Storm Testament V (Storm Testament

Storm Testament #5

by Lee Nelson

In Utah Territory in the 1880s, the United States seems determined to crush the Mormon Church, with polygamy as the central issue. The polygamous Storm family find themselves being torn apart and scattered in the attempt to survive this unfair conflict. Church leaders are on the run, wives are being forced to testify against husbands, good men are going to jail without a fair trial, Church property is being confiscated by determined U.S. Marshals, and the Mormons themselves are unable to agree on the issue of polygamy. But despite the impossible odds, the Storms resolve to fight back.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Lds Fiction, Westerns, Fiction, Lds, Young Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1982

About the author

Lee Nelson's historical novels have sold hundreds of thousands of copies since his first novel was released in 1981. Nelson has also published a score of non-fiction works including the top-selling Beyond the Veil series.
Nelson is widely respected for his historical research which includes killing a buffalo from the back of a galloping horse with a bow and arrow.

Nelson was born in Logan, Utah, but spent most of his childhood in California. After serving an LDS mission in Germany, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a Masters Degree in Business, both from Brigham Young University. He was a speech writer in Philadelphia and a car dealer in Montana before beginning his career as an author.

Lee lives on a small farm in central Utah. His hobbies include team roping, big game hunting, and finding and exploring ancient Indian ruins.

Reviews

[Keith Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did find this book interesting but it doesn't have as much action as the other books in the series. This story was more set on the idea of Polygram and how the character helped his fellow Mormons by standing up for what he believed.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is my favorite of the series so far. Nelson's narrative style has grown a lot with this book and it feels less like a Mormon Huckleberry Finn on the Western Frontier than the previous 4 books. The plot and characters were much more mature. The shifting between narrators and POV's did not annoy or unsettle me and made quite a deal of sense for the story.

This book deals with the beginning of the end of polygamy in the Mormon church. When the US made it illegal, there was quite a bit of persecution. This book is about the families torn apart by the law and the officers who enforced that law. While this book was slightly more "preachy" about the Mormon faith than the previous books, it didn't really bother me. The preachy moments were coming out of the mouths of fairly preachy characters, and it did more than just preach - it drove the plot forward. And while the author and even the characters make a strong case for polygamy in many circumstances, the author and characters are quick to show that just as it could be a way to make sure that destitute women and widows are cared for, it was frequently used for men, particularly church leaders, who were dirty old men and needed a new woman (sometimes very young woman) to bed.

All of these viewpoints are shown against the backdrop of Utah frontier life. Though it primarily is a human interest story about the moral issues of polygamy and the trouble caused by the law making it illegal, there is more than enough adventure for the western genre fan.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

still seemed like he threw his characters into a historical event (polygamy days of the church immediately before utah was a state). but they seemed to have more original adventures than the previous book did. i think i like it more than 4, but still not as much as 1, 2, or 3. (3 is my favorite so far.)

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

5th Book in the Storm Testament. This one dealt with the persecution the saints received from having plural marriage. I knew a law had been put in place banning polygamy but I didn't realize how bad it was for the Mormons.

Lots of action and romance.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series as a kid and loved it. I would recommend it to young kids looking for a great adventure.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a young man this book series got me started on my road of loving to read.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how much I like these books!