Unto This End

A Harvard professor, a Shaker woman, and a slave are each searching for their own answers. Their lives become intertwined as they face the challenges of life in America in the 1830s. Their search leads them to the teachings of Joseph Smith, a man many claim to be a prophet. Unto This End examines what was occurring in the young nation that caused these unlikely individuals to investigate the new and controversial religion of the Mormons. The author presents a segment of the early history of the LDS Church set against a backdrop of American society when the nation was defining itself amid a resurgence of religious revivalism, westward expansion, scientific discovery, and divisive political issues.
James Harper, a professor of religion at Harvard, was recently widowed. Mary Ann Miller, orphaned as an infant, was raised in an isolated Shaker community. Moses McKay, a Virginia slave, was a baby when he and his mother were bought by a plantation owner. They must make difficult choices and sacrifices, but along the way they discover friendship, adventure, and romance. Will their journey reveal to them the answers they seek and deliver them to the life they desire?