Review
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Title: The Light of the Morning
Author: Elaine Stienon
Publisher: Ensign Publishing House
Genre: Historical Fiction
Year Published: 1988
Number of Pages: 283
Binding: Trade Paperback
ISBN10: 0-929328-00-0
ISBN13: n/a

Reviewed by Tristi Pinkston for the Association for Mormon Letters

Few eras of history have been viewed with more curiosity and suspicion than the
time surrounding the life of Joseph Smith. It seems inconceivable that a simple
farm boy really could have seen God and His Son in person. The Smiths came
under speculation, persecution, and inquisition. They gained many friends and
followers, and they gained many enemies and tormentors. It seemed that few
were neutral regarding the situation.

In “The Light of the Morning,” author Elaine Stienon looks at the Joseph Smith
story and the origins of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through
several different viewpoints. We see the story through the eyes of Lucy Mack
Smith, Emma Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and more--sometimes in
first person, sometimes in third person. We meet both historical and fictional
characters who are trying to sort through their feelings and determine their place
in this equation. We hear stories from the annals of Church history that are oft
repeated, and we hear some that are new to us. We may not like everything that
we read, and we may not agree with it. But we recognize that everyone
surrounding the building up of the Church had their own opinions, and we
respect their right to share those opinions.

It was interesting for me to move from chapter to chapter and see which
historical figure we would follow next. Sometimes the transitions seemed a little
abrupt, and I wanted to know more about Person A's story before moving on to
Person B. Rather than being a narrative that flows continuously from start to
finish, each chapter is a thread that works with the others to create a tapestry to
form a picture of the Restoration in its entirety.

I found this novel very moving as I looked more closely at the lives of persons I
had never really studied before. I felt as though I learned a lot, and quite
frequently found my own testimony of the Church, of Joseph Smith's role in it,
and the reality of the Father and the Son being strengthened.

I did feel that the book could have benefited from some chapter notes and a
bibliography. Whenever you combine history and fiction, and you combine
historical figures and fictional characters, it's good if the reader understands
where the history leaves off and where the fiction begins. I would also love to
read some of the same books the author read preparatory to writing this piece,
and so I was disappointed that her sources weren't listed. I'm a fan of history,
and following up on some of these texts would have been fascinating to me.

That said, I did find it a very uplifting read and would recommend it to those who
would like to know more about the history of the Church and the people who
played vital roles in bringing it all about, although not always on center stage.