So Great a Cause

The Work and the Glory #8

by Gerald N. Lund

“Westward, ho!” is the cry in So Great a Cause, volume 8 of the series The Work and the Glory. This installment depicts the early part of one of the most engaging chapters in Church history, the great migration west, and interwoven with that epic story is the continuing saga of the fictional Steed family.

It is early 1846, and many Saints, including most of the Steeds, begin the difficult journey across Iowa as they move toward a new and distant home in the Rocky Mountains. Among them is the volatile Joshua Steed, who, intent on accompanying his now widowed mother, has temporarily left his wife and children behind in Nauvoo. With trouble brewing in that dying city, will they be in danger? And what is the secret that Joshua feels compelled to keep hidden from the other Steeds?

Meanwhile, Will and Alice continue their voyage with another group of Saints aboard the ship Brooklyn. Life-threatening storms, deaths at sea, a visit to beautiful tropical islands — these become part of their experiences as the sailing vessel makes its way around South America and back up toward California. Also headed for California is the company in which Peter and Kathryn are traveling — the famous and ultimately ill-fated Donner-Reed party.

Against this backdrop of sweeping historical events, the personal drama of the Steed family reaches new levels of emotional and spiritual power, leaving readers with an abiding appreciation for the early Saints' commitment to “so great a cause.”

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

521 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

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

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether we go on in a cause is certainly an important question to ask and that theme is beautifully weaved throughout this book.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this may be my favorite so far. I felt I connected with this more than any in the series, yet. (Kind of sad, considering there is only one book left!) I wondered how the trek west would be handled in the series. I'm glad Lund decided not to squish it all into one book. And reaching the Missouri River was a perfect stopping point. Interesting to see the family in different situations making their way west. (I am quite intrigued to see if there was a particular reason why Lund chose the ill-fated Donner Party instead of making up some other group--perhaps to show the different outcomes with one migration halting for the winter and the other not? Guess I'll see.)

However, I think my favorite part was seeing Josh's conversion. I, unfortunately, already knew it was going to come. But I'm very grateful for its realism and how his progress was very characteristic to him. I found myself, like Nathan and Caroline, thinking of how I would answer the questions he had. (Did I miss Nathan's answer to Josh's Haun's Mill question? Because I had that answer but I may have been distracted at my desk and not heard Nathan talk about following the prophet.) I also liked how their trek played such a role in his conversion. Still its cheesy moments--and I do believe the narrator makes them all the moreso. Plenty of other little peeves, but I'm letting them go because of the tears I had at the end--even though I knew it was coming!

P.S. These books are really putting me in the mood to watch "Legacy" now. And any other pioneer movie I can find! They also--and this is their best point--are putting Church history events in my head and reminding me of how wonderful a heritage we have.

[Jennifer Maxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I have read the entire series several times and so this is a re-read for me. I love placing myself in history, getting to know”personally know” those who lived it. It brings a deeper understanding of of where I came from and all that was sacrificed for what I enjoy.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For about 450 pages of this book, the most prominent thought I had was, "Man this book is boring." Despite the trek west being such an important part of Mormon history, the story just did not interest me in this book. Peter's and Will's story lines did nothing for the book except drag out what should have been the last book of the series. I would read chapters at a time and wonder why each chapter made it past the cutting-room floor.

The book's one redeeming quality is Joshua's conversion. Joshua is by far the most interesting character in the series because he's the only one of the Steeds who isn't unnaturally nice all the time. Joshua's journey to God and the waters of baptism is sweet—not in a surfer dude sweet way, but a precious sweet way. I'd have given this book two stars if it weren't for the ending.

[NaDell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved following along with the Steed family in their journey this year as we study Church History at church. The writing is excellent and I love how each character is so well developed. I'm enjoying once again how Gerald Lund brings stories to life!

[Matthew Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are wonderful!

[Shayla Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the continuing story of the Steeds and how this book slows down to focus on one person in particular!

[Kevin R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book the Steed family is split into four different groups as the Church's westward trek begins.

The majority of the Steed family is traveling with Brigham Young across the plains, detailing the hardship of trying to travel through the mud and sloughs in the worst spring that anybody could remember.

Will and Alice are traveling on the Brooklyn with Samuel Brannan and his company, who were sailing to California.

Peter and Kathryn are traveling with the Donner and Reed party, leaving from Illinois to Jackson County, Missouri, and then on to the Oregon Trail.

Carl and Melissa remain in Nauvoo, dealing with the situation of a dying city, a bloodthirsty mob, and the anguish of families torn apart as they choose different paths.

I think this books spans the shortest amount of time of any other book in the series, and yet still so much happens. The main message of this book to me is that in spite of trying times and hardships that just don't make sense, the Lord is still there at the helm. His love is unchanging as He works to change hearts towards him.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was somewhat resistant to the idea of reading these books - I didn't take the time to really see what they were all about, I just assumed that since they seemed so 'trendy' at the time, they would probably be 'light' reading or even 'corny.' I was SO wrong... and I'm SO glad that I realized that if my mom was enjoying them so much and recommending them to me, they must be worthwhile.

This series, along with the Kent Family Chronicles (by John Jakes, about the United States), made me fall in love with historical fiction. In this case, it was not only my knowledge of Church history events that was increased, but my understanding of those events. When I read about all of the people and events in story form, chronological order, and in a cultural and historical context, I felt that I had a much clearer 'big picture' than ever before. Reading this series was such a wonderful way to increase both my knowledge of the Church and my testimony of the gospel.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Spoilers***
This installment in the series was as mired as the saints crossing Iowa with regards to portions of the plot having to do with the history of the church. Token sections featuring the three couples separated from the main body of the Steed family (Will and Alice, Peter and Catherine, and Melissa and Carl) did little to help other than show Will and Alice's journey (the sea is more fun than mud), Catherine's recovery (when will the cannibals be revealed?), and Melissa's reconciliation with the Church (at least in her heart). The main feature which spoke to me strongly was Joshua's conversion (which he did on the sly). The Holy Ghost testifies that even the most hardened of hearts can be softened.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerald Lund put his characters in the various key trek's for the migration of the Saints including, the pioneer trek from Nauvoo, the Donner Party trek, and the sailing of the Brooklyn ship from New York to yerba buena (San Francisco). The pioneer trek was most interesting as the difficulties faced by the Saints were well portrayed by Lund. In addition, the difficulty Brigham Young must have had with the organization and administration of the entire affair is well penned. The details about the Brooklyn are interesting. I think many are aware of the voyage but this is the first time I have read any details of where the ship went and what it must have been like.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

All throughout this book and the struggles of the trail, I found myself wondering "what is the rush?" Just get to Winter Quarters, that's all you need to do. Then, as the book clearly reminded, that wasn't the original plan. The original plan was to go straight to the Salt Lake Valley. This book was a great refresher about the decisions that were made at the time and without the vantage point of the future.

As with all these books, the writing is okay. The characters are not well-rounded. But, the history is fabulous. I enjoy reading the history from the perspective of a fictional family. It makes a history book more enjoyable.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed all these historical fiction novels in this series. I've learned so much about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints through these novels. They are pretty good stories, too. A little cheesy and sappy at times, but the research is well done.

[Dallin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story. My only complaints: the e-book formatting is awful and takes away from reading (this has been the case for the whole series); and Mr. Lund is verbose in his writing to the point of irritation. It also takes away from the story and reading.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series. I wish they would continue to make the movies of these books.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this series

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite so far! The saints were exiting Nauvoo in mass. They were being terrorized by Mormon haters who had no conscience about beating and killing innocent Church members. Leaving left their precious Nauvoo Temple behind, the saints outfitted wagons to begin the trek across to an unknown place in the far away Rocky Mountains.

The main reason I liked this volume is that it made me think and learn beyond what I already knew. When I think of the pioneers, my vision is of them walking across the plains, wagons (or handcarts) and animals in tow. It didn’t occur to my modern mind that relentless rainstorms meant slogging through mud that sucked in wheels, legs, feet, etc. No AAA could be summoned for rescue. It was their problem to solve with little assistance but man and animal power. The wind, the heat, the cold, relentless conditions were challenges we can't even imagine!
I shall not whine about having to go to the airport a couple hours early ever again!

The challenges did not stop there. I didn’t think much beyond crossing rivers by just slogging through those either. Brigham Young sent groups beyond the main company to find the best spots to cross: lower riverbanks so wagons could pass; build sturdy bridges where they could; or even get rafts ready for passage if necessary. All had to be good enough for their wagon train, and future ones to use.

Along with the trail navigation, there were also temporary settlements and shelters to build, land cleared, fields prepared, crops planted, and fences to put up so future pioneers could be cared for along the trail. They were all monumental tasks! …And I just remembered the rattlesnakes. (Fortunately, it seems the Indians were friendly!)

Even though I do know the different transportation methods of pioneers to the west, this volume tied them all together. Most of the Steed family traveled together across the plains. However, one couple sailed with Sam Brannan on the Brooklyn, which left from New York and went around the tip of South America, (making an unscheduled stop in the Juan Fernandez Islands). They stopped in many places including Hawaii for provisions, and eventually arriving in San Francisco. Another couple traveled with the Donner-Reed party, eventually hoping to meet up with the main wagon train. The details and journal entries of each travel method were fascinating, and of course, all were fraught with challenges and danger.

Besides the documented travel of the pioneers, the other reason I loved this volume was the intense struggle Joshua Steed had with his personal questions about the Church, and his relationship with Jesus Christ. His questions were honest, challenging, sometimes bitter, and far from easy. The answers and explanations he received from Nathan, Caroline and Pres. Young made him think seriously about everything that really bothered him. He was no easy pushover, and that was good! Beautifully written answers to ponder for us all.

Loved this volume! On to the final #9…

[One Man Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

The United States of America is the country founded by seekers of freedom from oppressive governments. But did you know the Mormon Church, born on April 6th, 1830 in New York State, was forced with violence from New York, to Ohio, to Missouri, to Illinois, and ultimately west across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains—because of their beliefs? The governor of Missouri actually issued an official declaration that all Mormons were to be driven from the state or exterminated. It has always been ironic to me that the first Mormons actually had to leave the United States—the country founded on freedom—and travel 1300 miles before they were able find a place where they could peacefully worship.

This is the story found in the 9 volume series The Work and the Glory, by Gerald Lund.

5600 pages—exactly—in 32 days. That's what it took for me to read all 9 volumes of The Work and the Glory. Along the way I kept promising a grand review of the entire series once I finished book 9. Now that I've closed the cover on the last page of the last book, I feel a bit lost for words. I want to share what I learned, how I felt, what I liked, what annoyed me, what brought on the happy tears, and what caused the sad tears. I'm quite certain no one wants to read a review as long as the series itself, but I'm afraid that's what it's going to take.

So how do I do this? What do I say? How do I squeeze all these thoughts and feelings into a book review? I dunno. Let’s find out. . . .

The Work and the Glory is historical fiction. The historical part is thorough, accurate, well researched, and well documented. The books chronicle the incredible, inspiring, often tragic, always miraculous, and (to us Mormons) deeply meaningful first 20 years of existence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Book one begins in 1827, just before Joseph Smith is to retrieve the Golden Plates that will become The Book of Mormon. Book nine ends in 1847, a few months after Brigham Young leads 12,000 Mormon Pioneers from Nauvoo, IL to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.

The fiction part is engaging, well written, and breathes life into the historical events. Through the eyes of the fictional-but-representative-of-the-time Steed Family, we become first hand witnesses to all of the major events surrounding the Restoration (as it’s known within the Church). The Steeds meet Joseph Smith shortly after moving to Palmyra, New York in 1927, and soon they find themselves involved with all the peoples, places, and events those familiar with the history of the LDS Church will quickly recognize. Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdry, the Whitmer’s, Brigham Young, Parly P. Pratt, Herber C. Kimball, Emma Smith, Hyrum Smith. April 6th, 1830, the Grandin Press, the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, the Kirtland Temple, Haun’s Mill, Liberty Jail, the Nauvoo Temple, Carthage Jail. Mission calls, the law of consecration, plural marriage, the Kirtland Safety Society, extermination order, martyrdom, the trek West, the Donnor Party, the Mormon Battalion. Palmyra, Kirtland, Independence, Far West, Nauvoo, Carthage, Winter Quarters, the Salt Lake Valley. Conversion, apostasy, persecution, miracles, revelations, visitations, resilience, tragedy, joy, and finally, peace and rest. The Steeds are part of it all.

For me, the best part of The Work and the Glory is the way becoming invested in the lives of the Steed Family makes history personal. Now, instead of just knowing the facts surrounding a historical event, I have an idea of what it was like to actually be a part of that event. What did it feel like to hear Joseph’s testimony straight from his own mouth? What was it like to be told to leave your lives in Palmyra and follow the Church to Kirtland? Can I really imagine the terror of the hateful mobs driving us from every place we worked to start a new life? How about the joy of being there when the Kirtland Temple was dedicated? Cutting stone for the Nauvoo Temple? What would I have thought on the great day of healing when Joseph rose from his sick bed of malaria and healed so many others who were sick? What was it like to ride in a wagon across Iowa and Wyoming? How did it feel to watch your children leave bloody footprints in the snow after being forced at gunpoint from Far West? What about when Joseph was killed? What did it feel like to witness Brigham Young suddenly look and sound like Joseph on that day in Nauvoo? And on and on. After all the trials, I feel like I caught a glimpse of their joy and relief to finally reach the Salt Lake Valley, where they would be out of reach of their enemies.

I’m a firm believer that the best books are the ones that make you feel, and there is a lot of feeling to be felt in reading The Work and the Glory.

As literature, the books are engaging and well written—but packed full of Mormon cheesiness. The cheesiness wasn’t too distracting for me, however, thanks to the strength of the characters. I really cared about the Steeds and I loved watching their family grow through both sorrow and joy over the course of 20 years.

It was also fun to read about my own pioneer ancestors as the Steeds even interacted with some of those that I am actually descended from.

Mostly, I feel proud of my heritage. The first members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had the faith and courage to do and endure impossible things. I feel steeled up more than ever before to carry on with the work they started and to live my life with as much faith and courage as I can find in myself. I want them to look down on me from heaven and be proud that I am carrying on their legacy.

See, now I’m caught up in Mormon cheesiness! But, what can I say? It’s how I feel after reading The Work and the Glory.

I recommend these books to everyone, especially lovers of American History and members or friends of the LDS Church. For non-Mormons especially, I think reading a detailed history of the LDS church such as this would go a long way in helping you understand better what makes us tick.

Happy Reading!

Dan

[Riley Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never understood how the Saints didn’t make it to Utah until 1847 if they left in February of ‘46. Now I have a better idea of how the difficulty of preparing and muddy conditions in the spring of 1846 led the saints to create way stations for the main group coming behind. The impressive stat for me was that even by that first summer groups were covering distances in 3 weeks what had taken the first group 4 months.

I enjoyed learning about the Brooklyn’s journey to Robinson Crusoe Island and the start of the Donner party. However the pinnacle of the whole series is Joshua Steeds baptism and redemption. The book starts with Joshua joining the group to take his widowed mother. He left his family in Nauvoo. A string of miracles take them back to Nauvoo to grab his family and slowly his heart is softened. This may be the most chronologically compact book in the series covering spring of 1846, but it is a time of our history we don’t often dig deep into, the crossing of Iowa to the Missouri and Winter Quarters. Great read especially so late in a series.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerald N. Lund's 8th chapter in The Work and the Glory series follows the fictional Steed family's highs and lows on the trail westward from Nauvoo with the Saints. The book is great in how it carries a good balance between these highs and lows. A tragic accident near the beginning of the book leaves a sense of dread and sadness which will only go on as the story continues. Another thing that brings great sadness both to the reader and to the Steeds is Carl's determination to stay in Nauvoo with his family. However, certain things develop that lead to increased happiness and joy. One of these is the decision by Joshua to let his wife and children travel with the rest of the family on the trail. Overall, this is a very great book; I recommend it to fans of The Work and the Glory series and to anyone who finds comfort and joy from wholesome family relationships.

[Wesley Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it was long. The best part is Joshua's spiritual discussion with Nathan. Joshua definitely has the most growth of any character in the series. Other than that, I just felt like there was a lot of walking and exposition. I mean, I know the Pioneer trek started slow, but I didn't need a whole book about the start. I felt like the other paths that people were taking--by sea and the Donner party--were not as exciting, so he could have done more there. I'm happy to keep reading, but I just got the feeling that this book was a placeholder to set up the finale.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about uncertainty. There was so much uncertainty in this period of church history: where they were going; how would they get there; how would they help the poor; how would the church function spread out across a continent. I liked this story because it reminded me that sometimes in the face of so much uncertainty, you just have to have faith in Christ and the gospel and persevere.

Shall we not go on
In so great a cause; Forward
Not backward; Courage!

[Savannah Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this one was so good🥲

Joshua’s redemption arc!!!! one of the best things in this series & this book was the perfect icing on the cake

i have learned SO much about church history this year & can credit a lot of that to these books in combination with the doctrine & covenants! i have loved watching my testimony flourish this year :)

can’t believe this series will come to an end after the next book! i have loved spending time with these characters🫶🏼

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this has probably been my least favorite of the Work and the Glory books. It was still a great book but I just didn't feel it was as exciting as the others. I did however like that this one focused a lot on Joshua. I have loved seeing how his character has developed and I think the author has done a great job in showing that.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot happens historically with this book. Basically it takes place over four months from February to June 1846 where the saints are just slogging slowly from Nauvoo to the Missouri River. The big focus is on Joshua's character and how the trek influences him.

Since I read these books more for the historical parts, it was just ok. The fiction part isn't my favorite in the writing.

[Louise Hartvigsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember the basic outline of this book from previous readings, as well as a familiarity of church history. How can a book about the maddeningly slow journey across wet, muddy Iowa be interesting? It's the additional stories of members of the Steed family who take alternate routes to the West, and especially the final stage of a rebellious son's path to becoming a saint himself.

[Lizzie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the books so far, mostly because I loved Joshua's story. I love how questions about the gospel were handled in this book, and I loved how difficulty is shown to make characters stronger, not weaker.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The forward momentum on this one was almost as slow as the movement of the pioneers during the first three months. What saved this book was Joshua (of course) and his investigation of the gospel. I was expecting that to come eventually and the payoff was worth the wait.

[Christie Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I kept reading reviews about how most people found this one to be the most boring of the series. I had ancestors that left Nauvoo and crossed the plains, though, so it was fascinating to me to read about what they might have experienced along the way.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continue to love this series! I feel it relies more heavily on the story rather than history now, but still keeps your attention. I had read for several months and picked up right where I left off with ease.