Mormon Lad: A Novel in the form of the German Bildungsroman
Vander Heide, Ralph P.
Synopsis "Mormon Lad: A Novel in the form of the German Bildungsroman"
Dr. Vander Heide has written a provocative, enlightening and heartfelt rendering of a young man's enculturation among the Mormons. He probes ever deeper into the "lad's" life, considering influences on his childhood, the years he gave to the church as an LDS missionary and his student years which together formed his Weltanschauung. The account is modeled on the genre of the German Bildungsroman. Already it is being valued as a significant contribution to studies of the "peculiar people" who believe in the presumptively "restored" and only "true" gospel as taught by Joseph Smith, who as early as his 14th year, spoke with deity, biblical personages and God the Father and his son, Jesus the Christ. Joseph claimed to have been taken by the "Angel Moroni" to a site where golden plates were hidden. Moroni, a transfigured being, and others, including his own father, Mormon, had engraved histories on these plates. In 1830 The young prophet founded his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which today has become both a strong religious organization as well as a business empire. It is a force to be reckoned with. "Bildung" refers to maturation, development and education. Dr. Vander Heide's lucid prose style, marked with wit and sincerity, details the youth's progression from prideful believer to doubter, to disbeliever and ultimately to repudiator and refuter of the Mormon teachings, while as the author stresses, the boy struggles to remain a "cultural Mormon," who takes pride in the history and accomplishments of his people. Both paternal and maternal grandparents were converted to the LDS creed, made their way to Utah, home of the church and its culture, where with fellow "saints" they faced multiple hardships for 185 years in establishing their "mountain kingdom." Now new challenges are arising. All LDSers must be encouraged to modify or abandon the arcane, confusing teachings of the "restored" gospel and cooperate with "brothers" and "sisters" to undertake an intellectual trek into modern times. Great potential is evident among this large body of objective oriented and energetic citizens, who should have no use for the twaddle of Mr. Smith, a prophet of bygone years who had a great imagination, an irresistible graving for ladies and knew no equal as a story teller. The author wishes readers to be both enlightened and entertained.
