The Work and the Glory

The Work and the Glory #1-9

by Gerald N. Lund

The complete Work and the Glory series is now available for the first time in one eBook. Follow the Steed family on their incredible journey from New York to the Salt Lake Valley.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Lds Fiction, Lds, Religion, Fiction, Church, Historical

87455 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Gerald N. Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Brigham Young University. He served for thirty-five years in the Church Educational System, and he served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 2002 to 2008. He is a prolific and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction and is best known for his historical novels, including The Work and the Glory series, Fire of the Covenant, The Kingdom and the Crown series, and The Undaunted. He and his late wife, Lynn, are the parents of seven children.

Reviews

[Lauren Wilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series in 7th grade. Probably a lot of what drew me into the books were the love stories, and if I reread them again, I might find the love stories simplistic and similar, but I love these books, and I learned SO much about Church history reading them. I've retained a lot of that knowledge and have had reason to be grateful to have learned Church history in a memorable and safe way--meaning the author is a faithful, believing member who didn't shy away from delicate topics but explained them and explored them to my satisfaction.

Also, I have a vivid memory of sitting in band class during first-chair selections reading book 6 when the Prophet Joseph died. It tried to be discreet, but I was very close to sobbing.

[Lowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in debt to Gerald N. Lund for embedding in me a sincere desire to study and learn LDS Church history. During this 9-volume series, I believe I felt every emotion that can be felt during the "reading" experience.

On one small item, I am divided. While the activities and events discussed in this series did occur, and the actual events are written very well (outpouring of the Spirit at the Kirtland temple dedication, martyrdom of Joseph Smith, massacre at Haun's Mill, etc.), over the years my impression of the characters is that, in many ways, they are amalgams of the generic "LDS pioneer" that has developed (think Eliza Williams in the "Legacy" film). This comes from my own personal, imperfect opinion on how the history of the church is discussed (see my review To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson for more discussion on this).

Apart from that, I am grateful for this series. I will encourage my children - and new converts to the LDS Church - to read this as a solid introductory course to the history of the Restoration, using this as a springboard to powerful events and many experiences of early members of the church, as opposed to an end in and of itself.

[Rainbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of the Work and the Glory series. I enjoyed these books, because I love to learn about the LDS Saints. Through out the series there are some slow points, but I greatly enjoyed all of the books. I also love that after the first book Lund includes a section that allows you to read the actual historical events so you can differentiate what is real and what is fiction. I find this is very helpful in knowing the facts.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gerald N. Lund is not a great author and his writing style bored me to death. Also, his series is too formulaic. Concerning the "historical" aspects in the book, I was very disappointed. Lund replaces actual people with the Steeds and portrays a super-human Mormon family who is everywhere at everytime. The one redeeming thing about this series is that it gives an accurate timeline of Mormon history to his readers, specifically during the simultaneous Kirtland and Missouri portions.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Gerald Lund’s historical fiction. I know his characters are not real, but I like how they make history personal. They make me want to study history and better understand the time period. I read this series many years ago, and enjoy them as audio books as well.

[John Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a practicing member of this most precious christian community since 1985 I had heard much of the history of the Church. I'd read the Book of Mormon. The Old & New Testaments. Other LDS scriptures known as Doctrine and Covenants (modern day revelation) and the Pearl of Great price (which includes the Book of Abraham found in the holy and confirmed by the church).

I'd heard the stories of the trials and tribulations. The incredible faith and strength of the men, women and children who gave all that they had, including their lives, for the building of the church. Many of the stories are shocking, to tell the truth. As an American I am ashamed at the treatment men and women of all races and religions have suffered at the hands of evil and selfish men and women who call themselves Americans. To know and understand what the Mormon people went through as they meekly worked their way westward, looking for peace, freedom of religion, and homes to raise their children is to see a very dark side of truly evil people. But, on the other hand, to witness the perseverance and faith of these people from many parts of the world, many walks of life, wealthy and poor, weak and strong, is a remarkable tale.

In fact, this may have been the single greatest migration of men, women and children in the history of the world.

This marvelous 9 book set is written as exacting to the factual history as is possible in order to tell the story. Many records, journals and historical accounts were utilized as well as the insertion of a fictional family and their story, which represents many aspects of how people react to the Truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a very personal thing.

Nonetheless, I should conclude and leave the reader with this. Gerald N. Lund is a captivating story teller. Though his research was painstaking, with the assistance of several people, he was able to take me from moment that Joseph Smith, Jr., in obedience to the Lord, brought forth the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated and later published. We follow Joseph, many of the well known historical figures, and this special family through it all. The facts come together. I finally saw the puzzle in it's entirety and understood the greatness of it all. It seemed to me, that as Brigham Young, finally came into the Great Salt Lake Valley and declared, "This is the place", that I felt a little of that wonder. The relief, the arriving at home. The cornerstone of the building of Zion, in these, the latter days.

It's difficult to put these books down.

Recommend for member and non-member alike.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Work and Glory" and I go way back. I first read volumes 1-6 as a young teenager. As an older teenager I reread volumes 1-6 then read volumes 7 and 8. I then received volume 9 as a gift, but I just never got around to reading it. So, 15 years later I decide to finally read it, but you can't just read the last volume after more than a decade, so I had to REREAD all 8 volumes and then finish it up with the final volume. I'm so glad I did.

I must give you my pet peeve about Lund's writing however. No character could ever just tell their spouse that they loved them as in a simple, "I love you." EVERY time (and it probably happened 100 times if it happened once)the character (any character) had to say their spouse's whole name. For example, Nathan whispers, "I love you Lydia McBride Steed." "And I love you Nathan Steed," as they fiercly look into one another's eyes.

My pet peeve aside, I love this series and how I became immersed into church history. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more or refresh their memories on events in our early history.

[Cordell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire series is wonderful. It takes a fictional family and places them in the middle of the story of the Mormons (the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and moves them through the early history of the LDS Church tell the story of the growth of the church as well as the growth of the Steed Family. I learned a lot and it put a lot of things into context for me as well. For example after reading several books one of the members of the Steed Family who was Wealthy bought a new and wonderful invention that simplified his life. Matches! And he was proud to have them because they were just invented. That means that all of the histroy prior to that time included firemaking WITHOUT Matches. It put some life into all of the history prior to that point for me.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

One can learn a lot about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from this series. Book three was my favorite, but it was also the hardest to read. I found the story falling apart the bigger the series got. Sometimes when I read large series I get tired of dilemmas, know more bad things are going to happen, and can not wait until I am done. This was one of those series. There were so many characters towards the end, that it was hard to keep track of who was whose child and such. It started off strong and ended weak.

[Clint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerald Lund isn't a masterful writer but his excellent and extensive knowledge of Church history paired with his basically good writing makes this series an enjoyable read. The greatest value in these books are how they allow you to experience the founding and early growth of the LDS Church through the eyewitness account of a fictional family. Obviously some artistic license is taken when historical characters interact with fictional characters, but I think Mr. Lund did a great job of staying true to character in those cases.

[Totnguns · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first one is harder to get into, but I loved it. As soon as I read #2 I wask totally hooked & couldn't put the books down. At the time I read this series only 8 & 9 hadn't come out. When they did they were read with in days. This is an amazing series that is easy to read (once you get to #2) & it cements history in your mind. You grow a love for the pioneers & it is inspiring all in one.

[G (galen) · Rating 2 out of 5]

they were entertaining, but I only got through about 4 books before Lund's 'formula' just got too redundant. Sexy man and sexy woman who are attracted to each other, but one is converted to the church and the other isn't, and the relationship can't progress until the other is converted.

It was an entertaining way to learn more about the historical events of the church... But pretty biased and sanitized.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan. I can't even say how many time's I've read this series -- probably at least once a year I get a 'Work and the Glory' itch.' I've always had kind of a crush on Nathan.... anyway. Everytime I make some kind of church history/doctrine comment Jeremey says 'did you learn that from Work and the Glory?' He's kind of a brat, but I love him ....

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad talked me into reading this series and I'm so glad he did. It really got me interested in church history and even American history, despite the fact that it is based on a fictionalized family's interactions with real people from church history. Very entertaining and enlightening.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun to read! My husband and I read together and loved every minute of it. We were sad when we finished the last book. It really captures you and makes you feel like you know the characters. I would love to read it again some day.

[Rachael Lauritzen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started the series in high school 'cause the kids all loved it. Gave it up somewhere around (in?) the 3rd book. Never looked back.

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical fiction saga set in 19th-century America that follows the fictional Steed family during the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series begins with The Work and the Glory, introducing characters like Joshua Steed, who grapples with faith and challenges as he encounters the rise of Mormonism. Subsequent books explore the family’s trials and triumphs amidst historical events, including the Church’s founding, migration, and settlement in the West. The series weaves themes of faith, family, and perseverance, providing insight into the cultural and religious landscape of the time.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic series and I was very impressed with how he weaves fictional characters into real life events throughout decades of time. The one book I was really disappointed in was the last one. I didn’t understand why he spent so much time on the Donner party, which only had one member of the church. He also split up the family so much that there were too many storylines and it lost the heart of what made the other books so great. However, they are very entertaining and helped me learn a lot of history about the church at that time

[Carl Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storytelling at its best. What makes the rating low is that Mr. Lund is not honest in telling the true church history.
In his research he must have had known about church’s troublesome and messy history but gave a dishonest and many times false narrative in his books.

Now that it is all out in the open it is embarrasing to read this work. I would say it is historical fiction with focus on ”fiction”!

[Paula Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this series in anticipation of our big Midwest/Mormon Church History trip we took in July. I'm a slow reader so it took me five months to get through all nine books in the series (and that included listening to the audio book for most of six and the beginning of seven on a solo road trip to California).

The good: I'm so glad I picked up this series in anticipation of the trip. I made it to the point of the story of the Martyrdom on the day we left Nauvoo and stopped at Carthage. The good thing about that was the events in the books were still fresh in my mind when we were visiting these places. But I wish that I'd been able to read the ninth and final book before our trip so I could have been looking for other landmarks on the way across Wyoming on our way home. It really brought church history alive for me and helped me better understand the chronology of events and what life was like for not only the Steeds but what it would have been like for my ancestors that were also in Missouri, Nauvoo, Winter Quarters and came to the Salt Lake Valley by wagon train.

The bad: There were times that it was painful to get through. And not just because the story of the early Mormon Saints being driven from place to place is a dark and sad tail. Lund's writing style is just not my style. It gets better as the books go on, but I often found myself skimming parts that were just too detailed and didn't hold my attention. And I know this is a fictional account, but it seems very convenient and unbelievable that the author found away to make sure some member of the Steed family was involved in every major and minor event and company in early church history from the founding of the church in Palmyra to the various ways and means that the pioneer saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 (including the Donner Party in 1846). I know that allowed the story to cover everything, but I have a hard time believing there was one family that had that kind of reach in the early years of the church, especially one that had no one in a major leadership role.

Overall, I'm glad I read it along with the trip. But it is not a series I plan to read again.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all 9 volumes of this set probably 15 years ago, but just now realized that I have never included them in my Goodreads' book list. They were wonderful books to familiarize myself with the history of the LDS Church. Although the Steeds were a fictional family, I am sure that their experiences were the experiences of many early Church members. Actual Church History was woven into the story of the Steed family. These books have been so widely read and internalized, that I have heard it said, that when some members of the Church have visited Nauvoo, they have asked, "Now where did the Steeds live"?
Volume I starts at the very beginning of Church History with the Steeds becoming one of the first families to listen to and accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God, and subsequent volumes follow the Church and the Steeds as they move to Ohio, Missouri, Nauvoo, westward to the Salt Lake Valley and finally are able to live in peace in Utah. In my opinion, Lund did a masterful job of incorporating the history of the Mormon Church into a marvelously interesting story of early members.

[Brandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a great historical fiction series. I feel it is one of the most comprehensive cronological histories of the LDS faith out there. If you plan on reading this for pleasure, you will love it. If you plan on reading this for an accurate history lesson of the LDS faith, then you should probably find a different book or series. But, if you want to learn more about the history and are willing to read all the authors notes at the end of each chapter then you will have a better understanding. The characters are well written and you will easily fall in love with them. If you have seen the movies, they are fairly good, but so much is left out and even differs sometimes from the story line.

[Jennifer Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really learned a lot about LDS church history from these books. I enjoyed the interaction of the fictional characters with the historical ones. But--sorry, girls, I know I'm going to offend some of you--Gerald Lund is not a good writer. I assume from his books and writing style that he is an avid historian who wanted to make these historical figures accessible to modern readers--but he is not a writer.

I really, REALLY wanted to like the Steed family. I kept hoping they would get a little better in the next book, so I kept reading. But I always felt a little let down after, because I wanted to like them SO MUCH and I just couldn't. They weren't written well enough. I'm giving the books 3 stars. Overall, I'm glad I read the series because it was interesting and informative.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these books as they were coming out, so it's been a while. I have always been a big fan of the LDS historical fiction genre because it combines three of my favorite subjects, the gospel, history and inevitably there is a little romance! These books were incredibly well-written and I learned so much from them. I still feel like I'm light-years ahead whenever we study the Doctrine and Covenants/church history because of everything I learned by reading these books. I know that they're long and there's a lot of them, but I promise you won't regret it.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are wonderful books, engaging, uplifting, and edifying. I have heard complaints about the liberties the author is wont, on occasion, to take with the historical facts, but such liberties are clearly spelled out in the notes at the end of each chapter and thus bothered me not at all, perhaps if I knew the subject matter better I would see liberties taken that were not documented. Regardless I highly recommend The Work and the Glory, they are worth reading for the clean uplifting entertainment alone.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE these books and would recommend them to EVERYONE!!!! The first one would have received 4 stars from me because it is harder to get into, however, about half way through the first one through the remaining 8 books you CAN NOT put them down. I laughed, cried, got angry at characters, was SO happy reading about others...and all the cheesy stuff. As cheesy as it is, reading these books really was the first time I really felt all these emotions while reading.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of historical fiction, Mormons, and long series, I loved reading the Work and the Glory. While it started to drag for me towards the end, I became really fond of the characters in the book and was continually impressed by its historical accuracy. I would recommend this book for Latter Day Saints, of course, but also for anyone interested in reading a compelling account of the early days in the church.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED reading this series. I read them in 2000 during my divorce. I was very glad that I was able to read each book right after the other, rather than waiting from year to year for the latest release. It was really great to read about people during those times, and the many challenges they were faced with and how they overcame them. I cried, I laughted, and I thanked my Heavenly Father for being blessed to live in this day and age.

[Amanda Kaye (More.Reading.Time.Please) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this series a few years back. It has some great information that I didn't know about church history AND it actually helped stregthen my thankfulness and reverence of the saints of the LDS chruch who sacraficed so much in the name of truth and religion. The story lines were easy to follow. It hooked me from the start. And the characters were so endearing. I actually begain to picture my own extended family while reading. Well worth the effort of reading all nine volumes.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books are well-researched, and if not well-written literature, they do a good job of introducing LDS church history. I was a little uncomfortable sometimes with the fictional stretches that were made to tell the history. But I liked most of the characters well enough. Reading the footnotes at the end of each chapter was what I enjoyed best. It was here that the real history could be gleaned from the storytelling.