from a wide variety of fields, most of whom had LDS andacademic backgrounds. A large number wereprofessors atBrigham Young University (BYU), the LDS Church-owned university. Most individuals contributed only one article, and few submitted more than three or four. Notable contributors include Mormon historiansLeonard J. Arrington andThomas G. Alexander, formerSalt Lake CitymayorTed Wilson, noted non-Mormon LDS historianJan Shipps, authorsSteven R. Covey,Gerald N. Lund, andRichard Eyre, respected scholar and apologistHugh Nibley, and a fewgeneral authorities, such asJeffery R. Holland andH. David Burton.
The editor of theEncyclopedia of Mormonism,Daniel H. Ludlow, states that he strove to make the volume as professional as possible. Most articles are written byPhDs in their respective fields. LDS Church general authorities wrote little of theEncyclopedia; indeed, most contributors from church hierarchy were only tapped to write articles on the publications or institutions they directly administered or led. For impartiality and perspective, several non-Mormons were asked to write important articles. For example, Shipps wrote on the outsider's interpretation of Mormonism, andRichard P. Howard, a historian of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now theCommunity of Christ), wrote on his branch of theLatter Day Saint movement.
TheEncyclopedia of Mormonism includes lengthy articles on core LDS subjects likeLDS Church history anddoctrine, but the work also includes many topics that are less closely related to Mormonism. For example, articles onconstitutional law,sports,science, andfreedom discuss LDS perspectives and contributions to various fields.
Ludlow also sought to make the encyclopedia accessible to non-Mormons: an optional fifth volume was printed, containing the "standard works," LDSscriptures that are heavily cited in the encyclopedia.
Although the LDS Church cooperated in the production of the book, particularly by setting aside BYU resources, theEncyclopedia was meant to be independent and unofficial in the church. Ludlow highlights that in his concluding preface remarks:
The LDS Church also noted the position in official publications.[1]
In addition to established scholars like Nibley, many other LDS scholars who were then less known also contributed, includingJohn Gee,William Hamblin,Louis C. Midgley,Daniel C. Peterson,Noel B. Reynolds,Stephen D. Ricks,John L. Sorenson, Melvin J. Thorne, andJohn W. Welch.
Critics had mixed reviews.Sterling M. McMurrin said that "the articles on social issues and church structure and the biographies are the most useful" but also felt that "the work is a carefully sanitized partisan affair that, while having many strengths, is quite uneven in quality and, though it appears to face many difficult issues head on, clearly omits, distorts, and compromises wherever necessary to advance and protect a positive image of Mormons, Mormonism, and the church."[2] George D. Smith praised theEncyclopedia "As a 'religious encyclopedia' that addresses a goal of preserving a body of belief," stating it "impressively fulfills its mission." However, he criticized theEncyclopedia's treatment of Book of Mormon scholarship for not being comprehensive and instead being "a statement of LDS orthodoxy" which "presents only a portion of important background and issues concerning the Book of Mormon" and "lacks the scope and diversity necessary to qualify it as truly encyclopedic."[3] The introduction toSunstone' s review of theEncyclopedia mentioned thatLavina Fielding Anderson "pointed out 'pitfalls in the treatment of women's issues, but revealed a few surprisingly positive moments that otherwise might have been overlooked-and probably were by some editors.' "[4]
