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Agent Bishop: True Stories from an FBI Agent Moonlighting As a Mormon Bishop
When Mike got his dream job as an FBI agent, he never thought he would also be called as an LDS bishop four times! Follow Mike as he recalls his adventures as an FBI agent and inspiration as a bishop. As Mike fought crime and Satan with a pistol in one hand and scriptures in the other, he learned the importance of obedience in both jobs. Filled with surprises and unexpected thrills, and told with humor and ease, Agent Bishop: True Stories from an FBI Agent Moonlighting as a Mormon Bishop is the perfect memoir for the FBI agent in all of us!
273 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2009
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435 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
February 25, 2010
I finished reading this book, but considered not doing that. The stories of the author's adventures in the FBI are interesting and become more so as his career progresses. His accounts of his investigation of the murder of two LDS missionaries in South America and a couple of other cases are especially interesting. McPheters' account of his three tenures as bishop of different wards are less interesting. He shares his testimony and gives broad-brush accounts of some of the things bishops do, with a couple of specific examples, but (perhaps due to the need to preserve the confidentiality of those with whom he worked as a bishop) the stories of his life as a bishop are usually uninteresting and sometimes repetitive. The influence of his faith is apparent in his work and his life, and his stories of his relationship to his wife and their faith are perhaps more interesting than his stories of life as a bishop.
The reason I almost stopped reading several times is because of the poor editing and writing in the book--some of which could have been much improved by better editing (or a writer who would take his editor's advice). An irritating feature of the book is that the author will refer to a case he worked on, almost as an aside, and then return to it later in detail as though he hadn't hinted at its existence before. This is not foreshadowing, but poor organization. There are some typos and an irritating use of cliches in describing events--shots "ring out" and the like. This book is not a total waste of time, but it should be borrowed from the library if you want to read it. I certainly wouldn't buy it. Those who want a good read that really decribes the intersection of life as a bishop and an LDS FBI agent will be disappointed--the "bishop" aspect of the story just doesn't give enough information, again, probably because of the need for confidentiality. I was also slightly put off by the title statement that McPheters was "moonlighting" as a Mormon bishop, as though that were something to be taken lightly. That may have been a suggested "hook" by the editor or publisher, as the author did take the calling seriously. As a "hook" it may make some LDS readers (the target audience for the most part) decide that the author thought of his calling as a sideshow, although when one reads the book his devotion is apparent, if sparsely and repetitively described.
The reason I almost stopped reading several times is because of the poor editing and writing in the book--some of which could have been much improved by better editing (or a writer who would take his editor's advice). An irritating feature of the book is that the author will refer to a case he worked on, almost as an aside, and then return to it later in detail as though he hadn't hinted at its existence before. This is not foreshadowing, but poor organization. There are some typos and an irritating use of cliches in describing events--shots "ring out" and the like. This book is not a total waste of time, but it should be borrowed from the library if you want to read it. I certainly wouldn't buy it. Those who want a good read that really decribes the intersection of life as a bishop and an LDS FBI agent will be disappointed--the "bishop" aspect of the story just doesn't give enough information, again, probably because of the need for confidentiality. I was also slightly put off by the title statement that McPheters was "moonlighting" as a Mormon bishop, as though that were something to be taken lightly. That may have been a suggested "hook" by the editor or publisher, as the author did take the calling seriously. As a "hook" it may make some LDS readers (the target audience for the most part) decide that the author thought of his calling as a sideshow, although when one reads the book his devotion is apparent, if sparsely and repetitively described.
September 18, 2025
An Excellent Book for Our Time
I'm unsure what I expected from this book, perhaps some entertainment and informative reading about Law Enforcement.
What I did experience startled me. I knew going in that Mike McPheters had published the book sometime ago. What I didn't expect was the powerful emotions that going back into his past raised in me.
Mike is a good author, he writes like an FBI agent sounds when he speaks, factual and to the point. He can also look at his own behavior fairly objectively, and with a lovely sense of humor. He presented the events he experienced with grace and humility. I am not used to reading FBI thrillers with G-men who have so little ego.
However, I read this book in September of 2025 to put things into context. The deeper into Mike's past we reminisced, the more I realized how drastically the world I grew up in has changed. I started reading and noticing myself thinking, "Oh, I remember when that happened. I remember when California didn't burn up every Summer."
After thirty-some odd years, Mike's memories had passed, and I was reading passages of the book to my husband and crying. The grief I felt at what was suddenly so clear we have lost in America is overwhelming. Mike finishes the book recalling the time just after he retired and his experience being in Washington, DC on September 11, 2011. He writes at the end, America has changed forever! It just about broke my heart.
Which leads me to one last fact about the McPheters family, Mike's daughter named her new baby Hope. And Hope is what we still have, in 2025. No matter how dark the political, social, or actual climate appears to be, we have to know that history has shown, time and time again, life goes in cycles. I have it on good authority "that this too shall pass."
Yes, you should read this slightly outdated, goofy book. It is rich in history, insightful in ways you won't expect. If you are young, you will learn about things not taught in school. If you are older, you may grieve along with me. But, no matter what your age, you will experience hope. I highly recommend you read this book.
I'm unsure what I expected from this book, perhaps some entertainment and informative reading about Law Enforcement.
What I did experience startled me. I knew going in that Mike McPheters had published the book sometime ago. What I didn't expect was the powerful emotions that going back into his past raised in me.
Mike is a good author, he writes like an FBI agent sounds when he speaks, factual and to the point. He can also look at his own behavior fairly objectively, and with a lovely sense of humor. He presented the events he experienced with grace and humility. I am not used to reading FBI thrillers with G-men who have so little ego.
However, I read this book in September of 2025 to put things into context. The deeper into Mike's past we reminisced, the more I realized how drastically the world I grew up in has changed. I started reading and noticing myself thinking, "Oh, I remember when that happened. I remember when California didn't burn up every Summer."
After thirty-some odd years, Mike's memories had passed, and I was reading passages of the book to my husband and crying. The grief I felt at what was suddenly so clear we have lost in America is overwhelming. Mike finishes the book recalling the time just after he retired and his experience being in Washington, DC on September 11, 2011. He writes at the end, America has changed forever! It just about broke my heart.
Which leads me to one last fact about the McPheters family, Mike's daughter named her new baby Hope. And Hope is what we still have, in 2025. No matter how dark the political, social, or actual climate appears to be, we have to know that history has shown, time and time again, life goes in cycles. I have it on good authority "that this too shall pass."
Yes, you should read this slightly outdated, goofy book. It is rich in history, insightful in ways you won't expect. If you are young, you will learn about things not taught in school. If you are older, you may grieve along with me. But, no matter what your age, you will experience hope. I highly recommend you read this book.
July 1, 2010
I'm going to give this book 3 stars because the author doesn't at any time try to pass himself off as a great author. I can totally see how this book came about. Mike is sitting around talking to some buddies about some of his great experiences as an FBI agent and then talked about equally great times as a bishop and his buddies said, "Dude! You should totally write a book about this stuff." Reading the book feels like sitting with the author and talking about old times. "Oh ya, and remember that time when...." I enjoyed reading about his real life experiences. I used to love reading the Bourne books and Mitch Rapp books. Those are totally fiction over the top such you in kind of books. In Agent Bishop,Mcpheters was just keeping it real. Not a page turner, but interesting. The book is more Agent then Bishop. I do wish there was a little bit more written on the bishop thing. I'm not sure what it would be but....Title a little bit deceiving in that way.
December 7, 2009
This man's really amazing. As an FBI agent, he participated in many high and low profile cases ranging from organized crime operations to immigration. The book traces his time as an FBI agent and his three times as bishop. It makes for fairly good reading. I'm not sure why it's not as good as I would have expected. He's matter of fact about everything. Maybe I want more detailed, moment-by-moment crises narratives? Also, necessarily, he can't give much detail about being a bishop, but I would have liked more about his challenges and how his two occupations intersected more, or how what he learned in one impacted the other in more interesting detail? It could be his publisher wants something that will appeal to the nonbelievers? I would like much more about the spiritual oimpacting the FBI and the investigator impacting the bishop?
March 11, 2010
I liked this book okay, but was a little disappointed that the Agent was far more emphasized than the Bishop. There were some references thrown in here and there, but the majority was centered on Agent McPheters' duties and cases as an FBI agent, some of which were somewhat grisly. Not for the faint hearted. I did like hearing how McPheters felt he was a better agent because of his calling as a bishop four times. It shows that a person cannot completely separate who they are from what they do, no matter what it is. Some of us try to fool ourselves into thinking we can compartmentalize our lives into different roles that don't affect the other, but who we really are shows through in every aspect of our lives.
July 14, 2010
I had a lot more hopes and wishes with this book. Unfortunately it didn't please me.
I really stuggled to get thru the repetitive pages of basically the same things happening over and over. Not enough excitement for me I guess.
99% was of him being an FBI agent and only 1% as a bishop.
Sorry, but I didn't enjoy this book at all!
I really stuggled to get thru the repetitive pages of basically the same things happening over and over. Not enough excitement for me I guess.
99% was of him being an FBI agent and only 1% as a bishop.
Sorry, but I didn't enjoy this book at all!
February 7, 2018
Mike Mcpheters is a member of the SWAT team, but he later receives the job of his dreams, he becomes and FBI agent. But, what he didn't expect is that he would be called as an LDS bishop,-four different times. During the day Mike takes down famous criminals, druggies, and from time to time, protects famous people. And during the evening he counsels the young ones of the church against drugs and immortality. Mike explains his crazy stories and experiences.
In this book, there are many causes and effects. First, Mike busts many bank robbers. The cause, the robbers want the money, the effect, they get arrested and thrown into jail. Also, a man is about to get married, when the FBI shows up. Because of the things this man did, he was arrested before he could even say "I Do".
I really enjoyed this book. I learned more on what FBI agents do. The stories were also very interesting, it is crazy to learn what some people do for money or even revenge. I also thought it was educational, because it talks about ferensics, I have been thinking about doing ferensics when I am older. This book may not be for everyone, but I hope you get the chance to read it.
In this book, there are many causes and effects. First, Mike busts many bank robbers. The cause, the robbers want the money, the effect, they get arrested and thrown into jail. Also, a man is about to get married, when the FBI shows up. Because of the things this man did, he was arrested before he could even say "I Do".
I really enjoyed this book. I learned more on what FBI agents do. The stories were also very interesting, it is crazy to learn what some people do for money or even revenge. I also thought it was educational, because it talks about ferensics, I have been thinking about doing ferensics when I am older. This book may not be for everyone, but I hope you get the chance to read it.
July 4, 2017
I agree that his work as an FBI agent and as a bishop were superior to his writing ability! That being said , I admire and respect him and his work ! I would love to attend a fireside given by this man ! What an honor that would be.
December 17, 2016
Sometimes you wonder why a book was written.
This book was a Christmas gift from some well meaning family members. It sat on my shelf for almost the whole year before I took it down. I actually thought it was a book of fiction before I started reading.
The book gets two stars, barely, because despite its faults, the stories are interesting, but the writing feels stilted and forced. It feels more like a story that your relatives tell over and over. They always start with "Remember that time when..."
McPheters is not a professional writer, I get that, but when you are new at something, you get help with it. I have a hard time believing an editor took a look at this book. Characters names switch halfway through some of the stories, he will jump back and forth in time in an attempt to tie different events together. He will go through several years of information in a very confusing and disjointed way, jumping ahead two years, going back 6 months, before going back to before the first story started, making for a very hard to follow chronology. If the book is semi-biographical I would like to see how the events unfolded. At least the book starts with his career and ends shortly after his retirement.
For all the faults, as I said the events he recounts are intersting, the church stuff seems thrown in as an afterthought, I don't know if this was intentional or if he had to add them in to validate the "hook" of the title, but the glimpses boiled down to, "I talked to people in church in between cases"
The book falls into "meh" territory for me. Interesting stories, but lack of a good editor make the book hard to read.
This book was a Christmas gift from some well meaning family members. It sat on my shelf for almost the whole year before I took it down. I actually thought it was a book of fiction before I started reading.
The book gets two stars, barely, because despite its faults, the stories are interesting, but the writing feels stilted and forced. It feels more like a story that your relatives tell over and over. They always start with "Remember that time when..."
McPheters is not a professional writer, I get that, but when you are new at something, you get help with it. I have a hard time believing an editor took a look at this book. Characters names switch halfway through some of the stories, he will jump back and forth in time in an attempt to tie different events together. He will go through several years of information in a very confusing and disjointed way, jumping ahead two years, going back 6 months, before going back to before the first story started, making for a very hard to follow chronology. If the book is semi-biographical I would like to see how the events unfolded. At least the book starts with his career and ends shortly after his retirement.
For all the faults, as I said the events he recounts are intersting, the church stuff seems thrown in as an afterthought, I don't know if this was intentional or if he had to add them in to validate the "hook" of the title, but the glimpses boiled down to, "I talked to people in church in between cases"
The book falls into "meh" territory for me. Interesting stories, but lack of a good editor make the book hard to read.
March 27, 2010
Though it started a bit slowly for me, I eventually caught the spirit of the book and read it quickly. I came to respect Mike McPheeters as he shared a variety of experiences in his capacity as an FBI Agent and as a Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He showed great integrity in both of his roles in life. I was shocked and impressed at the courage he showed in the many life threatening situations he was put in as an agent for the FBI. He was given much responsibility and handled each assignment with thoroughness and intelligence, plus a willingness obey and do what he was instructed to do. On the other side of his life, his personal life, he was just as faithful and diligent and willing to carry out heavy responsibilities in the callings as Bishop four different times and places. The reason I gave only four stars to this book was that I was wanting equal time for his experiences as Bishop. The book was ninety percent about his career with the FBI, and while that was interesting and exciting and informative, I was waiting for more stories and feelings in his role as Bishop, since the title of the book was Agent Bishop. I would recommend the book though, but I would have liked to have been "warned" that the book was lopsided in the division of the storyline. I really came to admire this man and his devotion to both his job and his callings.
December 29, 2009
I enjoyed this book because I love crime-solving stories! I couldn't put it down, but my husband is also reading it so we had to take turns reading it. I thought this man had an amazing professional life and commend him for his strength in juggling his job and his church and family life. I did kind of wish for more experiences from throughout the years, but perhaps he didn't want to spend years writing a 700-hundred page book or as I understand it FBI headquarters had to grant publishing authority for the content that was in his book as it is. Many people feel that this book is written more like a journal, but I like the book for that purpose. I love reading books that are written more like a personal history because I feel like I could be the person's friends reading their own journal and personal thoughts. I have kept a journal for for about 17 years and I love to go back to read them so maybe it is because it reminds me of my own writing style. I may have noticed a few errors in the book but that just made the writer more human to me. I would highly recommend this book to an LDS or non-LDS reader!
February 5, 2010
I really liked this book. I'm a sucker for crime dramas on TV and reading crime thrillers, so this book filled my craving for that but added a religious aspect to it. I would love to be a detective so reading about his real life cases (he investigated Jimmy Hoffa's murder, the DB Cooper hijacking, the murder of two missionaries in Bolivia, and many more great cases)was awesome. He was also on the SWAT team when that first was created and was at the White House on a tour when the plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11. As you can see, he has some cool stories to tell. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is interested to see what the life of a Mormon FBI Agent would be like!
June 10, 2010
I enjoyed the last half of the book more than the first half but it took me several weeks to get through it, which means I didn't love it. The title would suggest that he tells how he juggled his career with being a bishop but he really didn't talk much about his bishop experiences. I felt like it was just more of a bragging right...which is not how I think he intended it. His FBI experiences were interesting though. There was a major editing problem with September 11, 2001 being labeled as September 10th which is a pretty bad error in my opinion. An interesting read but I wouldn't rush out to buy it.
March 16, 2010
I liked the story but had a hard time with the writing/editing until my favorite editor (my dil) told me this publisher doesn't have editors. Unless a writer chooses to hire their own editor, the book goes to print with all the errors in the manuscript(and without formatting). After I realized that I was able to be less critical of the writing and was able to overlook some of the irritating things. (Watch out for books published by Cedar Fort.)
There was very little about his time as a Bishop, however. It seemed more like a sales ploy.
There was very little about his time as a Bishop, however. It seemed more like a sales ploy.
May 14, 2015
Agent McPheters served four times a Bishop in different wards during his FBI career. He was involved in investigating the terrorist murder of two LDS missionaries in Bolivia where an old BYU roommate and friend of mine from San Bernardino was serving as a mission president. And other high-profile cases as well. Well-written and a very good read. Highly recommended. Found it at our local Costco store, fresh off the printing press...
June 4, 2010
Informative insite into the work of an FBI agent -- 40 chapters which were largely 40 stories of specific cases. The last chapter which told about Mike's experience in Washington D.C. on 9/11/2001 was the most inspirational. There was very little about his experiences as a bishop or how he successfully managed both responsibilities at the same time along with raising an apparently successful family.
December 5, 2009
I bought this for my husband. He said it was mediocre. I read it and was disappointed in it. I was hoping it would tell about how he managed to combine the two things. But the book was mostly just telling the events he experienced as an agent with a little bit about being a Bishop several times. Also, it was evident that he has never written a book before.
July 9, 2017
This book was not what I expected. I thought it would be a compilation of FBI stories and stories of leading a congregation. But really it was a condensed history of Special Agent McPheters work in the FBI. The book was fine...but it just was a little boring to me.
August 18, 2020
It didn't really grab me, so I stopped reading after a couple chapters.
June 18, 2021
This was okay, but there are so many other books I want to read now that I am not spending time on it.
December 22, 2022
This is a very readable biography of one man's experience as an FBI agent. I just so happened to be that he was also a Bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As he served in the FBI, he moved around the country and served as a Bishop in each of the towns where he was deployed, four times in all. As I pondered this book last night, I realized that it could be compared to the Book of Nephi wherein Nephi said that his large plates were for the secular history of his people and the small plates were for the spiritual history of his people. Likewise, this book can be compared to the large plates because it truly deals with his secular work with the Bureau and only touches lightly on his spiritual service. It would take another volume to describe his spiritual history while touching lightly on his temporal service. Clearly though he describes how his service to God assisted him in his successful service to the country. Listening to spiritual promptings kept him alive more than once.
This book was very enjoyable, well written and I'm glad I read it.
This book was very enjoyable, well written and I'm glad I read it.
December 1, 2018
When I went home to visit my family, this book was on the kitchen table, so I picked it up. I’ve been on a memoir kick for awhile now, and this was a fun one. Full of stories about crazy FBI experiences mixed with the authors experience simultaneously serving as a Bishop in several wards across the United States, it was entertaining and inspiring. I was reminded that we can all contribute to the world around is in ways that are meaningful and exciting, and that doing so is enhanced as we choose to put God first in our lives.
As an added enjoyment for me, there were storied set in places I recently lived – I really enjoyed reading about a case that took him to Ketchikan, Alaska. Picturing that quaint small town and the stir that having the FBI come must have created was awesome!
As an added enjoyment for me, there were storied set in places I recently lived – I really enjoyed reading about a case that took him to Ketchikan, Alaska. Picturing that quaint small town and the stir that having the FBI come must have created was awesome!
May 17, 2019
Bishop Agent
I liked the book and recommend it for anyone interested in the workings of the FBI during J. Edgar Hoover’s day’s of leading the FBI. Interesting to read how the author balanced his workload and his church calling as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I liked the book and recommend it for anyone interested in the workings of the FBI during J. Edgar Hoover’s day’s of leading the FBI. Interesting to read how the author balanced his workload and his church calling as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
August 15, 2020
Informative and interesting, fun stories to get a detailed glimpse into the FBI of a past era. A great memoir of his inspiring life—makes me want to strive a little harder to be a better person. Acknowledged this book could really benefit from better editing, and the writing wasn’t the best or most organized, but I finished this for the interesting stories which kept getting better.
July 11, 2023
A series of anecdotes from a 30-veteran of the FBI who also served as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints four times. The bishop piece of his story adds some flavor and is definitely a part of his character, but is second hand to the stories of cases he worked. An interesting diversion as a book, but could have used some better editing.
September 12, 2023
Excellent book about an FBI agent who just happens to be a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Actually, he served as a bishop 4 times in his 30 years as an agent, hence the title, "Agent Bishop". Fun stories, some happy and funny, others sad. I couldn't sleep the night that I read that chapter about a little girl getting kidnapped.
November 14, 2017
Good book with positive messages about integrity and hard work. Hard to imagine being called 4 times to serve as a bishop!
March 16, 2020
This was an interesting read. He had a fascinating career as an old-school FBI agent.
June 9, 2020
This is a collection of stories from Mike Mcpheters who served in the FBI and as a Mormon Bishop (4 times).
February 8, 2021
Fantastic Book
Mike had a way in his writing of this book to keep you fully engaged. I did not want to put this book down nor did I want it to end it was so good!
Mike had a way in his writing of this book to keep you fully engaged. I did not want to put this book down nor did I want it to end it was so good!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews