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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Nationally Released Book Tells History Of Universe According To LDS Doctrine
Kent Larsen 22Mar00 A4
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- On the heels of LDS Church President Gordon B.
Hinckley's groundbreaking book communicating common values to a
non-LDS audience, a new book from a national publisher seeks to
explain LDS doctrine in clear terms, free of LDS jargon and
correlation. Coke Newell, who manages the LDS Church's Media Resource
Development, has written a new book, "Latter Days," for St. Martin's
Press, which released it to Utah bookstores this week and will
release the book nationally on April 5th.
The book tries to explain LDS doctrine and history chronologically,
starting with the creation and progressing through the history of the
World and of the LDS Church before addressing the judgement and the
life after this one. The publisher writes that "Latter Days"
"explores in depth this unique paradigm of human purpose and destiny,
a paradigm that reaches beyond grace, beyond works, beyond mortal
religious choices and even beyond death."
Newell, a teen-age convert to the LDS Church, says he wrote the book
to provide a "faithful look from a different perspective." Because he
is a convert, Newell says that he is able to explain LDS doctrine and
history from a non-LDS perspective, while maintaining the knowledge
and understanding that only a member can have. Newell emphasizes that
the book avoids LDS jargon and is not 'correlated' for an LDS
audience.
An 'eighth-generation' westerner, Newell grew up in remote Colorado,
seven miles from the nearest paved road. At 18 he read the Book of
Mormon, which became a life-changing experience for him. He joined
the LDS Church almost overnight. After spending several years
writing songs and trying to become a country rock guitarist, Newell
wrote a story about a dream he had, submitted it to a story-writing
contest and won -- hooking him into writing.
The publisher, St. Martins Press, is pleased with the response the
book is getting so far, and is hoping to attract additional attention
from the media. Newell has a website that covers the book, located
at: http://www.cokenewell.com/.
See also:
Amazon.com talks to Coke Newell
Amazon.com (undated) A2
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/show-interview/n-c-ewelloke/mormonnews
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