Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon

Author: Dennis Gaunt

Publisher: Deseret Book

Published Date: August 2011

Softcover; 251 pages

ISBN# 978-1-60908-058-7

Genre: Religious Non-Fiction

FTC FYI: LDSWBR received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Shanda’s Review

Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon swept me off my feet. It is entertaining, funny, honest, understandable, applicable and inspiring.

I passed our review copy on for Mindy and Sheila to read and then purchased my own copy of Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon so I could go back and highlight the sections that inspired me the most.

Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon is clearly written for the youth but in a direct and intelligent voice that both teens and adults will appreciate. The author presents this study of Book of Mormon bad guys with a secret agent “gathering intelligence” approach–we can learn about Satan’s tricks and deceptions in the latter days, and thus outsmart him, by studying how he tricked and deceived people in the past.

…we have many advantages over Satan. One of the greatest of these is the Book of Mormon. In its pages we have access, in a sense, to some of the greatest spy work ever done. (page 5)

The summaries at the end of each chapter include “Lessons Not Learned” and “Lessons to Learn,” asking questions that would be great discussion starters and lesson material for Family Home Evenings.

A continuing theme, mentioned several times by the author through scripture references and examples, is the message of repentance. These bad guys could have received blessings on earth as well as eternal life, if only they had learned the lessons Heavenly Father was trying to teach them. Some of the bad guys did repent and there is an entire chapter discussing those who turned back to the Savior.

I give Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon an enthusiastic 5 stars. I recommend it to all Latter-Day Saints. Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon has added new depth to my understanding of the scriptures. I plan to purchase another copy for my teenage daughter so she can read and mark the sections that are meaningful to her as she studies the Book of Mormon.

Sheila’s Review

Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon turned out to be something I wasn’t expecting. This book is full of humor and teaches young adults, as well as adults, gospel lessons in a way that you will not forget. I also truly loved the way that Dennis Gaunt presented each “bad guy” found in The Book of Mormon.

It is so easy to dismiss all of these bad guys as just that, they were bad and didn’t live the gospel. Though that statement could be proven true, he also reminds the reader that all of the bad guys were also human. These people were more than the one dimensional wicked bad guy, there was so much more to them. Many had trials in their lives where they also had to make a choice of good or evil.

In this book Dennis brings forward to the readers that there are lessons to be learned from the mistakes that these sinners made. Every chapter is ended with 1) Lessons NOT Learned and 2) Lessons to Learn.

This book is a must read for youth. You can tell he wrote it with them in mind. This doesn’t detract at all from adults enjoying the way the messages are presented. Dennis relates so much of the gospel in language that teens of today can understand. There is a chapter about Nehor and Amlici called “Popular Like Me.” The chapter starts with what the being popular is like for teens today; sitting at the cool table, sitting with the football players and cheerleaders etc. Gaunt then goes on to tell how Nehor was very much like the “popular” person and became a celebrity with the Nephite people. With his humor he adds, “I wonder if he was on the cover of Nephite People magazine, topping their 25 Most Beautiful Nephites list”

My favorite chapter has to be chapter 11 about Alma and the Sons of Mosiah. It is the best story to show us how people can go from bad to good. The overall message is that there are many miraculous stories of repentance and change in the Book of Mormon. What a great message to share with the youth of our church. I look forward to reading more books by Dennis Gaunt.

Mindy’s Review

My LDSWBR gals and I ran into Lisa Mangum at the Book Bloggers Social and she told us about her brilliant brother who sat down to write a book about the bad guys of the Book of Mormon and it only took him a month. I was impressed that someone, first of all could do that, but also I was so intrigued by the title. How cool to write a book about Book of Mormon bad guys.

When I sat down to read it, I was already excited. Right at the beginning there was a reference to one of my favorite bad guys of all time, Darth Vader. I knew right away I was going to love this book, and anything Dennis was going to tell me. What the author did with the bad guys was explain their side of the story. He didn’t justify their actions, but related their lives in a different way. And explained some scriptures that I have just skipped over in my past readings of the Book of Mormon.

There were so many great quotes from prophets, members of the twelve, present and past, and from other officers of the church. Most of my favorite quotes were from the author himself. I can tell that Dennis is a very smart and clever guy. He shared many of his own personal experiences throughout the book, telling the reader that he too has had a life of ups and downs. Some of the downs were from his own making. He turned his life to the direction it needed and served a mission in New Zealand. (My dad also served there on the north island.)

I also loved the other movie references: Star Wars and even Mary Poppins. At the end of each chapter there is a lesson learned and lesson to be learned section, giving a brief and sometimes funny summary of what the bad guys needed to know then.

The “yearbook” chapter was one of my favorites. The biggest lesson was, how do others see you and how do you want to be seen by others. Around page 160, the author talks about CPR–church activity, daily prayer, and reading scriptures. The basics of our beliefs and religion. If we fail to do those small and simple things, we could be at the mercy of the baddest bad guy of all, Satan.

July was a really hard month for me personally and my family as well. I went through many health struggles and trials that seemed never ending. My dear husband kept reminding me to pray and read my scriptures. At times I was praying about 20 times a day, needing the Lord with me at all times. Now that I am better, I still need that spirit with me, and I remember that I need CPR everyday to keep me and my family strong.

During my reading of Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon I was blown away. This is one of the best books I’ve read all year. I couldn’t put it down. I kept quoting phrases to my husband and teenage daughter. They are reading too! I wrote down so many awesome references that touched me. However, the last five pages were mind-blowingly awesome. The author made me excited about the scriptures.

Dennis talked about Christ being the master artist:

The Lord does things a little differently. He views us as eminently designable. Changeable. Moldable. His vew of us is as one looking at something with limitless potential for greatness. There is no end to the beauty and perfection that He can make us into. And yet, the greatest of all artists, the Master Artist, begins His work on us by signing His name first, before He ever lays a single drop of paint on our canvas, before he ever picks up a tool.” (page 231)

Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, without His influence and love I would be lost.

5 stars out of 5.