The hereditary office of Presiding Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first occupied by the father of the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, had long seemed the focal point of a struggle for authority between those appointed and those born to leadership positions. Irene Bates and E. Gary Smith, who conclude that the office's demise in 1979 was inevitable, chronicle its history and find it to be a classic example of Max Weber's theory of the "routinization of charisma". From the creation of the patriarchal office in 1833 to its demise, the authors illuminate the tensions between the leadership circle of the Council of Twelve, headed by Brigham Young, and the potential rival power center of the Patriarch. This struggle is related, in turn, to the one between the Smith family and the rest of the Mormon leadership. Also illuminated are recurrent struggles between the president and the Twelve over the patriarchal issue. Bates and Smith argue that the real source of dissonance between the patriarchs and other church leaders was the impossibility of melding familial authority (the Patriarch) with official authority (the structured leadership of the growing church).

In "The Lost Legacy: Uncovering the Hidden Truths of a Family's Past," Sophie sets out on a journey to uncover the secrets of her family's history. As she delves deeper, she discovers a lost legacy of stories and experiences that have been passed down from generation to generation. She uncovers clues, documents, and tangible reminders of the past, piecing together a history that has been hidden for too long. Through her research, Sophie uncovers the experiences and perspectives of her ancestors, gaining insight into their struggles and triumphs. As she continues her journey, she realizes that their legacy is not just a thing of the past, but something that continues to shape and inspire the lives of future generations. But as Sophie uncovers more about her family's past, she also learns about the present and the future. She sees the ways in which her ancestors have influenced and inspired the lives of their descendants, and she realizes that their legacy is not just a historical curiosity, but a source of motivation and inspiration for her own life. "The Lost Legacy" is a story of discovery, exploration, and connection. It is a reminder that the past is not just a thing of the past, but something that continues to shape and inspire our lives today. It is a call to document and preserve our own legacies, so that future generations can learn from our experiences and perspectives.

"Inspirational romantic suspense"--Spine.

Another star wars adventure in which Hans gets hijacked, and his party has to contend with assassins and an army of robots.

Using New Testament "gematria, " symbolic number values encoded in the Greek phrases, the author reveals that the sacred couple was one of the essential pillars of early Christian teachings, before being denied by the architects of institutional Christianity and obscured by later Church doctrine.

Joseph Smith's father, Joseph Smith Sr., first occupied the hereditary office of Presiding Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thereafter, it became a focal point for struggle between those appointed and those born to leadership positions. This new edition of Lost Legacy updates the award-winning history of the office. Irene M. Bates and E. Gary Smith chronicle the ongoing tensions around the existence of a Presiding Patriarch as a source of conflict between the Smith family and the rest of the leadership. Their narrative continues through the dawning realization that familial authority was incompatible with the LDS's structured leadership and the decision to abolish the office of Patriarch in 1979. This second edition, revised and supplemented by author E. Gary Smith, includes a new chapter on Eldred G. Smith, the General Authority Emeritus who was the final Presiding Patriarch. It also corrects the text and provides a new preface by E. Gary Smith.

Emil Pulaski, private investigator and former FBI agent, is hired by the Salash Tribe of Indians to find a stolen will. At stake, is the large and very valuable Bradford ranch adjoining their reservation. It had been left to the tribe by the owner, William Bradford, in a 1905 will that disappeared in 1909 when he was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The will reappears briefly in 1990's after it was found by Leela Thayer, a local artist, only to be stolen by a tribal member in an attempt to extort money from one of the Bradford heirs. The thief ends up murdered, and Emil teams up with Leela Thayer to recover the will. The Bradford heir turns out to have connections with a major crime family in Los Angeles and calls for help with devastating results. More murders, mayhem, and a bomb explosion that almost costs Emil his life, soon follow and the small city of Coeur d'Alene flows with the blood of the innocent.