Reviews -- Of Curious Workmanship: Musings on Things Mormon



	Of Curious Workmanship Musings on Things Mormon

BYU Magzine, Richard H. Cracroft
In 25 brief, witty, and humorous essays, Snow muses about Matters Mormon for readers comforable enough with their faith to chuckle at their own and fellow-Saints' foibles. He essays about everything from "The Gift of Tongues" (Mormon missionary blunders) and a quiz on genuine vs. bogus Brigham Young quotations to excuses for falling asleep in church and Joseph Smith's naming one of Reynolds Cahoon's children "Mahonri Moriancumer." (Snow adds, "My guess is if you comb LDS historical records after that date you will not find Joseph ever being asked to give another child a name and a blessing.... Joseph gave his own kids easy, short names, like 'David'" [p.46].) Snow's essays are good-humored, good-spirited fun and collectively urge us to hope that Brigham Young was speaking prophetically when he conjectured: "I sometimes think God must enjoy humor, and that he won't be strict in reckoning with a humorist" (quoted, p. 92).