Customer Reviews

Pillar of Light (Work and the Glory)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The entire "The Work and the Glory" series is absolutely excellent. The author has placed fictional characters into true historical events in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yielding a book that is both highly entertaining and educating. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty in researching his subject, providing detailed accounts of what is true, what is fictional, and the sources from which his research is derived. Anyone interested in pioneer life will love this series. I generally do not enjoy reading, but I could not put these books down. There are 9 volumes in the series, and I read them all in two months! Truly excellent literature.

It is an excellent book for reading to understand the history of the families that lived during the 1815's through 1830's regarding the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It depicts a family who lives in the same area that Joseph Smith lived in. It puts truths, facts, in with some fictional characters to bring up a story that can be easily read. It helps the reader understand the plights of the people who were involved in the establishment of the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ. It is for anyone who wants to understand the history of the church, of Joseph Smith, of families who were associated with him, their experiences, their highlights, and sufferings. Once the book has been read, the reader will have experiences happiness, sadness, surprise, understanding of the people facing moments of their time because of their choice of religion. This book is the first of 6 series written by Gerald Lund. Members of the LDS church will enjoy these books very much. Non-members will enjoy the book because of its well-written content. You like the first book, you will want to read all the other books in the series.

I'm 14 and I read the series in about a month and a half some of the books I read in a day. I must admit that I was originally forced to read this series but it turned out to be a good thing. All in all a good series.

I started reading these books after the movie, 'The work and the glory' came out. I highly recomend these books!! If you know nothing of LDS history (mormon history) These would be great books for you.

The Work and the Glory follows the fictional Steed family. The series starts off when the family moves to Palmyra, New York. It is there they hire the Smith brothers, Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith. They are swept up in the extrodinary events surounding the man, Joseph. It is there that each of the Steed's must come to terms with the amazing story.

Not only is all of this going along, there is a story behind the history. Lydia McBride, the story keeper's daughter, is beautiful, and takes the Steed boys by surprise. These events will change the Steed's lives forever.

If you love a good romance, this is the series to read. It also gives a better picture of what 'Mormons' believe. I loved the series, and I would recomend it to ANYONE!!!

After reading the entire eight books in this series, I can unequivocally recommend that everyone read them. Even those who are not of the LDS faith will gain a deep, rich understanding of the plight and struggles of the pioneers who explored this great country. The author has a wonderful knack for captivating his audience, and has made the fictitional Steed family seem as real as if they were actually there. Bravo to Gerald Lund and his staff of researchers. - Erick

The Work and The Glory: A Pillar of Light is the first in a series of books that tells how the Mormon Church was organized. It is told through a fictional family, the Steeds. This family goes through many tribulations and hardships because of their membership in the Church. The Steeds are friends with some of the key people in the organization of the Mormon Church.
I really liked this book becuase it is very exciting, and always captivating. Gerald N. Lund is a great author, and is very good at making a boring subject into and exciting novel. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age.

This book, the first in a series of nine (so far) is a great way for anyone interested to learn about the history of the Mormon church. With it's captivating story of a family going through the struggles of the founders of this controversial faith, this book allows the readers to get involved with the history and take part in the wonder. The reader can almost forget that they are learning as they get inside the minds of the complex and interesting characters in the Steed family. You will feel like you know these people when you finish. You will find yourself amazed at how fast the 600 pages went by and will immediately strat searching for the next installment.

Mr Lund has done an almost superhuman job of doing the research necessary to make this novel believable. I was most impressed with the details of the town of Palmyra and vicinity as well as the historical context of the Erie Canal. I hadn't realized that the Erie Canal went through the area (I live in Washington State and have never been to the Palmyra area). Lund's descriptions were so clear that I could easily picture the setting of each Chapter. The book also has historically accurate tidbits of information about LDS Church history, which added interest to the story.

Reading this book has given me an interest in taking a vacation to visit historic LDS Church landmarks in the eastern USA.

--George Stancliffe

I originally purchased volume 1 over two years ago with the intention of joining the throng of avid readers of this series. Unfortunately, I have little patience in reading books...my concentration tends to wander. After looking at the first page, I sat it on the bookshelf where it has remained since. For some strange reason, I picked it up recently and started reading. I was instantly hooked. I finished volume 1 in two days and am eager to continue. The author's description of the time, places, and people is incredible. I encourage all to give it a try. You won't be sorry.

This was the best book I've ever read! At first, it scared me, because it was so thick, but once I started reading it, it wasn't so thick at all! I read it so much, I got done in 4 days, because I couldn't put it down! I even stayed up until 2 A.M. one morning. This is the best book I've ever read, and strongly reccommend it to anyone... LDS or not!