New Age Alternative Belief Books

If you are new to the writings of Victor Sanchez, then this is an ideal place to start.

Although the second book by Victor, following on from The Teachings of Don Carlos, it gives background and spirit to where Victor experienced and learned what he teaches, and therefore this provides an ideal starting place where you can get a sense of the mood and ethos behind the techniques and tools of the first book.

While the largest portion of the book is Victor's personal story of journeying to Humun' Kulluaby and the ascent of and ritual on La' Unarre, there are many insights and a couple of related conversations and stories regarding various things including the views of the Wirrarika on missionaries who have tried to "convert" and "save" them, through to some views "anti-anthropology" and explanations of what indigenous cultures, such as the Wirrarika, actually believe regarding multiple Gods and the Great Spirit.

The comments Victor makes about Western culture "putting ourselves at the center of everything" and viewing the "worship of nature" as primitive are I feel important concepts to reflect on (for those of us with a Western heritage) as it is indeed arrogance of this kind which I believe is a limiting factor for us in our own personal evolution.

A fragment of a conversation between Victor and a Wirrarika marakame relating a conversation he had with a pastor who insisted that the tales of Christ and the bible 'made sense' compared with the very organic beliefs of the Indians, to me sums up their wisdom. "But nobody tells me about Tatei Urianaka (the Earth), I see her every day! And every day I receive her fruits, corn, water, and beans. I can touch, walk, and live on her! And Tau (the Sun). Daily I receive his heat and his nierika (light, knowledge, vision, teaching). I don't have to do anything but look up and there he is." This, to me, is the beauty of a system which embraces the natural world (rather than 'separating' it). Learning is direct and experiential, through observation and interaction.

Overall this is a powerful and moving tale of a magical journey. Reading of Victor Sanchez's experiences provides inspiration for anyone who truly wants to discover and follow their own magical path.

Pre-Colombian with an o not u

For many of us looking for answers that doctrined religions cannot quite give us, Victor Sanchez has exposed a world where faith meets reality. Through his own research and paticipation, Sanchez experiences a spiritual domain that continues to exist admist the colonization and materialism now precedent around the world. Not restricted to boundaries of religion, Sanchez takes the reader through first hand understanding of what is possible when your allow and train your mind to believe in "separate realities." In a Carlos Casteneda like approach, Sanchez writes of his experiences with a group of Native Americans in rural Mexico, who have sustained their belief system and way of life before and after Spanish colonzation. Sanchez spent 15 years with these people and is sharing the world that these people "see." Those who have been exposed to Castaneda's work would find equal enjoyment with this book and have another supporting perspective of human capabilities with spirit and energy. Sanchez provides an answer to what is real to our eyes, may be only what we've been told and trained them to see. How easy is it to believe something you can't see, and if you do, should it be excused as hallucination or paganism. To the growing number of people not completely happy with formal religion, here is a glimsp of ancient wisdom that offers a possibility of human existence on a separate reality, one that is real.

This must be one of the most influential books I've ever read- but quietly so. A friend lent me a copy- then I bought mine. I found it difficult for the 1st 20 pages, maybe the different cultural approach, BUT THEN IT CLICKED, and I understood what Wolf Moodance was teaching me, how she led me through to self discovery, explaining the trials and hurdles- and how to overcome them,to feel comfortable about a spiritual side long denied. A copy of this book will always be treasured, and read many times. I've now bought another by her.

I will keep it sweet nd short-YOU WILL LOVE THE BOOK. There is a requirement-You have to have a open mind and understand Wolf Moondance is real. REAL spiritual and Creative. She has gifted us with words from her family, not a natin or a fad or an movememt, from her heart and from her vision! GOOD WORK. I love Wolf Medicine also! Carry Strong Heart

I have always been looking. Spirit Medicine and the whole works of Wolf Moondance helped me home! I know my spirit and it is a great joy. You will like this book if you want to change your lif and apply good native teaching of NOW, it is not bill it is meat and truth! Oloe

I have read it and done the exersizes in the book and you feel worked over first and then you work on it and the doors staryt to open and the spirit changes and you grow. I know from reading all the books wolf has written that you will grow when you study Spirit Medicine. You have to know and want to know your spirit to find your spirit. No witch craft her. It is clear and clean that Wolf Moondance works from her vision, which is Native American. I know cause I am Native-Blackfoot. Thanks Wolf Like the work. Ronda Hunting Bear- Montana.

I think as we humans look we are also full of fear. We always listen to each other and not the true spirit. I have learned from my full blood granny that we have to listen to our spirit and not people. As an author Wolf Moondance shows she listens to the spirit. We as humans want some one to show us the way and give us the answers. We have to be open to your spirit and hear the voice of our vision. In the spirit Medicine book I had to work to get passed my human ways but after reading one chapter I relized I had found a true teacher. I could not get away with my old ways but was open to the spirit. YOU will love it after you get to the real spirit self, Great Book...Grand Teacher!

The Unanswered Question is one of those books that I realize I have been waiting my whole life for. As I read the material and integrate it into my mind and my life, I am feeling shifts in my understadning and daily "Ahas!". Leland combines accounts of his experiences in "otherwhere", and specifically what he terms the afterlife, with accounts of near death experiences, the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Egyptioan Book of the Dead. For just that combination the book is fascinating, but Leland takes us much deeper than that. The understadning of how negative or unexpressed emotions hold us back, or keep us from growing into our soul's purpose is something everyone could take to heart. I find this and the information on how to do this to be the key behind the fascinating topic of the Unanswered Question. As I read the book, I feel myself connecting more to my own soul's purpose in this lifetime and, although not always an easy journey, I welcome it as I sink deeper into my lessons. Kurt Leland has done the world a huge service by recording his experiences and sharing them with us. His analysis and scholarly attention to detail leaves no questions unanswered, in terms of the material in the book. Because this book is so easy to read and so entertaining, I was not prepared for all the shifts that began happeing in my mind and in my life, but as I said before, I have been waiting for this book for a long time.

In "The Unanswered Question", Kurt Leland explores the age-old questions re: what may happen to us after physical death - is there an afterlife? If so, what is it like? What might await us at the time of our death?

In order to explore such questions, the author discusses the information gleaned from several sources, including: NDE accounts, various books of the wisdom traditions (such as "The Book of the Dead), as well as his own out-of-body adventures into the place that he calls "Otherwhere".

It's postulated that NDE accounts can't tell the full story, because the individuals who experience them haven't gone far enough into the unchartered territory of the Afterlife to bring back a full sense of what it's all about - they may see a piece, but that is all.

The power of myth is also discussed, including the author's belief that all accounts of NDE's and other such experiences (including out-of-body experiences) can be described as myth. His idea being that just because something is myth does not mean that it isn't real & true, but that it's impossible to prove one way or the other.

Overall, I found this to be an interesting, thought-provoking exploration into the topic. As such, I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in spiritual ideas &/or life after death.

Where else can you find a book that is simultaneously a cross-cultural survey on the myth and philosophy of the afterlife and a strange adventure tale about a man's gradual introduction to the strange customs of the other side? Well written, philosophically rigorous, and very entertaining, this book will definitely influence your world view if you approach it with an open spirit.

My only qualms were that Leland sometimes hedges his bets too much in making his arguments appeal to scientifically-minded people who probably won't be interested in the book to begin with, and that the important concept of the "cosmic normative balance" isn't explained in enough depth when it is first introduced.

This is an amazing book! I couldn't put it down. Reading it provided a most powerful validation for me. Much of what the author recounted of his own explorations in the Afterlife resonated strongly with many experiences I've been having in the afterlife zones of what I call the astral plane during my own Out-of-Body experiences (or 'Adventures in Consciousness' as Leland calls them.) I've already ordered his previous offering--'OTHERWHERE'--and I'm sure it will be just as fascinating. In this book, Leland offers a 'triangulated' approach--he compares current NDE research, his own experiences, and sources from the Tibetan and Egyptian Books of the Dead, as well as Swedenborg's 'Heaven and Hell'. It's Leland's contention that the NDE experience--though compelling and valid in itself--might not be enough to go on when we're navigating our own post-death journey. His claim that NDE-ers may only be seeing 'death's threshold' seem valid to me. As both an OOBE-er and also having experienced a non-standard and ecstatic NDE myself, I found that I made much more of my NDE because I was already quite practiced at OOB explorations when this event occurred. This is an amazing title, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking interesting and stimulating perspectives on the afterlife.

While it certainly does stand on its own, this book is to some degree a sequel to "Otherwhere" as there are a number of references to that previous book in this one. So if you are seriously interested in out-of-body exploration and the afterlife, my recommendation would be to read "Otherwhere" first. The difference between this book and the first is that this one is a more in-depth and scholarly look at the subject.

A lot of ground is covered here: There are Mr. Leland's own adventures in nonphysical reality which are compelling reading. In addition he delves into areas such as NDE's (near-death experiences), early Christianity, Swedenborg's "Heaven and Hell", Buddhism, and ancient Egyptian beliefs with regard to the afterlife--and then offers us his own relevatory insights into them. I personally found this book to be utterly fascinating and illuminating--and would highly recommend it.

Santeria is not an easy theme to tackle--I've written about it myself--It is a much-misunderstood religion, filled with magic and controversy. Raul Canizares, a practitioner and scholar simultaneously, translates the faith of his soul to the world at large with remarkable elegance. The book is thoroughly readable, extremely informative without being pedantic, and unique in some aspects, such as when the author writes about white-on-black racism in supposedly color-blind Communist Cuba. For the knowledgeable, the book is like a tease: it leaves you wanting for more. But for a first book on the subject, there is no better.

In a very odd turn of events, *I* do not have anything further to say about this wonderful book. To read it is to know what I mean.(-_-)

Baba Canizares is a well known and highly respect Babalorisha of New York. He has written about a dozen books, each aimed for the beginner in Santeria, Orisha and Voodoo religion. Cuban Santeria is another of his good books; there are no secrets revealed here, or ceremonies or none of that. What the book has is a mixture of autobiography, and tales as told to him buy his godparents. The book is a good read, and lets those who are curious, come into a world of mystery, beauty and wisdom. All of Baba Canizares books are entertaining, informative, and a pleasure to read. Check out his other books or Orishas ISBN: 0942272692 as well as his respecteful selling book The Life and Works of Marie Laveau. Which Amazon.com should sell. "Hint Hint"

While a seasoned Santero will not learn anything from this primer, a person who wants to get his/her feet wet will find this a delicious volume. A seasoned Santero, however, will appreciate the fluidity of language and the beauty of the stories Baba Canizares expounds on. A master of the English language as well as a master Santero, Canizares' book has withstood the test of time (look at his consistently high rating on AMAZON.COM sales, where it is usually the top-rated orisha book). I hear Inner Traditions is planning a greatly expanded 10th anniversary special edition, as well as a Spanish Language edition--I can't wait to get both. CUBAN SANTERIA: WALKING WITH THE NIGHT is a little masterpiece, and the best book from Canizares's pen so far.

El libro presenta de forma amena e interesante la santería. Su presentación profundiza sin llegar a abundar en los detalles. Para un primer libro sobre el tema es excepcional.

Visionary Mohawk medicine woman, Ohky Simine Forest's first book is a comprehensive and poetic reporting of long misunderstood ways of the Red Lodge of indigenous peoples. Had Europeans come to this continent as gracious guests, these are mysteries of the matriarchal Mohawk society that could have been shared with them. Herself an initiate in Mohawk, Mayan and Mongolian shamanism, Forest reveals the spiritual matrix which these cultures share and embeds it in a contemporary, real world political urgency. Synthesizing these core spiritual beliefs and practices, Forest offers compelling evidence that the view from the Red Lodge is what the world requires for individual and collective restoration to well being. The Red Lodge ways also provide, in the Medicine Wheel, an earth-derived map to self-governance that modern people are questing for in many guises. She teaches that the Medicine Wheel equips us to relate to planet and self in ways that are nearly inseparable, self-supporting and without which no sane system for enduring societal governance can arise. How do we build, nurture and sustain community? The matriarchs of the Mohawk have been doing it since antiquity and through perils most of us will never face. Forest, a Mohawk matriarch with a vision lives among the Maya people with this community building governance backed by the spiritual backbone of shamanism. Forest has little patience with hit and run shamanic wannabes and the extraction of "techniques" from their cultural matrix which leads, she observes, to further soul and societal illness. In this book she reveals with surprising candor, depth, and her characteristic humor, the world into which the shaman walks with expanding perception and deepening experience. It's no cake walk and Forest's book is unflinching in its descriptions of the challenges and dangers of this work. For instance, trotting out a Power Animal "technique" or forming a relationship with the incorrect Power Animal can have debilitating effects on personal energy and health. It is a sacred relationship born of the waters of the Red Lodge, she cautions, not a one size fits all concept that can be extracted safely from its matrix and doled out casually in workshops. Forest both describes and elucidates the interwoven meanings of the Medicine Wheel, dream body work, lucid dreaming. power animal allies, earth burial ceremony, vision questing, journeying in the nine Mayan underworlds and the thirteen Mayan upperworlds as well as giving a comprehensive recounting of native prophecies and their considerable energetic, economic and political significance for our modern times. This is a text to which those who study or practice shamanic work will refer again and again.

This book is one of the most serious, dense, and challenging of its kind in a genre saturated with slim, superficial volumes. The wisdom is clearly ancient and rich, and is carefully measured out for the reader. The teachings are not easily absorbed (by this North American, at least), but are excellent if you are looking for a deeper, truer understanding of shamanic traditions. Highly recommended.

Dreaming The Council Ways is a beautiful, complex work of synthesis and rebirth. Author Ohky Simine Forest weaves together spiritual training disciplines and practices from several cultures, including Mohawk, Mayan, Mongolian, and others. An added feature is her beautiful fold-out full color art work on several points of teaching. These are truly lovely, deserving extra attention. Forest patiently and warmly encourages the reader to respectfully explore beginning from their own racial perspective(s) and not to expect quick fix New Age short cuts or other cultural appropriation practices to yield valid, lasting insight or growth. Material on matriarchal traditions will interest students of feminine perspectives. Forest is not a comfortable read. That is not her way or her goal. She opens and hopes for a deeper spiritual connection with the reader, sharing information on dreaming, medicine wheel practices, interpreting power animal guides, and vision quests. She seeks the larger view, the convergence of spiritual paths. She challenges and teaches, reflecting the responsibility to heal back to each individual (where it belongs). As with all worthwhile experiences, more will be gained from giving more. That also applies to reading and understanding her book. Dreaming the Council Ways is accessible to nonNative readers, but it will yield more to the better, more thoughtful effort to understand with respect.

I detest writing negative reviews, but when the author says the following on page 230. My hands are tied.

"I do not in any instance give you enough guidance to duplicate any of the rituals. The native Americans would be rightfuly displeased if I did, amd I would be breaking confidences."

If Mr. Mails did not have permission to release accurate information he should not have written the book!

Now to my minor nitpicks about the book.

I was personaly offended at the title of chapter 4 "Marauding Apache".

On page 189 Mr. Mails talks of women as well as men being pierced in the sundance. Both sexes may participate in the sundance but only the men are pierced.

On page 211, 258, and 259 the author discusses the Sioux medicine wheel, and he lists different colors associated with the directions.

Page 211& 259: West-Black, North-Red, East-Yellow, South-White.

Page 258: West-Black, North-White, East-Red, and South Yellow.

Page 258 has the correct color associations according to Nick Black Elk's vision, and these same colors are shown on the cover of "Native Wisdom" Ed McGaa.

I have no idea why the author would have the colors right on page 258 and wrong again on the very next page.

If you have questions or comments E-Mail me. Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda

Thomas Mails, a well known artist, spent most of his adult life painting Native American subjects and recording their vanishing culture. In Secret Native American Pathways Mails provides valuable information on Native rituals. A friend of some of the great Native American shamans and holy men of the last century Mails preserved much information about the spiritual paths of Native people. Mails died several years ago but the legacy he leaves in Secret Native American Pathways is invaluable and thanks to him will survive.

This book gives a concisive overview of the orisha Oya. I found it detail oriented and it gave me a deeper view into the role Oya plays in the daily life of her initiates. I just recently found out that Oya sits on my head and this book was/is a great guide in finding out her origins. I plan on being initiated as a priestess of Oya in the future, and this was a good purchase. I thought that it was going to be a muddled version of her creation and lots of lofty speculation. Needless to say that I was pleased with Mrs. Gleason's interpretation of a powerful and much revered orisha.

This is the best book written on the matter of the goddess Oya. I am an Oya priestess and I have not only found this book to be very illustrative, it contains prayers, patakis, and a totally different version of the "Oya" then the one the western world has attempted to illustrate.

The author is very well informed and the context is well written.

However, I would have given it a higher rating should the author not have gone into the lengthy discussion of Oya's role in the winds and atmosphere. Although the author's information on the matter is quite good and informative, I would have liked to have seen more context on the works, principals and patakis of Oya than a lengthy discussion on her role in the winds and atmosphere.

Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to any Oya priest/ess or follower , student, or practicioner of the Yoruba religion.

"Oya: In Praise of an African Goddess" is a well researched thoughtful and spiritual guide to the angelic force, orisha Oya. Judith Gleason presents an in depth analysis of Oya's abilities to quickly transform weather, produce tornadoes and violent storms. The illustrations bring both the scientific and the emotional aspects of Oya brilliantly to life. It would seem to be a challenging job to dedicate an entire book to one single orisha but Judith Gleason does it with great passion. "Oya: In Praise of an African Goddess" is highly recommended for students, practitioners and those curious about Ifa.

It's so very sad that so many self-righteous, fundamentalist Protestants, many who are well-meaning decent people, and their leaders who are not,have chosen to engage in smear campaigns against other Christians. Somehow these bigots have decided they are the ONLY true followers of Christ, and they, and only they, have the true gospel and Christ on their side. What a pity. These hate-mongers never seem to understand that their behavior not only makes them look so terribly ugly, but, in fact, actually causes people to investigate the very religions they rant and rave against.

The most pitiful misunderstanding on their part is that they would tell us that Jesus said the world will hate them as the world hated Jesus. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The world is beginning to hate Protestant fundamentalists because of their behavior, not their religion. If they lived their religion, and the message of love and peace that Jesus preached, no one would hate them.

Unlike these "christians" who unrighteously judge others, many of the groups Tucker calls "cults" do NOT consider others non-Christian. Jesus didn't come to start a church as we think of a church today. In his day "church" meant "following". The fundamentalist Protestants have no more right to claim their "perfect understanding", as they would have us believe, than many of the religions they verbally persecute.

It is so strange how no one learns from history. At one time the Christians were the persecuted. Then the Catholic Church became mainstream and they persecuted those that did not think like they did. Then the splinter groups from the Catholic Church who had been persecuted became mainstream, so they started persecuting, burning at the stake, etc., those that were different than they. Now, the splinter groups have come to some kind of agreement among themselves, while still disagreeing on many issues, and they want to dismiss the rest of the world as unsaved pagans and heretics, which, of course, was at one time exactly what they had done to them.

Now, is it any wonder that Joseph Smith, and many others, saw all this hypocrisy in these Protestant sects, and could not abide their bickering? He (they) therefore decided to try and understand why these groups were so hateful and argumentative-- in the name of Jesus Christ, of course-- and could not all be correct, and yet different. As a result they tried to build their beliefs on what they understood, exactly as the fundamentalist Protestants had done so many years earlier. So, what happens to them? The bickering sects of fundamentalist Protestants now turn on those who have ideas of their own with the same intolerance shown them so many years earlier?

Well, so much for Christian love. I wonder how Christ would have handled this? Just like the antis of the Protestant sects? I don't think so.

This book was assigned reading in my Seminary, and is an excellent reference guide for anyone desiring to understand people with other religious points of view and how to share the Gospel with them. It is a good investment you will refer to for years to come.

CONTENTS:

1. Cults, Sects, Denominations, World Religions: Definition of Terms; 2. Historical Heresy: Unorthodox Movements of Past Centuries; 3. Mormonism: The Legacy of Joseph Smith; 4. Seventh-Day Adventism: Eschatological Confusion; 5. Jehovah's Witnesses: A Religion of Protest; 6. Christian Science: A Denial of the Material World; 7. New Thought and Unity: Health and Happiness; 8. The Worldwide Church of God: Reinterpreting Israel and the Law; 9. The Way International: Denying the Deity of Christ; 10. The Children of God: Evangelism and Sex Perversion; 11. The Unification Church: Proclaiming a New Messiah; 12. Hare Krishnas: Transplanted Hinduism; 13. Baha'i: A Peace and Unity Movement out of Islam;

14. Scientology: Mind-Altering Pseudo-Psychology; 15. The New Age Movement: The Occult Made Respectable; APPENDIX A: Lesser-Known Cultic Movements; APPENDIX B: Cultic Statements of Belief; APPENDIX C: Major Tenets of Orthodox Christianity.

At first glance, this book looks good. But looks can be deceiving. Since I can't claim to be an expert on religions, I don't know exactly how many times the author made serious errors. I do know for a fact that they made severe errors when addressing Seventh Day Adventists I myself am a Seventh Day Adventist and I consulted the book "Seventh Day Adventists Believe..." for accurate reference. "Seventh Day Adventists Believe..." contains 27 fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists and is copyrighted by the Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The author/s of "Another Gospel" made grievous errors while discussing Seventh Day Adventists.
Seventh Day Adventists do NOT believe:
1. That you must be baptized to be saved
2. In salvation through baptism through immersion only
3. If you don't keep the Sabbath, then you're not saved
4. If you don't keep the Sabbath, you will be rejected by God
5. In salvation through works
In respect to numbers one and two, "Seventh Day Adventists Believe" states:
"...it is the blood of Christ, not the water of baptism, that removes sin from the believer... baptism does not automatically assure salvation." (Chapter 14, Baptism, pages 182-183)
For numbers three, four and five, the book "Seventh Day Adventists Believe" again disproves these statements. In Chapter 10, The Experience of Salvation, pages 121-122, it states:
"Many wrongly believe that their standing before God depends on their good or bad deeds."
The chapter discusses salvation, and nowhere does it state that one may earn salvation or acceptance from God through good deeds/works. Though the Sabbath is not discussed in this chapter, it can be concluded that because salvation is achieved not through works, Sabbath-keeping cannot earn salvation or acceptance from God.
If the credibility of my statements is in any way in question, I encourage you to consult the book "Seventh-day Adventists Believe...".
"Seventh-day Adventists Believe..." was copyrighted in 1988 by the Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was Printed in the U.S.A. by the Review and Herald Publishing Association (Hagerstown, Maryland 21740). The ISBN number is:
0-8280-0466-8
The back cover of "Seventh-day Adventists Believe..." states:
"'What Seventh-day Adventists Believe...' stands as an authentic resource on Adventist doctrine because it is written by Adventists themselves. More than 230 men and women have evaluated and contributed their insights to the manuscript."
Seventh Day Adventists are not part of a cult. Since the author of "A New Gospel" made such severe errors with ONE branch of the Christian faith, what is to be concluded but that the author/s do not sufficiently check their information?
Such poor credibility is extremely offensive. In addition, the unfortunate popularity of the book "A New Gospel" spreads untruths about (at least) one branch of the Christian faith. The readers of this book may count "A New Gospel" as a credible source, and may even, sadly, go so far as to trust and believe what the book states. This, in turn, could spread incorrect beliefs, and damage the credibility of branches of the Christian faith.
The power of the written word can inflict incalculable damage when used incorrectly. Perhaps the author of "A New Gospel" needs to realize that.

I used this book as a textbook for a class on "Christianity and the Cults" at Denver Seminary. This book covers a wide variety of new religious groups, both ones that claim to Christian, like Mormons and JWs, and New Age type groups like Hare Krishnas and Baha'i. The professor preferred this volume to Walter Martin's "Kingdom of the Cults." I believe the reason why is this book is less "harsh" in its evaluations of the teachings of these groups than Martin's.

When this book evaluates each group's teachings, it is more with the attitude of, "This is something that should be considered" than Martins' "I'm right, you're wrong, that settles it" attitude.

For each group, Tucker gives a rather extensive review of its background and history, including a short biography of the group's founder and other important figures in its history. The "distinctive doctrines" of the group are then explained. And lastly, she provides what she calls "challenges" to these doctrines. But she emphasis that this should be done in a respectful manner. She is correct is saying that false teachings do need to be confronted, but it is possible to do so in a loving a respectful manner (1Peter 3:15). However, one deficiency of this book is it does not have that many Scripture references in it. Tucker seems to assume that the reader knows the Biblical basis for such basic Christian doctrines as the Trinity. And she generally provides logical not Biblical refutations of each group's teachings.

To study what the Bible has to say on such doctrines, one would need to consult a book like my "Scripture Workbook: For Personal Bible Study and Teaching the Bible." It presents hundreds of verses supporting basic Christian doctrines, such as the nature of God and the Trinity, and it provides rebuttals to interpretations these groups place on verses they quote in trying to support their doctrines.

Tucker's book is very helpful for the background information on these groups and the respectful attitude she presents. Christians need to have a basic knowledge of what such groups teach or at least a good references like this around this around to consult. But for a Biblical study on such topics, you'll need to consult a book like my "Scripture Workbook."

As a former member of the LDS church I find this an excellent resource to point out the false doctrines of the Mormons and other false churches. The treatments are excellent and factual...that some members of their organizations dispute the historical facts and doctrinal statements of their founders only shows that they have not made honest efforts to understand what their leaders have propagated. As a "Mormon" I was not aware of many of the more esoteric teachings of the church. I suspect that those below who would argue that this book is not factual have not in fact performed an honest assessment of their church histories and simply are not properly informed. As believers in Christ we must pray for them as my Christian friends and family did for me many years ago. I am forever grateful for people like Ms. Tucker and Walter Martin for showing me the true path to salvation and believe this book is an excellent resource to arm Christians against doctrinal fallacies.

In regards to Mr. Bartlett below, with all due respect, the Mormon church teaches that they are the only true faith much more than Protestant Denominations do. In fact, I find the suggestion that Joseph Smith and the Mormons are somehow more tolerant than other "sects" disingenuous when in fact the truth is they preach all non-Mormons will end up in hell. As an apostate, I am supposedly condemned even further to outer darkness. In this sense, Protestants are much more tolerant and inclusive in that we recognize that there are areas of difference on the nonessentials. No honest Protestant would ever say that Catholics are doomed to hell. Yet the Mormons do condemn them and all other Protestants to eternal damnation. Claiming this book is intolerant because it presents facts is a simplistic argument. I challenge you to refute even one fact presented in this novel in connection with the LDS church. As a former Mormon I refuse to treat any organization as Christian that preaches a false Christ. Mormons can wish to be called Christian all they wish but such a characterization is emphatically untrue.

It's so great what the Rav Berg is doing, sharing with us laypeople all the hidden truths of the universe. This book gives us tools to change our lives and destinies.