I read this even faster than the first book. The Steed family lives in Kirtland Ohio, with the exception of Joshua. He is in Independence Missouri, where the Mormons have been having trouble with the local people. Some historical events that this book covers is Joseph Smith being tarred and feathered, and his son dying as a result; Zion's Camp coming out to Missouri and the miraculous way they were saved from the mob; the printing press being destroyed and the two little girls saving the Doctrine and Covenants; and the bishop being tarred and feathered.
In the Steed family, Joshua marries a woman when he heard that Lydia married Nathan, but she can't keep a pregnancy. One night she refuses to help him cheat in a game of poker, and he beats her. She runs away and finds an LDS family, and joins the church. Joshua then divorces her, and chases she and their daughter out into the snow. Lydia is finally allowed to return home, and Nathan goes with Zion's Camp at the same time. When he returns Lydia asks him to come to Palmyra. Her parents are still very much against the church, and ask her to live with them again but they cannot talk about the church. When Nathan was with Zion's Camp, he sought out Joshua and was beaten badly by the mob. Melissa marries a non member man, who seems to be patient with the Mormon church initially. But he gets more and more impatient.
The culminating event is the Kirtland temple dedication. What a time to be alive! That would have been amazing to witness. The one thing that really got me thinking was about Melissa and her non member husband. I know of families who have tension due to the same thing. I wonder how my marriage and our family would have been if we hadn't been a member of the same church. Would we be able to live in harmony?
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