The Work and the Glory

[lds_sister2]

Have any of you guys read these books?? I LOVELOVE them so much. I was actually a non member when I started reading them. My best friend is LDS and we met 9 years ago. Her mom and I were talking about books when she mentioned these and let me borrow the first one. I read the first two in less than a week.

It was actually because of these that I started taking the missionary lessons last September. I was baptized this month.

Anyway..in the first one, when Joseph is telling Nathan about the first vision...it felt like I was the one asking him about it. And Joseph was answering me, not the character. It was this part of the book, and a part in volume 2 when Joseph challenges Ben to be baptized, that moved me enough to take the missionary lessons.

Every member should read them...they're amazing.

[Jbs2763]

You should check out "fire and the covenant" also, same author, but about the martin and willie

[lchri134]

I also love the Work and the Glory Read them all! Love them!

i also read the Fire and the Covenant i loved that one too i actually like that book better than the work and the glory series.

if you are looking for another good lds series try out children of the promise series by dean hughes really great ones!

[lds_sister2]

I'm actually gonna start reading the Tennis Shoes adventure series soon. I met the author at Ensign a couple weeks ago and got him to sign my copy. He was promoting the movie based on his first book, Passage to Zarahemla...anyway...he was great...and he gave me the best advice for aspiring writers...I asked him about writing his first book and that I am in the middle of writing my own.

He told me that when it comes to writing your first book, perseverance is more important then talent.

So that goes to all the other aspiring writers here...its really helped me.

[MormonMama]

I've seen all three movies, but only just started reading the books. I loved the movies, and so far I'm liking the book, even though I'm not very far in.

[SmilingRedhead]

I loved Children of the Promise and the Tennis Shoes books and I liked The Emma Trilogy and I'm in the middle of The Work and the Glory... Soooo great! My husband would say they are mushy squishy girly books but I would say that anyone could learn something from them! :)

[Elphaba]

Have any of you guys read these books?? <snip>

Hi lds,

I thought about writing this post for a long time, because I didn't want to be the wet rag here, but I think it is important to clarify some things about TW&TG--so I guess I get to be the wet rag.

But please read what I have to say knowing I don't want to take away anything from your joy at reading the series.

I simply want to bring perspective to The Work and The Glory series that perhaps you are already aware of, though I don't get that impresion from your posts.

The Work and The Glory is a fictional story based on history. I know you know the Steed family is fictional, but what you probably don't realize is that a number of the Church's historical incidents are portrayed incorrectly as well.

Let me state Mr. Lund, the author, has every right to take literary license with the books and write whatever he wants to. So when I say incidents are not portrayed accurately, I am not condemning him.

The problem I see is so many members read the series, and believe TW&TG is completely historical, and exactly how it happened. And it is not.

For example, during the Missouri wars, the mobbers were horrible, killing Mormons, putting Mormons, including children out of the homes into the bitter cold, stealing their belongings and burning their houses down. I could go on, and it is horrific.

However, what many LDS don't know is that the Mormons retaliated and forced many non-Mormons out of their homes, many of them innocent of any association with the mobbers, stole their belongings and burned their houses down. Of this, Lund writes it was just a rumour, when in fact, Mormon historians acknowledge it is a fact this did happen. Frankly, there is no way Lund could not have known this.

Note: The Church was forced to return all of the belongings it had stolen. But, of course, no one was forced to return anything stolen from the Church.

Lest you think I am saying the Mormons deserved what happened, let me assure you I do not. NOTHING that happened to the Mormons justified the abominable treatment they received at the hands of the mobbers. Nothing.

I am just saying Mr. Lund's portrayal of the Mormon's actions is not always accurate, and therefore his readers, unless they are very families with Mormon history, will believe his version is accurate when it is not.

So, please take this post in the spirit it was meant, and that is a warning not to read the books to glean the history of the Church. Much of what Lund writes is correct, but those parts of the Church's history that are difficult, Lund sometimes does not write of them accurately.

BTW, I really enjoyed the story of the Steeds as well.

Elphaba

[pushka]

Elphie, thanks for your post. It seems strange to me that somebody would write a fictional version of the church history, using actual facts but altering the truth of them...I suppose this is sort of what happened with the TV show Little House On The Prairie...the shows were only very loosely based upon the true history of the Ingalls family, only major depictions such as Mary going blind were correct, and I must admit that knowing that fact makes me question all of the episodes as to the reality of the events portrayed...I can't say that I like this method of writing very much (even though the stories are very entertaining, as I gather TW&TG probably is too). A similar potrayal of the events surrounding the sinking of the Titanic was depicted in the now famous movie starring Kate Winslett and Leonardo De Caprio...Unfortunately, I sat thru the full 3 hours or so of that movie and was completely disappointed by the way that Kate's character was depicted as if she was some kind of super hero..

Perhaps I'm just being a killjoy, but if someone is portraying actual events, I think it is only fair that they give the true depiction of them. See, you're not the only wet rag around here! LOL :)

[Elphaba]

It seems strange to me that somebody would write a fictional version of the church history, using actual facts but altering the truth of them.<snip

Perhaps I'm just being a killjoy, but if someone is portraying actual events, I think it is only fair that they give the true depiction of them. See, you're not the only wet rag around here! LOL :)

Hey Pushka,

You're as bad as me!

I think there is nothing at all wrong with writing historical fiction. What concerns me is that I've seen a number of people in the Church read TW&TG, and don't understand what historical fiction is. So they believe it is historically accurate, when it is not.

For example, I have a good friend who was a new convert and hungry for information about the Church. She was told to read TW&TG to learn the Church's history. Apparently the person who gave her this advice believed it was historically accurate!

Not only was that an outragoeus suggestion, three years later she discovered the real versions of some of these events and was shocked, as she had never been taught about them before. It really shook her, but eventually she recovered. In fact, I sent her Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling, which she devoured.

So if you're reading the books for enjoyment, nothing could be better. If you're reading them to learn Church hstory, there are better books out there.

Whichever you choose, have fun!

Elphaba

[MormonMama]

I take all movies and books that are "based on actual events" with a HUGE grain of salt, because the vast majority of the time they really take a lot of creative license. They are often over-dramatized or the events are altered to make them more exciting in order to sell more books. If you want to know history, you have to read actual factual accounts of history, not fictional stories.

And trust me, most church members ARE aware that these books are only loosely based on historical facts. We are aware of our own history, after all. We learn about it in church and there are many historical books and documentaries to draw from.

[Iggy]

The key word in Historical Fiction is FICTION.

I love historical fiction. It gives me a sense of what was going on. Key word here is Sense. Not the total, unbiased story.

From what I remember in reading these books, is Lund wrote repeatedly in the books that this was a Fictional account. Am I remembering this incorrectly?

[pushka]

They say history is written by the victorious..so it's never really unbiased..I suppose when I read any book that is historically based, fiction or non-fiction, I just expect the real events that happened to be accurately portrayed, so as not to mislead the reader who thru reading that fictional work, in the case of TW&TG, may be inspired to read more about the non-fictional history by reading TW&TG.

Trust me, I do love Historical Fiction...I read plenty of British works by Catherine Cookson and Josephine Cox...I don't pretend to believe that the fictional characters really took part in many of the events portrayed in the books, but as long as the main events are portrayed accurately, I can enjoy reading the fictional accounts.

[Elphaba]

I take all movies and books that are "based on actual events" with a HUGE grain of salt, because the vast majority of the time they really take a lot of creative license. They are often over-dramatized or the events are altered to make them more exciting in order to sell more books. If you want to know history, you have to read actual factual accounts of history, not fictional stories.

And trust me, most church members ARE aware that these books are only loosely based on historical facts. We are aware of our own history, after all. We learn about it in church and there are many historical books and documentaries to draw from.

I am very glad to hear it MM. Thank you for letting me know.

Elphie

[Elphaba]

The key word in Historical Fiction is FICTION.

I love historical fiction. It gives me a sense of what was going on. Key word here is Sense. Not the total, unbiased story.

From what I remember in reading these books, is Lund wrote repeatedly in the books that this was a Fictional account. Am I remembering this incorrectly?

Hey Iggy,

I don't have the books in front of me because they are all under my bed right now, making a fortress of sorts so that my puppy cannot get under there and do unspeakable puppy things. If any of you out there need to make a small fortress, the books are a perfect size to keep young puppies out of places they should not go!

Anyway, if I recall correctly, Lund discovered on the first or second book the people were taking his fiction as fact, and therefore he did start making it clear in the introduction that it was fiction. He also started adding reference notes either at the end of the chapter or the end of the book--I'm sorry I can't say for sure. Someone with the books could let us know.

Even so, the references were sparse, and didn't really clarify the issues I brought up in my previous posts. However, Lund was generous in providing any references at all, as he had no obligation to do so.

Additionally his clarification that the books were fiction was generous as well.

However, I still know people who believe what he wrote was the way it really happened.

Again, the example I gave of the woman who was told to read the series to learn the history of the Church.

I really don't want to take away ayones pleasure in reading them, and I hope I haven't.

Elphaba

[Iggy]

Hey Iggy,

<<snip>>However, I still know people who believe what he wrote was the way it really happened.

Again, the example I gave of the woman who was told to read the series to learn the history of the Church.

I really don't want to take away ayones pleasure in reading them, and I hope I haven't.

Elphaba

Hey Girlfriend! I know people, College/University Educated Adults who actually believe certains Soaps on daytime TV are real!! Not to mention most of the programs on night time tv. So - - - the morale here is, you can put all the proper disclaimers in and there will still be those who believe it to be gospel!

You didn't take away my pleasure in reading them. Actually I rather enjoy having things in the books corrected.

Did I ever tell you that my folks used to have us kids proof read the local newspaper - The Seattle Times. Each of us did what we knew. Like I did spelling until I learned more. I LOVED doing that. This was their way of getting us to read, learn correct spelling, grammer, and to learn about current events. What my folks didn't know was my oldest sister sent the corrections in to the newspaper:D.

In High School I met the nephew of one of the editors, he said his Uncle just loved to get these corrected newspapers from the "Iggy Family". He would show it to the others and tell them if they couldn't get it right, then he was hiring the Family and let the Children do it. THEY at least got it correct the first time!

[pushka]

LOL Iggy!! That's a brilliant story!! :)

[MormonMama]

Lol, that reminds me of a lady I met once who told me that her mother believed every single story in the tabloids, no matter how crazy it was! Some people really will believe anything.

[lds_sister2]

I've seen all three movies, but only just started reading the books. I loved the movies, and so far I'm liking the book, even though I'm not very far in.

Once you get to the part when Joseph is telling Nathan about the First Vision...you'll be sucked in. I was a non member when I read the first two, which is one of the reasons that I started taking the missionary lessons...and at that part, I felt as if he was explaining it to me, not to another character in the story...

I think that is one thing about how Lund writes Joseph, there is sometimes that it feels like he is talking to the reader....its fantastic...

[pam]

Lol, that reminds me of a lady I met once who told me that her mother believed every single story in the tabloids, no matter how crazy it was! Some people really will believe anything.

Even the story about the martian that impregnanted Hillary Clinton? Oh wait...that was Bill.

[MormonMama]

Lol!

[kjohansen98]

I have and read all the books before I saw the movies. The books are just spectacular and I love the way the characters are developed. You can just picture all these people in your imagination.

I highly recommend these books!

[mormongal88]

The tennis shoes series is one of my favorites. It really opened my eyes to the fact that the characters in the Book of Mormon were real people. The fourth one is the best by far! It makes me so happy!

[mormongal88]

I'm actually gonna start reading the Tennis Shoes adventure series soon. I met the author at Ensign a couple weeks ago and got him to sign my copy. He was promoting the movie based on his first book, Passage to Zarahemla...anyway...he was great...and he gave me the best advice for aspiring writers...I asked him about writing his first book and that I am in the middle of writing my own.

He told me that when it comes to writing your first book, perseverance is more important then talent.

So that goes to all the other aspiring writers here...its really helped me.

These are great books! They opened my eyes to the fact that the Book of Mormon characters really lived and breathed! The fourth one is the best!

And the Work and the Glory series is incredible! I read it in high school and fell in love with it. Another good book that goes to pioneer times is Kate's Turn by Cheri J. Crane. A teenage girl with an attitude problem goes into a coma back to pioneer times. I recommend it!