No Unhallowed Hand -- Gerald Lund

It is a dark time in Nauvoo, Illinois, for the Latter-Day Saints: their beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum have been martyred. Amidst the grief and mourning, there is confusion. Who will lead the Church now? Or are those opposed to the Church correct: will the Church collapse now that their leader is dead? Many step forth, willing to take the reins left by Joseph. But the Lord is at the head of this work, and through a miraculous event, He makes known His will as to who will preside over the Church at this difficult time. Many do not agree and fall away, following others. But the Steed family remains firm in their faith. They witnessed the miracle, and they know who leads the Church. Willingly, they follow Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

But still, hard times come. When the Church does not implode, as so many opponents to the faith believed would happen, the mobs begin again to terrorize the saints. They burn the homes and farms of families living in settlements outside of Nauvoo. The Governor of Illinois invites the Mormon people to leave the state; suggesting they will be better off somewhere out West. Rumors of the federal government getting involved -- and not to the benefit of the Saints -- also spark fear. And so, once again in the middle of winter, the Saints leave their homes and all they have worked hard to obtain and create in Nauvoo and begin the trek West.

During these troubled times, the Steed family experiences joy and sorrow; miracles and trials. Their lives will be forever changed. They will be called on to serve in a variety of ways and with a variety of difficulties. But serve they will. And they hold tight to the promise that one day they will be together forever.

***I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about some of what was faced by these early pioneers, and again, it humbled me. I contemplated what I would do if required to leave almost all I have, and I realized how truly unimportant so many of my material possessions really are. I was sometimes surprised by how the Saints were treated in a country which was supposed to support religious freedom -- and I can't help but wonder if there will be similar days ahead.

Thy Gold to Refine -- Gerald Lund

Volume four of The Work and the Glory series finds the Steed family almost completely reunited in Far West, Missouri. The prodigal son, Joshua, has returned with his new family: wife Caroline, son Will, and daughters Olivia and Savannah; and made ammends with his father and his family. Much joy and happiness fills the hearts of all the family members at this reunion, as well as at the family's growth as children marry and begin families of their own; and all seems well with the world. But only for a time.

Meanwhile, the anger of the Missourians toward the Mormons has festered to a point of breaking. Jealousy, fear, miscommunication, and rumors start a horrible ball rolling, and result in mobbings, rapings, and the eventual extermination order by Missouri Governor Boggs: all Mormons are to leave the state or be exterminated. The leaders of the Mormon church are arrested and held prisoner, the people of Far West are brutally attacked -- some losing their lives, and their homesteads are destroyed by mobs and militia alike. With little choice but to leave Far West in the dead of winter and head East to Illinois, many of the Saints find themselves trekking over miles of snow and ice, including the sometimes-frozen Missisippi River, with faith in their hearts that the Lord will see them through and that, when they emerge on the other side of the events, they will be as gold refined.