The highly anticipated fourth and final volume of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days was published today in 14 languages, reaching a global audience. This newest book, Sounded in Every Ear, tells the story of the Latter-day Saints from 1955 to 2020—a period of accelerated worldwide Church growth and temple building. Saints, Volume 4 is now available for purchase from the Church’s online store and at retail outlets. The digital version is available for free on the Church website and in the Church History section of the Gospel Library app.
The first two volumes of Saints focus on the early Restoration as the Latter-day Saints gathered to build temples in Kirtland, Nauvoo, and Utah. In volume 3, readers followed stories of Saints from around the globe as they encountered the excitement of modernisation and the devastation of war, a pandemic, and economic hardship. The story of the global Church continues in volume 4, with stories about how the Church and its members utilise new technologies, additional opportunities in Church education, innovative changes in Church organisation and leadership, and widespread temple construction to aid in spreading the message of the restored gospel and in covenant-making.
“Saints tells the story of what the Saints did, why they did it, and what they believed. We read about how they followed the Lord’s commandments, moving forward in faith and turning to their Saviour,” said Elder Kyle S. McKay, Church Historian and Recorder. “In the final volume of Saints, we see historic revelation and a dramatic expansion of temple building throughout the earth, giving God’s children increased opportunities to make and keep covenants that will strengthen them against the commotion and uncertainty of the world around them.”
Much of the history covered in Saints, Volume 4 is history many readers lived through and remember. Readers will learn more about the beginnings of priesthood correlation and FamilySearch; the blessings of the Perpetual Education Fund; the establishment of stakes in South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific; the Church’s building program; the rapid construction of temples all over the world; and the revelation on priesthood ending race-based priesthood and temple restrictions.
“In volume 4, the Saints continue unabated in inviting others to Jesus Christ,” said James Perry, a general editor of the volume. “One of the most fulfilling aspects of Saints is seeing how individuals from all walks of life continue to choose to serve the Lord, sometimes at considerable personal expense and inconvenience. I find it incredibly inspiring to see the great work of proclaiming the gospel taking place in Peru, Ghana, Hong Kong, Germany, and across the world.”
As the Saints series concludes, many nations, kindreds, tongues, and people still thirst for the restored truth amidst a world troubled by war, civil unrest, sickness, hunger, and prejudice. Latter-day Saints, too, have much to learn about each other as the Church spreads far and wide, welcoming people from many cultures and traditions. The Lord’s command to “be one” has never been more vital—or more challenging—for His people to follow.
For readers wanting to delve even more deeply into the story of the Saints, the Church has also published dozens of new Church History Topics in the Gospel Library, providing detailed introductions to topics such as the Church’s Building Program, Church Callings, and Church Incorporation. Today also marks the launch of a fourth season of the Saints podcast, which goes behind the scenes to tell more about the people and events in the books. Previous seasons of the podcast have reached hundreds of thousands of listeners.
Saints, featuring four volumes, is the third multivolume official history produced by the Church. Joseph Smith commissioned and oversaw the writing of the first Church history in the 1830s, and it was published beginning in 1842. The second history was published in 1930 by Assistant Church Historian B. H. Roberts, before Church membership had reached 1 million.
Volume 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846; Volume 2: No Unhallowed Hand, 1846–1893; and Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 1893–1955, are available now.