Rating: 
Summary: Excellent insight to an interesting church.
Review: I really enjoyed this book because it gave information to what goes beyond the polished image of the LDS church. I am interested in the LSD church only because it is so difficult to find objective information. I reccomend it to anyone who is also curious.
Rating: 
Summary: We'll forever be looked at this way...
Review: I find it almost humorous the attitudes people take when they refer to the Mormon religion. Being a devout Latter Day Saint (calling us Mormons is much the same as calling an Indian a Redskin, largely accepted but still derogatory) i find that most Mormon haters turn to those "former" Mormons who "escaped" our clutches and now make it their life's work to tear down what a good and decent people believe. This book is no different. Society is a brutal bunch when it comes to those who are different or who believe something other than the norm. I challenge any of you to read this book, then read the true basis for our religion; The Book of Mormon. In the book of James it states for those who seek the truth to mearly ask the Lord and all will be made clear. Read the Book of Mormon, ask the Lord and you will given the correct answer. Only then may you unjustly bash and degrade me. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a pure and beautiful religion. I beleive it is the true and living gospel. I will however agree that many "Mormons" are not good examples to judge an entire religion. May I judge Catholics by watching the Godfather movies? Is that a fair assessment of that "Cult"? I think not, it is merely an example of mass judgement. I beleive what I believe and I respect all others to hold strong to their beliefs. I respect the author of this book, and I feel for her. But remember, before you start judgeing religions and the people that adhere to thewir teachings, remember what happened to the Jewish people in Europe during WWII. Are Mormon bashers any different from Nazi's?
Rating:
Summary: Author made bad choices and blamed everyone but herself
Review: This book was a real waste of money. The author made some bad decisions in her life, and all she can do is blame the Mormon church. First, to set the record straight. The Mormon church does NOT teach that there is one predestined spouse for a person. It does not forbid divorce. And the marriage ceremony is not arcane, in fact, it isn't much different than any other ceremony.The author advances her (and her first husband's) warped view of Mormonism as representative of the Mormon religion, so much so that I barely recognized it. Any guy who wants to "exorcise" a demon from a girl because she is having doubts about marrying him is obviously a nutcase. No one forced Laake to marry this guy, she simply let him trick her into it. This is not the Mormon church's fault. Since her depiction of Mormon doctrine is wrong, I can't help but be skeptical of advice she says she received from church bishops, either. And I don't know where she got the idea of washing and reusing condoms from. A sad case of someone who refuses to accept responsibility for their own actions.
Rating: 
Summary: for open minds only
Review: I would imagine that like me, many LDS women and men have felt prohibited from talking (and even thinking) about how the temple rituals differ so profoundly from the rest of the LDS experience. My own less-than-positive reactions to the temple ceremonies were validated by reading Deborah's book. If the book (and Laake's excommunication) can encourage people to take a hard look at how the temple experience really affects them, then I think it has served a valuable purpose. But the believing LDS reader must be willing to take the leap of faith that it's worth it to read something that will make them feel uncomfortable and has a slightly smarmy, tabloid-style feel to it. I connected on the temple stories. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about attending the temple to read her book, to realize that it's a subjective response to the temple, but also to understand that at least two people (and probably countless others, considering the book's success) did not find what we hoped for. She got ex-ed for writing about it, but you might want to take advantage of the "advanced preview" she has provided for you. Even though I couldn't relate to much of Laake's biography, I was willing to accept her version of the facts. I wish she had explained her mental health issues better, because I think she left herself open to criticism that her experiences within the church were blown out of proportion. I connected when she described the odd preoccupation with sex that creates feelings of guilt and pleasure in the LDS person. Some people will feel she provided too much autobiographical information on sex, and I suspect that the people who wrote the negative reviews found this to be one of the big reasons they found her book offensive. As I read the reviews here, it is astonishing to me is to see that some LDS critics of the book say that they didn't relate to her stories -- and what's more, *no active Mormon would*. How do they know what all active Mormons feel? Don't they see what a little cubbyhole they are trying to put Mormons in? Don't they see how their comment only validates Deborah's experience of feeling like she was a traitor for daring to question her beliefs? They feel better inside for denouncing the unfaithful author, but they unknowingly hurt their own cause with their closed-mindedness. I agree with the comment that this is more of a biography than a non-fiction book on Mormonism. I also agree with the criticism that some stories have too much information, while others have so little info that I wasn't sure how they fit in. It is necessary to add the disclaimer that men also wear the temple garment and have the opportunity to doubt the inspired nature of the endowment, just like the women can. Doubts about the temple experience can arise just as strongly within the mind of an intellectual and/or feminist male. Also, the book is a very fast read. I finished in one sitting.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat true!
Review: Although the basic information in this book is true, I found it a little bit too negative. While I agree that Mormonism does contain many cult like attributes (like blindly following a prophet --also like in Waco, Tx) it isn't however usually as negative as the author sees it. For a better unbiased look into Mormonism try "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn M. Brodie. It contains facts about Joseph Smith which are backed by historical documents. Ahhh what the "morons" here in SLC don't care to read....
Rating:
Summary: GIVE ME A BREAK!
Review: If you want to know the truth about something, I have found that the best thing that you can do is to go to the source. For the Mormon church, the source would be to read the Book of Mormon and pray to find out for yourself if the book is true.
Rating:
Summary: What hogwash! Does "spineless" ring a bell?
Review: I'm sick of people blaming others for their lack of responsibility in their own life. No one can be forced to marry another unless they are spineless. All religions have pros and cons and all have a certain number of members who twist doctrine to their own ends. The author should stop making excuses and run her own life. Her mistakes are exactly that: her own mistakes!
Rating:
Summary: A Startling View of Mormonism!
Review: I have personally talked with ex-Mormons on more than one occassion, and I believe that this book holds an accurate view of Mormonism. For the rest of these views, they do not do any justice to the book. The cult-like rituals that are described are enough to make ANY good Christian wonder what the hell kind of religion this is. I suggest that anyone who is pondering reading this book, to go ahead and do so.
Rating:
Summary: Misleading to say the least
Review: I suppose if one would like to take an odyssey into one woman's disfunctional world, this is the book for you. However, the commentary on the book--from the jacket to the prevailing reviews--seem to suggest it gives an "insiders" view into the Mormon Church. This could not be further from the truth. This woman's experience is so atypical of the Mormon experience that it is laughable the two are connected.
Rating:
Summary: Ummmmmmm
Review: Well, what to say. what to say. I haven't read this book and actually I'm really not planning on it. How can a book such as this help you or in any way make your life any better or clearer. Make your own decisions. Read uplifting books that can teach you things of value. If you want to find out what is true don't take someone else'e opinion for it. Pray, with faith in what you truly feel within your heart. Remember you are a son or daoughter of God and He loves you very much. I know this because I have felt this in my life.
| 
