Thomas R. Valletta - Church History For Latter-day Saint Families

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Church history for Latter-day Saint families / Thomas R. Valletta, general editor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-10 1-59038-327-3 (hardbound : alk. paper)

ISBN-13 978-1-59038-327-8 (hardbound : alk. paper)

1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsHistory. 2. Mormon

ChurchHistory. I. Valletta, Thomas R.

BX8611.C575 2004

289.309dc22 2004012043

Printed in China

R. R. Donnelley, Schenzhen, China

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

To President Joseph F. Smith, who saw the hand of the Lord... in every hour and in every moment of the existence of the Church. Conference Report, April 1904, 2

Introduction

To the Young Reader

Welcome to Church History for Latter-day Saint Families! This book, like The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families and The New Testament for Latter-day Saint Families, is designed especially for families with young readers. It will help you read, understand, and think about the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in exciting new ways.

You will notice right away there are many beautiful pictures and drawings to help you understand what you are reading.

In addition to the pictures, several other kinds of help can be found on every page. You will often see small numbers that are a little higher than the rest of the line (like this5). These are called superscript numbers, and they tell you that there are the following kinds of helps at the bottom of the page:

Many words that may be hard to understand are colored blue in addition to having a superscript number next to them. That means you will find help for those words at the bottom of the page next to that same number and this picture: In some cases the word helps are definitions of hard words, but most often they are replacement words to help you understand what the sentence means.

Sometimes you will find a superscript number next to an idea in a paragraph that is worth a closer look. Next to that same number at the bottom of the page you will see the picture of a magnifying glass . There you will find helpful explanations about the background, history, or meaning of that idea that make it interesting.

Often we can gain a better understanding of an event or story in Church history by comparing it to verses of scripture that talk about the same truths. Prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders in our day have also taught us many things that help us understand these stories better. When the superscript number in the paragraph matches a number at the bottom of the page with a picture of a sun next to it, you will find more light on that story from modern scripture and Church leaders. (Note that whenever a non-scriptural source is given in the text, the full publication information for that source can be found in the Sources Cited section at the back of the book.)

Sometimes the best way to understand the truths in these stories is to ponder them. To ponder means to stop and think and pray about what you are reading so Heavenly Father can help you learn what he wants you to learn. When the superscript number in the paragraph matches a number at the bottom of the page with this picture next to it, you will find some thoughts and questions that will help you ponder what you are reading.

An understanding of the history of the Church will help you appreciate the sacrifices and the faith of the early Saints. Understanding their sacrifices and their faith will help strengthen your own testimony of the truth of the gospel and give you the courage to be faithful in the trials that you must face.

A Word to Parents

The purpose of Church History for Latter-day Saint Families is not to rewrite the history of the Church in simpler language but to help the young reader understand and appreciate the great stories of Church history as told by those close to the events and as outlined in the Doctrine and Covenants. The stories included in this book are from trusted and familiar primary sources or from the writings of apostles and prophets. Some of the sources used are generally no longer available and many of these stories have never been available in one volume.

In addition to the helpful features mentioned under the heading To the Young Reader above, this volume provides several other kinds of help for your family:

A glossary at the back of the book explains difficult terms and concepts, such as Consecration and Keys of the Priesthood. Words found in the glossary are colored pink in the text.

A time line of events identifies some of the important events of Church history and lists the pages on which they are covered.

A sources cited section provides bibliographical references for the sources used in this book.

An index to the Doctrine and Covenants sections discussed provides the numbers of the pages where various sections of the Doctrine and Covenants are discussed in this book.

The history of the Church is divided into easily understood units or time periods (for example, The Church in Illinois, 18391846). A unit introduction provides an overview for each time period.

Each unit is divided into chapters with a central topic or theme (for example, The Mission of the Twelve to England). A chapter introduction provides a brief overview of the chapter with a suggestion of important things to look for to give purpose to family members reading.

Every chapter is divided by subheadings that introduce each part of the story told in that chapter. These subheadings help the young reader follow the flow of the chapter through different storytellers without getting lost.

Helping our young people gain an understanding of, and love for, the history of this great Church is of profound importance. It will better prepare them to participate in Primary, Sunday School, priesthood, Young Women, seminary, missions, and every other aspect of Church service.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, Every member of the Church ought to have some understanding of, and familiarity with, the history of this tremendous movement. Without such understanding, it is difficult to sink the roots of faith deep enough that the tree will not topple when false winds of doctrine blow. No man can really appreciate Joseph Smith without reading his history. No one can really understand the tremendous heritage we have, which has been made possible by the sacrifices of the generations who have gone before. Without such understanding, it is not likely that there will be much of gratitude or appreciation (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 104).