The Mound Builder Myth: Fake History and the Hunt for a "Lost White Race" by Jason Colavito

Say you found that a few dozen people, operating at the highest levels of society, conspired to create a false ancient history of the American continent to promote a religious, white-supremacist agenda in the service of supposedly patriotic ideals. Would you call it fake news? In nineteenth-century America, this was in fact a powerful truth that shaped Manifest Destiny. The Mound Builder Myth is the first book to chronicle the attempt to recast the Native American burial mounds as the work of a lost white race of “true” native Americans.

This The Good Book Club meeting was held on October 12, 2025.

Laurie Lee Hall grew up knowing something about herself didn’t match how others saw her. Though born male, she deeply felt she was a girl. With no way to express this, she chose to live as a man and built a respected life in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—as a temple architect and church leader.

In a faith where gender is seen as eternal and unchanging, her true identity remained hidden for years. But eventually, Laurie had a powerful spiritual experience that confirmed what she had always known: she was transgender. Choosing to live openly as herself meant risking her role, her faith community, and the life she had built.

Her story is a powerful reminder of the strength it takes to live authentically—and the peace that comes with self-acceptance.

This Q&A was originally a The Good Book Club meeting held on Sunday, September 14, 2025.

We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson is a fun, accessible exploration of the biggest mysteries in modern physics. Blending humor with clear explanations, the book dives into what scientists don’t know about the universe—from dark matter and dark energy to the nature of space, time, and fundamental particles. Rather than offering definitive answers, the authors celebrate curiosity and the vast unknowns that drive scientific discovery. Through engaging illustrations and witty commentary, We Have No Idea encourages readers to embrace the excitement of not knowing and to see science as an ongoing adventure of exploration.

This The Good Book Club Meeting was originally held on Sunday, August 10th, 2025.

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