Preface
A year or so ago, my wife and I had the privilege to fly from Salt Lake City to Washington, D.C., then to travel by bus some two thousand miles back across much of the continent. How profoundly different are the perspectives one gets from crossing the country in those two ways, by air or on the ground!
From the ground, the cataracts of Niagara are thunderous and awesome and command a person’s total attention. From the air, they are barely discernible; but then also from the air, the Great Lakes come into view, and they create an awe of a different sort. From the ground, Boston seems not to be a great city at all, but appears to be little more than a collection of seemingly independent hamlets, hidden in thick forests, connected to one another only by a web of freeways. But take to the air and that impression is instantly dispelled as one sees the sprawl of the metropolitan area which is home to millions. A drive through Iowa and Kansas is little more than daylong cornfields whipping past the window, broken only by the occasional grain elevator thrusting into the sky. But from thirty-five thousand feet, the Great Plains are so vast, stretching from horizon to horizon and beyond, that a person begins to grasp, if only dimly, that this is very likely one of the reasons the Lord called North America “a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20).
So it is with the countryside that we call mortality. By divine design, we are put on foot and must walk through that experience day by day. And most of us would not have it any other way, for mortality’s day-to-day perspective brings a richness and variety and wealth of detail that would otherwise be lost. But from time to time there is wisdom in rising above those daily paths; there is value in trying to take the wider view and see what patterns stretch out around us.
In the preface to
Thy Gold to Refine,
volume 4 of this series, I commented on the starkness of the “landscape” through which the Saints were forced to walk during those terrible days in northern Missouri. Mobbings, persecutions, rape, burning, pillaging, ridicule, murder, treachery, betrayal, exile—it was one long roadway of tragedy, one ongoing disaster after another. And for the Saints there was no alternative but to plod through it step by trudging step, heads up and shoulders back. Their response to it was heroic and inspiring; they were triumphant even in the midst of the tragic. But only a fool would suggest that the trip itself was anything but incredibly grim.
As is shown in this volume, it was with great relief that the Saints turned their backs on Missouri, that they crossed the Mississippi and entered the welcome haven of Illinois. How right that after the horrors of Crooked River and Far West and Haun’s Mill there should be Nauvoo, whose name means “beautiful” and whose title carries with it a sense of peace and rest!
But it was only as I neared the completion of the writing of this volume that I began to sense a pattern in all of this, a pattern which not only was true in the life of those early Saints but is true in our own personal lives as well. To that point, I had not titled this volume. But once I saw the pattern, I had the title:
A Season of Joy.
Of all the titles in the series, perhaps this one is the most apropos, the most accurately descriptive of the contents. After the horrors of Missouri, after the terrible cost exacted by ugly, violent men, a season of joy was most desperately needed, and a season of joy was what was given. The time was not without its trials and tragedies, and, as future volumes will show, the joy was indeed only for a “season.” Nevertheless, for a few short years, it was a time of recuperation and rest, of recovery and rejuvenation. But it was more than that too. It wasn’t just that the Saints were allowed to sit back and catch their breath.
The Prophet Joseph, refined by the purifying fires of Liberty Jail, led his people in the building of a temple, the creation of a city, and the broadening of their perspectives of eternity. And his people, refined in the furnaces of their own afflictions, were prepared now to receive blessings heretofore withheld. In a matter of a few short years they would:
• Enjoy a time of peace and prosperity unequalled since the organization of the Church.• Experience a day of healing, the likes of which had not been seen since the Savior walked among men.• Reap a harvest of conversions so rich that one has to turn to Book of Mormon times to find adequate comparison.• Receive doctrinal declarations that would open the opportunity for salvation to the endless numbers of people in the world of spirits.• Begin to be sealed together as husbands and wives for time and all eternity.
With my usual limited view, I thought that in writing volume 5 I could press on through this season quickly. Times of peace and prosperity and security are wonderful for the people involved, but they usually make for far less compelling storytelling than conflict and adversity. I originally planned to conclude this volume with the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph in Carthage Jail. But this earlier season of joy was so much a part of the Lord’s plan that it could not be brushed over lightly any more than the tragic days of Missouri could be hurriedly told.
And after the writing of it, I think I better understand why this is so. Just as the Lord seems to take each of us, at some time or another, through our own personal purging and purifying experiences, even so he also tempers those times with seasons of joy. As we approach the time when Christ shall come again to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, there will be an increasing need for what some describe as a “millennial sprint.” Judgments will close in, and we will come to realize with terrible clarity why the Lord chooses to call that time a “dreadful day.” But there will
also be, I strongly believe, seasons of joy, seasons when we are allowed to catch our breath, when our vision is lifted and our understanding broadened. We will be allowed a chance to heal and be strengthened, to reflect and grow, to listen and learn and progress.
Writing of this “season of joy” that took place during the early days of Nauvoo reminded me once again of the value of stepping back, of trying to rise above the trees and rocks and bushes that line the pathways of mortality and thus to catch a glimpse of the greater views, the wider vistas that God has planned for us. And when we do begin to see that broader perspective, we see God’s hand intimately involved in the history of his people. The Lord is not a Being who winds the world up and then lets it run out to its conclusion. He is intimately and intricately involved in bringing about his “work and glory,” which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He understands perfectly what needs to happen, both in the life of the Church and in the lives of its individual members. When the fires of adversity burn fiercely around us, it is only because they are part of the learning experience of mortality. And when we are given respite and rest for a time, it is because a loving Father understands so well, and so mercifully, our inability to run without pause and to endure without relief. That is my firm belief, and the history that forms the basis for the story of
A Season of Joy
is, in my mind, a clear validation of that testimony. And for that, I am grateful.
This book is the fifth volume in a series that was first conceptualized in the summer of 1988. It was at that time that Kenneth I. Moe (“Kim”) called me from North Carolina and asked if I would be interested in telling the story of the Restoration in the form of a historical novel. After several months of discussion and exploration, we formed a partnership and pressed forward with the project. It was Kim, driven by some very compelling promptings, who had the original vision of what this series could be. I will be forever grateful to him and to his wife, Jane, for their persistence in helping me to catch that same vision. They have been major contributors to the project, and though their names are not on the covers, their influence permeates the five volumes completed thus far.
I again express thanks to my wife, Lynn, for her unflagging support in this effort. Besides myself, she alone can estimate the number of hours spent in front of a computer, hours not spent with her and the family. She has been my most ardent and complete supporter. She is always my first reader and provides the most-valued critique. She is my partner, my confidant, my friend, my joy. And words cannot express the fulness of my appreciation to her.
The Work and the Glory
has proven to be a gratifying success, and many people have gone out of their way to talk to me or write to me about the impact the series has had on them personally. Unfortunately, I cannot, at those times, bring forward all the others who rightfully deserve the accolades as well. So once again I take this opportunity to call the attention of the reader to the team that makes the whole project possible.
I express deep appreciation to Russell Orton, president of Bookcraft, and to all of the competent and dedicated staff that he has around him. Russell and Cory Maxwell saw the promise of the series from the very beginning, probably more clearly even than I did. They have believed in the project and its value as keenly as Kim and Jane and I have. That says a lot.
The rest of the staff at Bookcraft are professionals and their product shows it. Garry Garff is as fine an editor as I have ever personally worked with, and I have worked with many. He is a consummate historian in his own right, and in a field where there are literally hundreds of sources, many of which do not always agree on the details of history, Garry’s contribution in checking the historical accuracy of the series has been prodigious. Jana Erickson, the designer at Bookcraft, is responsible for producing a highly attractive package. It has been interesting to learn that the two most common questions asked of Bookcraft are “When will the next volume be ready?” and “What color will the cover be?” To Cinda Morgan and all the rest, from the secretaries to the warehouse staff, goes a wonderful and heartfelt “Thank you.”
Most novels do not contain illustrations. Here again, it was Kim who saw the value of adding visual enrichment to the story, and it was Bookcraft who suggested maps for the end sheets. These have proven to be rich additions to the series which are not of my own doing. So an important acknowledgment goes to Robert Barrett, who has produced all of the illustrations found inside the various novels (some twenty-eight of them with this volume), and to Lester Lee, who has done all of the watercolors for the cover illustrations and all of the maps.
There are others as well. Deena Nay has been my secretary on the project from the beginning, finding the time to do what was necessary in addition to her full-time occupation. Frederick Huchel has provided me with impeccable research that I have turned to again and again. Calvin Stephens, currently a mission president in California, and, in my mind, one of the finest historians in the Church, served as a technical reader and made numerous corrections and suggestions. Shawn Stringham, a longtime friend, serves as an initial reader of the manuscript and is most valuable to me because she is honest enough to tell me what works and what does not.
One additional expression of thanks belongs to the numerous authors and researchers who have put together the sources on which I so heavily rely. Many readers have expressed appreciation for the fact that the history of the Church is portrayed as accurately as possible in the novels. Most of the credit for that belongs to the men and women who authored the numerous books listed in the chapter notes. One of the most gratifying responses I hear from readers is when they tell me they are now going to those original sources because they want to know more about the history of our church.
Finally, in the preface to volume 1, we included the following statement. It seems appropriate once again to include it here as well:
“While we recognize that the Lord needs no recognition, both Kim and I have felt his continuing presence and help in this project. If there be any praise or honor due, let it be to the Father and the Son, for when all is said and done, it is their work and their glory that is described herein. Our hope is that they find it an acceptable offering of thanks to them.”
Gerald N. Lund
Bountiful, Utah
September 1994
Characters of Note in This Book
The Steed Family
• Benjamin, the father and grandfather; almost fifty-four as the book begins.• Mary Ann Morgan, the mother and grandmother; fifty-two.• Joshua, the oldest son; almost thirty-two as the book begins.• Caroline Mendenhall Steed, Joshua’s wife; thirty-two as the story opens.• William (“Will”) Donovan Mendenhall Steed, Caroline’s son; fifteen. • Olivia Mendenhall Steed, Caroline’s daughter; about three and a half years younger than Will.• Savannah Steed, daughter of Joshua and Caroline; just turned two years old as the story opens.• Jessica Roundy Griffith, ex-wife of Joshua and widow of John Griffith; not quite thirty-five as the book begins.• Rachel, daughter of Joshua and Jessica; seven years old as the story opens.• Luke and Mark Griffith, sons of John from his first marriage; six and four years old, respectively, as the book begins.• John Benjamin Griffith, son of John and Jessica; one year old.• Nathan, the second son of Benjamin and Mary Ann; not quite thirty as this volume begins.• Lydia McBride, Nathan’s wife; about three and a half months younger than Nathan.• Joshua Benjamin, older son of Nathan and Lydia; not quite eight years old.• Emily, older daughter of Nathan and Lydia; thirteen and a half months younger than Joshua.• Nathan Joseph, younger son of Nathan and Lydia; about three and a half years old.• Elizabeth Mary, younger daughter of Nathan and Lydia; almost one year old.• Melissa Steed Rogers, older daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ann; twenty-eight.• Carlton (“Carl”) Rogers, Melissa’s husband.• Rebecca Steed Ingalls, younger daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ann; age twenty-one.• Derek Ingalls, Rebecca’s husband from England; about five months older than Rebecca.• Matthew, the youngest son of Benjamin and Mary Ann; two years younger than Rebecca.•
Note:
Melissa and Carl Rogers have children, but they do not figure prominently in this volume.