New 4-Volume History of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days

I have started reading and rereading the first installments of the new four-volume history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint called, "Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days." Quoting from an article written By Elder Steven E. Snow, General Authority Seventy and Church Historian and Recorder:

Saints was prepared in response to the Lord’s commandment to “keep the church record and history continually” (D&C 47:3). Unlike past histories of the Church, it is a narrative history written in an engaging style that will be accessible to both youth and adults. 

Saints, however, is not historical fiction. It is a true story based on the records of people from the past. Every detail and every line of dialogue is supported by historical sources. Notes at the end of each chapter refer to the records and additional sources. Those who want to read the actual records, better understand related topics, and discover even more stories will find links in the back of the books and online at saints.lds.org.

I started reading the chapters published in the Ensign Magazine and liked both the content and the style. The narrative style includes details that have previously been omitted from the "official" histories of the Church. Some of the details were things that I had not read about previously even after reading quite a few books on the subject that have been published over the years. I suppose some people will be upset because they didn't know the details previously, but I am happy to learn about what happened. The entire book is extensively annotated with footnotes supporting almost every statement made.

I recognize that historical research often reflects the opinions, prejudices, and culture of the times. We have moved into a more open time when most of the original source documents are becoming freely available through digital copies. Genealogists should take a lesson from the way the research has proceeded when they rely on "traditional" family stories and relationships built on conjecture.

The books are being made available through the Ensign magazine, on the LDS Tools app on mobile devices, as well as on LDS.org. See https://history.lds.org/saints.