BYU Studies Quarterly BYU Studies Quarterly

Volume 20 Issue 1 Article 16

1-1-1980

Heaven Knows Why Samuel W. Taylor Samuel W. Taylor

Richard H. Cracroft

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Cracroft, Richard H. (1980) "Heaven Knows Why Samuel W. Taylor," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 20 : Iss. 1 , Article 16. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol20/iss1/16

This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact scholarsarchive@byu.edu, ellen_amatangelo@byu.edu.

book reviews

TAYLOR SAMUEL W headenheavenhedden knows why thousand oaks califmillennial productions 1979 213215 appp 5953953.95395 paper

reviewed by richard H cracroft professor of english and chairman of the de-partmentpartment of english at brigham young university

while it continues a sober truth that it takes a great deal of sift-ing through mormon letters to uncover even a page or two of in-tentionaltentional mormon humor the rereprintingpri

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ntinganting of samuel W taylorsheaven knows why sparks new hope for latter day saints with unre-generate funny bones indeed heaven knows why is good news forall LDS readers who weary of the my daddy is a bishop andbrand of mormon humor long for writers who delight in smiling atinstead of weeping about the human plight about the ever presentgap between our latter day saint ideals and our lelessss than celestial re-alitiesali ties

sam taylor is back not the sam taylor who writes history like anovelist but the sam taylor of family kingdomkmgaom vvintagemtgemage sam taylorsam taylor at his best heaven knows why first serialized in colliersin 1946 as the mysterious way and published by A A wyninc in 1948 is now reissued in paperback by scott S smiths mil-lennial productions complete with a sober and undistinguished cov-er that makes the novel look like a tract and thus safe for anyonespostum table

but within the plain cover is the funniest mormon novel todate professor kenneth hunsaker in his survey of twentieth cen-tury mormon fiction was only slightly hyperbolic in calling thebook the most delightful of all mormon novels but he is right ininsisting that the book is an outstanding comic novel the praiseis only slightly diminished by the fact that the book is so far as I1know the only full length comic novel in mormon letters

while the book was on first appearance either deeply loved orhated it is difficult in 1979 to understand why the book was evercontroversial innocently funny heaven knows why moves the mor-mon or gentile reader from chuckles to belly laughs discreet ofcourse not at the expense of the mormon faith or its leaders butin joyous response to the refreshing combination of things at oncefamiliarly mormon and erringly human

the book opens in heaven where moroni skinner is distractedin his job in the compiling office of the accounting section of thecurrent history division of the records department by the way

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Cracroft: <em>Heaven Knows Why</em> Samuel W. Taylor

Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 1980

wardnessbardnesswardness on earth of his grandson jackson skinner Whitewhitetopfop jackrecently discharged as a veteran of world war II11 is now living agently dissolute existence on the remnants of the once proud skinnerranch in a western utah valley

moroni skinner receives permission to make one appearance tojack A clumsy messenger at best skinner makes a practice visitationto an old friend a back sliding skeptical prospective elder looks overthe valley is impressed by katie jensen the bishops lovely daughterand finally makes his hilarious appearance to a stunned jack towhom he gives the laconic message straighten up fix up yourplace and marry katie jensen

the complications begin katie is engaged to be married thenext day to the bishops first counselor who turns out to be a slyhypocrite and then there is the trouble a longstandinglong standing feudbetween the opposite ends of the valley as to where the chapel is tobe built and then there is the fact that the bishops wife is a closetdoubter who is not only determined that katie will marry the pros-perous first counselor but is dubious about revelation especially theappearance of moroni skinner to the no good jack whitetop andthen there is the bishops passion for coffee near which jackcaught by the bishop while enjoying a cup of freshly perked coffeehas foisted off as an innocent healthful noncaffeinated barley bever-age made from an old family recipe the bishop of course musthave the recipe and then there is the question as to the father ofanita smiths child and the question as to the owner of the25000 which jackson finds in his kitchen cupboard and and so

iti t goesstartled into action by grandpa skinners visit and by the her-

culean tasks which his would be mother in law sets for him to ac-complishcom plish jack whitetop dashes out to resolve these and otherproblems the rush through the maze of problems is hilarious butthe resolution warms the mormon heart as the repentant jack winskaties hand becomes an elder effects the reform of the first coun-selor solves the trouble moves the bishops wife to faith and tes-timony and finds a recipe for coffee near at the novels end tay-lor takes us back to heaven where we are allowed to rejoice with arevitalized moroni skinner who has now received promotion tochief checker of the compiling office much to the joy of his an-gelic but nagging wife lucy

heaven knows why free from symbolic undergirdingsundergird ings and allego-rical profundities is pure entertainment light tasteful and funnyonly slightly dated diethedle novel reflects rural mormon values which

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https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol20/iss1/16

seem more at home in 1920 than 1946 heaven knows whywhy demon-strates how an author can deal with the matter of utah humorouslyyet without painfully barbingbarbina beloved institutions if there is any sat-ire in the novel it is on rigidity pomposity hypocrisy and selfrighteousness and mormonscormonsMormons thank heaven have never enjoyed thecomercorner on those commodities with few exceptions most of thescenes could be played by baptists lutheransLutherans catholics or mohammedanshammedans the delightfully notable exception is taylors fun withthe word of wisdom the innocent violations of which by bishopjensen provide some of the funniest scenes in this funny book

heaven knows why works on two fronts it communicates famil-iarly with mormonscormonsMormons puts them at ease and teaches them anotherperspective on themselves at the same time it communicates withnon mormonscormons by underscoringunder scoring mormon humanity through portray-ing charmingly those foibles common to all men not just mormonscormonsMormonsthe result is a warm andfriendlyand friendly treatment of the latter day saintsnot aspeculiarpeculiaras people but as affable neighbors in a fallen world andnot one mention of polygamy

sam taylor is back with the funniest mormon novel ever tay-lor should be encouraged in this republishing venture which he un-dertookdertook he notes in his introduction to determine whether mormons have matured to the point where we can now chuckle ratherthan bristle at some of the foibles and conceits of our culture I1think were ready

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Cracroft: <em>Heaven Knows Why</em> Samuel W. Taylor

Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 1980