Disclaimer: When SquareTwo was sent this book, I wasn’t aware I knew the author. About ten years ago I worked as a student secretary for a year in the BYU History Department, where I met Dr. Underwood. I remember him as a sincerely kind man with impeccable manners.
Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies is not a book for the faint of heart! In this 609-page book, Dr. Underwood achieves his stated purpose: to provide a detailed, nuanced discussion of the beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CoJC) and how they relate to Christianity in all its varieties. This volume painstakingly covers every topic you would expect to find in a theological overview, with two chapters dedicated to God (divinity and trinity; and creation, providence, and theodicy); two to Christ (His ‘person’ and nature; and His atoning work); two to the Church (images, models, and ‘marks’; and authority, priesthood, and ministry); three to sacraments (theory and application; the eucharist; and additional sacraments); and chapters dedicated to anthropology, soteriology, and eschatology. Underwood states that he wrote this volume for the “educated, interested generalist rather than a specialist” on theology. [1] Anyone who wants an enthusiastic and thorough introduction to how Latter-day Saint theology fits into the breadth of Christian theology should give this leave-no-stone-unturned book a try.
Dr. Underwood writes about Christian theology across the ages with a reverence and value for all Christian denominations that makes the book a delight to read. He relies on 2000 years of theological musings to show how even central Christian beliefs have existed on a spectrum from the beginning of Christianity, and in that variation lies the opening through which he threads the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint to the rest of Christian theology. For example, in the first chapter “God: Divinity and Trinity”, Dr. Underwood connects Latter-day Saint belief that we are literally created in the physical image of God to ancient Christianity by sharing a story told by the early Christian monk John Cassian, about a fourth century Egyptian monk “Abba” Serapion. Serapion learned from a Turkish deacon that “many Eastern monks were interpreting Genesis 1:27—‘God created man in his own image’—spiritually, not literally. ‘Serapion was devastated. The loss of a human shape for the image of God left him despairing. Prostrating himself on the ground, he wept and cried out, “They have taken my God from me and I have now no one to behold, whom to worship and address!” Another example from the 1600s highlights the classic struggle between grace and works. “The soul is always at the mercy of God. It is helpless without His help. Man is free to choose. You must exercise your moral judgment. You must try. You must discipline yourself. But still the soul is helpless without God. The grace of God must help you to begin, continue, and end. Purity of heart is a gift, not an achievement. Still, you must try." [2]
Dr. Underwood also used more recent history to inform the relationship between Christian and Latter-day Saint theologies. He outlines the major topics of debate within what Joseph Smith labeled a “commotion,” including the nature of God, the relationship of faith and works, the necessity of baptism, the nature of the Lord’s supper, and who will be and how they will be saved. Dr. Underwood shares what other denominations thought about these topics at that time in the United States, and then notes that those denominations continued debating each other on these topics for the next 200 years, and so their opinions evolved. He points out that the exodus from Nauvoo and other settlements, and the isolation of Utah affected the evolution of the theological positions and emphases of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For example, the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ occurred at a time and in a world when religion and science were compatible. We then removed ourselves to an isolated territory outside the United States with limited access to outside thought, which may have helped us maintain that openness to science more than other religions. [3]
While I enjoyed the book and learned a lot, there were a few points or issues I’d like to mention. First, in this educated, interested generalist’s opinion, a glossary would have been very useful, so I could easily reacquaint myself with new words like “eschatology,” “soteriology,” or “theodicy” as they were repeated throughout the book. Second, I did wish for more quotes and insights from women as I read this book. While I realize men have been most consistently recorded in their thoughts on theology, there must be some sources of that quote insightful thoughts of women on theology, especially within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Underwood identified our apostles and prophets as our church theologians. “In an ecclesial body that lacks a cadre of seminary-trained, professional theologians, the general authorities are the church’s ‘theologians.’” [4] I might also suggest, then, that the general officers of the Church count as theologians, as well.
Lastly, Dr. Underwood did miss one powerful opportunity that I found particularly disappointing. While he did mention our belief in the doctrine of Heavenly Mother, he didn’t do so until almost the end of the volume. During the discussion of the divine trinity in chapter one, he does discuss the Latter-day Saint belief that spirits are not created but procreated. [5] This is the only time in the chapter he comes close to mentioning our Mother. He dances around Her existence so much that it is almost obvious She is there, but it isn’t until the end of the book during the discussion of exaltation that he truly brings up Her existence, and even then it’s hardly a mention. Even more difficult for me is his continued use of the pattern of talking of Heavenly Father without Her, even though more recent developments in Church norms have brought about the more acceptable term “Heavenly Parents” when talking about our divine destiny and the plan of salvation. I understand that this is probably because the book’s purpose was to present Latter-day Saint theology to modern non-Latter-day Saints for whom the existence of a goddess would have been hard reconcile. However, I don’t think we should leave our Mother out of the discussion out of fear for what other people think of us, or as a desire to be included in other groups. Ultimately, for general readers unfamiliar with theological literature, this will be a valuable addition to a theological library as a sincere, respectful, faithful work to bridge understanding between the people of Christendom and their brothers and sisters in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
NOTES:
[1] He used his wife as an example of such an educated, interested generalist in his thank-you to her, but my hunch is that Dr. Underwood’s wife must be more than a generalist simply due the numerous conversations she must have had on this topic with the author over the years! So, I would say an advanced generalist or a beginning theologian is the correct targeted audience. [Back to manuscript].
[2] 1600 monk, John Cassian (again!) [Back to manuscript].
[3] Underwood, Latter-day Saint Theology, p. 33. [Back to manuscript].
[4] Underwood, Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (2025), p10. [Back to manuscript].
[5] Underwood, Latter-day Saint Theology, p. 27. [Back to manuscript].
Full Citation for this Article: Bell, Emilee Pugh (2025) "Book Review: Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies by Grant Underwood," SquareTwo, Vol. 18 No. 3 (Fall 2025), http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleBellUnderwoodReview.html, accessed <give access date>.
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