I have read all 9 books several times. With each reading, I not only pick up on things that I have missed before, but I come to a much better knowlegde of who I am, and the things I stand for. Althought the Steeds are a fictional family, everything that they experience is something that a pioneer family experienced. Gerald N Lund not only tells a fantastic story but he tells an historically correct story. My life is better for having read this series. I would recommend Fire of the Covenant, and his new series on the life of Christ. They will make you cry, laugh, and feel more than you can possibly imagine.

I love this series. I have read the first 4 books so far and my testimony of the Gospel has grown so much. I'm sixteen years old and I recommend this series to anyone and everyone, even if you aren't a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They are wonderful books and everyone should read them.

I'm not one that enjoys reading at all! I got the itch to read the Work and the Glory. I only have the first 4 volumes. I COULD NOT put the book down! I read all 4 in one month, which is totally amazing to me! I felt like I was part of the Steed, Smith families, I cried and laughed, I really felt like I was one of them. It really makes you appreciate all they went through for us! Thank You Mr. Lund for opening a whole new world of reading for me.

I loved the whole series! Gerald Lund draws you into the world of the Mormon Pioneers. I've read the series twice and I love it! If you like this series you will also like FIRE OF THE COVENANT by the same author, about the Willie and Martin handcart companies. Great!

I have read them all and this one is the best I have read so far! I can't wait for the next!

The move westward takes place with the family going through many more struggles. A surprise is waiting for the reader as they learn of the conversion of what might have been those struggling to accept the gospel of Christ.

Bro Lund has made church history come alive for me. I've read many diffrent church history books. These I can relate to. It's like I'm there living it as it happens. You can bet I'll read all 9 volumes. My wife reads them to the us in the car on long trips and we all listen intently. They good for all age groups 10 to 100. Keep them coming Mr. Lund

My Sunday school teacher read us part of this one. It included the martyrdom. It was extremely sad. Hyrum and Bro.s Taylor and Richardsen were willing to give their lives for Brother Joseph, and Hyrum did lay down his life for his brother. John Taylor was shot repeatedly. I'm 14. If you want a kid to really understand the concept of hatred and how truly evil the mob was, this is the book to read. It hit me over the head like a club just what the Saints went through.

Mr. Lund uses a unique mix of fiction and fact to make this chronological story come to life. Extremely well done.

I had never before understood the true hardships that the early Saints had gone through, as well as the ramifications that their faith has on me, as a Saint today. I am free to worship as I please because of their sacrifice - a sacrifice I did not understand until I read this book in the series.

This is by far the most emotional volume out of the series. It takes you into the persecutions of the Saints and does not let you forget the pain and suffering they endured. It is also an emotional time for the fictional family, which still brings me to tears when I read it. I love this series!! I highly recommend it!!!

This book takes you though the short and painful period of time the Mormons spent in Missouri, including the massacre at Hauns Mill, Liberty Jail, and the infamous extermination order issued by the governor of Missouri. Mr. Lund writes these events through the eyes of both the victims and the people causing the suffering. Terrific documentation of actual events also. Highly recommended!

I have read this book several times, which is a rare thing for me to do. The story is richly woven together with exceptionally well developed characters. Although it is somewhat of a juvenile read, the concepts and plots are still entertaining.

CUT TO THE CHASE: Enjoyable, fun, and hard to put down (even if you've finished it already).

THE STORY (from the back of the book):
It's eighteen years after the end of civilization as we know it. And in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, survivors are being relocated to a new society known as the Alliance. For Eric Lloyd and the members of his village, the Alliance seems like a dream come true. There is work and safety and food enough to spare. But the utopia is not what it seems. Though crime, anger, and prejudice appear to have been eliminated, under the mask of perfection is a society chafing with discontent. Eric vows to destroy the Alliance. But is there any hope of withstanding the Alliance's power structure and its computerized control of its citizens? And what of Eric's growing attachment to Nicole, a Guardian of the Alliance? Author Gerald N. Lund (The Work and the Glory) invites you into a futuristic setting where he explores the principle of moral agency through a gripping tale of good and evil, danger and escapes, and the power of one person to change the world.

When I realized that it'd been written by the same person who wrote many religious books I did not expect much. I was assigned to read it for Science Fiction class that I am taking. Usually it seems that teachers get the worst books possible, but this book was excellent. The only problem I had with it was that I was so far ahead in the reading that I often couldn't remember answers to the quiz. I had the book finished almost a week before the rest of the class!

This book is so good I read it about at least one a year and love it each time, and discover something new. a Must read for anyone and everyone

I was so caught up in the novel and couldn't wait to read the next page. Very difficult to put down. You can feel what the Characters are feeling, and realizing that it really happened, with the exception of the fictional family, you can live the past thru their eyes and experience what people really experienced. Very moving. It tugs at the heart strings. I suggest reading the whole series of 9 books, from start to finish.

Emotions raged through me as I read the incredibly accurate writing of Lund . I felt like I was there with the mormons when they were driven from their homes by lawless mobs . How do you get the lump out of your throat after reading such an inspired book ? Read it ... Live it ... Love it !!!

It's about he Steed family as they move New york to Ohio and then to Missouri. I really loved this book I recommend it to all.

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.

The Best Book EVER!You Must Read it! I have Finished All Nine in 3 week i could not put the books down!
READ READ READ READ READ READ IT. I know you will like it!

I am not a mormon but I have serious mormon history and I have been reading the series to get an account of my ancestors and the early church. Thanks Mr. Lund for mentioning them! I find the books to be a bit tedious in the "cutesy" and wholesomeness; his embodiment of the female is seriously weak! I as a woman feel my sex is misrepresented with hand wringing and soulfull eyes, etc. But on the whole, the first three have been good. Very spiritually motivating and descriptive. It gets hard to read about all the suffering the early church went through; but it always turns out good in the end. The ending is good. It brings to a positive close the nail biting issues of the first two books. Very curious to see how the rest will come out! My encouragement to you, Mr Lund!

While I am a younger member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or "Mormons" as we are better known I have a strong belief in the church and though my family was not always with the church to hear of the struggles that the early members went through to bring us the church we have today makes me so grateful to them, and builds my faith all the more. This is a book for people of all ages wether it's a bedtime story for kids or an interesting look at their history for adults or teens like me. This is also a great book for non-members, because there are so many misconceptions about the church ,and this books shows the trials and the truths of the begining of the church. I would like to thank Brother Lund for making such a moving and interesting book, by taking the reader into a fictional family, namely, the Steeds to experience true church historical events alongside them. Thank you.

I have read the nine volume series of the Work and the Glory and have just finished Fire of the Convenant. These are books that I will read again many times. It helped me to feel a part of these difficult times in the Church history, and made it come alive for me. Thank you Brother Lund!

In this excellent book, Gerald N Lund takes you back in time to a land called Capernaum where David Bin Joseph watches eagerly for any sign of the Messiah ever since thirty years ago when in Bethlehem, David saw an angel who told him of Christs birth. Now He is hearing tales of John the Baptist, who claims to be the forerunner for Christ. David sets off to find him, and is inspired by John's teachings. David soon meets Jesus and quickly accepts him as the Messiah. However, Davids wife Debrah, and his son Simeon, are not so quick to accept him. They want a Messiah who will destroy their enemies and overthrow the hated Romans. However, Jesus teaches of forgiveness and of loving your neighbor. They wonder, "could this really be the Messiah?"
I gave this book 4 stars because I really enjoyed it. It teaches you alot about what life was like when Jesus was alive and the miracles he performed. It even has chapter notes at the end of each chapter for extra information. It has believable characters, and the author paints a picture in your mind of what is happening. I took away one star because there is too much dialogue and sometimes it got boring while explaining unimportant detail. Other than this, the book was great, and I reccomend it to anybody.

I LOVE LONG BOOKS AND GREAT HISTORICAL NOVELS AND THIS QUALIFIES AS BOTH. LOVED THE CHARACTERS AND THE STORIES. I FINISHED IT IN A WEEK READING ONLY BEFORE AND AFTER WORK AND CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE NEXT ONE.

Fisher's of Men is a wonderful inside look on Jerusalem at the time when Jesus was beginning His ministry. David ben Joseph is a prominant merchant in Capernaum who is eagerly waiting for signs of the Messiah. Although David can see that Jesus is the Messiah almost instantly, his family-including the leader of the Zealots, is a little more in doubt. This book not only is a wonderful historical novel, but really helps you to understand and learn more about the time when Christ was here.

What an amazing talent Gerald Lund has in his ability to merge historical events with the inclusion of fictional characters. Although this book's several pages can intimidate even the stoutest of novelists, I found myself unable to put it down as I moved from one chapter to the next. I found myself being pulled into the story and truly feeling what it must have been like crossing the unsettled West as a Mormon Pioneer. On more than one occasion I was actually brought to tears.

If you read this book, prepare yourself for some late night reading sessions.

When I started the novel, I was a bit overwhelmed by its length. But as I began to turn the pages, I was quickly enveloped into the amazing tale of the trials, bravery, and faithful diligence of the members of the Martin and Willie handcart companies. Gerald N. Lund paints a vivid portrayal of their struggles that stimulates the mind, pulls at the heart and envigorates the spirit.... 5 stars!

it is a powerful story that puts you right into the situation.