This is the 16th book in the Faith-Promoting Series, and the second volume primarily written by George C. Lambert. Lambert worked closely with George Q. Cannon at Deseret Book, and after Cannon’s death he continued publishing volumes in this series. This book, just like the previous book in the series, Treasures in Heaven, has a special emphasis on temples and geneology work. The story of Thomas Briggs is one of a life-long pursuit to find geneological records. In spite of great personal and physical trials, including the amputation of his legs, Briggs made finding the names of his ancestors a priority in his life. He worked ofter at the Logan Temple, and before his death he had amassed a huge collection of geneology. George L. Farrell was a missionary in England in 1875. He had unique experiences with a number of people, and they continued later in his life when people he had ministered to there moved to Utah. The book concludes with a number of short experiences, regarding missionary work and the changes possible when the Spirit touches people’s hearts.

This is the 14th book in the Faith-Promoting Series, a collection of books written with young Latter-day Saints in mind. The stories contained in each volume are designed to be exciting to read, teach important gospel principles, and most importantly bring the reader closer to the Savior and show the Hand of God in the everyday lives of everyday Saints. This volume includes experiences from Orson F. Whitney, Briant Stevens, and Thomas A. Shreeve. Whitney was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, a notable writer of both fiction and non-fiction. He was assistant Church historian, as well as a teacher at BYU. Briant Stevens died not long after being ordained an Elder, but his shining example in the face of trials and suffering is inspiring. He was a true example of a normal member of the Church accomplishing extraordinary things with the help of Heavenly Father. Thomas A. Shreeve was born in England and joined the church there in 1864. Five years later he moved to Ogden, Utah, arriving on the second immigrant train to reach the Salt Lake Valley. In 1878 he was called on a mission to Australia, and served his mission in New Zealand. He organized the New Zealand mission and was witness to many miracles during that time. He was later ordained a patriarch in his home stake in Ogden.

This is the 13th book in the Faith-Promoting Series. It is comprised of three stories from different authors, each with the common theme of sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. Like other books in the Faith-Promoting Series, it is designed to be easy to read, relevant to the daily lives of Latter-day Saints, and exciting. The first section, Leaving Home, is the story of Robert Aveson. Aveson was born in England and received a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, but his parents and other family members were violently opposed to him joining the Church. He attended meetings in secret for many years, until he had saved enough money to run away to the US and then on to Utah. His first two attempts at escape were stopped, but eventually he succeeded and successfully arrived in Salt Lake City. Years later his parents both converted to the Church and joined him there. William Anderson was a soldier, a man from a strict family who left behind a touching legacy for his posterity. He joined the Church and journeyed with his family to Nauvoo where he participated in the Battle of Nauvoo. O. B. Huntington relates a thrilling story of journeying through the desert in an area controlled by Native Americans. Amazing intervention from the Lord allows both the Native Americans and the travelers to arrive at their destinations safely.

This is the 12th book in the Faith-Promoting Series. Like many of the other wonderful books in this series, this book is a collection of experiences from missionaries, pioneers, and early Church members. The stories range from the miraculous with amazing examples of the Lord’s hand reaching out to help Saints in need, to the deeply spiritual and personal. While the Saints who tell these stories have long since passed on, their experiences and the faith that sustained them are just as relevant for us today as they were for their contemporaries. I hope that the stories told here will strengthen your faith just as they have strengthened mine, and will bring you closer to the Savior. The Faith-Promoting Series was started by George Q. Cannon, the founder of Deseret Book, as a way to help youth who weren’t interested in reading “gospel books” have quality, spiritually-uplifting materials to read. They were extremely popular when published in the 1800s and remain so today.

Any member of the LDS Church has been told reasons why the Book of Mormon “just can’t be true”. One of the most common that seems to persist in folk culture is the myth that Sidney Rigdon wrote the Book of Mormon by basing it on the Spaulding Manuscript. The manuscript that Spaulding wrote and tried to sell to a publisher in 1812 contains the story of a group of ancient Romans that sail to the American continent and populate it. Sidney Rigdon supposedly read this manuscript during his acquaintane with the publisher, and used it as a basis for what would become the Book of Mormon. The first half of this book, the eleventh book in the Faith-Promoting Series, was originally published by Deseret Book in 1883 examines both the story behind the manuscript and the claims that Rigdon wrote the Book of Mormon. It was published the year that Spaulding’s original manuscript was found in papers donated to Oberlin University. It details not only the differences between the manuscript and the Book of Mormon, but also gives additional information that may be useful when a member of the Church is asked to defend the Book of Mormon from detractors. Following the Faith-Promoting Series book, I have also included the text of the original Spaulding Manuscript as it has been transcribed from the original manuscript submitted to the published by Spaulding. As an adventure story it has some interesting moments, but it really can’t compare to the Book of Mormon in excitement or depth. I hope that you enjoy perusing it, and that someday it will come of use to you when discussing the Book of Mormon.