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Title: The Essential B. H. Roberts (Classics in Mormon Thought Series, No. 6) by Brigham H. Roberts, Brigham D. Madsen ISBN: 1-56085-128-7 Publisher: Signature Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1999 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)

Rating: 4
Summary: Roberts, Roberts Roberts!
Comment: The title of this book is a bit misleading, since I'm not sure that we can find the essence of a man as broad as B. H. Roberts. Moreover, the selection of entries has an emphasis on his quote-unquote "controversial" works, which I think is more of a reflection of the publishing house than the man. Roberts himself wrote a summery of this thought called "The Truth, The Way, the Life," but as for finding a B. H. Roberts quote book, one does not exist.

This book is compilation of several talks and writings over his long and turbulent life. Several of the entries are from his Autobiographical notes. Admittedly, Roberts led quite a turbulent life, and being a General Authority with a strong drive (Madsen calls him a "scrapper"), he was always in the midst of things and events. This book then is a reflection not only of the man, but also of his times.

Roberts has a powerful rhetorical style that shines through the dry ink on the dead page. I wish we had a recording of his voice, since it must have been powerful. He had a gift of expression, and so many inadvertent Shakespearian allusions creep in, showing how well read he was. You are always concerned about a man's ideas and his testimony, and this book covers both exceptionally well.

The last chapter is the much discussed journal entry where he gives several frank statements, especially about the book of Mormon. There are several logical traps that we can fall into by making hasty generalizations from one journal entry. We are not sure if this was a real concern, or if he was just letting off steam. Several of the archeological issues raised couldn't have been answered in his day, but that is more of a criticism of haphazard archeology than the Book of Mormon. The nature of archeology, which isn't a science, is more "luck of the draw" in studying what survives than intelligent design and intelesis. It is interesting to note that the discussion occurred in August 1933, and six years later Hugh Nibley finished his doctorate, and was able to answer many of Roberts' concerns.

Moreover, there is more to the Book of Mormon than archeology. Its greatest asset is its theological and spiritual evidence, which most people ignore since it is unassailable. Moreover, as Nibley points out, the book itself is a problem since it had to come from somewhere, and no one else has ever done anything like, "Dianetics" notwithstanding!

I am surprised at the rise of all things Roberts since the publication of "The Truth, The Way, The Life." What is unusual is not so much the concern for the man, as is the concern for the image of the man. People want him to be unconventional and fringe. However, his writings and discourses don't bear this out. Truman G. Madsen's biography "Defender of the Faith" I think best approaches the man as I have studied him.