“Quincy cannot be our home,” Joseph told the congregation, letting his gaze sweep across the buildings of the city. “Our numbers are too great, our needs too numerous. We must have a place we can call our own. We must have a place where the Saints can gather.” His eyes took on a certain fierceness now. “God is not through with this people yet. He has a great work for us yet to perform. We must continue to send our missionaries throughout the world to proclaim the gospel to all that will hear. And we must have a place where we can build a temple.”

“Brothers and sisters,” Joseph went on, raising his voice even higher, “I tell you here and now that it is the will of the Lord that we gather to our new home. We are to build a city there. We are to show the world that we have not been beaten down, that we still hold up the banner of liberty to all comers, and that we still worship our God in accordance with his command.”

The popular, award-winning series The Work and the Glory continues with A Season of Joy, which literally spans the globe as it follows the story of the restored Church and the fictional Steed family through two eventful years (1839-1841).

It is a season of rejuvenationas, after the horrors of the Missouri persecutions, the Saints find refuge across the Mississippi in Illinois, where they found the city of Nauvoo. Their community grows rapidly, miracles occur (including Joseph's raising of many from their sickbeds), the work of the Restoration rolls forward — and the Steeds are there for it all. Matthew and Derek accompany members of the Twelve on the Quorum's mission to England, and there they witness a dramatic harvest of souls, including Wilford Woodruff's remarkable success. Meanwhile, the fate of Will Steed is made known, and characters from previous volumes reenter the story. In addition, since this period in Church history is not without its tensions, its trials, and its tragedies, members of the Steed family experience all of these as well. Through some of the most realistic and tender scenes of the series, readers will come to know these beloved characters even more intimately than ever before.

As with the previous volumes, personalities from Church history come to vivid life here, particularly those of the incomparable Joseph Smith and the faithful, steadfast Brigham Young.

Here, then, is another exciting, engaging installment in this acclaimed series, a story that reveals God's infinite mercy and wisdom in granting his people a season of relief, a season of hope, a season of joy.

Author: Gerald N. Lund