The book does stress that it is an "unofficial" look at the church.

While "Mormon Doctrine" remains one of the best doctrinal reference books in the church, its college-textbook style may be less accessible to some readers. "Dummies" isn't quite as lofty and makes for an easier read.

Serious LDS Church investigators could be thrown too many deep doctrines all at once in this book — perhaps its biggest shortcoming. On the other hand, the section of what to expect when attending a sacrament meeting is excellent. It answers questions that every first-time attendee would want to know.

Written jointly by Jana Riess, who has been a member since 1993, and Christopher Bigelow, a lifetime member, a returned missionary and a former LDS Church magazine writer, it has a good balance, strengthened by Shipps' editing.

Riess, who lives in Kentucky, has a doctorate in American religious history from Columbia University. Bigelow, of Provo, founded a satirical LDS news magazine, The Sugar Beet, and a literary quarterly, Irreantum.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com