In the summer I found the Living Scriptures Dramatized Church History Cassettes (1980) in a book store. I bought them thinking that I would use them to help research and relive some of these events.
My thirteen year old son wanted to borrow one. I said One. I didn't ant them lost. That was 4 months ago. Since then he has listened to all 36 tapes 9 times. We got some of the old Book of Mormon tapes - he kept listening to the church history cassettes.
These were written about 1980 - and I have been very impressed with them. Orson Scott Card wrote the scripts - and he did an excellent job in making it clear that the church members were not perfect.
What is even neater is that my 13 year old and I have something to talk about. He doesn't like sports - and I don't like Pokeman. However, we can talk about church history in such detail: Reed Smoot, 1978 Revelation; WW Phelps, The mobs in Missouri and Illinois - and the good ones like hte Kirtland Temple.
It has been neat to share together.
Rob Ficiur
www.latterdaycanada.com
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Feb 1832 hard to write about
I am working on my third novel in the Church History series. Writing about February 1832 was very difficult for me.
The best way I have found to write is to put myself there - and imagine what I was seeing, hearing, etc.
On the night that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdeon were tarred and feathered - I had a hard time "being there." Reading about it - even watching it on a video is not the same as trying to be there.
What was worse was to know that baby Joseph Smith Murdock would die from the exposure caused by the mobs.
The best way I have found to write is to put myself there - and imagine what I was seeing, hearing, etc.
On the night that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdeon were tarred and feathered - I had a hard time "being there." Reading about it - even watching it on a video is not the same as trying to be there.
What was worse was to know that baby Joseph Smith Murdock would die from the exposure caused by the mobs.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Why write Church History
The internet has exploded the amount of writing out there. Some of my favorite sports sites however are so cluttered with garbage comments. Still people seem to feel a need to say something.
When I began writing my historical fiction novels - I wanted Church History to come alive to young readers. As a side benefit - adult readers have enjoyed my first two novels. Church History is full of faith promoting stories and trials that we can learn from.
I am currently writing a third novel in my Time Travelers in Church History series. While I was writing the night (Feb 1832) when Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were tarred and feathered I had a hard time. In order for me to write - I have to be there. (that is mentally be there). It was bad place to be watching Joseph and Sidney get tarred and feathered and knowing that baby Joseph would die from exposure.
When I began writing my historical fiction novels - I wanted Church History to come alive to young readers. As a side benefit - adult readers have enjoyed my first two novels. Church History is full of faith promoting stories and trials that we can learn from.
I am currently writing a third novel in my Time Travelers in Church History series. While I was writing the night (Feb 1832) when Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were tarred and feathered I had a hard time. In order for me to write - I have to be there. (that is mentally be there). It was bad place to be watching Joseph and Sidney get tarred and feathered and knowing that baby Joseph would die from exposure.
Introduction
Whenever I read a blog or website - I like to know a little about the person.
My name is Rob Ficiur (pronounced: feature)
I grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. For the last 16 years we have lived an hour east of Lethbridge in Bow Island.
My mother’s ancestors (Bly, Rasmussen, Bennett) have been in the church for generations; as far back as Navuoo. (When I was in Nauvoo I saw the home site of my great great great grandfather John Bell Bennet).
My Father joined the church as a convert in 1999.
I served in the New York Rochester Mission. The people in the big wards and small branches taught me so much about what is was to live the gospel.
My wife (Jane) and I have six children and two grand children. As parents we have been through nursery, primary, young men, young women, scouts, seminary, missionary training center farewells, wedding and being a long distance grand parent. (I would say more here about my kids – but as we still have teenagers – any mention of them would cause such embarrassment to their lives).
For the past 19 years I have been a teacher at a Hutterite Colony School. Teaching in a one room, multi-graded classroom has been a wonderful career. For those that know the Hutterite people, they are the kindest more giving people in the world. For the last twelve years I have written / edited the Hutterite Teachers Newsletter. This quarterly newsletter shares teaching ideas with Colony Teachers across North America.
My favorite time of the school day is Novel time. We take half an hour and I read to the students. Through reading time world events have come alive for us: early pioneer struggles, lives of Native Canadians. The events of Frank Slide (Alberta) came alive as we read a historical fiction novel on that subject. The Chinese student riots of 1989 came alive when we read Forbidden City.
As my children grew up, I wanted Church History to come alive to them. There have been many wonderful church history books written; however as I tried to read these to my young children the story line was too adult for them. In 2003 I began writing a Church History novel for younger readers. In 2005 my first novel: Time Travelers in Church History: Trouble in Palmyra was published by Covenant Books. The goal of this book was to write a historically accurate book that would make 1820 Palmyra New York come alive for young readers. I have talked to kids of all ages (from 12 to 70 years old) who enjoyed the book (a great grandmother said “It is a page turner”)
In May 2007 my second novel: Time Travelers in Church History: Rescue the Prophet was published. This novel is set in September 1830 a few months after the church was organized. In this novel the readers will get to meet Oliver Cowdery, Emma Smith, Martin Harris and his wife. Many times I wonder if a book is historically accurate. This novel was originally set in June of 1830. When we realized that Joseph and Emma lived in Harmony, Pennsylvania at that time we moved the date of the novel to September. (That small of a change took more work than the reader will ever know.) The bottom line is we took great care to have everything as accurate as our historic notes allow.
I have also been doing some writing and editting on an LDS canadian website:
www.latterdaycanada.com
My name is Rob Ficiur (pronounced: feature)
I grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. For the last 16 years we have lived an hour east of Lethbridge in Bow Island.
My mother’s ancestors (Bly, Rasmussen, Bennett) have been in the church for generations; as far back as Navuoo. (When I was in Nauvoo I saw the home site of my great great great grandfather John Bell Bennet).
My Father joined the church as a convert in 1999.
I served in the New York Rochester Mission. The people in the big wards and small branches taught me so much about what is was to live the gospel.
My wife (Jane) and I have six children and two grand children. As parents we have been through nursery, primary, young men, young women, scouts, seminary, missionary training center farewells, wedding and being a long distance grand parent. (I would say more here about my kids – but as we still have teenagers – any mention of them would cause such embarrassment to their lives).
For the past 19 years I have been a teacher at a Hutterite Colony School. Teaching in a one room, multi-graded classroom has been a wonderful career. For those that know the Hutterite people, they are the kindest more giving people in the world. For the last twelve years I have written / edited the Hutterite Teachers Newsletter. This quarterly newsletter shares teaching ideas with Colony Teachers across North America.
My favorite time of the school day is Novel time. We take half an hour and I read to the students. Through reading time world events have come alive for us: early pioneer struggles, lives of Native Canadians. The events of Frank Slide (Alberta) came alive as we read a historical fiction novel on that subject. The Chinese student riots of 1989 came alive when we read Forbidden City.
As my children grew up, I wanted Church History to come alive to them. There have been many wonderful church history books written; however as I tried to read these to my young children the story line was too adult for them. In 2003 I began writing a Church History novel for younger readers. In 2005 my first novel: Time Travelers in Church History: Trouble in Palmyra was published by Covenant Books. The goal of this book was to write a historically accurate book that would make 1820 Palmyra New York come alive for young readers. I have talked to kids of all ages (from 12 to 70 years old) who enjoyed the book (a great grandmother said “It is a page turner”)
In May 2007 my second novel: Time Travelers in Church History: Rescue the Prophet was published. This novel is set in September 1830 a few months after the church was organized. In this novel the readers will get to meet Oliver Cowdery, Emma Smith, Martin Harris and his wife. Many times I wonder if a book is historically accurate. This novel was originally set in June of 1830. When we realized that Joseph and Emma lived in Harmony, Pennsylvania at that time we moved the date of the novel to September. (That small of a change took more work than the reader will ever know.) The bottom line is we took great care to have everything as accurate as our historic notes allow.
I have also been doing some writing and editting on an LDS canadian website:
www.latterdaycanada.com
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