It is important to remember that this book is fiction, although, based on a true part of history. As a Catholic, this book was pretty interesting for me to read because I learned more about the LDS faith. It was interesting to see, from this novel's narrative, the perspective that the modern LDS have on the Firsts. This book opens a lot of questions regarding the faith... however, which religion has all the answers?... none! I am not trying to offend anybody, so I choose to keep my opinions intra-personal on this particular subject. I will just state my opinions based upon the novel as a whole.
It took me a really long time to read, and I am usually a pretty quick reader. Parts of it would capture my attention and other parts (mostly the parts that regarded historical references) I would tend to get sleepy and bored while reading. Nevertheless, I finished it and feel more knowledgable for it. Unless one is a devoted reader or very interested in the LDS faith, in particular, the Firsts, I wouldn't recommend reading this novel because, for me at least, it took a lot of dedication to get through.
Here are some notes I highlighted from the novel:
"As poison enters a well, contamination must follow."
"If only the unfaithful heart could act with originality!"
"Last year when my grandma fell and broke her hip she couldn't paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa started doing it for her, even after he fell and broke his hip, too. For me, that's love."
"You should be careful about saying "I love you" too much. If you don't really mean it the words will lose their value. But if you do mean it, then you can go ahead and say it all the time."
"That's what the desert's about: solitude. It's a test. A test to see if you can stand yourself."
"What do I consider myself now? A man attempting to be good. In this endeavor I have no use for church and steeple. If another man does, I only wish he finds what he needs."
"Who's to say what will come next? Who can say they know what it all means? You got to live with it. The not knowing. The wondering. The unanswered questions. The murk of life. You got to accept it - the why."
"Rage is a candle, it will always burn out."
"I believe most men, even the greatest, can offer salvation only once in their lifetime; for if he succeeds (and most men do not), he will overestimate his powers and thereafter will behave recklessly."
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