Title: The Moroni Code
Author: Jack Lyon
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Fiction
Year Published: 2007
Number of Pages: 241
Binding: Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-59038-810-5
Price: $15.95

Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle

Just say the name “Mark Hoffmann” and virtually every Mormon who has been paying attention will shrink in disgust and anger. Hoffmann, you all know, is the famous forger of Mormon (and other) documents who made off with lots of money for his forgeries. In the end, when his lies began to unravel, he turned to violence to silence those who might unmask him. It’s a fascinating and frightening story.

Lyon has taken the Hoffmann context to the next level — what would happen if an actual employee of the Church, one who had routine access to valuable documents, began stealing them and selling them. When will he similarly implode?

David Hunter is a cryptologist for the federal government. When his grandfather dies, his grandmother passes along to him a document left to him by his grandfather. On it is a coded message written by Joseph Smith. David is unable to figure out the code, and enlists the help of the Church’s experts to break it down.

Thornton Price works for the Church’s historical department and becomes David’s associate in decrypting the document. Unfortunately, Thornton is the very one stealing manuscripts and selling them to a local documents dealer. When David discovers Thornton’s crime, a series of violent encounters ensues. Another employee of the Church, April McKenzie, becomes involved with David’s search for the truth.

Let it be said that “The Moroni Code” lives in a parallel universe to the true Hoffmann story. Hoffmann is named in the book — the action takes place in the context of some awareness that excellent forgeries can be produced and can fool even the best authenticators. As such, it presents a new ripple to the Hoffmann lore — is it possible that someone else might try to do what Hoffmann did? This is not precisely what happens in this book, but rather represents a different kind of document crime in a post-Hoffmann era.

Every few chapters we are brought back to the time of Joseph Smith through revelations given concerning Oliver Cowdery, and entries from Cowdery’s diaries, all documented at the close of the book. There are some interesting insights into Cowdery’s frame of mind and his appreciation for the Restored Gospel. I enjoyed reading these excerpts.

Lyon’s writing style is terse and generally lacks the kind of detail readers enjoy in a book like this. Events move very quickly; the characters hardly have a chance to develop into fully-realized individuals. Some scenes are completely absent: a kidnapping is revealed only after the fact. Given the “spunkiness” of the woman kidnapped, Lyon could have included a chapter on the act itself, rather than a brief mention of it in the course of telling the story.

And some of the questions are answered in a too-facile manner, leaving the reader to wonder about the lack of imagination in resolving these issues. Experienced writers find ways to weave more intricate stylings into their writings. I think Lyon has the potential for growing into such a writer, but it will take time, practice and patience.

Readers who enjoy a fast-paced, faithful read will like this book. There are some genuinely good people here, and even one who, although part of the illegal happenings, shows signs of nobility and the possibility of restoration. Lyon knows where he wants to go in this book, and he gets there, wasting no time in the writing process.

The storyline is predictable, but I didn’t find this to distract from my enjoyment of the book. I only wish there were more to it. I would have gladly spent more time with the story, if only to learn more about the characters and get more of a sense of fleshing out the many ways this story might have developed. There are so many trajectories to the Hoffmann story — and all its derivative fictional possibilities. Perhaps Lyon’s next book will be more satisfying.