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Saints #1
The Standard of Truth: 1815–1846
In 1820, a young farm boy in search of truth has a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Three years later, an angel guides him to an ancient record buried in a hill near his home. With God’s help, he translates the record and organizes the Savior’s church in the latter days. Soon others join him, accepting the invitation to become Saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
But opposition and violence follow those who defy old traditions to embrace restored truths. The women and men who join the church must choose whether or not they will stay true to their covenants, establish Zion, and proclaim the gospel to a troubled world.
The Standard of Truth is the first book in Saints, a new, four-volume narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fast-paced, meticulously researched, Saints recounts true stories of Latter-day Saints across the globe and answers the Lord’s call to write history “for the good of the church, and for the rising generations” (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8).
But opposition and violence follow those who defy old traditions to embrace restored truths. The women and men who join the church must choose whether or not they will stay true to their covenants, establish Zion, and proclaim the gospel to a troubled world.
The Standard of Truth is the first book in Saints, a new, four-volume narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fast-paced, meticulously researched, Saints recounts true stories of Latter-day Saints across the globe and answers the Lord’s call to write history “for the good of the church, and for the rising generations” (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8).
699 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,507 reviews
September 15, 2018
I have several friends who have left the Church after learning about aspects of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith, or the history of the Church that disturbed them. This book feels like an attempt to address those issues, and to be up front about them so that people aren’t blindsided by them later, or given the impression that the Church is trying to hide something.
Being a narrative history it was a quick and easy read, and I can see why it was done this way to make the information more available to the widest possible audience. My preference for history that is important to me though is a more documentary style that dives in to the facts and details, and allows me to construct my own narrative.
If you have a good understanding of Church history this probably adds little (there were one or two stories of lesser known figures from Church history that I hadn’t previously heard that I did enjoy). If you don’t know much about Church history, I would say this is an excellent starting point. If there are aspects of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s life that disturb you because of his being subject to the frailties of human nature, this book will likely acknowledge those aspects and touch on them, but will do little to assuage those concerns.
If you really want to know if Joseph Smith was a Prophet I would recommend that you follow the Savior’s council as found in Matthew chapter 7:
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
You cannot know the fruits of Joseph’s works without reading the Book of Mormon, and deciding whether or not it is what he claims it was through study and prayer.
My conclusion is that in answer to young Joseph’s prayer, that God the Father and Jesus Christ did in reality appear to him in that grove of trees. And that through the gift and power of God, Joseph was able to translate the Book of Mormon, and restore the Lord’s church to the earth.
Being a narrative history it was a quick and easy read, and I can see why it was done this way to make the information more available to the widest possible audience. My preference for history that is important to me though is a more documentary style that dives in to the facts and details, and allows me to construct my own narrative.
If you have a good understanding of Church history this probably adds little (there were one or two stories of lesser known figures from Church history that I hadn’t previously heard that I did enjoy). If you don’t know much about Church history, I would say this is an excellent starting point. If there are aspects of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s life that disturb you because of his being subject to the frailties of human nature, this book will likely acknowledge those aspects and touch on them, but will do little to assuage those concerns.
If you really want to know if Joseph Smith was a Prophet I would recommend that you follow the Savior’s council as found in Matthew chapter 7:
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
You cannot know the fruits of Joseph’s works without reading the Book of Mormon, and deciding whether or not it is what he claims it was through study and prayer.
My conclusion is that in answer to young Joseph’s prayer, that God the Father and Jesus Christ did in reality appear to him in that grove of trees. And that through the gift and power of God, Joseph was able to translate the Book of Mormon, and restore the Lord’s church to the earth.
September 17, 2018
Reading as someone who is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I found this book to be a very detailed account of the early years of the Latter-day Saints movement. As an official Church publication, I suppose one could make the argument that the book is biased in favor of the traditional narrative, but I don't think that really impacts negatively on the book's value as a historical work. There's a lot of fascinating history here, and it's told well, and extensively footnoted. Well worth reading...
November 3, 2018
As a former member of the LDS church who lost his faith largely over issues in LDS history, I find it interesting to put my finger on the pulse of how they are telling their story. So, I decided to read this book.
First off, the narrative style of this history book is engaging and very readable. The personal stories are inspiring and it was nice to see that the church is becoming more comfortable talking about things that have been, well, glossed over in the past. Some might say that they were hidden. For example, we see straightforward acknowledgments that Joseph Smith smoked and drank throughout his life, or that he was aware of and approved of the actions of the Danites in Missouri. The book also contextualizes a lot of the history, albeit in a still slanted way. When I was reading LDS history books I was once told, "You wouldn't go to a Ford dealership to get good information on a Chevrolet, would you?" Well, I had to admit that I wouldn't but I also had to point out that Chevrolet dealerships aren't the best place for unbiased information on Chevrolets either. This book is a Chevrolet dealership's attempt at more candor about their own cars after having been rocked with several large and public recalls. I don't know, that's the best metaphor I can come up with.
A good example of this is the treatment of the Missouri Mormon War. We get a very detailed and moving account of the Haun's Mill Massacre. And don't get me wrong, that was a truly horrifying event; true evil in action by the men who committed those actions. But when we get to the Battle of Crooked River, we don't get an account of the capture and vicious mutilation of Samuel Tarwater by the Mormon combatants. That part gets skipped. And that's a real shame because this one-sided storytelling a really big part of what led me out of this church. This book (like the church history stories I listened to as a small child) portrays the history as a cosmic battle between God and Satan. It is a childish, black-and-white way of looking at the world. Everything is couched in that context and the real people on both sides of the conflict (with their own real hopes, fears, and dreams) get lost. Their real stories are so much more interesting and understandable when you look at them from their real points of view in a more balanced way. This history book is more balanced than any the church has ever produced, but it is not at the point where it could be considered balanced. This is the Chevrolet salesman who is trying to acknowledge some of what everyone knows about his cars because he knows it will be insulting not to.
I actually enjoyed it quite a bit for the first 2/3 of the book. I did get frustrated toward the end when the book started to hit some of my least favorite apologetics for Joseph Smith. It is clear that the church is still very uncomfortable facing some aspects of Joseph Smith's life. For example, you won't find any accounts of when Joseph became physically violent with people, when he asked for people's wives to test their loyalty, his high-pressure marriage proposals to foster daughters, when he ruined the reputations of women who refused polygamous proposals, how Joseph made his money, etc. "Some things that are true are not very useful," I guess.
According to the book, Joseph's denials of "polygamy" and "spiritual wifery" are okay because of his careful wording. Apparently, lying is acceptable as long as you carefully word your lies. I almost want to go to a temple recommend interview so I can say, "What a thing it is to be accused of drinking coffee when I can't find a mug in my hand! I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers!" Apparently, that is totally honest. Oh brother.
Continuing on with the bizarre Joseph Smith apologetics, at one point the book asserts that Joseph didn't have many rules governing the practice of polygamy. However, if I am not mistaken, D&C 132 has a whole bunch of really specific rules about polygamy, and this is the revelation he supposedly received in the 1830s that he referred to but only produced much later. The revelation starts out with God himself stating, "My house is a house of order" followed by all of the super-specific rules about polygamy. No, the issue isn't that Joseph lacked rules, it is that Joseph had a whole bunch of uber-specific rules and then he went out and did a whole bunch of other, different weird stuff. And you won't find out about any of that weirdness from this book. You'll get just enough from this book so that you can think you know what's really going on, but you don't.
At another point, the book recounts a time where Joseph, Emma, and Emily Partridge are present in a situation where Emma finally decides to go along with polygamy and chooses Emily to marry Joseph. Then the book states that *Emily* decides not to tell Emma that she already married Joseph to spare Emma's feelings. I almost screamed at the book, "Emily decided?!?! We're going to blame this lie on Emily now? What about Emma's lying gutless wonder of a husband?" Yeah, sorry. That part really pissed me off. Poor passive victim Joseph. He'd do the right thing if only someone would just let him. If only teenage Emily would have just set things right with all of the (much more powerful) adults in the room. Barf.
But I can see why the church is so reluctant to really go into depth on the life of Joseph Smith. In the end, I left the church because I felt compelled to choose between a Monster Mormon God that orchestrated Joseph's actions and a Monster Joseph Smith. The facts on the ground indicate that at least one of them is a monster. Dealing with a Monster Joseph Smith was more comfortable and made more sense to me in the end. It hurt when I finally realized that if I had lived near Joseph Smith in his time, I would never want my wife or daughters anywhere near him. God, he was such a hero to me when I was young.
Contrasting the whitewashing of Joseph is the treatment of William Law. I guess I get it, the church needs to see him as a top-ranking agent of Satan, otherwise the story reflects badly on Joseph. But the fact is, if you read Willam Law's story from his point of view, his actions don't seem all that unreasonable. Law spends years defending Joseph from "vicious lies" about polygamy only to find out that they are true. I can empathize with the feeling of that betrayal and can totally see how that would lead to anger and a falling out and an attempt to set the record straight in print (complete with angry name-calling).
When reading this book, I read about all sorts of terrible things that Law did that I had never heard about in all of my LDS history reading. So I followed the footnotes and read the accounts by some guy in the late 1800s in Utah who said he went on all of these secret missions as directed by Joseph Smith and gathered all this dirt on William Law and witnessed him doing all sorts of terrible things. I'm pretty sure I know why no other historian had brought up these "facts." It's because all of it reads like some old guy making up stories to get attention. Some old guy that nobody has ever heard of just happens to have been Joseph's best friend and went on secret missions 40 years ago and didn't tell anybody until now... My grandfather used to tell those kinds of stories and they were all made up.
Hey, but I guess it could have happened, right? I don't know for sure this old guy is lying. It sure reads like it, but I don't know for sure 100%. One thing I do know for sure is that this book would have never taken a disparaging comment about Joseph Smith as fact with flimsy evidence like this. There are two standards of evidence. If someone says something good about Joseph Smith or bad about William Law, the bar is low. The evidence is probably true. If someone says something bad about Joseph or good about William Law, the bar is high and the evidence is probably false. This is a good method to use to reinforce a childish, black-and-white view of the world, but not a good way to figure out the interesting story of what really probably happened, and certainly not a good way to figure out if you are wrong.
Overall, I'd much rather read this than "Our Heritage." It's way more interesting and balanced than that, but it still isn't anywhere near as balanced as something from a top-notch historian who is trying their best to apply consistent standards of evidence to figure out what most probably happened. If you really want to understand what went on, you need to find someone like that to read.
First off, the narrative style of this history book is engaging and very readable. The personal stories are inspiring and it was nice to see that the church is becoming more comfortable talking about things that have been, well, glossed over in the past. Some might say that they were hidden. For example, we see straightforward acknowledgments that Joseph Smith smoked and drank throughout his life, or that he was aware of and approved of the actions of the Danites in Missouri. The book also contextualizes a lot of the history, albeit in a still slanted way. When I was reading LDS history books I was once told, "You wouldn't go to a Ford dealership to get good information on a Chevrolet, would you?" Well, I had to admit that I wouldn't but I also had to point out that Chevrolet dealerships aren't the best place for unbiased information on Chevrolets either. This book is a Chevrolet dealership's attempt at more candor about their own cars after having been rocked with several large and public recalls. I don't know, that's the best metaphor I can come up with.
A good example of this is the treatment of the Missouri Mormon War. We get a very detailed and moving account of the Haun's Mill Massacre. And don't get me wrong, that was a truly horrifying event; true evil in action by the men who committed those actions. But when we get to the Battle of Crooked River, we don't get an account of the capture and vicious mutilation of Samuel Tarwater by the Mormon combatants. That part gets skipped. And that's a real shame because this one-sided storytelling a really big part of what led me out of this church. This book (like the church history stories I listened to as a small child) portrays the history as a cosmic battle between God and Satan. It is a childish, black-and-white way of looking at the world. Everything is couched in that context and the real people on both sides of the conflict (with their own real hopes, fears, and dreams) get lost. Their real stories are so much more interesting and understandable when you look at them from their real points of view in a more balanced way. This history book is more balanced than any the church has ever produced, but it is not at the point where it could be considered balanced. This is the Chevrolet salesman who is trying to acknowledge some of what everyone knows about his cars because he knows it will be insulting not to.
I actually enjoyed it quite a bit for the first 2/3 of the book. I did get frustrated toward the end when the book started to hit some of my least favorite apologetics for Joseph Smith. It is clear that the church is still very uncomfortable facing some aspects of Joseph Smith's life. For example, you won't find any accounts of when Joseph became physically violent with people, when he asked for people's wives to test their loyalty, his high-pressure marriage proposals to foster daughters, when he ruined the reputations of women who refused polygamous proposals, how Joseph made his money, etc. "Some things that are true are not very useful," I guess.
According to the book, Joseph's denials of "polygamy" and "spiritual wifery" are okay because of his careful wording. Apparently, lying is acceptable as long as you carefully word your lies. I almost want to go to a temple recommend interview so I can say, "What a thing it is to be accused of drinking coffee when I can't find a mug in my hand! I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers!" Apparently, that is totally honest. Oh brother.
Continuing on with the bizarre Joseph Smith apologetics, at one point the book asserts that Joseph didn't have many rules governing the practice of polygamy. However, if I am not mistaken, D&C 132 has a whole bunch of really specific rules about polygamy, and this is the revelation he supposedly received in the 1830s that he referred to but only produced much later. The revelation starts out with God himself stating, "My house is a house of order" followed by all of the super-specific rules about polygamy. No, the issue isn't that Joseph lacked rules, it is that Joseph had a whole bunch of uber-specific rules and then he went out and did a whole bunch of other, different weird stuff. And you won't find out about any of that weirdness from this book. You'll get just enough from this book so that you can think you know what's really going on, but you don't.
At another point, the book recounts a time where Joseph, Emma, and Emily Partridge are present in a situation where Emma finally decides to go along with polygamy and chooses Emily to marry Joseph. Then the book states that *Emily* decides not to tell Emma that she already married Joseph to spare Emma's feelings. I almost screamed at the book, "Emily decided?!?! We're going to blame this lie on Emily now? What about Emma's lying gutless wonder of a husband?" Yeah, sorry. That part really pissed me off. Poor passive victim Joseph. He'd do the right thing if only someone would just let him. If only teenage Emily would have just set things right with all of the (much more powerful) adults in the room. Barf.
But I can see why the church is so reluctant to really go into depth on the life of Joseph Smith. In the end, I left the church because I felt compelled to choose between a Monster Mormon God that orchestrated Joseph's actions and a Monster Joseph Smith. The facts on the ground indicate that at least one of them is a monster. Dealing with a Monster Joseph Smith was more comfortable and made more sense to me in the end. It hurt when I finally realized that if I had lived near Joseph Smith in his time, I would never want my wife or daughters anywhere near him. God, he was such a hero to me when I was young.
Contrasting the whitewashing of Joseph is the treatment of William Law. I guess I get it, the church needs to see him as a top-ranking agent of Satan, otherwise the story reflects badly on Joseph. But the fact is, if you read Willam Law's story from his point of view, his actions don't seem all that unreasonable. Law spends years defending Joseph from "vicious lies" about polygamy only to find out that they are true. I can empathize with the feeling of that betrayal and can totally see how that would lead to anger and a falling out and an attempt to set the record straight in print (complete with angry name-calling).
When reading this book, I read about all sorts of terrible things that Law did that I had never heard about in all of my LDS history reading. So I followed the footnotes and read the accounts by some guy in the late 1800s in Utah who said he went on all of these secret missions as directed by Joseph Smith and gathered all this dirt on William Law and witnessed him doing all sorts of terrible things. I'm pretty sure I know why no other historian had brought up these "facts." It's because all of it reads like some old guy making up stories to get attention. Some old guy that nobody has ever heard of just happens to have been Joseph's best friend and went on secret missions 40 years ago and didn't tell anybody until now... My grandfather used to tell those kinds of stories and they were all made up.
Hey, but I guess it could have happened, right? I don't know for sure this old guy is lying. It sure reads like it, but I don't know for sure 100%. One thing I do know for sure is that this book would have never taken a disparaging comment about Joseph Smith as fact with flimsy evidence like this. There are two standards of evidence. If someone says something good about Joseph Smith or bad about William Law, the bar is low. The evidence is probably true. If someone says something bad about Joseph or good about William Law, the bar is high and the evidence is probably false. This is a good method to use to reinforce a childish, black-and-white view of the world, but not a good way to figure out the interesting story of what really probably happened, and certainly not a good way to figure out if you are wrong.
Overall, I'd much rather read this than "Our Heritage." It's way more interesting and balanced than that, but it still isn't anywhere near as balanced as something from a top-notch historian who is trying their best to apply consistent standards of evidence to figure out what most probably happened. If you really want to understand what went on, you need to find someone like that to read.
September 22, 2018
I am shamelessly proud of my Church and the great strides they have made in the publishing of Saints: The Standard of Truth. This is fantastic history and beautiful prose. I have always been an avid reader, my early encounters with Church history weren't positive: I remember reading excerpts from Our Heritage in Sunday School and finding it absolutely dry. Perhaps I have matured since then, and I do feel more invested in my Church and its history now. But I think part of that is finding Church history books not published by Deseret Book. My first Church history book that became a favorite was Greg Prince's David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. I also enjoyed finding alternate interpretations of Church history, such as Denver Snuffer's Preserving the Restoration, and recent publications like Joseph Smith's Polygamy and Seer Stones This book is a fantastic addition to the genre of Latter-Day Saint history, and bravely confronts difficult topics while maintaining a narrative structure in which belief in the divinity of Joseph's calling as prophet.
Church leaders are using the word "immunize" to describe their hopes of this book: that it will immunize them from doubts and anything "anti-Mormon" in nature. I think the wording is appropriate; but I think any scenario where a form of censorship is present will harbor ill feelings. Leftists on campus are finding this out now: when you make no room for conservative viewpoints on campus, and students encounter facts from alt-right sources, they can start to embrace extremist viewpoints, because they feel that the liberal elites have lied to them. We need to have open discussion about these topics. We shouldn't be ashamed to discuss them, and we shouldn't have to feel we are being untrue to our faith if we bring them up. Let's talk about Joseph Smith's polygamy. Let's talk about seer stones. I'm very excited in this new era where members and youth will be much more familiar with Church history, and hopefully have a complete mental structure of Church history rather than a string of "faith-strengthening" stories cherry-picked from the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTiRn...
Here are a few things that I learned, or at least became much more clear as I read "Saints":
Joseph Smith wasn't perfect
You hear this all the time. We acknowledge it, but when we are confronted with his humanity upfront, sometimes it can be a bit hard to take. Joseph was rough around the edges. He didn't "look" or act like a prophet at times. I didn't know that he got into a fist-fight with his brother and fellow apostle in a quorum meeting. He held grudges, and often alienated people both in and outside the Church. Thomas Marsh found out that he was a bit authoritarian at times, often acting without consulting other. Marsh felt hurt that Joseph would take unilateral action in organizing missionary work with England, when he had clearly delegated that to himself. And heck-- Joseph went and instituted polygamy without telling his two counselors in the First Presidency! That doesn't sound like a good way of building trust.
Critics of the Church have always been around
We often characterize these doubters and takers of offense as traitors, enemies, and antagonists. But I think these characters had legitimate concerns about Joseph's leadership. I sympathized with all of them, and we need to see how real their concerns are, because we are likely to encounter similar concerns with present-day leaders as well. I think there are plenty of examples of those who struggled and remained faithful: Parley P. Pratt for example. He got absolutely screwed over by Joseph and Sidney when the Kirtland Safety Society went under. He even voiced some criticisms. But, with some help from fellow saints, he was humble enough to accept a prophet with flaws.
Other critics I had less sympathy for. John Bennett told women that Joseph gave him permission to sleep with them outside of the marriage covenant. He tricked many. When he was excommunicated, he was the one who really sparked off the rumors and sharp criticisms around polygamy. William Law too was an adulterer who couldn't take the consequences of his actions and turned on the prophet.
Emma is back again
In most Church literature, you hear about Emma briefly in the happy early days of the Restoration, but she fades out in the Nauvoo years when polygamy was introduced, because she doesn't always play the role of demure, supportive wife. She REALLY struggled with Joseph's polygamy, and they show it really well here. You feel for her. I am so glad to see her character, and her centrality in the restoration, portrayed so well.
We were kind of jerks in Missouri
The only two things a lot of Mormons know about Missouri is that we're supposed to build a temple there some day, and Governor Boggs is a horrible bigot who issued the extermination order. This is true. But you find out that there was bad blood on both sides. Mormons often didn't play good neighbors. Remember when the saints got kicked out of Jackson County? That really got rolling right after William Phelps published an inflammatory speech by Sidney Rigdon saying, "If you fight with us, we'll fight back. We're willing to shed blood to protect our rights." Perhaps that's an OK sentiment. But it isn't going to calm things. When some neighboring Missourians burned down the house of a saint, the Mormons retaliated by burning down an entire village. The Saints had a secret group called the Danites who swore to fight off the enemies of the Church with violence. Perhaps we often didn't take the first punch. But we certainly were willing to play 19th century identity politics, take things personally, and get our hands dirty.
While a lot of it isn't new persay, this is the first time I feel like I have a complete picture of the Restoration complete in my head. I've read specialty books on Mormon history, like Joseph Smith's use of seer stones, or the revelations surrounding polygamy, but this is the first time I feel comfortable with the overarching narrative of not only the life of Joseph Smith, but the lives of everyday saints as well. And it feels so good-- to not feel like I have to be ashamed of inconvenient truths surrounding Joseph Smith. You don't have to feel like some hater out there is going to spring a truth on you that could potentially crash your testimony. I hope this builds self- confidence in Mormons (my bad, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and I hope it starts of spark to help us re-appreciate the Restoration.
Church leaders are using the word "immunize" to describe their hopes of this book: that it will immunize them from doubts and anything "anti-Mormon" in nature. I think the wording is appropriate; but I think any scenario where a form of censorship is present will harbor ill feelings. Leftists on campus are finding this out now: when you make no room for conservative viewpoints on campus, and students encounter facts from alt-right sources, they can start to embrace extremist viewpoints, because they feel that the liberal elites have lied to them. We need to have open discussion about these topics. We shouldn't be ashamed to discuss them, and we shouldn't have to feel we are being untrue to our faith if we bring them up. Let's talk about Joseph Smith's polygamy. Let's talk about seer stones. I'm very excited in this new era where members and youth will be much more familiar with Church history, and hopefully have a complete mental structure of Church history rather than a string of "faith-strengthening" stories cherry-picked from the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTiRn...
Here are a few things that I learned, or at least became much more clear as I read "Saints":
Joseph Smith wasn't perfect
You hear this all the time. We acknowledge it, but when we are confronted with his humanity upfront, sometimes it can be a bit hard to take. Joseph was rough around the edges. He didn't "look" or act like a prophet at times. I didn't know that he got into a fist-fight with his brother and fellow apostle in a quorum meeting. He held grudges, and often alienated people both in and outside the Church. Thomas Marsh found out that he was a bit authoritarian at times, often acting without consulting other. Marsh felt hurt that Joseph would take unilateral action in organizing missionary work with England, when he had clearly delegated that to himself. And heck-- Joseph went and instituted polygamy without telling his two counselors in the First Presidency! That doesn't sound like a good way of building trust.
Critics of the Church have always been around
We often characterize these doubters and takers of offense as traitors, enemies, and antagonists. But I think these characters had legitimate concerns about Joseph's leadership. I sympathized with all of them, and we need to see how real their concerns are, because we are likely to encounter similar concerns with present-day leaders as well. I think there are plenty of examples of those who struggled and remained faithful: Parley P. Pratt for example. He got absolutely screwed over by Joseph and Sidney when the Kirtland Safety Society went under. He even voiced some criticisms. But, with some help from fellow saints, he was humble enough to accept a prophet with flaws.
Other critics I had less sympathy for. John Bennett told women that Joseph gave him permission to sleep with them outside of the marriage covenant. He tricked many. When he was excommunicated, he was the one who really sparked off the rumors and sharp criticisms around polygamy. William Law too was an adulterer who couldn't take the consequences of his actions and turned on the prophet.
Emma is back again
In most Church literature, you hear about Emma briefly in the happy early days of the Restoration, but she fades out in the Nauvoo years when polygamy was introduced, because she doesn't always play the role of demure, supportive wife. She REALLY struggled with Joseph's polygamy, and they show it really well here. You feel for her. I am so glad to see her character, and her centrality in the restoration, portrayed so well.
We were kind of jerks in Missouri
The only two things a lot of Mormons know about Missouri is that we're supposed to build a temple there some day, and Governor Boggs is a horrible bigot who issued the extermination order. This is true. But you find out that there was bad blood on both sides. Mormons often didn't play good neighbors. Remember when the saints got kicked out of Jackson County? That really got rolling right after William Phelps published an inflammatory speech by Sidney Rigdon saying, "If you fight with us, we'll fight back. We're willing to shed blood to protect our rights." Perhaps that's an OK sentiment. But it isn't going to calm things. When some neighboring Missourians burned down the house of a saint, the Mormons retaliated by burning down an entire village. The Saints had a secret group called the Danites who swore to fight off the enemies of the Church with violence. Perhaps we often didn't take the first punch. But we certainly were willing to play 19th century identity politics, take things personally, and get our hands dirty.
While a lot of it isn't new persay, this is the first time I feel like I have a complete picture of the Restoration complete in my head. I've read specialty books on Mormon history, like Joseph Smith's use of seer stones, or the revelations surrounding polygamy, but this is the first time I feel comfortable with the overarching narrative of not only the life of Joseph Smith, but the lives of everyday saints as well. And it feels so good-- to not feel like I have to be ashamed of inconvenient truths surrounding Joseph Smith. You don't have to feel like some hater out there is going to spring a truth on you that could potentially crash your testimony. I hope this builds self- confidence in Mormons (my bad, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and I hope it starts of spark to help us re-appreciate the Restoration.
February 19, 2019
Awesome book...literally couldn't put it down. I shy away from history books, but Saints #1 is a captivating read despite being history. Written in a narrative / documentary style, it was quick, interesting, and compelling reading. It is a chronological compilation of carefully researched books, papers, and quotes from Joseph Smith and his contemporaries, giving us a rounded view of the gospel that doesn’t shy away from the more controversial moments in early church history. “...it does not go beyond information found in historical sources. When the text includes even minor details, such as facial expressions or weather conditions, it is because these details are found in or reasonably deduced from the historical record.” While reading, if a new piece of the story is discovered, one can find the citation and in many cases follow a digital link to read the original source.
My advice to critical readers is to manage expectations. You won't find in-depth explorations of these topics in the text as it is intended to be accessible to a global readership. But you can find hundreds of pages of supplementary material in the meticulous footnotes and the Church History Topics essays.
I agree with Michael, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4... who said in his review, "If you don’t know much about Church history, I would say this is an excellent starting point. If there are aspects of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s life that disturb you because of his being subject to the frailties of human nature, this book will likely acknowledge those aspects and touch on them, but will do little to assuage those concerns.
If you really want to know if Joseph Smith was a Prophet I would recommend that you follow the Savior’s council as found in Matthew chapter 7:
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
You cannot know the fruits of Joseph’s works without reading the Book of Mormon, and deciding whether or not it is what he claims it was through study and prayer."
Having grown up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I was familiar with many of the stories and facts presented in the book, but there are many incidents and details in the book that were new to me. All of the stories were told in such a compelling manner that it constantly pulled me back to want to read more.
This eBook and Audio book are both free on the LDS Tools app! (Kindle Store $16.99) I listened to the audio version which I believe must be computer generated audio because many of the names and terms were incorrectly pronounced, i.e. phonetically instead of by common usage. This was a bit annoying, but worth it since I have so little time to sit and read and @ 1065 pages hearing the names of Moroni, Nephi, and Melchizedek mispronounced was worth it.
I appreciate the Church History Department, under direction of The First Presidency, and the way they are making all details of our history available. A favorable aspect of the new book is its thorough development of women's voices from the very beginning and throughout the narrative. We are enriched by those stories finally being center stage alongside those of the men. I highly recommend this book to everyone, of every faith, members and nonmembers both. It opens the gates of understanding and scholarship to readers at every level. There's a lot of fascinating history here, and it's told well, extensively footnoted and well worth reading... I am hoping Saints #2 is released soon!
My advice to critical readers is to manage expectations. You won't find in-depth explorations of these topics in the text as it is intended to be accessible to a global readership. But you can find hundreds of pages of supplementary material in the meticulous footnotes and the Church History Topics essays.
I agree with Michael, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4... who said in his review, "If you don’t know much about Church history, I would say this is an excellent starting point. If there are aspects of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s life that disturb you because of his being subject to the frailties of human nature, this book will likely acknowledge those aspects and touch on them, but will do little to assuage those concerns.
If you really want to know if Joseph Smith was a Prophet I would recommend that you follow the Savior’s council as found in Matthew chapter 7:
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
You cannot know the fruits of Joseph’s works without reading the Book of Mormon, and deciding whether or not it is what he claims it was through study and prayer."
Having grown up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I was familiar with many of the stories and facts presented in the book, but there are many incidents and details in the book that were new to me. All of the stories were told in such a compelling manner that it constantly pulled me back to want to read more.
This eBook and Audio book are both free on the LDS Tools app! (Kindle Store $16.99) I listened to the audio version which I believe must be computer generated audio because many of the names and terms were incorrectly pronounced, i.e. phonetically instead of by common usage. This was a bit annoying, but worth it since I have so little time to sit and read and @ 1065 pages hearing the names of Moroni, Nephi, and Melchizedek mispronounced was worth it.
I appreciate the Church History Department, under direction of The First Presidency, and the way they are making all details of our history available. A favorable aspect of the new book is its thorough development of women's voices from the very beginning and throughout the narrative. We are enriched by those stories finally being center stage alongside those of the men. I highly recommend this book to everyone, of every faith, members and nonmembers both. It opens the gates of understanding and scholarship to readers at every level. There's a lot of fascinating history here, and it's told well, extensively footnoted and well worth reading... I am hoping Saints #2 is released soon!
September 6, 2018
I just finished reading volume 1 of the church's new book "Saints." I know Mormon history has been a hot topic for many Latter-day Saints, so naturally this book has appeal. Let me first start off with...
THE GOOD:
-This book is, in my opinion, the very best general audience history that the church has ever published. It is far better than earlier works like "Our Heritage," "Marvelous Work and a Wonder," etc.
-The book is incredibly reader friendly and flows beautifully. I give high marks to whomever is responsible for the prose of this book. Very easy, very enjoyable. I can easily foresee the day this book becomes the new manual for Priesthood and Relief Society.
-There is an effort to include more of the blemishes and warts from our past in this book. Joseph Smith is portrayed as a good man but not elevated to Herculean status. The church is portrayed as a living, evolving entity as opposed to absolute perfection right out of the gate.
Having said all that, there still is some...
NOT SO GOOD:
-The book, thought a big upgrade, still omits a tremendous amount of problematic history. Only a few of Joseph's polygamous wives are mentioned and the controversial ones (with the exception of Fanny Alger, who is only glossed over) are completely absent from the story. The Three Witnesses narrative is the same as it has always been (which is a huge problem) there is little to no mention of the role Freemasonry in early Mormonism, and the historicity of the Book of Abraham/Mormon are not mentioned at all. They do mention Joseph Smith using seer stones in his hat and other similar little tidbits of troubling history, but if anyone was hoping this book would be the new narrative that historians like Richard Bushman have been asking for you will be disappointed.
-The book feels like watered down Truman Madsen, meets the LDS Church essays, meets "The Work and the Glory." You can see the internal struggle of the authors to be honest while still creating a narrative in which Mormonism emerges victorious and virtuous at every turn.
-This book is NOT a critical or comprehensive history! I cannot emphasize this enough. If you were looking for that you will be disappointed. The book is a very general, very generic INTRODUCTORY history. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but if you were wanting more you will not find it here.
Overall I think the book is a plus. It will add to, not subtract from, the ongoing communal conversation that is Mormon history. I salute the church for trying to be a little more open and honest. Though the book does fall short in many respects, I see more good than bad. Just remember one thing if you choose to read it: the book is NOT a comprehensive work. Don't look to this source to answer some of the major doubts so many struggle with today. It won't have many of those answers. Having said that, the book is still, in my opinion, of value.
THE GOOD:
-This book is, in my opinion, the very best general audience history that the church has ever published. It is far better than earlier works like "Our Heritage," "Marvelous Work and a Wonder," etc.
-The book is incredibly reader friendly and flows beautifully. I give high marks to whomever is responsible for the prose of this book. Very easy, very enjoyable. I can easily foresee the day this book becomes the new manual for Priesthood and Relief Society.
-There is an effort to include more of the blemishes and warts from our past in this book. Joseph Smith is portrayed as a good man but not elevated to Herculean status. The church is portrayed as a living, evolving entity as opposed to absolute perfection right out of the gate.
Having said all that, there still is some...
NOT SO GOOD:
-The book, thought a big upgrade, still omits a tremendous amount of problematic history. Only a few of Joseph's polygamous wives are mentioned and the controversial ones (with the exception of Fanny Alger, who is only glossed over) are completely absent from the story. The Three Witnesses narrative is the same as it has always been (which is a huge problem) there is little to no mention of the role Freemasonry in early Mormonism, and the historicity of the Book of Abraham/Mormon are not mentioned at all. They do mention Joseph Smith using seer stones in his hat and other similar little tidbits of troubling history, but if anyone was hoping this book would be the new narrative that historians like Richard Bushman have been asking for you will be disappointed.
-The book feels like watered down Truman Madsen, meets the LDS Church essays, meets "The Work and the Glory." You can see the internal struggle of the authors to be honest while still creating a narrative in which Mormonism emerges victorious and virtuous at every turn.
-This book is NOT a critical or comprehensive history! I cannot emphasize this enough. If you were looking for that you will be disappointed. The book is a very general, very generic INTRODUCTORY history. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but if you were wanting more you will not find it here.
Overall I think the book is a plus. It will add to, not subtract from, the ongoing communal conversation that is Mormon history. I salute the church for trying to be a little more open and honest. Though the book does fall short in many respects, I see more good than bad. Just remember one thing if you choose to read it: the book is NOT a comprehensive work. Don't look to this source to answer some of the major doubts so many struggle with today. It won't have many of those answers. Having said that, the book is still, in my opinion, of value.
September 26, 2018
The most refreshing thing about the book "Saints" is that it does not hide the fact that the men and women of the early church were flawed individuals. Even though they had been called to some of the Lord's most important work, their human frailties and weaknesses came out over and over again. But this didn't stop them or the work. The repentant and humble were still allowed to be instruments in the hands of the Lord. And their struggle, is OUR struggle. Each of us is called to move the Lord's kingdom forward notwithstanding our limitations. To me, it is a testimony of the divinity of this Church. Even with all of our human frailties, the work rolls on. Seeing the weaknesses of these saints did not damage my faith, in fact, it strengthened it.
The Prophet Joseph in particular was not immune to mistakes. He was chastised multiple times by Moroni in his attempts to obtain the plates. He lost the 116 pages of translated manuscript that he had been entrusted with. He argued with many saints, even mocked some of them openly. He got into a fistfight with his brother, one of the Twelve Apostles. He quarreled repeatedly with Emma over the issue of plural marriage. Yet, in spite of all of his errors, Joseph had a repentant heart, and the Lord was able to trust in him to restore His kingdom on earth. It speaks wonders to me about the mercy of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and should bring peace to the hearts of all of us who feel like we too are constantly coming up short.
This message is a theme that has been repeated often in recent General Conferences. Maybe it's just my heart softening, but I feel that the leaders of the Church have put a renewed emphasis on the idea that, while we strive for perfection, we don't have to be perfect yet. It's not that they have become more tolerant of sin, because they haven't, but I believe they have encouraged us to be more understanding of man's weakness and to not judge too harshly. They acknowledge that each of us will stumble along the road to perfection, and that the Lord blesses us for every effort to correct our mistakes and continue along His path. This was the message I took away from "Saints"... that the Lord want's all men and women to come unto Him, and that through Him, we can do a great work.
The Prophet Joseph in particular was not immune to mistakes. He was chastised multiple times by Moroni in his attempts to obtain the plates. He lost the 116 pages of translated manuscript that he had been entrusted with. He argued with many saints, even mocked some of them openly. He got into a fistfight with his brother, one of the Twelve Apostles. He quarreled repeatedly with Emma over the issue of plural marriage. Yet, in spite of all of his errors, Joseph had a repentant heart, and the Lord was able to trust in him to restore His kingdom on earth. It speaks wonders to me about the mercy of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and should bring peace to the hearts of all of us who feel like we too are constantly coming up short.
This message is a theme that has been repeated often in recent General Conferences. Maybe it's just my heart softening, but I feel that the leaders of the Church have put a renewed emphasis on the idea that, while we strive for perfection, we don't have to be perfect yet. It's not that they have become more tolerant of sin, because they haven't, but I believe they have encouraged us to be more understanding of man's weakness and to not judge too harshly. They acknowledge that each of us will stumble along the road to perfection, and that the Lord blesses us for every effort to correct our mistakes and continue along His path. This was the message I took away from "Saints"... that the Lord want's all men and women to come unto Him, and that through Him, we can do a great work.
October 2, 2018
Most engaging LDS church history book I've read, does not skirt the more controversial parts of the history, while being still faith building.
September 24, 2018
4.5
I will admit to being very excited about this book when I first heard about it from an editor around a year ago. The editor is a very well-known and respected Latter-day Saint fiction author. When she described the scope and effort going into this book (series), I thought, awesome.
Saints should be read by every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like Jesus the Christ. Given the dense previous records of church history and how it stops before the global expansion, this is a book that fits on any shelf. For a more complete biography of Joseph Smith, of course Joseph Smith: Rough Stone RollingJoseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling would be preferable. For a more academic, but equally enjoyable, historical account leading through Mitt Romney's presidential run, I'd recommend The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith.
This all said, as a work unto itself, and considering the effort the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put into this book, everyone involved deserves a round of applause. Ten, fifteen years ago, I remember sitting in a friend's home and discussing how essential it was for more people to become acquainted with the history of the church, including the more discomforting elements, that have driven some to lose faith or trust in it as an institution. This book is that and more.
Undoubtedly there will be complaints about the relatively short treatment that the Book of Abraham and other aspects of church history receive, but it couldn't be 10,000 pages after all. Book of Mormon translation, Plural Marriage (including the earliest aspects of it), The Kirtland Safety Society, early Apostleship in the latter-days, Joseph's martyrdom, Black Saints, it all did more than just dot the book, there were fair treatments. I feel the matters were addressed with respect to the time, for example, the Kirtland Safety Society and Polygamy were major issues that caused schisms in the early church and the writers/editors tackled these issues. It was very well done.
My favorite part of the book is coming to a better understanding of the individuals, the names and the backgrounds behind some of the stories people frequently hear. Through the meticulous research that has gone into it, this book becomes something that puts to bed and offers clarity regarding many Mormon myths and historic folklore. As a book published by the church, of course it will take on a "faith promoting" angle, but the reality is that the history is being drawn from countless journals and available historic materials and it is a history.
I'm not sure how other religious institutions would handle themselves if they derived from the modern era and were so heavily scrutinized. This book contains a bit of self-reflection, but mostly history and what truth is available. Some questions simply cannot be answered, but the thoughtful narrative, focus on storytelling, and precision in recounting the foundation of the church is sure to inform and edify. I look forward to future volumes as they are made available.
Disclaimer: I listened to the book. The reader was not distracting, but neither were they engaging. Listening is a viable way of tackling the book.
I will admit to being very excited about this book when I first heard about it from an editor around a year ago. The editor is a very well-known and respected Latter-day Saint fiction author. When she described the scope and effort going into this book (series), I thought, awesome.
Saints should be read by every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like Jesus the Christ. Given the dense previous records of church history and how it stops before the global expansion, this is a book that fits on any shelf. For a more complete biography of Joseph Smith, of course Joseph Smith: Rough Stone RollingJoseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling would be preferable. For a more academic, but equally enjoyable, historical account leading through Mitt Romney's presidential run, I'd recommend The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith.
This all said, as a work unto itself, and considering the effort the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put into this book, everyone involved deserves a round of applause. Ten, fifteen years ago, I remember sitting in a friend's home and discussing how essential it was for more people to become acquainted with the history of the church, including the more discomforting elements, that have driven some to lose faith or trust in it as an institution. This book is that and more.
Undoubtedly there will be complaints about the relatively short treatment that the Book of Abraham and other aspects of church history receive, but it couldn't be 10,000 pages after all. Book of Mormon translation, Plural Marriage (including the earliest aspects of it), The Kirtland Safety Society, early Apostleship in the latter-days, Joseph's martyrdom, Black Saints, it all did more than just dot the book, there were fair treatments. I feel the matters were addressed with respect to the time, for example, the Kirtland Safety Society and Polygamy were major issues that caused schisms in the early church and the writers/editors tackled these issues. It was very well done.
My favorite part of the book is coming to a better understanding of the individuals, the names and the backgrounds behind some of the stories people frequently hear. Through the meticulous research that has gone into it, this book becomes something that puts to bed and offers clarity regarding many Mormon myths and historic folklore. As a book published by the church, of course it will take on a "faith promoting" angle, but the reality is that the history is being drawn from countless journals and available historic materials and it is a history.
I'm not sure how other religious institutions would handle themselves if they derived from the modern era and were so heavily scrutinized. This book contains a bit of self-reflection, but mostly history and what truth is available. Some questions simply cannot be answered, but the thoughtful narrative, focus on storytelling, and precision in recounting the foundation of the church is sure to inform and edify. I look forward to future volumes as they are made available.
Disclaimer: I listened to the book. The reader was not distracting, but neither were they engaging. Listening is a viable way of tackling the book.
January 15, 2019
I learned a lot about this time period. I also had many good feelings. So much we just cant comprehend about this time period. I'm so glad I read this.
January 15, 2019
This book was phenomenal. Be warned it is a very honest history of the church. Many parts were difficult to read... I truly feel the purpose of this book is not solely to build your testimony. In my opinion the purpose was largely to show church history in context so we can draw conclusions on our own about what was wise, what should have been done, why certain actions were taken etc.
I found this SUCH an engaging book which surprised me. I finished it in only 1 week!! I’m so glad the church has been so transparent about our very messy history filled with wonderfully imperfect people. I came away feeling like this was a beautiful testimony of what normal, flawed individuals can accomplish when they rely on God the best they know how. Who would have thought from these beginnings our church would be what it is today?
I found this SUCH an engaging book which surprised me. I finished it in only 1 week!! I’m so glad the church has been so transparent about our very messy history filled with wonderfully imperfect people. I came away feeling like this was a beautiful testimony of what normal, flawed individuals can accomplish when they rely on God the best they know how. Who would have thought from these beginnings our church would be what it is today?
September 24, 2018
Review of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, Volume 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2018. 699 pp., $5.75 print, $1.99 digital.
Short version: The book is very readable, with stories and accurate dialogue to share deep emotions felt during intense times of crisis. The book includes valuable female perspectives (both old and young). It is intimate, referring to Joseph and Emma Smith by first name. The writers weave together moving individual stories supported by solid historical sources. It relies on excellent source material from The Joseph Smith Papers, the Religious Studies Center, and many others. Readers can enhance their experience with new Church History Topics essays: https://www.lds.org/languages/eng/con....
Long version: As the first book in the Saints series, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 starts with a bang! A volcano in far-off Indonesia spews tons of ash into the air, causing dry weather patterns in Vermont and leading the Smith family to try farming in upstate New York. Joseph joins the local treasure hunters seeking for Spanish gold, a search he soon abandons. The book then races through uplifting and discouraging scenes of church history. Scott Hales, the book’s literary editor, described the book’s goals: “It’s designed to be a history for people who don’t like history. It’s meant to be very inviting, very engaging, very approachable. Some people hear the word ‘history’ and clam up or tune out. They think about boring high school history classes or history lectures. That’s not the reaction we want from our readers. We want people to read this book! We have written it in a way that will appeal to people from ages 12 to 112. We have been very deliberate in how we present the material so that it is accessible to a wide variety of people from all ages, all educational backgrounds, and all reading levels” (as quoted in “Getting to Know Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days,” Religious Educator 19, no. 2 [2018]: 175).
Steven C. Harper, the book’s historical editor, tells how the project started: “[It] began as an investigation into the feasibility of updating the Comprehensive History. In 2008 the Church Historian, who was then Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, made a proposal to the First Presidency to update it. The First Presidency authorized the Church History Department to come up with a plan to do it. A committee was called together and proposed the four-volume plan. . . . Elder Steven E. Snow of the Seventy has served as the Church Historian since 2012. He made Saints a high priority” (as quoted in “Getting to Know Saints,” 174).
Volume 1 deals transparently with complex issues such as the following:
• Joseph’s multiple accounts of the First Vision
• Nineteenth-century folk religion and seer stones
• Joseph’s 1826 arrest and trial for being a “disorderly person”
• Translation of the Book of Mormon and testimonies of many witnesses, including Mary Whitmer
• Restoration of priesthood authority and sealing keys
• Dedication of the Kirtland Temple
• The Book of Abraham
• Complex feelings after the Kirtland Safety Society failed
• Persecution of members in Missouri and vigilante actions by Danites
• Plural marriage, including Joseph’s marriage to Fanny Alger and sealings to other women
• Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor
• The Council of Fifty and its plans to move church members to the West
A few minor things to quibble about: Because it is written straightforwardly to a believing audience, it might be viewed as nonrigorous history. For example, the term "Urim and Thummim" appears instead of "Nephite interpreters," which might confuse some folks. Revelations are recorded very tidily as the Lord dictated them rather than through a complex process of revision and adjustment as Joseph tried to capture the essence of revelatory thought, as described in The Joseph Smith Papers.
I look forward to future volumes, as Scott Hales described below: “The second volume depicts the challenges of gathering the Saints to the Salt Lake Valley and the Intermountain West. It ends in 1893 with the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple. Volume 3 shows the Church entering the twentieth century and branching out beyond the Mormon corridor. It concludes in 1955 with the dedication of the Swiss Temple, the first temple dedicated in Europe. Finally, volume 4 is about the global Church. By the end of that volume, temples dot the earth and sacred ordinances are available to all worthy Saints” (as quoted in “Getting to Know Saints,” 173).
Short version: The book is very readable, with stories and accurate dialogue to share deep emotions felt during intense times of crisis. The book includes valuable female perspectives (both old and young). It is intimate, referring to Joseph and Emma Smith by first name. The writers weave together moving individual stories supported by solid historical sources. It relies on excellent source material from The Joseph Smith Papers, the Religious Studies Center, and many others. Readers can enhance their experience with new Church History Topics essays: https://www.lds.org/languages/eng/con....
Long version: As the first book in the Saints series, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 starts with a bang! A volcano in far-off Indonesia spews tons of ash into the air, causing dry weather patterns in Vermont and leading the Smith family to try farming in upstate New York. Joseph joins the local treasure hunters seeking for Spanish gold, a search he soon abandons. The book then races through uplifting and discouraging scenes of church history. Scott Hales, the book’s literary editor, described the book’s goals: “It’s designed to be a history for people who don’t like history. It’s meant to be very inviting, very engaging, very approachable. Some people hear the word ‘history’ and clam up or tune out. They think about boring high school history classes or history lectures. That’s not the reaction we want from our readers. We want people to read this book! We have written it in a way that will appeal to people from ages 12 to 112. We have been very deliberate in how we present the material so that it is accessible to a wide variety of people from all ages, all educational backgrounds, and all reading levels” (as quoted in “Getting to Know Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days,” Religious Educator 19, no. 2 [2018]: 175).
Steven C. Harper, the book’s historical editor, tells how the project started: “[It] began as an investigation into the feasibility of updating the Comprehensive History. In 2008 the Church Historian, who was then Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, made a proposal to the First Presidency to update it. The First Presidency authorized the Church History Department to come up with a plan to do it. A committee was called together and proposed the four-volume plan. . . . Elder Steven E. Snow of the Seventy has served as the Church Historian since 2012. He made Saints a high priority” (as quoted in “Getting to Know Saints,” 174).
Volume 1 deals transparently with complex issues such as the following:
• Joseph’s multiple accounts of the First Vision
• Nineteenth-century folk religion and seer stones
• Joseph’s 1826 arrest and trial for being a “disorderly person”
• Translation of the Book of Mormon and testimonies of many witnesses, including Mary Whitmer
• Restoration of priesthood authority and sealing keys
• Dedication of the Kirtland Temple
• The Book of Abraham
• Complex feelings after the Kirtland Safety Society failed
• Persecution of members in Missouri and vigilante actions by Danites
• Plural marriage, including Joseph’s marriage to Fanny Alger and sealings to other women
• Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor
• The Council of Fifty and its plans to move church members to the West
A few minor things to quibble about: Because it is written straightforwardly to a believing audience, it might be viewed as nonrigorous history. For example, the term "Urim and Thummim" appears instead of "Nephite interpreters," which might confuse some folks. Revelations are recorded very tidily as the Lord dictated them rather than through a complex process of revision and adjustment as Joseph tried to capture the essence of revelatory thought, as described in The Joseph Smith Papers.
I look forward to future volumes, as Scott Hales described below: “The second volume depicts the challenges of gathering the Saints to the Salt Lake Valley and the Intermountain West. It ends in 1893 with the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple. Volume 3 shows the Church entering the twentieth century and branching out beyond the Mormon corridor. It concludes in 1955 with the dedication of the Swiss Temple, the first temple dedicated in Europe. Finally, volume 4 is about the global Church. By the end of that volume, temples dot the earth and sacred ordinances are available to all worthy Saints” (as quoted in “Getting to Know Saints,” 173).
January 24, 2019
Very interesting narrative history. Many stories I was already familiar with plus so many others I had never heard. Fascinating but I felt like much of it barely skimmes the surface of too many of the stories and I want to know more.
December 23, 2018
This is a narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the years listed in the title. It goes through Joseph Smith’s life, and how he came to be confused and prayed about which church to join. It describes God, the Father’s and Jesus Christ’s visitation to him to tell him not to join any of the churches of that day. The truth was not on the earth. It needed to be restored. And so it was. This book shows the history from that time forward 30 years from the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the formation of His true Church to Joseph Smith’s martyrdom and the continuation of living prophets to lead the Church forward to the West (which will take place in the next history that comes out).
This history was not boring at all. I loved the narrative format, which gave me history in little story doses that were interesting and enlightening. It is a well-researched historical account, with over 100 pages of notes and research sources in the back, for those who want to know more about certain events. I felt the author team of historians did a superb job at giving the whole historical account, pulling from lots of different sources so that it didn’t come across as biased one way or the other. This book details the good and the bad in all the historical figures, but instead of finding that negative, I found it made me see these people as more real, with flaws, like me. I saw reasonings behind their mistakes and challenges that I hadn’t ever known before. There is no perfect person on this earth, save our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This book showed what true saints really are—good people who are trying to do their best to follow their Savior, but still making mistakes and needing repentance and the ordinances of salvation He has established in our day through His restored Church. A magnificent, easy-to-read history.
This history was not boring at all. I loved the narrative format, which gave me history in little story doses that were interesting and enlightening. It is a well-researched historical account, with over 100 pages of notes and research sources in the back, for those who want to know more about certain events. I felt the author team of historians did a superb job at giving the whole historical account, pulling from lots of different sources so that it didn’t come across as biased one way or the other. This book details the good and the bad in all the historical figures, but instead of finding that negative, I found it made me see these people as more real, with flaws, like me. I saw reasonings behind their mistakes and challenges that I hadn’t ever known before. There is no perfect person on this earth, save our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This book showed what true saints really are—good people who are trying to do their best to follow their Savior, but still making mistakes and needing repentance and the ordinances of salvation He has established in our day through His restored Church. A magnificent, easy-to-read history.
June 30, 2021
Chapter 1 gives background information.
I was pleased that Chapter 2 has references to the Joseph Smith Papers project, which has the various first vision accounts.
This is the first of four volumes that covers up through the death of Joseph Smith. It is easily readable, but for those wanting to delve deeper, endnotes provide the source of the information. I read an electronic copy, which in many cases had a live link to the cited source. The paperback copy is about 46 mm thick. As of June 2021, the first two volumes have been published.
There is no need for a long review. The book is available at no charge for an electronic copy, and the printed copy is quite inexpensive. Go read it yourself.
Contents:
1. Ask in Faith (Tambora, ... Religious Excitement)
2. Hear Him (First Vision Accounts)
3. Plates of Gold
4. Be Watchful
5. All Is Lost
6. The Gift and Power of God
7. Fellow Servants
8. ...
...
46. Endowed with Power
Notes on Sources
Sources Cited
Acknowledgments
Index
2021-02-17 Accidentally marked as read for the second time. I’ll update the date finished when I actually do finish reading it the second time.
I was pleased that Chapter 2 has references to the Joseph Smith Papers project, which has the various first vision accounts.
This is the first of four volumes that covers up through the death of Joseph Smith. It is easily readable, but for those wanting to delve deeper, endnotes provide the source of the information. I read an electronic copy, which in many cases had a live link to the cited source. The paperback copy is about 46 mm thick. As of June 2021, the first two volumes have been published.
There is no need for a long review. The book is available at no charge for an electronic copy, and the printed copy is quite inexpensive. Go read it yourself.
Contents:
1. Ask in Faith (Tambora, ... Religious Excitement)
2. Hear Him (First Vision Accounts)
3. Plates of Gold
4. Be Watchful
5. All Is Lost
6. The Gift and Power of God
7. Fellow Servants
8. ...
...
46. Endowed with Power
Notes on Sources
Sources Cited
Acknowledgments
Index
2021-02-17 Accidentally marked as read for the second time. I’ll update the date finished when I actually do finish reading it the second time.
October 22, 2018
Many stories in this book of church history were familiar to me, and I give credit for that to Gerald Lund’s The Work and the Glory series (which is a favorite series of mine and which I’ve been rereading again this year). There were many other stories I hadn’t heard before, though, so this first volume was an interesting look into church history. The first Saints experienced innumerable trials and hardships. I wonder if I would’ve been as faithful as they were had I experienced what they did. Sadly, I don’t think I would have been. I appreciate that controversial topics were addressed and that the early Saints were shown to be human - they made mistakes, just as we all do.
Saints was very easy to read. I found it inspiring and faith-affirming. Yet again, I marveled at the unfailing love Hyrum Smith had for his brother, the prophet. Reading about Joseph Smith being killed at the age of 38 really hit me and brought me to tears. I remember being younger and thinking that 38 sounded SO OLD. I’m currently 38 years old and can now say that Joseph was much too young when he died.
I look forward to reading the remaining volumes in this series of church history.
Saints was very easy to read. I found it inspiring and faith-affirming. Yet again, I marveled at the unfailing love Hyrum Smith had for his brother, the prophet. Reading about Joseph Smith being killed at the age of 38 really hit me and brought me to tears. I remember being younger and thinking that 38 sounded SO OLD. I’m currently 38 years old and can now say that Joseph was much too young when he died.
I look forward to reading the remaining volumes in this series of church history.
September 23, 2018
I found this to be a very interesting and informative read. I listened to the audio of the book available for free through the Gospel Library app. I am a lifelong active member of the church who has studied church history, so I was familiar with the overall history, and very familiar with many of the incidents covered. However, there was still information that was new to me, and added details to familiar stories.
I enjoy reading history that is written in a narrative style like this book, and I look forward to the future volumes in the series.
An added bonus for me is that it was neat for me to hear about my 3x great grandparents Jonathan and Caroline Crosby, parts of whose story is covered around the middle of this book.
I enjoy reading history that is written in a narrative style like this book, and I look forward to the future volumes in the series.
An added bonus for me is that it was neat for me to hear about my 3x great grandparents Jonathan and Caroline Crosby, parts of whose story is covered around the middle of this book.
April 11, 2023
It feels like an attempt to give believing members enough information that they feel they’re aware of the crazy history that’s driving so many people away from the church, yet it’s told in such a way that the crazy stuff doesn’t seem quite as crazy as it really is. If you really want to understand the history, keep researching. The church is allowed to tell their history however they want, even if it is misleading.
The church has set a very low bar for truth.
The church has set a very low bar for truth.
January 12, 2019
This was a good read. It reads very fast for a big book and I think it's pretty well put together. In my opinion, it's a good move to being more transparent about some of the controversial parts of Church History. It is remarkable that the church survived these early days and it was very insightful to see how many doctrines started and then evolved over time. It gave me a much greater appreciation for the early saints and their faith. Those were very trying times.
January 20, 2019
Great history of the Church, well documented, but so many people's stories intertwined it's a little difficult to follow a specific story. Also many stories are terribly abbreviated which I'm sure is due to the massive size of the work necessitating leaving out some clarifying or simply interesting details. I highly recommend the book for gaining a better understanding of the Prophet Joseph Smith's time. It's a highly readable book.
January 19, 2025
This is a narrative history of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As someone who is well versed in the details and stories of the early days of this church, even I found new and interesting information here. It is an engaging, fascinating, and well-researched work. I encourage anyone with an interest in this subject, whether inside or outside the church, to read this volume.
October 30, 2018
This is the first of four books written to discuss the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This first book was so very well done. My husband and I both are reading and/or listening to it and we are enjoying it so very much, and are having really good discussions with this first book.
In 1820, a young Farm Boy in search of truth had a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ . Three years later, an angel guides him to an ancient record buried in a hill near his home. With God's help, he translates the record and organizes the Saviors church in the latter days. Soon others join him, accepting the invitation to become Saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But opposition and violence follow those who defy old traditions to embrace restored truths. The women and men who join the church must choose whether or not they will stay true to their covenants, establish Zion, and proclaim the gospel to a troubled world. The Standard of Truth is the first book in Saints, a new, four-volume narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fast-paced, meticulously research, Saints recounts true stories of Latter-Day Saints across the globe and answers the Lord's call to write history for the good of the church, and for the rising generations (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8).
This new history is a narrative history,” said Elder Steven E. Snow, General Authority Seventy and Church historian and recorder. “It covers from before the First Vision until the present day, and it’s written in a literary form so that most members of the Church will find it very engaging, very easy to read.”
The first three chapters of volume one have already been published in the Church’s “Ensign” and “Liahona” magazines and on the Church History website. The first eight chapters will be serialized in this way and will be available in 47 languages. The entire book will be available in 14 languages later this year. Readers will also find the content in the Church History section of the Gospel Library app.
The books feature the true stories of the women and men who dedicated their lives to establishing the Church around the globe. Church historians researched and wrote each volume, and senior Church leaders reviewed the manuscripts.
“Church history helps us understand the lives of those who went before, the challenges and difficulties they faced and how they overcame them,” explained Elder Snow. “Their stories are full of faith and devotion, courage, sorrow and joy, and again a lot of challenges, particularly in the early days of the Church, but even today as the Church is introduced in many parts of the world.”
Church leaders say “Saints” was written in response to the Lord’s commandment to “keep the church record and history continually” (D&C 47:3). The project will represent the third time that the Church has published a multivolume history of its past. Joseph Smith began the first such history of the Church in the 1830s, which was published starting in 1842. Church historian B. H. Roberts published the second multivolume history in 1930.
The first volume of “Saints,” with the subtitle of “The Standard of Truth,” tells the story of the Restoration, beginning with Joseph Smith’s childhood, and concludes with members receiving ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple in 1846. Volume two, “No Unhallowed Hand,” covers the Saints’ challenges in gathering to the western United States, ending with the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893. Volume three, “Boldly, Nobly, and Independent,” focuses on the global growth of the Church and concludes with the dedication of the temple in Bern, Switzerland, in 1955. The fourth volume, “Sounded in Every Ear,” brings readers to the recent past as temples are located all over the world.
“People sacrifice to join the Church and to change their lives and become active members,” added Elder Snow. “And so these stories are important to help remind us today that we too can overcome difficult things. It gives me hope that the Lord can work through imperfect people, even me.”
Church leaders believe the new volumes will appeal to youth and adults. Details and dialogue contained in the books are supported by historical sources. Readers will find notes at the end of each chapter to refer to the Church records and additional resources, including supplementary essays and videos, at saints.lds.org.
In 1820, a young Farm Boy in search of truth had a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ . Three years later, an angel guides him to an ancient record buried in a hill near his home. With God's help, he translates the record and organizes the Saviors church in the latter days. Soon others join him, accepting the invitation to become Saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But opposition and violence follow those who defy old traditions to embrace restored truths. The women and men who join the church must choose whether or not they will stay true to their covenants, establish Zion, and proclaim the gospel to a troubled world. The Standard of Truth is the first book in Saints, a new, four-volume narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fast-paced, meticulously research, Saints recounts true stories of Latter-Day Saints across the globe and answers the Lord's call to write history for the good of the church, and for the rising generations (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8).
This new history is a narrative history,” said Elder Steven E. Snow, General Authority Seventy and Church historian and recorder. “It covers from before the First Vision until the present day, and it’s written in a literary form so that most members of the Church will find it very engaging, very easy to read.”
The first three chapters of volume one have already been published in the Church’s “Ensign” and “Liahona” magazines and on the Church History website. The first eight chapters will be serialized in this way and will be available in 47 languages. The entire book will be available in 14 languages later this year. Readers will also find the content in the Church History section of the Gospel Library app.
The books feature the true stories of the women and men who dedicated their lives to establishing the Church around the globe. Church historians researched and wrote each volume, and senior Church leaders reviewed the manuscripts.
“Church history helps us understand the lives of those who went before, the challenges and difficulties they faced and how they overcame them,” explained Elder Snow. “Their stories are full of faith and devotion, courage, sorrow and joy, and again a lot of challenges, particularly in the early days of the Church, but even today as the Church is introduced in many parts of the world.”
Church leaders say “Saints” was written in response to the Lord’s commandment to “keep the church record and history continually” (D&C 47:3). The project will represent the third time that the Church has published a multivolume history of its past. Joseph Smith began the first such history of the Church in the 1830s, which was published starting in 1842. Church historian B. H. Roberts published the second multivolume history in 1930.
The first volume of “Saints,” with the subtitle of “The Standard of Truth,” tells the story of the Restoration, beginning with Joseph Smith’s childhood, and concludes with members receiving ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple in 1846. Volume two, “No Unhallowed Hand,” covers the Saints’ challenges in gathering to the western United States, ending with the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893. Volume three, “Boldly, Nobly, and Independent,” focuses on the global growth of the Church and concludes with the dedication of the temple in Bern, Switzerland, in 1955. The fourth volume, “Sounded in Every Ear,” brings readers to the recent past as temples are located all over the world.
“People sacrifice to join the Church and to change their lives and become active members,” added Elder Snow. “And so these stories are important to help remind us today that we too can overcome difficult things. It gives me hope that the Lord can work through imperfect people, even me.”
Church leaders believe the new volumes will appeal to youth and adults. Details and dialogue contained in the books are supported by historical sources. Readers will find notes at the end of each chapter to refer to the Church records and additional resources, including supplementary essays and videos, at saints.lds.org.
September 12, 2018
Undertaking this project was a monumental and thankless task. I give great credit to Elders Marlin Jensen and Stephen Snow for their leadership in bringing this project to fruition. It is virtually impossible to write a comprehensive history of the Church or for any organization that will please everyone. It is clear that Saints is not a deep academic style work, nor should it be. This is meant to be accessible to a worldwide church, not just the small circle church history aficionados.
The writing style is fluid and easy to read. I understand that once the historians produced the early drafts then creative writers and playwrights were used to make the history readable and engaging to a wide swath of readers. I think they did a great job.
I love Mormon History. I love the good the bad and the ugly because it shows the humanity of the early Saints. Our story is compelling and inspiring. When I fill bogged down by my personal struggles, battles, and doubts I find inspiration in the stories of the early saints. Their trials are beyond anything that most of us in the modern Church will ever experience. I feel humbled and small in comparison to the giants in our history and I don't mean just the main characters but those that J. Reuben Clark called "the last wagon."
The critics will clamor that Saints glosses over problematic events in Church history. Most of the hard topics are addressed, perhaps not in as much detail as some would prefer. But it is there and represents an enormous leap forward. As a young missionary in the 70's, there was very little available. Look at Joseph Fielding Smith's Essentials in Church History and compare that to Saints. They are worlds apart. The footnotes are extensive and will provide anyone who desires the roadmap to deeper study. Saints in my view fulfills the vision of Leonard Arrington and is a marvelous contribution.
Now for my only big criticism. And this applies to all of the Gospel Library. As with most books these days I read when stationary and listen when on the move. The narrators sound like Happy Valley Robots that have smiley face buttons permanently pinned to their chest. They undoubtedly live in the best ward in the Church, live perfect lives, are blond and super special. Please hire some of the many outstanding readers that Audible uses. These readers are barely a step ahead of the iPhone robot.
The writing style is fluid and easy to read. I understand that once the historians produced the early drafts then creative writers and playwrights were used to make the history readable and engaging to a wide swath of readers. I think they did a great job.
I love Mormon History. I love the good the bad and the ugly because it shows the humanity of the early Saints. Our story is compelling and inspiring. When I fill bogged down by my personal struggles, battles, and doubts I find inspiration in the stories of the early saints. Their trials are beyond anything that most of us in the modern Church will ever experience. I feel humbled and small in comparison to the giants in our history and I don't mean just the main characters but those that J. Reuben Clark called "the last wagon."
The critics will clamor that Saints glosses over problematic events in Church history. Most of the hard topics are addressed, perhaps not in as much detail as some would prefer. But it is there and represents an enormous leap forward. As a young missionary in the 70's, there was very little available. Look at Joseph Fielding Smith's Essentials in Church History and compare that to Saints. They are worlds apart. The footnotes are extensive and will provide anyone who desires the roadmap to deeper study. Saints in my view fulfills the vision of Leonard Arrington and is a marvelous contribution.
Now for my only big criticism. And this applies to all of the Gospel Library. As with most books these days I read when stationary and listen when on the move. The narrators sound like Happy Valley Robots that have smiley face buttons permanently pinned to their chest. They undoubtedly live in the best ward in the Church, live perfect lives, are blond and super special. Please hire some of the many outstanding readers that Audible uses. These readers are barely a step ahead of the iPhone robot.
Read
September 22, 2018I'm not going to click the rating stars on this book. I'm only reviewing it to help me remember my reactions. I read it because my husband and I read books together, we'd just finished one of our novels, and we thought this might give us a nice break. Plus, our church published it, so of course we were interested.
My husband rates it higher than me, but he didn't give it five stars. He's read a lot of church history and he said that some of this feels uninspired and more interpretative. At the end of the book, it acknowledges that the book is a compilation of interpretations based on multiple sources both primary and secondary. It doesn't claim to be perfect or complete.
I like the stories about the women of the time and of their families. I hadn't heard about some of them or I'd read other versions. The narrative style is certainly easy to read and to follow. It seems like a pretty good basic history of the church. I just didn't particularly enjoy it. Maybe part of the reason is because we listened to a lot of it and I didn't prefer the intensity of the male reader's voice. Reading it was easier. I'd probably give the book 2.5 stars. I liked it okay.
Some say this book doesn't go far enough to portray the controversial aspects of church history. For me, it goes further than I care to dwell on. So much of the history is sad and disturbing. Some of it is unsavory and not particularly faith promoting. I know the church and its leaders weren't perfect. That doesn't bother me because very little (and none of the people) is perfect on this earth. I can still believe the priesthood is real and was restored through Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that temple ordinances are powerful, true blessings. I just prefer not to focus on the imperfections of people and the process of implementation. I feel that all of that should absolutely be acknowledged and accessible, I just don't want to see it anymore than I'd want to give people a tour of my house by taking them to my dirtiest room first. I don't think the door should be locked, but that room by itself is not completely reflective of me and my whole house. It might be shallow of me to want to focus on the happy, faithful aspects of the church's history. That is just how I feel. I write these reviews for myself to help me remember my reactions. I have no intention to influence other people's points of view through this review.
My husband rates it higher than me, but he didn't give it five stars. He's read a lot of church history and he said that some of this feels uninspired and more interpretative. At the end of the book, it acknowledges that the book is a compilation of interpretations based on multiple sources both primary and secondary. It doesn't claim to be perfect or complete.
I like the stories about the women of the time and of their families. I hadn't heard about some of them or I'd read other versions. The narrative style is certainly easy to read and to follow. It seems like a pretty good basic history of the church. I just didn't particularly enjoy it. Maybe part of the reason is because we listened to a lot of it and I didn't prefer the intensity of the male reader's voice. Reading it was easier. I'd probably give the book 2.5 stars. I liked it okay.
Some say this book doesn't go far enough to portray the controversial aspects of church history. For me, it goes further than I care to dwell on. So much of the history is sad and disturbing. Some of it is unsavory and not particularly faith promoting. I know the church and its leaders weren't perfect. That doesn't bother me because very little (and none of the people) is perfect on this earth. I can still believe the priesthood is real and was restored through Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that temple ordinances are powerful, true blessings. I just prefer not to focus on the imperfections of people and the process of implementation. I feel that all of that should absolutely be acknowledged and accessible, I just don't want to see it anymore than I'd want to give people a tour of my house by taking them to my dirtiest room first. I don't think the door should be locked, but that room by itself is not completely reflective of me and my whole house. It might be shallow of me to want to focus on the happy, faithful aspects of the church's history. That is just how I feel. I write these reviews for myself to help me remember my reactions. I have no intention to influence other people's points of view through this review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2018
First of all, I listened to this book. I wish Goodreads put some sort of designation on a review page that indicated whether one actually read or listened to a particular book. I find reading and listening to be very different experiences. I actually am more endeared to a book when I read it. I find it harder to speak to quality of writing or prose when I only listen to it, rather than observe it through written word. Sometimes a prejudice in favor or against can be aroused just by the typeset or placement of words on a page. So, I really cannot comment on whether this particular book was well written or not. However, I wanted to consume this book in a timely manner, and so I listened while driving. I actually enjoyed the audio version more than I thought I would. It drew me into the storyline and the individuals became real to me.
I find the story of the rising of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints very compelling, even though to me it is a familiar story. In truth, it begins centuries before the birth of young Joseph Smith, with the many martyrs of the Reformation, and the liberty fighters who set in motion a nation free enough to receive the truth of the heavens.
The book "Saints" shows how the Restoration of truths unfolds. The many vignettes of lives and anecdotes adds to the appeal and veracity of the storyline. In this volume, the life of a prophet of God and his works are revealed through testimony after testimony. The mere humanness of many individuals is displayed through trials and weaknesses. There are many inconvenient truths that some find hard to swallow, yet embrace. And yet the work moved on against all odds and many extreme hardships.
When I sit back and ponder on the greatness of this story, I am truly in awe at the individuals who bore the fortitude to press on in the name of God. They were not perfect, had faults, and worked hard to overcome them, as is portrayed in some of the examples in the book. However, they were a good people, trying to always improve themselves and the world about them. "By their fruits ye shall know them" is a true statement about the people called Latter-day Saints.
I would recommend this book whole heartedly, to be read or listened to. It is a fresh and open look at the struggles and plight of a people who followed their hearts and their God.
I find the story of the rising of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints very compelling, even though to me it is a familiar story. In truth, it begins centuries before the birth of young Joseph Smith, with the many martyrs of the Reformation, and the liberty fighters who set in motion a nation free enough to receive the truth of the heavens.
The book "Saints" shows how the Restoration of truths unfolds. The many vignettes of lives and anecdotes adds to the appeal and veracity of the storyline. In this volume, the life of a prophet of God and his works are revealed through testimony after testimony. The mere humanness of many individuals is displayed through trials and weaknesses. There are many inconvenient truths that some find hard to swallow, yet embrace. And yet the work moved on against all odds and many extreme hardships.
When I sit back and ponder on the greatness of this story, I am truly in awe at the individuals who bore the fortitude to press on in the name of God. They were not perfect, had faults, and worked hard to overcome them, as is portrayed in some of the examples in the book. However, they were a good people, trying to always improve themselves and the world about them. "By their fruits ye shall know them" is a true statement about the people called Latter-day Saints.
I would recommend this book whole heartedly, to be read or listened to. It is a fresh and open look at the struggles and plight of a people who followed their hearts and their God.
November 4, 2018
First, I began reading this with a testimony that Joseph Smith was called by God to be a prophet in these Latter-days and to restore the Lord's church to the earth again for the last time. That witness and knowledge was made more firm and deeply rooted after reading and pondering this.
Second, seeing anew the Saints struggles with religious persecution (often state-sponsored), being driven as refugees, being victims of state sponsored murder, sexual assault, and family separation (with those state officials usually being exonerated), incarceration based on trumped (that feels appropriate) up or false charges, Mormon #metoo and choosing to institutionally #believewomen and speak truth to power when it came to dangerous men in high authority, struggling with women's roles in the church, seeking to establish communities where the poor and needy were not left behind #becausecapitalism, and being immigrants in a new land and looking for a better life.
These same events and experiences that the Saints went through seem to have been wiped from the memory of Mormons today (maybe just conservative, racist, and toxically masculine Mormons - the kind that decry allegations of sexual assault #becauseKavanaugh *ugh*, burn Nikes *really people?*, chant #lockherup, cowardly attack #BLM online, support walls, and the separation of immigrant families. Why? The early Saints went through the same things, except on the other ends. O, maybe because today we're talking about black and brown lives - to say nothing of women's lives - not the preciously white skinned male Europeans.)
Do I believe "Saints" is inspired of God? Yes! I believe it is what the Church (read: the body of the church the world over, some for censure some for celebration of documented histories previously unknown to the rest of us) needs right now. If I have offended you (I doubt anyone will read this far), think to yourself, what offended me? Why am I offended by this?
Second, seeing anew the Saints struggles with religious persecution (often state-sponsored), being driven as refugees, being victims of state sponsored murder, sexual assault, and family separation (with those state officials usually being exonerated), incarceration based on trumped (that feels appropriate) up or false charges, Mormon #metoo and choosing to institutionally #believewomen and speak truth to power when it came to dangerous men in high authority, struggling with women's roles in the church, seeking to establish communities where the poor and needy were not left behind #becausecapitalism, and being immigrants in a new land and looking for a better life.
These same events and experiences that the Saints went through seem to have been wiped from the memory of Mormons today (maybe just conservative, racist, and toxically masculine Mormons - the kind that decry allegations of sexual assault #becauseKavanaugh *ugh*, burn Nikes *really people?*, chant #lockherup, cowardly attack #BLM online, support walls, and the separation of immigrant families. Why? The early Saints went through the same things, except on the other ends. O, maybe because today we're talking about black and brown lives - to say nothing of women's lives - not the preciously white skinned male Europeans.)
Do I believe "Saints" is inspired of God? Yes! I believe it is what the Church (read: the body of the church the world over, some for censure some for celebration of documented histories previously unknown to the rest of us) needs right now. If I have offended you (I doubt anyone will read this far), think to yourself, what offended me? Why am I offended by this?
March 1, 2021
Even though I planned to read a hard copy 2nd time around, listening to books is just so much easier and faster for me. I started listening to this again to go along with the Doctrine and Covenants Come Follow Me study this year with the intention to stick closely to the CFM schedule. However, I found myself listening to it whenever I was between books and waiting for a requested book to become available. I will still refer to it throughout the year. It was interesting to revisit and refresh my mind about extra details found in this book. This time around I couldn't help but zone in on the grievances and persecutions the Saints faced without help from the government. I appreciated the fact that Joseph Smith wanted to run for president to bring these persecutions to light--not only of the Saints but ALL people: the Indians and African Americans were specifically mentioned. I wish today the Black Lives Matter movement was more about ALL lives matter.
First Review:
I've been listening to this over the course of the last 6 months or so. Next time I read it, I'd like to read a hard copy and read it in a shorter span of time. I appreciate the historians who wrote this book and the research they presented. It was all very fascinating, but admittedly, some parts made me uncomfortable. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints tried to be very open and present facts that may have been glossed over in the past--those were the difficult parts though I appreciated the transparency. Reading the saints' struggle with polygamy, specifically Emma's difficult time with it, has led me to do further research on it. Overall, it was well-written with a narrative flow for easier reading. I look forward to reading this again in the near future.
First Review:
I've been listening to this over the course of the last 6 months or so. Next time I read it, I'd like to read a hard copy and read it in a shorter span of time. I appreciate the historians who wrote this book and the research they presented. It was all very fascinating, but admittedly, some parts made me uncomfortable. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints tried to be very open and present facts that may have been glossed over in the past--those were the difficult parts though I appreciated the transparency. Reading the saints' struggle with polygamy, specifically Emma's difficult time with it, has led me to do further research on it. Overall, it was well-written with a narrative flow for easier reading. I look forward to reading this again in the near future.
April 4, 2020
I listened this for a few weeks while working on quilting, embroidery and sewing projects. In other words, I transported myself back to this time while working on projects that I also would have been doing at that time. My goal was to read this as a way to immerse myself in the restoration to prep for General Conference. Finished in the nick of time.
First - there was so much apostle infighting, disorganization and some parts felt fanatical. All, a far cry from how the church is run today. So it's hard to imagine it getting off the ground in that state. Nevertheless.
The main thing that struck me was the sacrifice people made. Everything they left and gave up. It seemed to equal their devoutness. I'm trying to figure out if we make the sacrifices of that magnitude today, just in different ways. It doesn't feel like it.
Also, the leaders were always having intense talks and meetings about the church and Godly matters, learning new things. I would love to sit in and hear how the discussions went.
Looking forward to the second volume.
First - there was so much apostle infighting, disorganization and some parts felt fanatical. All, a far cry from how the church is run today. So it's hard to imagine it getting off the ground in that state. Nevertheless.
The main thing that struck me was the sacrifice people made. Everything they left and gave up. It seemed to equal their devoutness. I'm trying to figure out if we make the sacrifices of that magnitude today, just in different ways. It doesn't feel like it.
Also, the leaders were always having intense talks and meetings about the church and Godly matters, learning new things. I would love to sit in and hear how the discussions went.
Looking forward to the second volume.
September 18, 2018
Over the last decade, hundreds of new books have been written that shed new light on polygamy, the priesthood ban, the nature of translation and revelation, the participation of women, the development of the priesthood, and many other topics in the development of The Church of Jesus Christ. While not an in-depth analysis on any one of those topics (since that’s not the intent of the book), Saints does an incredible job of honestly presenting and summarizing information on the entire restoration (including controversial topics) so that readers who study further on individual topics should not feel that the Church withheld something. Readers can disagree on the interpretation of the facts presented in the book (and there is less interpretation going on than critics may suggest), but all the facts are there.
September 11, 2018
I usually give books with a cliffhanger one less star... so there you have it! Ha ha ... I understand there are to be 4 volumes. I happened to get an advanced copy of volume 1 in pdf form. I really enjoyed this narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There was lots of material that I had never heard before and I hadn’t considered myself completely ignorant of Church history. The narrative was well done and had me feeling the poignant emotional road of the founder, prophet and leader of the church, Joseph Smith and others involved in the restoration. It was not a quick read for me as I had to stop sometimes to withdraw from the immersive setting I was drawn into. On another note, this was well edited and the history moved along at a good pace.
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