Eye Witness History of the Church: Volume One: The Restoration

by W. Jeffery Marsh

“The pure joy of eyewitness history,” one author observed, “lies in the vicarious thrill of experiencing the event.” The Eyewitness History of the Church—which draws together for the first time hundreds of first-person, eyewitness accounts of those who walked and talked with the Prophet Joseph Smith—provides such a thrill while adding a new dimension to our understanding of the early days of the Restoration. Each chapter in this innovative book consists of eyewitness narratives of central events of Joseph’s life and of the history of the early Church. You will experience a whole new world of LDS Church history through snapshots of specific moments captured by those who were there. Follow fourteen-year-old Joseph into the Sacred Grove and learn what he experienced from the ten accounts of the First Vision written during his lifetime. Listen to the Whitmer family talk about the miracles that took place in their home and on their property during the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Sit inside a meeting of the School of the Prophets in Kirtland and see what John Murdock and Zebedee Coltrin said happened to the group early one morning as the Prophet led them in prayer. Read what happened when the Prophet and others were caught on a runaway stage coach in Indiana. Relive the spiritual experiences that followed. Stand with the Prophet Joseph as he dedicates the land of Zion for the building of a temple. Worship with the Saints in Kirtland as they experience a celestial outpouring of revelation from heaven in which angels and the Father and the Son appear. Walk with young Mosiah Hancock as he enters the Mansion House with thousands of others to see the martyred bodies of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith. For the past two hundred years, these eyewitness accounts have helped shape the spiritual heritage of the Church around the world. They not only bear testimony of what occurred but also plant seeds of faith and belief in modern readers. This firsthand approach to learning about Church history will touch your heart, stir your imagination, expand your knowledge, and strengthen your testimony.

Genres: Lds

448 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2005

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is misleading. The book contains a few "eye witness" accounts of events in Church History, but those few are heavily edited and modernized, removing all of the juicy stuff and standardizing all of the spelling and punctuation. For example, the book contains the interview of Emma Smith done by Joseph Smith III many years after the death of Joseph Smith Jr., which discusses Emma's witnessing Joseph's translation of the gold plates, but the book edits out Emma's statement about Joseph placing his face into a hat containing his seer stone to perform the translation. The various accounts of the First Vision are "combined" (i.e., harmonized), and thus, lose their unique flavor and emphasis.

Despite the title of the book, the vast majority of the quoted passages are second- and third-hand re-tellings. Most of them are enjoyable, and I appreciate the collection of those texts all in one book, but they do not do what the book's cover claims, which is, tell the story of the history of the church through statements made by those that actually witnessed the events.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could just sit and read all the time. I *love* this book!

This book really increased my appreciation for the restoration period. It is told through journal excerpts from the people who were there and experienced the actual events. At times it is exhilarating and at times it is heart wrenching.