{"id":54943,"date":"2026-11-13T03:44:07","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T10:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=54943"},"modified":"2026-11-13T07:53:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T14:53:15","slug":"chad-nielsens-favorite-reads-2026-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/11\/chad-nielsens-favorite-reads-2026-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Chad Nielsen\u2019s Favorite Reads, 2026 edition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with previous years (e.g., <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/chad-nielsens-favorite-reads-2025-edition\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the 2025 edition),<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I\u2019ve prepared a list of my top 10 books that I\u2019ve read this year. Also, since I have published 24 book reviews (plus two museum reviews and one album review) so far in 2026, I\u2019ll include links to them. (I promised myself I would limit myself to 15 reviews this year, but that obviously didn\u2019t happen, haha. There are just too many interesting books coming out for me to turn them down.) While not a prestigious <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/06\/mormon-history-awards-2026\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mormon Writing Award<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, my hope is that this will help point people towards some good books for Christmas shopping or for end-of-year catch-up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-55132\" src=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/nielsen-2026-mormon-studies.jpg\" alt=\"A collection of favorite Mormon Studies books published in 2026\" width=\"591\" height=\"324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/nielsen-2026-mormon-studies.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/nielsen-2026-mormon-studies-800x439.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 591px) 100vw, 591px\" \/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/08\/a-review-picturing-christ-understanding-depictions-of-jesus-in-history-and-art\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Picturing Christ: Understanding Depictions of Jesus in History and Art<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Daniel Becerra, Jennifer Champoux, Mark D. Ellison, and Matthew J. Grey.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/a-review-mormon-barrio-latino-belonging-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mormon Barrio: Latino Belonging in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Sujey Vega.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In my review in April, I mentioned that \u201cI don\u2019t hesitate to say that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mormon Barrio<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is one of the most significant publications in Mormon Studies in 2026.\u201d 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&#8217;t first in the list is that it&#8217;s more geared towards scholars than lay readers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/08\/a-review-c-c-a-christensen-a-mormon-visionary\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C. C. A. Christensen: A Mormon Visionary<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Jennifer Champoux.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/03\/a-review-rise-up-and-speak-selected-discourses-of-eliza-r-snow\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ed. by Jennifer Reeder, Sharalyn D. Howcroft, Elizabeth A. Kuehn, and Jessica M. Nelson.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/09\/a-review-the-diaries-of-carol-lynn-pearson-mormon-author-feminist-and-activist-volume-1-1956-1990\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Diaries of Carol Lynn Pearson: Mormon Author, Feminist, and Activist, Volume 1: 1956\u20131990<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This book is made all the more poignant by Pearson\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/10\/a-review-of-seven-crossings-encounters-with-christ-in-the-new-testament\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Seven Crossings: Encounters with Christ in the New Testament<\/em><\/a>, by Adam S. Miller and Rosalynde F. Welch (Deseret Book, 2026)<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one of the more theological-focused books on the list, but it is geared towards general membership.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/a-review-the-life-and-times-of-john-steele\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Life and Times of John Steele: Mormon Kingdom Builder<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Kerry William Bate.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s worthwhile and pretty enjoyable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/a-review-tracy-y-cannon-tabernacle-organist-and-pioneering-musician-1879-1961\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tracy Y. Cannon: Tabernacle Organist and Pioneering Musician, 1879\u20131961<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Shelby Fisher.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/07\/a-review-educating-zion-the-diaries-of-byu-president-ernest-l-wilkinson-1952-1971\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Educating Zion: The Diaries of BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson, 1952\u20131971<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ed. Gary James Bergera.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/03\/a-review-unlocking-the-chinese-realm-apostle-david-o-mckay-and-latter-day-saint-encounters-in-east-asia-1852-1921\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlocking the Chinese Realm: Apostle David O. McKay and Latter-day Saint Encounters in East Asia, 1852\u20131921<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Reid Neilson. <\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Honorable Mentions:\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/07\/a-review-after-happiness-living-with-faith-in-a-time-of-crisis\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Happiness: Living with Faith in a Time of Crisis<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Natalie Brown<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/06\/53694\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood Vessels: Vigilante Violence in the American West<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Patrick T. Hoehne<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/03\/a-review-changemakers-women-who-boldly-built-zion\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changemakers: Women Who Boldly Built Zion<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by McArthur Krishna, Anne Pimentel, and Jessica Sarah Beach<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/seven-songs-review\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seven Songs: Signs of Christ in the Old Testament<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Adam S. Miller and Rosalynde F. Welch<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fromthedesk.org\/how-can-using-alternate-lds-hymn-tunes-enrich-worship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sing a New Song: New Tunes for Familiar Hymns<\/a>, by Brent Yorgason and Michael Young<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/a-review-welding-another-link-latter-day-saint-essays-on-faith-and-intellect\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welding Another Link: Latter-day Saint Essays on Faith and Intellect<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Nathan B. Oman<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My Books:<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve intentionally not included my own books on the list, since I\u2019m far from an unbiased observer. But I like them a lot and will list them here:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregkofford.com\/products\/a-barn-full-of-angels?srsltid=AfmBOoovQ_LNv8nfI0s2QFnG9IiyfgiZJFRrCVv5BtftpxUWN17JH7cT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Barn Full of Angels: The Spiritual World and Pioneer Journey of Zerah Pulsipher<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Greg Kofford Books)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fairlatterdaysaints.org\/store\/product\/b-h-roberts-warhorse-of-the-church\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B. H. Roberts: Warhorse of the Church, A Beginner&#8217;s Guide<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0(FAIR)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Come, Follow Me, 2027 (New Testament) Recommendations:<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1589587863?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_RX5Q5G3T18A5F5VMW0GF&amp;bestFormat=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints<\/em><\/a>, Revised Edition, by Thomas Wayment (Greg Kofford Books, 2022)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1639935363?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_W3P9T27C81FSYFRJYAWP&amp;bestFormat=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Seven Crossings: Encounters with Christ in the New Testament<\/em><\/a>, by Adam S. Miller and Rosalynde F. Welch (Deseret Book, 2026)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/10\/reading-the-new-testament-on-its-own-terms-a-review-of-alex-douglass-the-new-testament-for-latter-day-saints\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The New Testament for Latter-day Saints<\/em>, by Alex Douglas<\/a> (Signature Books, 2026)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more book reviews and forthcoming books, see <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2026\/09\/mormon-studies-books-in-2026\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mormon Studies Books in 2026<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As with previous years (e.g., the 2025 edition), I\u2019ve prepared a list of my top 10 books that I\u2019ve read this year. Also, since I have published 24 book reviews (plus two museum reviews and one album review) so far in 2026, I\u2019ll include links to them. (I promised myself I would limit myself to 15 reviews this year, but that obviously didn\u2019t 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":55132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/nielsen-2026-mormon-studies.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54943"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55133,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54943\/revisions\/55133"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}