Review of Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of
Doubt, by Patrick Q. Mason
**********
I am surprised — and delighted — that Deseret Book and the Maxwell Institute co-published this book by
Mormon scholar Patrick Mason.
It acknowledges that there are “troubling episodes” in the LDS church’s past
and “apparent contradictions and conundrums in the church’s history, doctrine,
and positions on current issues.” It discusses several of these issues at
length, including withholding priesthood and temple blessings from blacks,
Joseph Smith’s treasure digging, and the Mountain Meadows massacre. And it
doesn’t shy away from honest critique.
But Mason is no rabble-rouser; he’s “all in” with
respect to Mormonism, describing himself as a “believer and a belonger.” He “find[s]
redemption and sanctification in the gospel of Jesus Christ,” and he “can’t
imagine being more convinced that God has ordained The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints to accomplish its divine mission.”
