The AML 100 Works of Significant Mormon Literature

For the past two years a committee put together by the Association for Mormon Letters (AML) has been working to put together a list of 100 works that are significant to the field of Mormon literature. The full list is below, but this is just the first step. Throughout the rest of 2020 we will publish posts that discuss different aspects of the AML 100. We’ll also publish blurbs for each the works on the list. These are being written by individuals who have knowledge of the work and will address why the work is notable and thus why you might want to seek it out.

This list is not the best or most important or canonical works of Mormon literature. Nor has the list been ranked.

Rather, it’s a snapshot of what a group of people involved in Mormon literature think are works that those interested in the field as readers, writers, and critics should be aware of. The goal is also to provide a variety of entry points for readers, especially those who aren’t familiar with Mormon literature.

For a prior survey of the field, albeit one with different goals and parameters, see Eugene England’s Mormon Literature: Progress and Prospects (PDF).

A few more points:

1. You might be surprised by some omissions. We’ll talk about some of those in a future post here on the AML blog.
2. The committee used 2020 as a cut off date so any work that was published in 2021 and after wasn’t eligible for consideration.
3. Although the AML defines Mormon literature as any literary work that is by, for, or about Mormons, for this list an emphasis was placed on works that overtly address the Mormon experience and/or tackle themes that come across as highly influenced by Mormonism.
4. With authors that have a large body of work, the focus was not on their best or most well-reviewed or most popular work, but rather on the work that is likely to be of the most interest to those involved in Mormon literature.
5. Although the AML has given awards for and published reviews and literary criticism of film and television, we decided exclude them from this list. Mormon film, television, games, and multimedia works deserve their own list.

Many thanks to the committee member who put in the time to put this list together, to all those who have written or are currently writing blurbs, and the numerous writers, scholars, and keen readers who suggested titles and provided feedback on titles that were under consideration for the list.