Dead Wood and Rushing Water: Essays on Mormon Faith, Culture, and Family

For over a decade, Boyd Petersen has been an active voice in Mormon studies and thought. In essays that steer a course between apologetics and criticism, striving for the balance of what Eugene England once called the "radical middle," he explores various aspects of Mormon life and culture—from the Dream Mine near Salem, Utah, to the challenges that Latter-day Saints of the millennial generation face today. 

"Dead Wood and Rushing Water gives us a reflective, striving, wise soul ruminating on his world. In the tradition of Eugene England, Petersen examines everything in his Mormon life from the gold plates to missions to dream mines to doubt and on to Glenn Beck, Hugh Nibley, and gender. It is a book I had trouble putting down."
- Richard L. Bushman, author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

"Boyd Petersen is correct when he says that Mormons have a deep hunger for personal stories—at least when they are as thoughtful and well-crafted as the ones he shares in this collection."
- Jana Riess, author of The Twible and Flunking Sainthood

"Petersen's book provides a road map to the contemporary minds and concerns of the LDS intellectual. Always thoughtful and interesting, gracefully written and significant, these essays will encourage many other thinkers to get their thoughts down."
- Claudia L. Bushman, co-editor of Mormon Women Have Their Say

"Boyd Petersen invites us all to ponder anew the verities we hold, sharing in his humility, tentativeness, and cheerful confidence that our paths will converge in the end."
- Terryl. L. Givens, author of People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture

"Boyd Petersen models the courage of a true seeker: the bravery to take on life as a journey to be savored. These essays prove the wisdom of giving time and life and imagination the chance to do their sorting."
- Dan Wotherspoon, host of Mormon Matters podcast

"Petersen's essays speak in the voice of the best kind of friend-the one whose company is warm and familiar and comfortable, but who still manages to surprise you, make you laugh at unexpected moments, and show you new ways to think about everything you thought you knew."
- Kristine Haglund, editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought