In celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church History Department announced on Tuesday, the release of “Saints, Volume 4: Sounded in Every Ear, 1955 – 2020.” The series is available in 14 languages and spans 200 years of church history, with each volume ending with the dedication of a temple.

“We are so excited with the completion of the four volume series,” said Matt Grow, Managing Director of the Church History Department at the press conference. “In 2010 the First Presidency approved the creation of a publication of a third multi volume official history of the church.”

This four volume work, which is now available in its entirety in 14 languages, tells the history of the Lord’s work in the latter days, through the eyes of the Latter Day Saints who lived it, he said. “Taken together, these four volumes, we believe, create a vast perspective of the 200 years of history of the church.”

For the past decade and a half, a talented team of historians, writers and editors, has worked on the saints project, said Grow. “They’ve used the vast archives in this building, collected over many generations as well as records held elsewhere to tell the story of Latter Day Saints around the globe.”

“It’s exciting to see the way the volumes one through three have been received,” said Elder Hugo E. Martinez. “Millions have read them, heard them, gathered with them. It is filled with individual stories, faith promoting stories, inspiring stories and the narrative is written in such a way that it draws us into the story. I can’t help myself. I think ‘wow, what would I do if I was in such conditions?’”

Martinez said he is glad that the Lord came and taught him the gospel with the help of two missionaries. “When he did so, I didn’t have to cross the planes, you know because Puerto Ricans don’t do well in cold weather or snow. It makes me wonder and ponder on what really drove them and my personal insight is that It was being in the presence of a prophet, leading them through the planes and thinking that families indeed could be together forever.”

“We have three cases right in the center of the main room (of the library) that have six stories sent from around the world,” said Jed Woodward, Editor, Saints Vol 4. “So all of these stories are in Saints Four. We happen to have one of the characters in the book whose story is there in the cabinet here today, Isabella Santana. She hails from Mexico, but now she lives locally.”

“I was born in a small town in Mexico,” said Santana. “When I went to Mexico City we started going to seminary every day so that was very important to anchor me into the church.” 

Santana said her family doesn’t know that she was in the book. “They won’t know until the Spanish version comes out, then they’ll know.”

“I started work on it in 2015,” said Scott Hales, Editor, Saints Vol 4. “I’ve watched it grow up. It was the brainchild of Rick Turley. In the mid 1990s he asked the First Presidency to approve a new history of the church. He tried for several years and it was approved in the early 2000s.”

By 2008 it was well underway, he said. “When I came on they needed someone who understood how to tell a story. Historians can sometimes be a little dry. I needed to make history more entertaining.”

It was designed to be both entertaining and instructive, said Hales. “I’m happy to see it all come together. I have immense pride in the work we’ve done. I’m a bit sad to be done with it. It’s been an exciting and inspiring process.”

“One way that we find unity is through shared history,” said Grow. “A common spiritual heritage, a legacy of faith, devotion and perseverance. It’s our deepest hope that Latter Day Saints around the world will be able to see themselves in the story and ponder how they can carry on the legacy of faith and service exemplified in our history.” λ