I just finished this book. It was enlightening. I think it has given me a better understanding of why there is so much controversy about the church. I feel like the authors went to great lengths to make it honest, and I appreciate that. It was well written, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in American or church history. Lots of quotations and sources. I will probably read it again. It isn't a completely feel good book, and leaves you realizing just how human these people were. I like that about it. It is written from a faithful perspective, but still gives you enough details to see the conflicts and allows you to explore your open feelings.

I think this book was well written, easy to understand, and honest. I think it does a good job of including the controversial topics that bother people. I do wish they gave a little more time to the good. At some points it seems like there authors are trying so hard to show all the controversial parts that they skip over the hope that the gospel was bringing to so many people. I think more first hand quotations from converts would be nice. Overall I'm glad they touched on so many topics, but I think to really do it justice, a little more light and doctrine should be added. Never the less, I would recommend it.

It is the most historiclly accurate book on the structural and the religious belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

No comment

Kudos to all the saints who kept journals and recorded the events of their lives, that someone would/could compile them for us to read. It’s given me a greater appreciation for the restored church.

I am listening to this on audio and I just love it! So good and so exciting. Thanks Rhonda

The Book arrived on Thursday afternoon and I read 4 Chapters before going to bed. I found this book such an interesting Read, that I couldn't put it down. I finished reading it the following Wednesday. I can't wait to read volume 2 in the series. The book goes into so much detail about what Joseph Smith and the Saints went through yet still pressed forward.

This arrived well ahead of time, great coditition. This is a wonderful account of the beginning history of the saints and really helped me open my eyes to greatest understanding of what it was really like in the early years of the restoration of the church.huge testimony builder!

Gives you a better understanding of how things really were for the early saints. My appreciation has grown tremendously for the trials and sacrifices they encountered. Im so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Very easy to read and understand. Well-written. I've read a lot of church history and still learned some new things from this book.

I was given a copy and read it over a 2 week period. I was fascinated with the down-to-earth writing and content of the book. I enthralled me from its clear opening statements through to the last sentence so much so that I could not stop reading even into the late evenings in bed.

That copy has been 'given' to another Ward member with a note inside the front cover stating my promise to the Sister in Moe Ward that I would read,learn and sign the book before passing it onto another to do the same.

Although this defeats your sales policy, it does ensure that the book WILL be circulated inside and outside of our beloved Church. I pray that those who do read it will either purchase a copy and/or want to obtain the next 3 volumes.

Thank you for a most informative and uplifting book.

Peter S. Mudge

Croydon Ward, Maroondah Stake, Melbourne

Victoria Australia

Fantastic

It is a most refreshing history of the early days of the Restoration giving much insight into the lives and experiences of the early saints.

Saints showed how Joseph Smith was human and faltered, but kept striving to do better. It seemed He always had strife. He accomplished so much through his constant trials. I liked the different things that were happening to other members at the same time. I think it would have been hard to follow him and applaud the strong and faithful Saints who always stuck by him.

It is a wonderful journey in the life of those great faithful saints who’s journey should be a lesson in faith to all of us. It shows how great full we all should be.

I love this book and the story it tells. I love learning about our Church's History and this book tells it well.

Love the book and reading the true accounts of the lives of the Saints in the early days. Makes you appreciate the pioneering days even more!

Easy to read and I like the book

It is a wonderful book. I have read a lot of books on the history of the Church but I learned many things It took me a while to get used to the level of reading but once I did it was a fast read.

GREAT!!! Learning slot about the Church I didn’t know!!! Thank you for this volume!!!

This book is almost 700 pages long. It was difficult for me to put it down. It answered many questions I had and has a lot of information about the earliest days of the Church that I did not know. I would recommend this book to members of the Church and to anyone investigating the Church. I love this book ! The early history of the Church was very interesting to me.

GREAT READ!!!! could ot put it down. A must read for every Latter-Day Saint!

So many things learned about faith of all involved in the early days of the restoration I never new.

We're looking forward to reading this. I was glad to see it arrive so quickly since it was actually sold out when I made my order.

I always love to read about the Church.