Take a comical jaunt to unlock the hidden mysteries of Mormon urban legends, faith-promoting rumors, and alluring facts and fallacies. Scores of researchers and experts weigh in on issues not exactly critical to your salvation, but that you've always wondered about. Did Elvis read the Book of Mormon? Why are the Three Nephites always hitchhiking? Was Yoda modeled after an LDS Church president? Was a Jaredite barge really found in Lake Michigan?

Hang on tight as you discover what these pass-along tales say about "the Mormons" as a people, why we gravitate to these stories, and how to best challenge less-than-credible accounts. Enjoy a fast-paced, fun ride with Mormon Myth-ellaneous: Amazing True Mormon Stories-and Some That Should Be! Who knows? You may even learn a little something.

1. Why is storytelling such an important part of Mormon culture?

2. How can you tell the difference between a true faith-promoting story and a sensational rumor?

3. How do circulating rumors relate to what is going on around us in society, politics, and the economy?

4. How should we respond when someone shares with us what appears to be a story of dubious origin?

5. What is the proper use of true faith-promoting stories?

1. What caused you to begin writing this book?

I've been a librarian for nearly 20 years, first at the Church Historical Department and then at BYU as the Mormon Studies librarian. In that time, I've fielded hundreds of questions about Mormon urban legends and myths. Some of these apocryphal stories have been circulating in Mormon communities for over a hundred years. I thought it would be interesting to investigate some of the most popular stories, to see how they got started and how much truth could be found in them.

2. What do you enjoy most about being an author?

Mainly I enjoy learning new things. Besides reading, I believe writing is one of the best ways to learn. To put something down in words, you have to understand it pretty well. You quickly find out how much you don't know about something when you try to write about it. I also enjoy the detective work involved in doing research and trying to find answers.

3. What do you hope people come away with after reading your book?

First of all I hope they enjoy it and find the investigations interesting. I also hope they come away realizing that there are many wonderful eyewitness stories that are faith affirming. Finally, I hope they will use caution when they hear a second-hand hearsay account that has questionable origins. If the story comes from so-and-so's friend's aunt's second cousin three times removed whose name no one quite remembers, they may want to avoid spreading the story any further.

4. What kind of research did you do for this book, and how long did it take?

I've been collecting and investigating Mormon apocryphal stories for nearly 20 years. I had to be selective and couldn't include them all for this book. My research took me beyond traditional library research. I often found myself tracking down potential eyewitnesses through email, telephone, and personal interviews. I've met some fascinating people with fascinating stories.

5. How did your love for writing begin?

I can't even remember. I won my first writing award in fifth grade. I started writing a novel in junior high. I wrote a lot of essays in high school. In college I started out majoring in journalism, but my love of history won out. My first published works were history articles in both popular and scholarly journals. I still write history articles.