Of Goodly Parents

Out of Jerusalem #1

by H.B. Moore, Heather B. Moore, David L. Walker (Narrator)

Book

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

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than seventy publications. She writes historical novels and thrillers under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.

Please join Heather's email list at: HBMoore.com/contact

Blog: MyWritersLair.blogspot.com

Website: HBMoore.com

Twitter: @heatherbmoore

Instagram: @authorhbmoore

Facebook: Heather B. Moore All About Books

Literary awards: 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner

Alternate Goodreads Page: Heather B. Moore

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my own book, and while I'd love to give it a stellar 5 star rating, it is my FIRST published book. Any author wishes they could rewrite their first novel. If nothing else, it's straight from the heart.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Heather Moore's book about Queen Esther so I thought I'd try listening to her series "Out of Jerusalem". This recounts the story of Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem to head out to the Promised Land. The first one of the series is "Of Goodly Parents" recounting Lehi receiving the revelation to leave Jerusalem before its destruction. The story is familiar and its enjoyment is magnified by Heather's well researched cultural, historical and religious insights. She gives names and personalities to all the women (besides Sariah) and it adds so much to the story. Nephi is my favorite Book of Mormon prophet and this confirms what an amazingly forgiving person he was. He never lost sight of the ultimate goal and was forever trying to help his brothers along the way, even when they definitely didn't deserve it. I've always thought it would have been easier to leave Laman and Lemuel behind but really, goodly parents would never do that. They keep working and hoping for the best. I am avidly listening to the second installment. Highly recommended!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book! I am familiar enough with the Book of Mormon to recall some of the scriputures Heather Moore was talking about. She notes in the beginning that she meant to write about the "life and ministry of the propeht Nephi." She also informs the reader in the preface that she wishes the reader will enjoy her [Heather:] account, but go and read and ponder it for ourselves. She was really good in keeping emotions going through as you're reading. When she spoke of the family gathering around for family counsel, I felt as if I were there. She wrote of Laman & Lemuel's trangressions and how they murmured against Lehi and his wishes, I felt upset and sad that they would do such a thing. Moore is really good at putting a visual picture in my head at each scene; at times, I feel like I'm there, with Lehi's family.
I read the second one and now I'm on the third. I love this series, I recommend it.

[Megan B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author (a woman) really brought the women to the forefront of the story, which was a very interesting perspective. I enjoyed the book, but at first I felt the author was extremely "creative" in her interpretation of the story of Lehi's flight into the wilderness. I learned by reading the chapter-by-chapter bibliographies that she drew heavily upon writings, theories, and explanations by esteemed historian Hugh Nibley, which made me feel more relaxed and happy about her creative interpretation. I did very much like it and will read the next in the series, but in my opinion it doesn't quite measure up to, say, Fishers of Men.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thouroughly enjoyed this book! It was so fun to get an idea of what it could have been like for Lehi and his family to travel in the wilderness. There was a lot of focus on the women of the family, which ws fun, since they are hardly mentioned in the Book of Mormon. It gave me greater insight into the different customs they had when following the Law of Moses such as the marriage ceremonies and the sacrafices they made. even the way they cooked their meals and how the men would eat before the women. I just brought the story to life for me and made me connect with the characters more.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my shelf for years. I tried picking it up one day but didn't make it past chapter one. I picked it up just last night however and read it in one day. I think it's one of those books you have to be in the mood to read.
It's a really easy novel to read and it's very informative. It amazed me how close the author stayed to scriptural facts. The story has been embellished of course, but Moore really brings the story of Lehi's family to life. I saw the story differently than I ever had before. I really enjoyed it.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got into this book immediately. I loved how she made the Book of Mormon Characters come alive. It helped me see them as real people living their lives with many of the same worries that I have or have had. I can't wait to read the next volumes.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the author's "Abinadi", but it was still good. I like to learn more about the time period and customs of the area that don't get addressed much in the scriptures. Obviously, you have to separate fact from fiction, but it's nice to think more about the personal lives and feelings of the characters. For example, I hadn't really put much thought into how difficult it was on Lehi and Sariah for the disobedience and rebelliousness of Laman and Lemuel. This book brought out that feeling, and then I was able to internalize it a bit with my own children. I think that the children of most prophets have probably been taught about right and wrong in a great way, but those children may still fall away. It is devastating, but even having visions of the future, the parents didn't give up their hope and trying to teach their children what is right.

[Kami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time putting this book down! The story of Nephi with his righteous father and rebellious brothers has always been a favorite of mine. I have read and reread their plight in the Book of Mormon but this book has brought the characters into a light that I haven't pictured before.

I always write Laman and Lemuel off as brats but it really must have been hard for them having their younger brother put ahead of them. Not to mention having to leave their own home and travel into the desolate wilderness to face obstacles unknown. Heather Moore really captures the time period and the characters personalities come alive. Although this story is fiction Moore stayed true to the history and faith of those portrayed.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

[April Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Didn't know what to expect, so I read it with an open mind. I knew that it was just a "what if" fleshing out of the B.O.M. stories. Because scriptural language is sometimes hard for me to grasp visually, it was very helpful to see those people in more contemporary terms. I especially enjoyed the cultural information that the author added in, helping me to understand more of what it really might have been like for them in the desert. When I went back to re-read the first few chapters of 1st Nephi, I appreciated it all so much more. I am so glad that there are authors and books like this.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen this series in the bookstore but have never felt compelled to pick it up until a friend of mine recommended it (who also happens to know the author). It was a very interesting story - taking the account of Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem from the scriptures. It was very well researched and documented with pages of notes and citations at the end of the book to correspond with each chapter. The writing was good and the story was told in an easy-to-read way. It made the people seem very real and normal.

Overall, it's not a book that I'll read again, but I did enjoy the writing and the storytelling, so I would definitely read other books written by this author.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun and interesting fictional interpretation of the first 16 chapters of First Nephi (up to where Nephi fixes his bow and brings back food to the family). I'd heard that Heather Moore was a talented writer, and that she'd done a ton of research before writing this book, so I decided to read the first book (there are several in the series). A big focus of the book was on the daughters of Ishmael, which I enjoyed. I checked out the book on CD from the library and listened to most of the book in my car while driving kids around to activities. The narrator was excellent (fun voices-Laman and Lemuel)and even my kids were listening and liked it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series called Out of Jerusalem has 4 books so far. I absolutely LOVED all of them. Moore offers a very interesting point of view about Lehi's family and their adventures after they left Jerusalem. I've enjoyed this series even more than the "Pillar of Fire" series. So ... READ 'em!! I highly recommend all four: "Of Goodly Parents", "A Light in the Wilderness", "Towards the Promised Land", and "Land of Inheritance"

[Ledys · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book through my library's ILL and really enjoyed it. What this book provides is a way to "see" the familiar events of 1 Nephi (up until after Nephi breaks his bow) unfurl in all of their interactions, with a knowledge of how life "worked" back then, which makes it easier to understand and appreciate those people's struggles and faithfulness. It was like a novel of your institute manual. I'm thinking of getting mine out while I study the scriptures to refer to and gain greater insight--it was fun!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all of these books. Though it's been years since I read them I still find I remember a lot of the very interesting historically factual things that take place in the book. I love the love story between Nephi and his wife. In fact, the human part of Nephi that comes out in these stories is a lot of the reason I love these books. Inevitably, I am reminded of this book every time I re-read The Book of Mormon and I have loaned and recommended it to many a friend and family member.

[Idamae Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book series!!! It was wonderful to follow Nephi and his family through their journey to the Americas. The author used the actual story of Nephi and his family but gave their wives names and personalities. It was adventurous as the family encounters the dangers of their journey but it was also emotional to experience the family breakup and all the troubles that brought. I highly recommend this book series!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Moore is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I really enjoy historical fiction. She is very careful in her research and she brings the story to life. I can visualize these stories that I have read and reread more clearly now. While reading Moore's books would never replace my scripture reading, it does give added insight. I like imagining what the women of this story might be like.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just o.k. for me. It made me think about the way things would have been, but I would much rather sit down with the real thing. For me, it was kind of like watching a movie about your favorite book, they just don't compare. I think there is a lot more depth in the actual verses of Nephi than there was in the pages of "Out of Jerusalem".

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitate to read books that fictionalize scripture, but had heard that this was good, so I decided to give it a chance. I enjoyed it. I appreciate the author's background of growing up with a father who has researched the times of the Book of Mormon, and who herself researched to bring authenticity to the story. I look forward to reading more from HB Moore!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book & love this series! It really brought the Book of Mormon to life for me. I feel like I know the people in the Book of Mormon better & I understand the culture & environment of the time much more than before.
The only problem now is remembering which parts are fiction and which parts are scriptural!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series! I found all four of the books in the series rivetting! I was obsessed about getting them read, and finished them in 5 days.
These books are based on the story of Lehi and Nephi and their family's journey through the wilderness to the promised land.
A great read!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that I should be able to get more insight from just reading the scriptures but fiction sometimes leads to insight as well. I love having the details fleshed out with well researched information. How comforting it is to think Nephi had a wife at home to share the burden with.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK book. It is probably a one time read for me. It was an interesting romantic twist on the book of Nephi in the book of Mormon. It is a corney romance. I enjoyed it but would probably not buy it.

[Annalisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really inspired me to get out my Book of Mormon and re-read the story of Nephi so that I could separate the fact from fiction that is in the book. It really gives a lot of personality to the history of Lehi's family.

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 4 book series. It wasn't as good as the Kingdom and the Crown series, but was very cool in bringing the characters of the Book of Mormon to life. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read that taught me much and gave me much to think about. I learned about the customs at the time The Book of Mormon was written. And to see how the marriages might have been done was fascinating.

[Larae · Rating 5 out of 5]

It gave me a new insight to the Book Of Mormon.

[T.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really worth reading; the author has such an interesting take on the Book of Mormon.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool to read and see the BofM characters come alive and become "real" people.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful series!! Puts the book of Mormon in a clearer view of how it could have been. Kept me on the edge of my seat!