More than one hundred years ago, Nephi Anderson published what is considered to be the first Mormon novel, Added Upon. It was an interesting attempt to encompass the entire gospel plan, from pre-mortality to the afterlife. After that came a long dry period for LDS novels, with the form resurfacing in the 1940s and ‘50s. But novels were few and far between until the ‘70s, when Mormon love stories began to grow in popularity. Now Mormons are featured in hundreds of novels published by regional and national houses. Are our religion and culture accurately reflected in this burgeoning literary form?

Lael Littke