Chad Nielsen’s Favorite Reads, 2026 edition

Chad Nielsen

•

As with previous years (e.g., the 2025 edition), I’ve prepared a list of my top 10 books that I’ve read this year. Also, since I have published 24 book reviews (plus two museum reviews and one album review) so far in 2026, I’ll include links to them. (I promised myself I would limit myself to 15 reviews this year, but that obviously didn’t happen, haha. There are just too many interesting books coming out for me to turn them down.) While not a prestigious Mormon Writing Award, my hope is that this will help point people towards some good books for Christmas shopping or for end-of-year catch-up.  

A collection of favorite Mormon Studies books published in 2026

    1. Picturing Christ: Understanding Depictions of Jesus in History and Art, by Daniel Becerra, Jennifer Champoux, Mark D. Ellison, and Matthew J. Grey. 
      • If I could choose one book for members of the Church to read this year, I would choose this one. It is insightful and thought-provoking in its analyses and provides some really important context about the ways in which Jesus Christ has been portrayed over the years, including in the Church today.
    2. Mormon Barrio: Latino Belonging in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Sujey Vega. 
      • In my review in April, I mentioned that “I don’t hesitate to say that Mormon Barrio is one of the most significant publications in Mormon Studies in 2026.” I still stand by that assessment. This is a groundbreaking book, delving into the lived experiences of Latina/o Latter-day Saints in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and will be one of the cornerstones of the subfield moving forward. The reason it isn’t first in the list is that it’s more geared towards scholars than lay readers.
    3. C. C. A. Christensen: A Mormon Visionary, by Jennifer Champoux. 
      • While I would love it if my biography of Zerah Pulsipher won a best biography award next year, I would not be too sad to lose to this book. Champoux does a fantastic job of introducing a Latter-day Saint pioneer who was simultaneously an artist, historian, and visionary. Throughout it, she provides excellent context for his work and what he was trying to accomplish through his artistic portrayals. And the compactness of the book makes it an extremely accessible read.
    4. Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, ed. by Jennifer Reeder, Sharalyn D. Howcroft, Elizabeth A. Kuehn, and Jessica M. Nelson. 
      • This would be the other book from this year that I would like to have all members of the Church read. The editors went through the monumental effort to gather all available sermons of Eliza R. Snow and then choose a few of the most representative samples to publish in this book, with commentary and context for each of them. The result is magnificent, and can be used both in academic research about Latter-day Saints in the nineteenth century and by general Church membership in devotional study and preparation for talks or Sunday school lessons.
    5. The Diaries of Carol Lynn Pearson: Mormon Author, Feminist, and Activist, Volume 1: 1956–1990. 
      • This book is made all the more poignant by Pearson’s passing earlier this year, but the diaries themselves are fascinating. Well-written and insightful, Pearson is able to give glimpses into mid-twentieth century Mormonism at both the local level and among the upper echelons of Church leadership, with a particularly strong focus on women’s issues and the experiences of LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints. For academic readers researching the Church during the twentieth century, this book will be essential reading, but lay readers will also find it interesting and thought-provoking.
    6. Seven Crossings: Encounters with Christ in the New Testament, by Adam S. Miller and Rosalynde F. Welch (Deseret Book, 2026) 
      • This is one of the more theological-focused books on the list, but it is geared towards general membership.
    7. The Life and Times of John Steele: Mormon Kingdom Builder, by Kerry William Bate. 
      • Steele is a relatively minor figure in Latter-day Saint history, but this biography is an engaging journey through his life, giving insight into the experiences of general membership in the nineteenth century, particularly in experiences like the Mormon Battalion, settlement of southwestern Utah, and medical practices of the era. It’s worthwhile and pretty enjoyable.
    8. Tracy Y. Cannon: Tabernacle Organist and Pioneering Musician, 1879–1961, by Shelby Fisher. 
      • I’m admittedly biased in favor of any Latter-day Saint music history publications, but I truly enjoyed this brief biography of an often overlooked, but central figure in twentieth-century Latter-day Saint music. 
    9. Educating Zion: The Diaries of BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson, 1952–1971, ed. Gary James Bergera. 
      • Wilkinson was highly involved in major decisions about the Church Education System for decades and interacted regularly with General Authorities along the way. He was an excellent, if biased, narrator, making these selections from his diaries very readable. (While it’s a large volume, I enjoyed reading it enough to read every page of the book.) Similar to the Pearson diaries, this provides some great insight into mid-twentieth century Mormonism and will be an essential primary source for people researching that era.
    10. Unlocking the Chinese Realm: Apostle David O. McKay and Latter-day Saint Encounters in East Asia, 1852–1921, by Reid Neilson.
      • Neilson provides a wide-ranging historical analysis of the McKay world tour and the dedication of China, both showing the precedents that McKay was following, the Church’s growing interest in East Asia leading up to it, and the results of that interest in the decades following the dedication of China. It was enjoyable to read and built on decades of work by Neilson on this subject.

Honorable Mentions: 

My Books:

I’ve intentionally not included my own books on the list, since I’m far from an unbiased observer. But I like them a lot and will list them here:

Come, Follow Me, 2027 (New Testament) Recommendations:

For more book reviews and forthcoming books, see Mormon Studies Books in 2026.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.