Historical Fiction

I love historical fiction. I've read the Work and the Glory series, several in the Prelude to Glory series, Winds of War/War and Remembrance, Children of the Promise series, Fire of the Covenant, have started the Kingdom and the Crown series, and right now I'm reading the 3rd in the series A Banner is Unfurled. To paraphrase and quote a couple of reviews by Jennie Hansen and William G. Hartley: "this is an account of an actual family, large and talented, who were tightly intertwined with Mormonism's foundation years. The family - Ezekial and Julia Johnson and their 16 (15 living) children - knew Joseph Smith and his family, converted to the Gospel, and gained an unshakable testimony of the man and his God-given charge. We read here faction - mostly fact blended with believeable fiction - based on solid research in published histories and in primary sources. The authors have drawn heavily on the journals of their own ancestors and many years of research into the historical background of this family. It follows the persecution, deaths of loved ones, loss of romantic expectations, personal growth, hurt, and betrayal against a vivid background of early nineteenth century customs and values. The chapter notes identify history sources used but also what parts are fictionalized and why.

The children of Ezekial and Julia were prolific writers. They described vividly the people they met, which in time provided the authors of this epic with vivid details straight from the pens of those involved. In it, we catch a picture of not just the Johnsons and the Smiths, but other significant church leaders. We bond to real people, strengths and weaknesses alike. We become immersed in what it must have been like to be a familly in the 1830's united and divided by Mormonism. This is a book of the questioning and testing that those in different stages and circumstances in life bring to the study of the gospel. It's also a story of the unselfish devotion of family members for one another and the strong women who were often the first in their families to embrace truthand the great sacrifices they made to enable the Church to grow and to become established. It's not only a historical peek at the lives of early Church members, but a vivid portrait of life in the 1820's and 1830's."

As I read the stories of the early Saints and all their sacrifices, I'm so impressed with their dedication and their unwavering faith. As I reflect on it, I often wonder - how would I have done if I had lived in those times. Would I have been as faithful in the face of all the adversities they endured? Would I have murmured or would I have followed unquestioning? How grief-stricken would I have been to have lost children to the diseases of the day? Then I think about today - am I the best church membe I can be? Do I do all that the Lord has asked me to do? Do I have a similar faith to those early Saints? Am I strong, steadfast, and unwavering? I surely hope so, and I hope that I won't disappoint them or my family and especially the Lord. I love this Gospel and am SO very thankful for my membership in this church. I'm glad the Lord touched my soul and whispered to me that it is the true church and that he led the missionaries to me and also led me to baptism into His church.