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Dialogues With Myself Personal Essays on Mormon Experience
Dialogues With Myself. Personal Essays on Mormon Experience. New Book. Great Buy. We will ship daily. Satisfaction Guaranteed. We sell the best products!
205 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1984
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About the author
Eugene England
45 books15 followersA remarkable teacher, writer, and human being, Eugene England (1933-2001) profoundly influenced thousands of students, readers, and colleagues. A tireless advocate of what he called “great books and true religion,” he co-founded Dialogue, the first independent Mormon scholarly journal, and the Association for Mormon Letters. His thought-provoking personal essays explored the issues of belief, peace, poverty, race, gender, academic freedom and community. An eternal optimist, he encouraged dialogue between conservatives and liberals, skeptics and believers, traditionalists and postmodernists during the decades-long culture wars. England’s life and work reveal a faithful scholar and loyal critic who followed the admonition of Apostle Paul: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 24, 2016
I've been reading this in pieces for probably 2 years now. I pick it up when I feel like something really substantive and thoughtful (and related to Mormonism, of course). I've read about half the essays, and almost every one of them I finish wanting to make everyone I know read as well. In some ways, this has been one of the most redeeming things I've ever read.
August 31, 2012
Meh; some of the early essays were solid, but the later ones just kept reminding me that I live in a different Mormondom than Eugene England did, made it hard to connect with.
August 31, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - Dialogues With Myself, Personal Essays on Mormon Experience, by Eugene England (1984)
I have read this book several times, and loaned it out many times. Friends and I have discussed Gene’s insights for years. I read it after a small group meeting at Gene’s house with some law school friends. One of which was the Elder’s Quorum President in the ward Gene was Bishop. We were invited to a post General Conference discussion. I had known of Gene for a few years previous due his dust up with Bruce McConkie. Gene became a cultural icon of sorts for a lot of LDS folks in my era.
England was one of Mormonism’s great essayists, and in this collection, he demonstrates why: he could take the everyday life of a Latter-day Saint and illuminate it with honesty, theology, and love. He was never afraid of questions, but he always turned those questions toward God and neighbor, seeking dialogue instead of division.
The essays cover a rich variety of topics: the paradoxes of Mormon theology, the challenges of doubt, the beauty of family relationships, and the communal life of the Church. Always, England grounds his reflections in his personal experience, which is what makes them so powerful. He doesn’t write as a distant theorist, but as a disciple in the thick of daily struggle—marriage, parenthood, church callings, and his own restless search for truth. Here are some of the highlights.
“Blessing the Chevrolet” – Is a reflection on the unusual experience of giving a priesthood blessing for something as seemingly mundane as a car. What begins as a humorous anecdote about blessing an unreliable vehicle becomes a profound meditation on the intersection of the sacred and the ordinary. England insists that God is present not only in temple rituals or lofty doctrines, but in the very fabric of everyday life—fixing cars, raising children, and forgiving our neighbors. For England, nothing is too small to be touched by grace.
“Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel” Here, England develops one of his central convictions: that the very flaws, frustrations, and difficulties of the Church are what make it divinely valuable. The Church, he argues, is not designed to be a perfect society of saints, but a school of love. It forces us into community with people we might not otherwise choose, requiring us to learn patience, forgiveness, and genuine charity. Far from being a weakness, the imperfections of the Church are what make it strong. He reframed imperfection not as a flaw to be excused, but as a divinely appointed condition that enables growth in charity. Even critics of the Church have found in this essay refreshingly honest and a reason to stay engaged. For many, it remains a classic of Mormon thought, cited whenever members struggle with disillusionment and need a reminder that the Church’s truth is found not in its flawlessness, but in the love it compels.
England weaves humor with theology, vulnerability with hope, and criticism with faith. His constant theme is that discipleship is not about escaping struggle, but about embracing it—because it is in the struggle that God transforms us.
My copy is worn, marked and tattered from multiple readings. Dialogues With Myself is a timely reminder that faith does not mean certainty, and that community does not mean ease. England shows that Mormonism is at its best when it embraces dialogue: the ongoing conversation between God and His children, between individuals and their community, and between the human and the divine.
England believed that discipleship meant openness—to God, to each other, and to the possibilities of growth. Dialogues With Myself is not just a record of one man’s spiritual journey; it is an invitation for each of us to join that same journey, with honesty, humility, and hope.
Quotes:
“We are saved, I believe, not by certainty but by charity; not by perfect knowledge but by our willingness to love and forgive and continue in the dialogue. The Gospel is not an end to questions, but an invitation to deeper, more faithful questioning.”
“To be a Mormon, at its richest, is to be part of a community of saints who are flawed, striving, hopeful, and dependent on each other. Our task is not to prove our superiority but to grow in our capacity to love—sometimes awkwardly, often imperfectly, but always with the assurance that God works with broken things.”
I have read this book several times, and loaned it out many times. Friends and I have discussed Gene’s insights for years. I read it after a small group meeting at Gene’s house with some law school friends. One of which was the Elder’s Quorum President in the ward Gene was Bishop. We were invited to a post General Conference discussion. I had known of Gene for a few years previous due his dust up with Bruce McConkie. Gene became a cultural icon of sorts for a lot of LDS folks in my era.
England was one of Mormonism’s great essayists, and in this collection, he demonstrates why: he could take the everyday life of a Latter-day Saint and illuminate it with honesty, theology, and love. He was never afraid of questions, but he always turned those questions toward God and neighbor, seeking dialogue instead of division.
The essays cover a rich variety of topics: the paradoxes of Mormon theology, the challenges of doubt, the beauty of family relationships, and the communal life of the Church. Always, England grounds his reflections in his personal experience, which is what makes them so powerful. He doesn’t write as a distant theorist, but as a disciple in the thick of daily struggle—marriage, parenthood, church callings, and his own restless search for truth. Here are some of the highlights.
“Blessing the Chevrolet” – Is a reflection on the unusual experience of giving a priesthood blessing for something as seemingly mundane as a car. What begins as a humorous anecdote about blessing an unreliable vehicle becomes a profound meditation on the intersection of the sacred and the ordinary. England insists that God is present not only in temple rituals or lofty doctrines, but in the very fabric of everyday life—fixing cars, raising children, and forgiving our neighbors. For England, nothing is too small to be touched by grace.
“Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel” Here, England develops one of his central convictions: that the very flaws, frustrations, and difficulties of the Church are what make it divinely valuable. The Church, he argues, is not designed to be a perfect society of saints, but a school of love. It forces us into community with people we might not otherwise choose, requiring us to learn patience, forgiveness, and genuine charity. Far from being a weakness, the imperfections of the Church are what make it strong. He reframed imperfection not as a flaw to be excused, but as a divinely appointed condition that enables growth in charity. Even critics of the Church have found in this essay refreshingly honest and a reason to stay engaged. For many, it remains a classic of Mormon thought, cited whenever members struggle with disillusionment and need a reminder that the Church’s truth is found not in its flawlessness, but in the love it compels.
England weaves humor with theology, vulnerability with hope, and criticism with faith. His constant theme is that discipleship is not about escaping struggle, but about embracing it—because it is in the struggle that God transforms us.
My copy is worn, marked and tattered from multiple readings. Dialogues With Myself is a timely reminder that faith does not mean certainty, and that community does not mean ease. England shows that Mormonism is at its best when it embraces dialogue: the ongoing conversation between God and His children, between individuals and their community, and between the human and the divine.
England believed that discipleship meant openness—to God, to each other, and to the possibilities of growth. Dialogues With Myself is not just a record of one man’s spiritual journey; it is an invitation for each of us to join that same journey, with honesty, humility, and hope.
Quotes:
“We are saved, I believe, not by certainty but by charity; not by perfect knowledge but by our willingness to love and forgive and continue in the dialogue. The Gospel is not an end to questions, but an invitation to deeper, more faithful questioning.”
“To be a Mormon, at its richest, is to be part of a community of saints who are flawed, striving, hopeful, and dependent on each other. Our task is not to prove our superiority but to grow in our capacity to love—sometimes awkwardly, often imperfectly, but always with the assurance that God works with broken things.”
February 1, 2008
A delightful writer who made the mundane magical. I'd like to build a library of the rest of his writings - hint, hint!
October 14, 2020
I took my time with these essays in an effort to savor the blend of both compassion and insight. England is a gifted writer who isn't full of himself which enabled him to maintain an open posture toward additional light and knowledge - a characteristic I highly admire and wish to emulate (and I'm no Stanford Professor . . . ).
He wrestled with many of the same topics I find myself grappling with inside Mormondom (e.g., systemic racial discrimination, blind patriarchy, bureaucracy, the smallness of mind, and judgmental cultural certainty, etc.). He didn't always step off the wrestling mat victorious but he engaged in the dialogue with grace and integrity and Mormonism is a better place for it. Disciple scholarship at its best.
He wrestled with many of the same topics I find myself grappling with inside Mormondom (e.g., systemic racial discrimination, blind patriarchy, bureaucracy, the smallness of mind, and judgmental cultural certainty, etc.). He didn't always step off the wrestling mat victorious but he engaged in the dialogue with grace and integrity and Mormonism is a better place for it. Disciple scholarship at its best.
January 29, 2016
An essential book for LDS readers and a helpful book to others who may want to learn more about LDS thought and doctrine. While I found the first essay (on Joseph Smith and the heroic quest) a little difficult, even though I am a hero's journey enthusiast, I loved the other essays in the book. The essays on the Atonement and on being a Mormon scholar were especially fine. The essays on "Going to Conference" and "The Hosanna Shout" should be read by anyone going (or listening to or reading) General Conference or attending a temple dedication. The entire book is extraordinary, beyond well-written, and beyond thoughtful. I wish I had known Eugene England personally--we overlapped at BYU but I didn't know how important it would have been to take a class from him. My loss. I am glad to have his thoughts preserved in this book, which I hope I will have the sense to reread and refer to.
August 6, 2008
Eugene England was always a faithful member of the church and an English professor at BYU who was subject to criticism by some for also serving as the editor of Dialogue magazine. He says that the best form of LDS literature is personal essays because they are like lessons we are so used to preparing in connection with our church callings. This is a collection of his essays. I thought some of the essays were wonderful in expressing ideas that I believe but could not articulate as well as he did. Other essays were not as interesting. I would recommend this to anyone who wonders if it is possible to be a liberal democrat and a good member of the church.
October 10, 2012
Really top-notch and humane writing. England has a wide range of talent, from exegesis to autobiographical essay. A friend of mine had mentioned Eugene England several times over the past several years, and I'm glad I sat down with this. This is a must read for anyone who wants to witness a great and kind mind tackle some of the more difficult issues in Mormonism from the past 50 years. Not a recent work, but England's faith and reasoning are relevant and important to the issues we face today.
September 22, 2009
I debated between giving this book a 4 or a 5. Overall I felt it was a refreshing book on Mormonism. The book is very open and honest and discusses aspects of the religion that many have considered but few address. I absolutely loved some of the essays. Other essays I thought were ok. So I settled on a 4. But I definitely feel that most of the essays in this book are must-reads.
January 3, 2010
Eugene England tackles some of the hard issues with Mormonism in a non-apologetic way. I read much of his stuff while I was trying to find a way to continue participation in the faith without having a belief in everything taught by the church. England was probably personally responsible for me staying in as long as I did. He's a good example of what LDS people should aspire to.
July 30, 2014
What a great collection of essays! Beautiful explanation of why we must treat seemingly irreconcilable polarities in the gospel as paradoxes rather than as a battle between sides, and an encouraging example of searching in faith, critical thinking without negating personal spiritual experience. Despite its 1994 publication date, a very timely addition on my spiritual journey.
September 15, 2009
Uncle Jeff loaned Chels and I this book and I'm super glad he did. I had read about Eugene England but I had never read Eugene England, so this was a great first experience. He does a great job of justifying the essay as THE preeminant Mormon literary art form.
August 23, 2011
There were a lot of things I disagreed with--mostly with his classically trained background that is now not utilized in the academic field. However, I found his writings to be fair minded and always with Christian behavior in view. Never a bad thing
September 4, 2008
I appreciate the personal essay genre, but this collection was far too removed from me to be meaningful. I did, however, enjoy his Making Peace collection.
May 23, 2022
Good essays on LDS topics.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews