Saints, Vol 1 available now for free on Kindle

[rockpond]

I guess this is more of a public service announcement, if inappropriate Mods can please delete.  But, I learned today that if you pre-order the first volume of the Church's new history as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, you can get it for free when it releases on Sept 4.

From what I can tell, once it releases, there may be a charge of a couple bucks... which I still would have happily paid to have the book in Kindle form rather than needing to read it within the gospel library app.  You might think I'm crazy but I appreciate the single-tap page turns over needing to scroll while reading.  And I like having it in my digital library.

Just thought I would let everyone know in case you are a Kindle user and want to pre-order for free or even download for a couple bucks later.

[Stargazer]

4 hours ago, rockpond said:

I guess this is more of a public service announcement, if inappropriate Mods can please delete.  But, I learned today that if you pre-order the first volume of the Church's new history as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, you can get it for free when it releases on Sept 4.

From what I can tell, once it releases, there may be a charge of a couple bucks... which I still would have happily paid to have the book in Kindle form rather than needing to read it within the gospel library app.  You might think I'm crazy but I appreciate the single-tap page turns over needing to scroll while reading.  And I like having it in my digital library.

Just thought I would let everyone know in case you are a Kindle user and want to pre-order for free or even download for a couple bucks later.

Great! But I'm looking for it on Amazon and can't find it. You wouldn't happen to have a link would you?

ETA: Found it. My search terms weren't getting it, but looking at the church's Amazon page it was the top item. But no link because this in the Amazon app.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Stargazer

[ksfisher]

8 hours ago, rockpond said:

I guess this is more of a public service announcement, if inappropriate Mods can please delete.  But, I learned today that if you pre-order the first volume of the Church's new history as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, you can get it for free when it releases on Sept 4.

From what I can tell, once it releases, there may be a charge of a couple bucks... which I still would have happily paid to have the book in Kindle form rather than needing to read it within the gospel library app.  You might think I'm crazy but I appreciate the single-tap page turns over needing to scroll while reading.  And I like having it in my digital library.

Just thought I would let everyone know in case you are a Kindle user and want to pre-order for free or even download for a couple bucks later.

It will be available in Gospel Library on 9/4 as well.

[Avatar4321]

First seven chapters are in the gospel library. Seems pretty good so far

[rockpond]

Here’s the link:

https://www.amazon.com/Saints-Church-Christ-Standard-1815-1846-ebook/dp/B07FDPJ7MZ

[Scott Lloyd]

20 hours ago, rockpond said:

I guess this is more of a public service announcement, if inappropriate Mods can please delete.  But, I learned today that if you pre-order the first volume of the Church's new history as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, you can get it for free when it releases on Sept 4.

From what I can tell, once it releases, there may be a charge of a couple bucks... which I still would have happily paid to have the book in Kindle form rather than needing to read it within the gospel library app.  You might think I'm crazy but I appreciate the single-tap page turns over needing to scroll while reading.  And I like having it in my digital library.

Just thought I would let everyone know in case you are a Kindle user and want to pre-order for free or even download for a couple bucks later.

Thanks for the heads up. But why would I need it on Kindle when I can have it for free on the Gospel Library app?

[rockpond]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Thanks for the heads up. But why would I need it on Kindle when I can have it for free on the Gospel Library app?

It’s just a matter of personal preference. 

I like the page turns on Kindle better than scrolling.  And I like the e-ink display for reading (as opposed to an LED screen). 

And, much of my library is synced across multiple devices which makes reading whenever and wherever easy for me.  

But for those who aren’t avid Kindle users, my OP won’t be if much interest. 

[hope_for_things]

On 9/1/2018 at 10:19 PM, rockpond said:

I guess this is more of a public service announcement, if inappropriate Mods can please delete.  But, I learned today that if you pre-order the first volume of the Church's new history as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, you can get it for free when it releases on Sept 4.

From what I can tell, once it releases, there may be a charge of a couple bucks... which I still would have happily paid to have the book in Kindle form rather than needing to read it within the gospel library app.  You might think I'm crazy but I appreciate the single-tap page turns over needing to scroll while reading.  And I like having it in my digital library.

Just thought I would let everyone know in case you are a Kindle user and want to pre-order for free or even download for a couple bucks later.

I just downloaded the whole thing in the Gospel Library app.  I’m even listening to it using the audio feature which is really handy.  

I also thought the preface talking about how this is a narrative, and the title calling this a story, are important points.  This is not historically rigorous scholarship. The sources used are for narrative purposes not necessarily the most accurate or even the ones that stand up to scrutiny. Writing this narrative was a creative act by an institution that wants to put itself in the best light possible.  Important to remember.  

[rockpond]

5 hours ago, hope_for_things said:

I just downloaded the whole thing in the Gospel Library app.  I’m even listening to it using the audio feature which is really handy.  

I also thought the preface talking about how this is a narrative, and the title calling this a story, are important points.  This is not historically rigorous scholarship. The sources used are for narrative purposes not necessarily the most accurate or even the ones that stand up to scrutiny. Writing this narrative was a creative act by an institution that wants to put itself in the best light possible.  Important to remember.  

Yeah... I anticipate that this book series will be similar to the gospel topics essays:  better than what the Church had previously published but still slanted in a way that supports the current mainstream narrative.

[Stargazer]

20 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Thanks for the heads up. But why would I need it on Kindle when I can have it for free on the Gospel Library app?

Switching between things in the Gospel Library app is a real pain. If I have it in Kindle I can switch pretty rapidly between it and the scriptures,  for example. 

[Scott Lloyd]

45 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

Switching between things in the Gospel Library app is a real pain. If I have it in Kindle I can switch pretty rapidly between it and the scriptures,  for example. 

How about other references? In Gospel LIbrary, tapping on footnotes to the Joseph Smith Papers takes me directly to the relevant page on the Joseph Smith Papers website. (Maybe the Kindle version does too; I've not tried it.)

Also, I can get directly to the Gospel Topics essays from respective footnotes in the Gospel Library version.

Edited September 3, 2018 by Scott Lloyd

[rockpond]

23 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

How about other references? In Gospel LIbrary, tapping on footnotes to the Joseph Smith Papers takes me directly to the relevant page on the Joseph Smith Papers website. (Maybe the Kindle version does too; I've not tried it.)

Also, I can get directly to the Gospel Topics essays from respective footnotes in the Gospel Library version.

I love that about the gospel library app (its ability to jump to the actual sources of the footnotes).  The gospel library app is definitely a better study tool - presumably the developers’ mandate - and I love using it as such.  Nothing I’ve found can possibly match the beauty with which I can be reading, highlighting, and note taking within the gospel library app on a mobile device and then hop over to my desktop for lesson or talk prep with everything synced.  Love it!

But when it comes to simply reading (as in “curling up with a good book”) I prefer a kindle. 

I anticipate having the “Saints” series downloaded to both the LDS app and my kindle library. 

[Scott Lloyd]

9 hours ago, hope_for_things said:

I just downloaded the whole thing in the Gospel Library app.  I’m even listening to it using the audio feature which is really handy.  

I also thought the preface talking about how this is a narrative, and the title calling this a story, are important points.  This is not historically rigorous scholarship. The sources used are for narrative purposes not necessarily the most accurate or even the ones that stand up to scrutiny. Writing this narrative was a creative act by an institution that wants to put itself in the best light possible.  Important to remember.  

Having heard a FairMormon Conference speech from a member of the team that produced the history (Steven Harper) and having done some news interviews and stories about it, I don’t concede your assertions that it is casual in terms of accuracy, scholarly rigor or debilitating bias. True, it is written in an accessible, narrative style. That is by design. The intent is to appeal to a popular audience, particularly younger people of today who don’t have the patience to consume a B.H. Roberts style treatise. But that doesn’t necessarily diminish its accuracy or make it less able to stand up to scrutiny. I would have to see you substantiate such assertions before I would swallow them whole. 

[hope_for_things]

8 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Having heard a FairMormon Conference speech from a member of the team that produced the history (Steven Harper) and having done some news interviews and stories about it, I don’t concede your assertions that it is casual in terms of accuracy, scholarly rigor or debilitating bias. True, it is written in an accessible, narrative style. That is by design. The intent is to appeal to a popular audience, particularly younger people of today who don’t have the patience to consume a B.H. Roberts style treatise. But that doesn’t necessarily diminish its accuracy or make it less able to stand up to scrutiny. I would have to see you substantiate such assertions before I would swallow them whole. 

They don’t treat the sources critically at all, so a late recollection with questionable veracity is woven into the narrative just the same as any other first hand contemporary ones with stronger corroboration.  

But besides that try reading the preface on the narrative, it’s clear from the wording as they state quite explicitly the operating paradigm by which this story is approached.  I’m about 1/3rd of the way through the story today.  It’s a story just like watching a Disney movie that’s loosely based on history.  That’s how they intended to craft it, and that’s exactly what it is.  

[Scott Lloyd]

4 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

They don’t treat the sources critically at all, so a late recollection with questionable veracity is woven into the narrative just the same as any other first hand contemporary ones with stronger corroboration.  

But besides that try reading the preface on the narrative, it’s clear from the wording as they state quite explicitly the operating paradigm by which this story is approached.  I’m about 1/3rd of the way through the story today.  It’s a story just like watching a Disney movie that’s loosely based on history.  That’s how they intended to craft it, and that’s exactly what it is.  

I’ve read a portion of it, and I have quite the opposite impression from yours. Furthermore, I reject your unqualified assertion that it is “loosely based on history” and that it is “how they intended to craft it.” That is an absurd claim. I call on you to provide references that it was “intended” to be “loosely based on history.”

[hope_for_things]

2 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I’ve read a portion of it, and I have quite the opposite impression from yours. Furthermore, I reject your unqualified assertion that it is “loosely based on history” and that it is “how they intended to craft it.” That is an absurd claim. I call on you to provide references that it was “intended” to be “loosely based on history.”

“True stories well told can inspire, caution, entertain, and instruct. Brigham Young understood the power of a good story when he counseled Church historians to do more than simply record the dry facts of the past. “Write in a narrative style,” he advised them, and “write only about one tenth part as much.”
What follows is a narrative history designed to give readers a foundational understanding of Church history. Every scene, character, and line of dialogue is founded in historical sources, which are cited at the end of the book. Those who wish to read these sources, better understand related topics, and discover even more stories can find links to additional resources online at history.lds.org.
This book is the first of a four-volume history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together, the volumes tell the story of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ from the earliest days of the Church until now. They are written in an engaging style that is accessible to the Saints throughout the world.
The Church has published two multivolume histories in the past. The first was a documentary history begun by Joseph Smith in the 1830s and published beginning in 1842. The second was written by assistant Church historian B. H. Roberts and published in 1930. The global reach of the restored gospel since then, and the Lord’s command to keep the history continually for “the good of the church, and for the rising generations,” signal that it is time to update and include more Saints in the story.
Even more than previous histories, Saints presents the lives and stories of ordinary men and women in the Church. It also provides new detail and insight into better-known people and events from Church history. Each chapter will help readers understand and appreciate the Saints who have made the Church what it is today. Woven together, their stories create the rich tapestry of the Restoration.
Saints is not scripture, but like the scriptures, each volume contains divine truth and stories of imperfect people trying to become Saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Their stories--like the stories of all Saints, past and present --remind readers how merciful the Lord has been to His people as they have joined together around the globe to further God’s work.

 

When the preface says things like Brigham Young understood the power of a good story, and that it’s written in narrative style, this really tells a person all they need to know.  You might not read a lot of professional history so perhaps you don’t recognize a difference.  It’s clear to me.  

[hope_for_things]

4 hours ago, rockpond said:

Yeah... I anticipate that this book series will be similar to the gospel topics essays:  better than what the Church had previously published but still slanted in a way that supports the current mainstream narrative.

It’s really nothing like the essays as far as the content is concerned.  The essays are written in a much more scholarly style even though they are clearly apologetic.  This is a story, a work of narrative history telling.  It’s a Disney kind of story, and I like Disney, written for a general audience and written to showcase the miracles and inspired events that Mormons can feel pride thinking about.  

[Scott Lloyd]

17 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

“True stories well told can inspire, caution, entertain, and instruct. Brigham Young understood the power of a good story when he counseled Church historians to do more than simply record the dry facts of the past. “Write in a narrative style,” he advised them, and “write only about one tenth part as much.”
What follows is a narrative history designed to give readers a foundational understanding of Church history. Every scene, character, and line of dialogue is founded in historical sources, which are cited at the end of the book. Those who wish to read these sources, better understand related topics, and discover even more stories can find links to additional resources online at history.lds.org.
This book is the first of a four-volume history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together, the volumes tell the story of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ from the earliest days of the Church until now. They are written in an engaging style that is accessible to the Saints throughout the world.
The Church has published two multivolume histories in the past. The first was a documentary history begun by Joseph Smith in the 1830s and published beginning in 1842. The second was written by assistant Church historian B. H. Roberts and published in 1930. The global reach of the restored gospel since then, and the Lord’s command to keep the history continually for “the good of the church, and for the rising generations,” signal that it is time to update and include more Saints in the story.
Even more than previous histories, Saints presents the lives and stories of ordinary men and women in the Church. It also provides new detail and insight into better-known people and events from Church history. Each chapter will help readers understand and appreciate the Saints who have made the Church what it is today. Woven together, their stories create the rich tapestry of the Restoration.
Saints is not scripture, but like the scriptures, each volume contains divine truth and stories of imperfect people trying to become Saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Their stories--like the stories of all Saints, past and present --remind readers how merciful the Lord has been to His people as they have joined together around the globe to further God’s work.

 

When the preface says things like Brigham Young understood the power of a good story, and that it’s written in narrative style, this really tells a person all they need to know.  You might not read a lot of professional history so perhaps you don’t recognize a difference.  It’s clear to me.  

I just re-read this myself from my copy on Gospel Library and reflected that it puts the lie to your claim that the book was “intended” to be “loosely based on history.” In short, this quotation does just the opposite of what you purport to imply by quoting it here.

That a “good story” is “well told” in a “narrative style” does not presuppose that it is told inaccurately. That is your own preposterous inference. 

And spare me the arrogant supposition about my not having read “professional history.” 

Edited to add: The CFR still stands, by the way. Show us a statement from the publisher or any of the authors stating their intent to create a narrative “loosely based on history.” 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Scott Lloyd

[Hamba Tuhan]

17 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

When the preface says things like Brigham Young understood the power of a good story, and that it’s written in narrative style, this really tells a person all they need to know.  You might not read a lot of professional history so perhaps you don’t recognize a difference.  It’s clear to me.  

Professionally trained historian here, PhD in history, former editor of an academic journal of history. You just made me ,  and then .

[Scott Lloyd]

1 minute ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

Professionally trained historian here, PhD in history, former editor of an academic journal of history. You just made me ,  and then .

Thanks, Hamba. I don’t think he is inclined to listen to anything from me, whom he apparently presumes to be one of the great unwashed. 

[hope_for_things]

10 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I just read this myself from my copy on Gospel Library and reflected that it puts the lie to your claim that the book was “intended” to be “loosely based on history.” In short, this quotation does just the opposite of what you purport to imply by quoting it here.

That a “good story” is “well told” in a “narrative style” does not presuppose that it is told inaccurately. That is your own preposterous inference. 

And spare me the arrogant supposition about my not having read “professional history.” 

Don’t know what to tell you if you can’t tell the difference.  Oh, one other way someone can tell the difference.  Scholarly histories are published by reputable presses, not by an institution.  It’s about as rigorous as the Meet the Mormons movie.

It’s a well written feel good story, not scholarly history and it doesn’t even purport to be otherwise as evidenced by the preface.  

[hope_for_things]

4 minutes ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

Professionally trained historian here, PhD in history, former editor of an academic journal of history. You just made me ,  and then .

Perhaps you could explain the difference between hagiography and history for us?  

[Calm]

44 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

They don’t treat the sources critically at all, so a late recollection with questionable veracity is woven into the narrative....

it’s clear from the wording as they state quite explicitly the operating paradigm by which this story is approached. 

CFR please...never mind if already done.

Quote

Every scene, character, and line of dialogue is founded in historical sources, which are cited at the end of the book. 

Do you dispute the above?

Edited September 4, 2018 by Calm

[Scott Lloyd]

6 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

Don’t know what to tell you if you can’t tell the difference.  Oh, one other way someone can tell the difference.  Scholarly histories are published by reputable presses, not by an institution.  It’s about as rigorous as the Meet the Mormons movie.

It’s a well written feel good story, not scholarly history and it doesn’t even purport to be otherwise as evidenced by the preface.  

This rather blatant attempt at well poisoning reflects poorly on your own credibility. 

[hope_for_things]

20 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Edited to add: The CFR still stands, by the way. Show us a statement from the publisher or any of the authors stating their intent to create a narrative “loosely based on history.” 

I provided the preface and my interpretation of what it’s saying, the loosely based on history is essentially what the story is, but they aren’t going to come right out and say that explicitly or it could undermine the confidence of black and white thinkers in the church.