Book cover via Amazon

After the interest shown in the list of books I prepared last week — the books mentioned or referenced in April 2008 General Conference, I went ahead and prepared a list for the current (October 2008) Conference also.

I found this list even more interesting. There are more books on this list (some 35 — it makes me wonder if I didn’t miss some material from the April Conference), and the variety of the books and the material cited is fascinating. The list wanders from Thoreau to The Little Prince and includes the somewhat obscure as well as the famous.

Looking over a list like this, I have to wonder a lot about what writing process General Authorities use in preparing their discourses.

I’m not sure what exactly this collection says about Mormonism, our culture or General Conference. I do think its safe to say that many General Authorities are familiar with a wide variety of material. Of course, the list does rely heavily on LDS Church History and compilations of quotations. And given the personality that Pres. Monson shows us over the pulpit, The Music Man (I know its not really a book, but I included it anyway) is no surprise. But still some items are simply surprising. I’d never heard of J. M. Barrie’s A Window in Thrums. Perhaps I should read it!

Anyway, here are the books mentioned or citied in the most recent General Conference:

• Ballard, Melvin R., Melvin J. Ballard: Crusader for Righteousness, 1966.
  • M. Russell Ballard, The Truth of God Shall Go Forth, Sunday Morning Session
• Barrie, J. M., A Window In Thrums, 1917.
  • Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Happiness, Your Heritage, General Relief Society Meeting
• Bartlett, John, Familiar Quotations, 17th ed. 2002.
  • Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Infinite Power of Hope, Saturday Morning Session – citing Albert Camus
• Benson, Ezra Taft, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 1988.
  • Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Lift Where You Stand, Priesthood Session – citing Albert Camus
• Dahl, Borghild, I Wanted to See, 1944.
  • Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Sunday Morning Session
• Carruth, Gorton and Eugene Erlich, comp., Harper Book of American Quotations, 1988.
  • Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Sunday Morning Session – quoting Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Cannon, Janeth Russell, Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society, 2002.
  • Barbara Thompson, Now Let Us Rejoice, General Relief Society Meeting
• Cook, John, comp., The Book of Positive Quotations, 2nd ed. 2007.
  • Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Sunday Morning Session – quoting Sarah Ban Breathnach
• Dickens, Charles, A Tale of Two Cities,.
  • Quentin L. Cook, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time, Sunday Afternoon Session
• Eliot, Charles W., ed., The Harvard Classics, 50 vols. 1909–10.
  • L. Tom Perry, Let Him Do It with Simplicity, Saturday Morning Session
• Gordon, Arthur, A Touch of Wonder, 1974.
  • Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Sunday Morning Session
• Grothe, Mardy, Viva la Repartee, 2005.
  • L. Tom Perry, Let Him Do It with Simplicity, Saturday Morning Session
• Kimball, Spencer W., The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball 1982.
  • Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Happiness, Your Heritage, General Relief Society Meeting
• Lee, Harold B., Stand ye in holy places, 1974.
  • Thomas S. Monson, To Learn, to Do, to Be, Priesthood Session
• Lee, Harold B., Ye are the light of the world, 1974.
  • David A. Bednar, Pray Always, Saturday Afternoon Session
• Marlowe, Christopher, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus,
  • Thomas S. Monson, Until We Meet Again, Saturday Afternoon Session
• Maxwell, Neal A., A Wonderful Flood of Light, 1990.
  • D. Todd Christofferson, Come to Zion, Saturday Afternoon Session
• McConkie, Bruce R., Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. 1966.
  • Russell M. Nelson, Celestial Marriage, Sunday Afternoon Session
• Monson, Thomas S., Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith, 1994.
  • L. Tom Perry, Let Him Do It with Simplicity, Saturday Morning Session
• Pope, Alexander, Essay on Man and Other Poems,.
  • Elaine S. Dalton, A Return to Virtue, Sunday Morning Session
• Rudd, Glen L., Treasured Experiences of Glen L. Rudd, self-published manuscript, 1995.
  • Keith B. McMullin, God Loves and Helps All of His Children, Sunday Morning Session
• Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de, The Little Prince, 1943.
  • Gérald Caussé, Even a Child Can Understand, Saturday Afternoon Session
• Sandrock, Michael, Running With the Legends: Training and Racing Insights from 21 Great Runners, 1966.
  • Elaine S. Dalton, A Return to Virtue, Sunday Morning Session – quoting Juma Ikangaa
• Sessions, Gene A., ed., Biographies And Reminiscences From The James Henry Moyle Collection, typescript, Church Archives.
  • Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Lift Where You Stand, Priesthood Session – citing Albert Camus
• Shakespeare, William, The Two Gentlemen of Verona,.
  • Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Sunday Morning Session
• Smith, Barbara B. and Blythe Darlyn Thatcher, eds., Heroines of the Restoration, 1997.
  • Quentin L. Cook, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time”, Sunday Afternoon Session – citing Heidi Swinton, “I Gently Closed the Door.”
• Smith, Bathsheba W., Autobiography, ed. Alice Merrill Horne.
  • Quentin L. Cook, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time”, Sunday Afternoon Session
• Smith, Eliza R. Snow, Biography And Family Record Of Lorenzo Snow, 1884.
  • Boyd K. Packer, The Test, Sunday Afternoon Session
• Smith, Joseph, History of the Church, ed. B. H. Roberts, 7 vols. 1902-1932.
  • Gérald Caussé, Even a Child Can Understand, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Keith B. McMullin, God Loves and Helps All of His Children, Sunday Morning Session
  • M. Russell Ballard, The Truth of God Shall Go Forth, Sunday Morning Session
  • Boyd K. Packer, The Test, Sunday Afternoon Session
  • Barbara Thompson, Now Let Us Rejoice, General Relief Society Meeting
• Smith, Joseph Fielding, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. 1954–56.
  • Dallin H. Oaks, Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament, Saturday Morning Session
  • Russell M. Nelson, Celestial Marriage, Sunday Afternoon Session
• Thoreau, Henry David, Walden, 1854.
  • L. Tom Perry, Let Him Do It with Simplicity, Saturday Morning Session
• Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 1986.
  • Robert D. Hales, Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship, Sunday Morning Session
• Whitney, Helen Mar, A Woman’s View: Helen Mar Whitney’s Reminiscences of Early Church History, ed. Jeni Broberg Holzapfel and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, 1997.
  • Quentin L. Cook, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time, Saturday Afternoon Session
• Wilson, Meredith and Franklin Lacey, The Music Man, 1957.
  • Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Sunday Morning Session
• Young, Brigham, Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widstoe, 1971.
  • Silvia H. Allred, Holy Temples, Sacred Covenants, General Relief Society Meeting

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Since last General Conference I’ve been meaning to look at the books mentioned in each Conference, just to see what items General Authorities think fit to mention. I’ve finally managed to complete my look at last conference, and I’m starting to look at this conference. The list is, I think, interesting.

Looking at what books are mentioned in Conference is much easier these days than it used to be. The talks as published on the web and in the Ensign include notes, and almost always the notes include a reference to the book, including date published. Years ago there were no notes, which makes looking at what books were referenced much more difficult.

Here’s the list of books (doesn’t include periodical articles, the Scriptures, Hymnals and Church manuals, pamphlets and handbooks) mentioned in April Conference (I think I got everything — let me know if something is missing):

• Dew, Sheri, Go Forward With Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1996.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The Complete Essays and Other Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. New York: W. H. Wise & Co., 1929.
• Kimball, Edward L., The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1982. (cited in two separate talks).
• Kimball, Spencer W., The Miracle of Forgiveness. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1969.
• McCulloch, James E., Home: the Savior of Civilization,. Washington, D.C., Southern co-operative league, 1924.
• McDonald, Lee Martin, The Formation of Christian Biblical Canon: Revised and Expanded Edition. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1988.
• Metzger, Bruce Manning, Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Palaeography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
• Monson, Thomas S., Pathways to Perfection: Discourses of Thomas S. Monson. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1973.
• Pedersen, Marva Jeanne Kimball, Crozier Kimball, His Life and Work.  Carr Printing, 1995.
• Pratt, Parley P., The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1938.
• Rice, Helen Steiner, Expressions of Comfort. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 2007.
• Robinson, Stephen Edward, Are Mormons Christians? Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1991.
• Schweitzer, Albert, The Quest of the Historical Jesus. [1948].
• Smith, Joseph, The History of the Church. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret News, 1902-1932.
• Smith, Joseph Fielding. Doctrines of Salvation. Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1954-56.
• Whitney, Orson F., The Life of Heber C. Kimball. 2nd ed. Salt Lake City, UT: Stevens & Wallis, 1945.
• Wright, N. T., The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.

I guess its not too surprising a list, but I do find several items very interesting. The books on the biblical canon are all from Elder Holland’s talk My Words… Never Cease, which refutes the idea that the canon is closed. I found the citation to the book by Helen Steiner Rice interesting, because its unusual to see poetry or fiction cited in Conference. [From what I can tell, she is poetry's answer to Thomas Kincade - not exactly the kind of poetry that I enjoy.]

For what its worth, today’s sessions brought another unusual reference, this time to fiction: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. With that reference, I’m very interested to see what else might be mentioned.