The Fourth Nephite

Fourth Nephite #1

by Jeffrey S. Savage

Busted. Football star Kaleo Steele is caught under the high school bleachers with the wrong group of friends. Even worse, he's caught by his seminary teacher, Brother Mortensen. If Kaleo gets turned in, he'll be in jeopardy of missing the regional championship game.

It doesn't help that Kaleo has been cutting seminary class. But what's the point? Mumbo jumbo stories about angels and gold plates and Joseph Smith? Brother Mortensen decides Kaleo is ready for an extraordinary "field trip" — one that could alter the course of his life and his heart.

Reluctantly, Kaleo meets with Ladan — a mysterious old blind man — and unknowingly begins a quest through time, landing in Palmyra, New York, in the fall of 1827.

Soon, Kaleo and a nineteenth-century girl named Jennie are caught up in a battle between treasure seekers — led by Alistair Blackburn, a necromancer hired to steal the gold plates — and the young Joseph Smith, who has sworn to keep them safe.

In his quest to find a key that will send him back to his own time, Kaleo will have to decide for himself what to believe and who to trust. Before it's too late.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Religion, Lds, Historical Fiction, Adventure

263 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2010

About the author

Also writes under the name J. Scott Savage.

Reviews

[Bre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaleo Steele is unsure if he has a testimony; in fact he believes that Joseph Smith made everything up, including the Book of Mormon! Everything changes for Kaleo when he is caught with a beer in his hand by his seminary teacher. He is sent on a wild adventure 200 years back to Joseph Smith's time. Along the way, Kaleo sees for himself who Joseph Smith really was. Subsequently he gains a true understanding and testimony of Joseph Smith, as well as The Book of Mormon. I really liked this book! It is well written and I think that teenagers will really be able to relate to Kaleo. The Fourth Nephite has the flavor of Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites (by Chris Heimerdinger), which I grew up reading; I think that The Fourth Nephite will be the series this generation grows up reading!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Every once in a while a book takes me completely by surprise and I close the pages with a smile on my face. The Fourth Nephite Series is one I now have my eye on, awaiting book two. Here are a few of the many reasons I loved the first book, The Fourth Nephite:

1) The cover. The top half of the front page is gold metallic paper with rusty holes, like the golden plates and the rest of the cover illustration is perfect.

2) The author. I have met Jeffrey and his wife and two book signings and decided it was time to read his books. They are wonderful people who sit together at their booths and engage fans.

3) The scenes are places I'm familiar with. It's fun to hear of tunnels beneath Salt Lake City and travel back in time to the thick woods of Palmyra where we visited as a youth and an adult.

4) The message is positive and interesting for both teenagers and adults. Common questions and doubts about the early history of the Mormon church are answered through Kaleo's adventures. He learns that knowledge and faith must work together as a key.

5) The author's notes were my favorite part of The Fourth Nephite. I love that Jeff uses real historical facts and names in his scenes. I wish he would have written more. When Joseph Smith speaks his own story to Kaleo, endnotes or footnotes would be a useful reference for teens or others not familiar with his quoted words.

6) The writing mixes fantasy with reality in a tasteful way. I am one who usually runs far far away from series like this. But I was drawn in to Jeffrey's writing, his characters and the quest of Kaleo. I will be reading the entire series and one day when my children are a little older we'll read it together.

7) The journalistic pages written at the beginning of each chapter by main hero Kaleo bring us back to the present thoughts of an every day average teenager and show the changes in his personality as he learns the truth for himself as a first hand witness.

Well done Jeffrey Savage!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I was expecting this to be another time-travel-into-Book-of-Mormon-times-kind-of-a-book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a time-travel-into-Church-History-kind-of-a-book. Okay, so really I was just glad that it wasn't quite a Chris Heimerdinger take of, although it was getting fairly close.

The Church History facts seemed pretty accurate for the most part, but I didn't appreciate Joseph and Hyrum Smith being portrayed as having the manners of 11 year old boys. Having a food fight when you're 20-something, married and with a guest at the table....please.

I wasn't sure I liked the idea of the Three Nephites sending people on time-traveling missions. And, although I'm fine with fictional characters interacting with real people, like Joseph Smith, I was not fine with Kaleo seeing and touching the gold plates. Obviously, he's not one of the three or eight witnesses; I'm not crazy about people messing with history like that. Also, I get the idea that Kaleo's testimony of the Book of Mormon comes almost solely from seeing and handling the plates himself, not from a witness from the Spirit and definitely not from reading it, since he has yet to do that. If this book is supposed to help youth get interested in the Book of Mormon and to gain a testimony of it by reading it, I'm not sure it's accomplishing it's goal.

Another thing, I thought the romance was just a little weird. Especially since it looks like Kaleo's affection for Jenny will transfer seamlessly to the girl in the shop, who just happens to be Jenny's great-great-great-great granddaughter who looks exactly like her. I think it would've been a lot less weird if Jenny had turned out to be the girl in the shop in the first place.

So, even though, I'm definitely not crazy about many elements of this book, I think it's well-wrriten, a pretty good introduction to Church History, and an interesting story with likeable characters.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting! Happily I received this book as an advance reader copy and read it aloud to the kids. It will be published in late August but you're invited to read my copy! It provided some good points for conversation. Although I don't seem to enjoy time travel books, I'm so glad we read it - particularly because of the perspective it gave my children concerning the value of scriptures.

Some parts of the book seemed to drag on needlessly but that is probably my opinion of time travel. :) Kaleo Steele is the protagonist and his football star character with an attitude is appropriate. His troubles begin when he is busted by his seminary teacher. In an effort to create Kaleo as a real hero he is caught before he actually does anything seriously wrong - just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a seminary teacher anticipating studying the Doctrine and Covenants next year I was very interested in Kaleo's perspective. He doesn't believe Joseph Smith really translated the gold plates.
After being sent back in time, Kaleo has a conversation with Hyrum Smith and ask him if he really believes the plates exist. The highlight for me came when my son made the comment that sometimes he is so tired at night that he doesn't want to read his scriptures but then he remembers Hyrum's reply. Hyrum said that he would stay awake at night just wondering what was on the plates. Keaton said he knew it was a fictitious conversation but it really made him realize what a gift the scriptures are for us. In the end . . . it was worth the read!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this story! Kaleo is a refreshingly honest and brave character (a teenage boy nonetheless) who has traveled back in time to see first hand the events surrounding the life of the Prophet Joseph. He has been sent back to learn this lesson as punishment for a bad decision, yet he embraces it and is able to learn from it. I was nervous when his life intersected with the Prophet and his family, but it was so tastefully done, I had no problem with it in the end. (I loved dinner at the Smiths) It's heartwarming as Kaleo starts to figure out all the reasons his doubts in his faith are so unfounded and his ultimate understanding is sweet. I loved the little journalish entries at the beginning of the chapters and the author's voice kept me forgetting this was actually written by an adult. My teenagers are all fighting over who gets to read it next! Thrilled that it's a series! Keep up the good work and thanks for the ARC, Jeff :)

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story involves a high school football player, a bottle of beer, a seminary teacher, an alley hiding an unusual store filled with antiques, a cute girl, a very old man, time travel through tunnels underneath Salt Lake City, dinner with Joseph Smith's family, bullet wound, the Golden Plates, another cute girl, a key and a note from the very old man to the seminary teacher. It's a pretty good story and a pretty fast read. I liked it.

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my 10-year-old son and he loved it! Honestly, so did I. Who would have thought a fantasy novel about a boy who travels to the time of Joseph Smith would have strengthened my testimony of the restored gospel, but it did.

[Fabrizio Poli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very well written. I loved the characters and the plot. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat while getting you to think deeply about the gospel and the consequences of your decisions.
The book is also very well-researched, with a mix of real historical figures and fictional characters.
I feel this is a great book to give a teenager who may be having doubts about their faith.
Highly recommended.

[Alisha Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows the adventures of a teenage football player as he gets in trouble and is forced to see someone who can help him regain his own faith. He is then trapped in history during a pivotal moment in the Church of jesus Christ history.
For the faint of heart
Drugs
Sex
Religious ideals
Violence

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book, it started a little slower than I would have liked, but picked up and it seemed a lot like the tennis shoes amongst the nephites. Was it fantastic? No. Was it a stinker? No. I expect that perhaps the kids will enjoy it.

[Gehrig · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is one of the best books I think I have ever read

[Jolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skeptical at first, but I enjoyed it quite a bit by the end. I would read it again.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encantó pero me dejó con intriga.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and engaging

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun angle - time travel into the days of Joseph Smith! Lots of unexpected and quirky angles in this story for youth. Cool!

[Sterling Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An okay YA read for Latter-day Saints. As with most time-travel stories, the plot had some holes, but a good adventure read nonetheless.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s very exciting and inspiring

[Thomas C.Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[Rachael Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable, quick read! Loved it!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites by Chris Heimerdinger, which I did, then you'll enjoy this one. It's not polished, but it's fun and it did a good job of bringing the history of the church to life.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator had kind of a strange accent that I found a little irritating. That said it was an interesting story mixing fantasy with real history (the author comes on at the end to talk about the real people done of the characters were based on). The pacing sort of drops off a bit abruptly at the end. If I didn't want him working on his mainstream series I'd want book two of this one!
When it comes down to it ... we can't all "see to believe." Some things we just have to believe. Kaleo gets to, though, and it changes him.

[Nalani Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

*spoiler alert, you have been warned*
I would give this book a rating of five out of five stars. The writing style of the book was pleasant, the story was set at a good pace, and it had an intriguing concept. The theme in the book is faith. I will, for the most part, be trying to discuss the message the author was trying to portray with the theme. When the main character, Kaleo, finds himself lost in an underground maze of sorts, and no one can hear him, he sits down and prays. Even though he isn't sure if the gospel is true, or if god even exists, he has enough faith to pray. There are a series of letters that Laban (the person that sent Kaleo on his journey)sends to Kaleo throughout his journey. All of these letters have to do with faith. It's these letters that guide him through his journey, and help him stay alive. Jennie is a character in the book who was instructed to send Kaleo a letter. She had enough faith to believe that he was the right person to give it to, and to not read it, as instructed. What the author is trying to teach throughout the book is that seeing isn’t always believing, sometimes you have to trust how you feel inside, and go off of faith. Throughout the book, at the beginning of every chapter there are parts where the main character is talking about his own life. The book starts with him talking about varying levels of uncool, as the book goes on it varies from him talking about how to save your own skin, to being thoughtful about what he's done before, and how he would do something different now. This is very symbolic because it shows that through faith Kaleo went from only caring about being cool and looking out for his own skin, to the end where he would be willing to give up his life, if it would help someone else. The book is a wonderful story, the issues brought up were realistic, the character's situations and actions were thought out, and the reader enjoys seeing how the character improves over at the course of the book. Though it is a book based off of the author's religion it still has a good moral for the reader to learn, and even without the moral, it's just a good story to sit down and read.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is similar to the Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series except the only difference is that instead of going into the Book of Mormon times the protagonist is going into the D&C times of the Church history.

The protagonist is a pretty interesting character, he's not perfect and has an attitude most of the time. He's a very likeable character to read about especially seeing him grow in an environment he is not used to. The only issue I have is the fact that this character has been done before and his path is pretty predicable. Gee, will he learn his lesson and grow more faith in the church? That is pretty predictable but other than that, it's not too bad.

The antagonists are your typical bad guys and are not really interesting. They want to use the gold plates for money and will do anything to get them, even hurt people. They're basically a bunch of jerks who just want money. Their motive is boring and their dialogue is boring. Interestingly enough, the villains are probably the only thing I hated in this book.

The plot is very basic, Kaleo (apologies if I spelled his name wrong) has to decide whether or not to help Joseph Smith keep the gold plates from the people who want it just for money. It's a good plot for a character who develops.

This book is an easy read and is a very simple story to follow. There is nothing complicated in the story and I found it to be very entertaining despite all the annoyances, like the boring villains.

I thought the adding of the three Nephites in the story was a nice touch. Then again, looking at the title of the book, it makes sense. Makes me look forward to the next book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of a Mormon teenager, Kaleo Steele, who is about to play the biggest football game of his high school career. College scouts will be in the stands, watching and deciding if Kaleo is good enough for a scholarship. But the night before the game, he gets invited to an after-school party, where some temptations seem too hard to resist. When his seminary teacher catches him doing something that jeopardizes Kaleo’s ability to play in the football game, they strike a bargain--a bargain that will change Kaleo's life in remarkable ways.

The Fourth Nephite gave me a fascinating insight into the life of the prophet Joseph Smith as a young man. When Kaleo enters a time portal and finds himself right in the middle of the controversy surrounding the unearthing of the gold plates, I was caught up in the vibrant word created by Savage. I found myself looking at the life of the prophet through different eyes, and thinking about the incredible courage he had. Some of Kaleo’s questions about the gospel have been mine at one time or another, and I loved the way that Savage unobtrusively guided the learning curve that Kaleo went through. Great research, an exciting plotline, and superb storytelling combine into a book worth every minute. I’m now reading it for a second time with my teens.

[~Bellegirl91~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I loved how it shows that just an ordinary member of the Church of Jesus Christ can truly struggle in life and with their testimony and eventually coming through to knowing the truth for themselves. Not that I have had trouble but I have/had friends and family members who are in the same boat. One is a returned missionary working in Hollywood, CA as a makeup artist and struggling bad but SLOWLY more like baby step slow I think realizing where he is and attempting to change. I've had an Aunt and Uncle on my dad's side who were really lost until someone found them and they ended up coming back, getting married in the Temple and just to see them happy. I have some friends who fell away back in High School and know that they'll come back someday. This book also reminded me of my mission I'll be serving in SLC in the service mission at the conference center and how I'll be able to share my testimony of what I know to be true. I loved everything about this book. Not AMAZING but I really liked it.
Overall it was a good adventure story and so much fun! and it shows that Joseph Smith was just an ordinary person even though he was a Prophet of God. He was fun, played with the children, teased other people but he never judged anyone for calling him a liar.
I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a good book to read. :D

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great new book from Jeffrey S. Savage. LDS teens and their parents will love this book and so will adults who love YA books. I love the concept of going back in time, especially to meet the Prophet Joseph. This will be another great series by Jeff.

I always read his books so quickly. He is an awesome writer. He knows how to create wonderful characters that you love to care about. The main character,Kaleo, learns a lot on his adventure. At first you think he is another sassy kid that just doesn't "get it". By the end of the book, his testimony grows and yours can't help but be strengthened by what Kaleo learns from The Prophet Joseph Smith. This is a book I will be sharing with my own children and my nieces and nephews.

Another note, I loved reading the author notes at the end of the book. They are great! You will get a feel of what Jeff is really like; besides being a fantastic author,he is a really great guy with a super sense of humor.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to recommend this book to kids and adults who enjoy a bit of mystery and adventure sprinkled with humor and awesome LDS church history facts.

The main character, Kaleo, is remarkably well-written with believable character attributes that keep the story spinning and those pages turning--I was excited to see what role Kaleo would play in helping to protect the gold plates.
I loved how Jeff included so many answers to "popular" questions about the LDS or Mormon faith--questions that many teenage members of the church might wonder about. Kaleo struggles with his beliefs and faces these questions head-on and the results are terrific.

The Fourth Nephite is an entertaining and engaging read. You'll walk away from this book enlightened, but while reading the story you'll be so engrossed that you won't realize that you're being taught. Check out this new book by Jeffrey S. Savage--you'll be glad you did.

[Beth Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this outloud to the kids. We've been reading it for a few weeks--with lots of missed nights--but they are "into it" now and reminding me each night to read. I expect to finish it before the weeks end....We've only got about 4 more chapters.

Oct 31---We finished the book tonight. I kids enjoyed it. I don't think it was the greatest book ever, but I gave it 4 stars because I liked it message so much. It was nice having a story incorporating Gospel messages and testifying of Joseph Smith as a prophet. If another book comes out (it says it is "First in a new sequel) then I would certainly buy it also to read to my family.

I had asked my kids when I first got the book if they wanted to read it and no one did. That's why i chose to read it aloud to them. My 2 older ones have each read parts of this now though and I'm sure they would be interested in reading book #2 themselves.

[Michelle Llewellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars because the book was not very well written. Harsh, I know, this is a successful published author I'm snarking! I even heard him speak at the 2009 LDS Storymakers conference. I've never read any of his other books and, I'm sorry, but after reading this one I'm not sure I want to.
See, when I can skim through an entire book in just one hour and know upon reaching the ending that I didn't miss anything important or add any new words to my own writing vocabulary, or that I've already read the entire Work and the Glory series...well it's a cute Tennis Shoes idea and there might've been some nice scenes in there somewhere between Kaleo and the Smith family but I was too inundated by page after page of Kaleo's thoughts and feelings about his adventure. Um, Brother Savage, first rule in writing...SHOW DON'T TELL!!!
Deseret Book published this? Can anyone say, nepotism?

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a creation from the pen of one of my favorite LDS authors. Make no mistake, this one is decidedly aimed at LDS readers.

I think many of us would list Joseph Smith as one of the people we would like to meet in heaven. Kaleo Steele, a 17 year old, high school football star with a very shaky testimony get's the opportunity to meet Joseph for real, during the time when he (Joseph) has retrieved the Golden Plates. It probably goes without saying, this is a time travel tale.

This 21st Century teenager gets sent back to Palmyra, New York during the early days of the Prophet Joseph's mission. He finds himself sitting across the dinner table from this man who he has doubts about. His first encounter with the Smith's is with Joseph's brother Hyrum. That was one of my favorite parts of the book.

This, for me, was an enjoyable read. I liked the mixture of history and fiction that Brother Savage wove together in this novel.