Deseret Book’s recent “Let’s Talk About …” series is a growing collection of very small books, each covering an exceedingly important and often challenging topic.

The series so far, including several that are either just published or will be published in the next few days:

… Polygamy, by Brittany Chapman Nash
… Faith and Intellect, by Terryl Givens
… Law of Consecration, by Steven C. Harper
… Religion and Mental Health, by Daniel K. Judd
… The Translation of the Book of Mormon, by Gerrit J. Dirkmaat and Michael McKay
… The Book of Abraham, by Kerry Muhlestein
… Temples and Ritual, by Jennifer C. Lane

The books have all been written, so far as I am able to judge, with the best scholarly standards, a commitment to faith, and consideration for the reader, presenting materials in a well-organized and comprehensible manner.

One of the newest, the one I am most eagerly awaiting, is Paul Reeve’s volume on Race and the Priesthood. As important as any of the volumes might be to someone who is facing a given issue or needing to work through challenges to faith, it seems to me that there is an additional urgency for reliable, faithful, and accurate discussion of race: It is not only an intellectual matter or a question of individual faith. Such a discussion affects readers who have questions, and more importantly it affects the daily lives and Church experiences of Latter-day Saints who still live with the aftermath of former teachings and practices.

From private whispers and quiet discussions, I know that early volumes in this series underwent unusual scrutiny before publication, and that they embody the best of current scholarly effort and doctrinal understanding on those issues. I have no cause to doubt that the same is true of Race and Priesthood — I fully expect it to reflect the careful, years-long study of an exceptionally qualified scholar devoting his career to issues of race and the gospel, whose heart as much as his head informs his writing. I also fully expect it to have been challenged and passed muster not merely by Deseret Book’s routine editorial staff, but also by men and women with personal interest in representing the Church’s history and teachings fairly and completely and bravely, even when such discussions are painful for various reasons.

I’m a shill neither for Deseret Book nor for Paul Reeve. I offer this post independently, although of course it’s no secret how much I respect Paul’s work and have tried to assist where I could, including research and writing for his Century of Black Mormons project. That involvement has given me a closer experience than most with the detailed scholarship and personal dedication I fully expect to find in this new book.

It would be a good thing, I think, to show Deseret Book that this book is needed, wanted, and anticipated, with a strong early showing of pre-orders. You can order from Deseret Book’s website here.