Mormons in the Piazza: History of the Latter-day Saints in Italy

by James A. Toronto, Eric R. Dursteler, Michael W. and Homer

From the day Lorenzo Snow stepped out of a carriage onto Italian soil in 1850 to the day that Thomas S. Monson turned a shovel of Italian soil to break ground for a temple in 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made evangelizing a high priority in Italy. Mormon missionary work unfolded against a backdrop of historical forces—political upheaval, world wars, social change, and internal Church dynamics—that presented both obstacles and opportunities for growth. Over the span of a century and a half, the Church managed to establish a small but significant presence in Italy. This research offers a comprehensive account and thorough analysis of the people, events, and issues related to this important chapter in Italian and Church history. This volume highlights the human drama associated with the encounters between foreign missionaries and local spiritual seekers and explores the implications of religious growth across obstacles of faith, geography, and culture.

Genres: History, Religion

632 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2016

Reviews

[Kirstin Dobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read from which I learned much and enjoyed a great deal. (I also have some personal connection and interest in the topic.) A scholarly, non-fiction read, not a lazy, light fictional story, but that was what it was supposed to be. My only real complaint was how it did seem to get long and repetitive in places.

[Louise Hartvigsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched book of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy. My interest is spurred by my time as a missionary in the Milan mission just prior to the organization of the first stake in the country. The church had a short presence in Italy in the 1800's, converting some from a group of Protestants in the Italian Alps, but then left for a century. As a young missionary I knew the church was relatively new in Italy, but didn't understand the intricacies of the legal status of the church. It took decades until the church was given full recognition and reached the point where it was possible to build the Rome Temple. Besides the logistics of establishing the organization of the church, the book also tells of the effect on individuals and the challenges of being part of a minority religion in the shadow of the Vatican.

[Cam]

Meticulously researched book on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy. I learned so much about the missionary efforts and the red tape of being recognized as a formal religion in Italy. I think it’s amazing there is now a Temple there and am so glad I’ve had the chance to worship inside that Temple. This book only goes through approx 2015 and so the Temple had not been built or dedicated at the time it was published. I would’ve loved for the last several years to have also been included in this history. I love the Italian people and am forever thankful for the time I lived in that beautiful country

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and easy to read story of the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Italy. I read it because my Grandfather immigrated to Utah from Italy and my granddaughter has a mission call to Italy, but is now serving in Minnesota because of the current pandemic. My Italian family didn’t join the church, not even after coming to Utah but I still wanted to learn this history. This book is very well researched and intelligent! It’s a wonderful book!

[John Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intelligent, well-written, and exquisitely researched book that is much more than just an accounting of facts of the development of the Church in Italy. There are insights into why events occurred and the socioeconomic and political undercurrents driving public receptiveness to the Church (or the lack thereof). And much of the commentary is surprisingly generalizable to other countries and the Church in general. This book was a delight to read.

[Karen Mosley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very scholarly look at the rise of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy. I read it mainly as a resource for the book I wrote, "The Strength of the Hills", though it was interesting to read about the things that happened after my great-great-greatgrandparents joined the Church and emigrated to America.