Thy Gold to Refine

"The Lord said he would raise up a pure people. For what, Benjamin? Why does the Lord need a pure people?"Benjamin stared into Joseph's steady gaze for several seconds, then understanding came with absolute clarity. "Because there is yet work to be done," he said in awe.Joseph laughed softly. "That is exactly what I concluded. There is still much to be done. We have to establish the kingdom of God on the earth so that the kingdom of heaven may come. That takes men and women who have iron faith and steel in their commitment to the Lord." He put both hands on Benjamin's shoulders. "And if the Lord has to take us through the fires to find enough metal to do the job, then I say, let the fires begin. I, for one, am ready."In Thy Gold to Refine, volume 4 in the series The Work and the Glory, the story of the fictional Steed family enters one of the stormiest and yet most inspiring periods in Church history.Picking up where Volume 3 left off in the summer of 1838, this book finds the Steeds, (all but daughter Melissa and her family) happily reunited in Far West, Missouri, only to be thrown into a maelstrom of intense and tragic events: the election-day battle at Gallatin; the siege of DeWitt; the Battle of Crooked River; the issuing of Governor Bogg's extermination order; the Haun's Mill massacre; the fall of Far West; the incarceration of the Prophet Joseph Smith; and the expulsion from Missouri. Characters whom readers have come to know and love from previous volumes return here, including Joshua Steed, who, although reconciled to his family now, finds that his commission in the Missouri state militia forces him to be alighted with those opposing the Mormons.Once again author Gerald Lund skillfully recreates dramatic scenes from Latter-day Saint history, transporting readers back in time to witness soul-stirring events and to meet unforgettable people. Readers of The Work and the Glory may well find that this new volume — with its powerful account of endurance and faith refined by the fires of affliction &is the most engaging and moving installment in the series so far.