The first chapter of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, volume 2, No Unhallowed Hand is now available at saints.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Church History section of the Gospel Library app. Subsequent chapters will be posted each month until the entire volume is published digitally and in print in February 2020.

Hundreds of thousands have enjoyed volume one, The Standard of Truth (published in September 2018). Some 340,000 copies of that volume have been sold, and 834,000 individuals have read or are reading it online. The first volume tells the story of the Restoration, beginning in 1815 with Joseph Smith’s childhood, and concludes with Latter-day Saints worshipping in the Nauvoo Temple in 1846. In volume two, with mobs threatening to drive them from their homes, thousands of Latter-day Saints flee Nauvoo, their gathering place for the past seven years. Following Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, they travel west across prairie and plain, trusting in God to prepare a home for them beyond the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

Finding a new home is only the beginning of their story. In their quest to serve God and build Zion, the exiled Saints struggle against new obstacles and greater persecutions. Stalwart women and men work together to forge communities where the faithful can gather near temples established for the glory of God and the redemption of the living and the dead. At the same time, hundreds of missionaries journey to distant lands to invite others to come to Christ and help establish Zion.

This narrative history is fast-paced, meticulously researched and written under the direction of the First Presidency. It recounts true stories of Latter-day Saints across the globe and is designed to appeal to youth and adult readers alike. Readers looking for a deeper historical dive can explore a host of footnotes that refer to Church records and additional resources, including supplementary essays and videos.

Read chapter 1 of Saints: No Unhallowed Hand at saints.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.