Here’s the set-up for James Sanbourne’s My Mormon Life; A Boy’s Struggle With Polygamy, Magic Underwear,and Racism, just $2.99 On Kindle:In a deep torch lit cavern beneath the Mormon temple, hundreds of barefoot, white clad youths wait in line to be plunged beneath the water in a bronze tank that rests on the backs of twelve gigantic bronze oxen. Each time they are lowered backwards into the water, a member of the Mormon priesthood evokes the name of a person who is dead.
My Mormon Life is the story of a boy, raised in the Mormon faith, who examines the beliefs of the church and comes to realize that what he is being taught by the church is not consistent with what seems to be the real world. In this process he takes the reader on the grand tour of Mormon beliefs, from baptism of the dead, to polygamy and Mormon underwear, survival food, and the separate policy toward Blacks.
One by one the unique beliefs of Mormons are explored by the boy’s active mind, often leading to humorous conclusions. By following these explorations the reader will find the answers they are seeking about the Mormon Church and by the end of this story understand what it means to be a Mormon.
Ultimately the Mormon faith does not hold up to the scrutiny of this young boy’s mind and this leads to powerful questions about the whole process of forcing fanatical religious beliefs on the mind of a child.
From the reviewers:
Summary: Overall, I really enjoyed the book; so much in fact, that I read the entire thing over a couple days time. I learned a few key details about the Mormon religion, everything from its beliefs and practices, to its history. For anyone who doesn’t want to trudge through a dry, tedious dissection of Mormon beliefs, this book offers a brief learning experience wrapped in an entertaining story. – DAL Writes
The subject matter was so intriguing and the writing was so engaging that it kept my interest at a high level throughout the book. - Michael Gooch
This book is a rare find in that it is different than anything I have ever read. It is a fast paced journey through the developmental years of a child’s mind, a child who is forced to believe that fantasies are real. The writing is at times reminiscent of Mark Twain as the humor of the absurd is allowed to reveal itself. It is alternately very funny and very sad. - Lavender1
This book entertains readers and shines a light on the inner-workings of the Mormon religion. - C. Stephans
James Sanbourne was born a Mormon. Raised to believe literally every word of the church doctrine. Some of this doctrine is fantastical and it is difficult for a child to separate fact from fiction in this environment. This book deals with the issues surrounding this type of indoctrination and how it might affect the way a person comes to deal with the process of thinking.
