Who built the Restoration besides Joseph Smith?Most Latter-day Saints can name Brigham Young, Hyrum Smith, Oliver Cowdery, or Parley P. Pratt.
But who remembers the missionary whose preaching led to the miracle that helped save the Kirtland Temple? Who remembers the man who helped build both the Kirtland Temple and the Nauvoo Temple? Who remembers the faithful servant whom the Lord promised would be held in "sacred remembrance from generation to generation"? Who remembers the women who built Relief Society, preserved the faith of their families, and helped shape the spiritual culture of the Restoration? Who remembers the faithful Black Saints who sacrificed, served, and remained devoted despite enormous challenges? And what can we learn from the builders, witnesses, leaders, and dissenters whose choices helped shape the future of the Restoration?
Foundational Figures of the Restoration: Witnesses, Builders, and Dissenters compiled by Taylor Halverson, Ph.D., introduces readers to some of the most fascinating individuals in early Church history. Some stood beside Joseph Smith. Some built temples. Some carried the gospel across continents. Some helped establish Nauvoo. Some preserved records that historians still rely upon today. Some became leaders. Some became critics. All left their mark on the Restoration.
Meet Jared Carter, whose missionary service changed the course of Kirtland history.
Walk beside Reynolds Cahoon as he helps build two temples. Follow Oliver Granger as he sacrifices his health and fortune to redeem the reputation of the First Presidency. Discover the remarkable lives of Eliza R. Snow, Sarah M. Kimball, Jane Manning James, Elijah Abel, Lorenzo Snow, Orrin Porter Rockwell, William Clayton, Charles C. Rich, and dozens of others whose stories deserve to be remembered.
Not every story ends the same way. Some remained faithful throughout their lives. Some struggled. Some questioned.
Some left. Some founded rival movements and competing visions of the Restoration. Their stories reveal the complexity of a movement that was still discovering what it would become.
Drawing upon primary sources, journals, letters, Church records, and historical scholarship, this volume brings together the lives of men and women who helped build the Restoration during its most formative years.
Because history is never shaped by one person alone. It is built by communities. It is carried forward by witnesses. It is preserved by builders. And it is often understood most clearly through the lives of those who stood closest to the events themselves.
