The first section of the book begins by examining the origins of the religion. The Latter-day Saint has faith that the Mormon religion began on September 21, 1823 in New York, when Joseph Smith had an encounter with God, in which an angel granted him with the "Book of Mormon." Many felt that Joseph Smith was a fraud and that it was impossible to have such an encounter with God. On the other hand, Smith gathered a following of believers who "viewed Mormonism as the 'Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ,' and accepted Smith as God's prophet"(Arrington and Bitton 2).

Arrington and Bitton then examine why people decided to convert to Mormonism. The Mormon religion began in America, during a time of religious chaos in which most people were extremely confused. According to Arrington and Bitton, the Mormon Religion offered people a way in which to fulfill their deep spiritual need. Mormonism seemed to offer "high hopes for a new tomorrow, the chance of putting down stakes in Zion, working out ones salvation, and an imminent coming of Christ"(Arrington and Bitton 43).

The book then deals with the persecution of the Mormon people. The Latter-day Saints were persecuted and forced out of the states of New York, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa.

The authors put much emphasis on the fact that the Mormons were persecuted because they were seen as a threat religiously, politically, and economically. According to Arrington and Bitton, "The Mormon religion included not only a theology and a standard of morality but also an eschatology, an economic philosophy, and a goal of community building that inevitably meant political and economic tension with their neighbors."(62).The persecution put forth on the Mormons included such acts as mentally degrading them, burning their property, and sometimes even murdering them. Eventually, their Latter-day Saints prophet, Joseph Smith, was murdered.

Most of the Mormon people united together in reaction to the persecution. It encouraged them to believe that this was the "fate and test of a chosen people"(Arrington and Bitton 63). So as a group they cooperatively stuck together, migrating in order to find a land of their own separate from all others. According to Arrington and Bitton, "Early in the church's history the concept of a Zion, a gathering place for God's people, gained a place in the Mormon mind"(66). When their first attempt of building a "Land of Zion" failed in Nauvoo, Illinois; they set out to establish a home in Utah.

Arrington and Bitton then explain the Latter-day Saints great migration to Utah. The migration began in February 1846, under the instruction of Brigham Young. Arrington and Bitton explain "Biblical rhetoric was used to heighten the Saints' sense of leaving a place of persecution for a Promised Land and of being miraculously blessed and guided."(96).

The migration into Utah lasted over forty years, drawing in converts from all over the world. The second section of the book begins by explaining the challenges the Latter-day Saints were faced with when reaching Utah. The land of the Great Basin was not ideal, for it consisted mainly of mountains and desert. The Mormons however saw this as an advantage, for it meant that others would not want to settle there. "The major challenges to the Mormons in settling Utah were the necessary accommodation to the Native Americans, adapting to the conditions of the dryness of the region, and overcoming the problems associated with the isolation of the Great Basin."(Arrington and Bitton 113). Despite these were great challenges, the Mormon people continued to work cooperatively in order to establish this land for God.

Arrington and Bitton then tell of the vast amounts of immigration into Utah. Apparently, missionaries went over to other countries and were able to convert many people to the Mormon faith. Not only were they able to convert these people, but they were able to get them to migrate into America. The authors put great emphasis upon the fact that Utah was not an ideal place for immigrants to come but, it was the religion that attracted them. The massive amounts of Mormon immigrants worried the government whom attempted to issue laws to stop the process.

The book then deals with the issues that arose between the government and the Latter-day Saints in Utah. The government became frustrated due to the fact the Mormon people "looked to Young for leadership in political, economic, and social as well as religious matters(Arrington and Bitton 173)." Also, even though the Mormons were trying to remain isolate from the rest of America, they were unable to do so. "They depended on the nation for capitol, for consumer goods, and for protection."(Arrington and Bitton 162). The government soon stepped in to attack the Mormon people, especially their practice of polygamy. Finally, in 1887 they issued the Edmunds-Tucker Act to stop this practice.

The last section of the book deals mainly with the adjustments that Mormon Church had to make because of increasing pressure to conform with the rest of America. "Plural marriage was abandoned, the peoples party was replaced by mainstream politics; and group economics, no longer feasible with the separation of church and state, disappeared as competitive individualism was embraced."(Arrington and Bitton 251). Even though the Mormon Church conformed with America in these ways, it succeeded in keeping unique religious practices, in which still brings converts from all over the world to join. Through the last chapters of the book, Arrington and Bitton provide the reader with great insight and understanding of the Latter-day Saints in the twentieth century. In the twentieth century, Mormon families spend a lot of time and energy in their local ward. The ward is both their place of worship and numerous activities. Latter-day Saints also contribute a lot of money to their church, for instance in the form of tithes they donate ten percent of their income. According to Arrington and Bitton, Mormons see their tremendous involvement in the church as "providing numerous opportunities for growth-spiritually, socially, physically and intellectually"(307).

Overall, Arrington and Bitton do great job in explaining the history of the Latter-day Saints. The material in the book was presented in a logical, legible manner that promoted great understanding of the Mormon people. Arrington and Bitton take the reader step by step through the history of the Saints, explaining all the details of Mormon life along the way. In order to read their book, one does not need any previous knowledge of the Latter-day Saints.

The major concept of the book is to explain the rise of the Mormon religion. It focuses on the Latter-day Saints in their struggle to preserve what they felt was religious truth. Arrington and Bitton go into graphic detail about the Mormons persecution, their migration, and their conflict with the government. The book also covers the beliefs and lives of the Mormon people; however, this was not the main focus.

Arrington and Bitton are both practicing and participating members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; however, they attempt to remain objective in their study. Throughout much of the book, they study the Latter-day Saints from the perspective of an outsider, as well as an insider of the religious group. The goal of the book is to provide an accurate history of the Saints for any general reader, whether Mormon or not. The authors are not trying to say the Mormon religion is right, or are they trying to convert anyone. However, reading the book from the perspective of an outsider, one can see that the authors are partial to the Latter-day Saints in many instances throughout the book.

It is hard to say whether or not Arrington and Bitton are accurate in explaining the history of the Latter-day Saints. While they were not alive through much of their study, it would be hard for them to be precise. Along with the fact that since they are Mormons they may be more favorable to the Latter-day Saints then it seems. However, it does seem as if they are very educated in the subject and they have done extensive research using a variety of sources.

The authors do however, seem quite accurate in their portrayal of both the Mormon religion, and the lives of Mormons in the twentieth century. Being that they are both practicing Mormons, they are able to capture the true nature of both the people and their beliefs. They have an insiders look, while people studying the Mormons from the outside would probably not be able to grasp every aspect of Mormon life. The most accurate portrayal of the Mormon religion and the people is best told by those who make up the organization.

Arrington and Bitton pretty much covered all aspects of the Latter-day Saints. They covered the history of the people, along with their beliefs and practices. For the reader, the book pretty much answers all questions concerning the Mormon religion and the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While the book covered almost all aspects of the Latter-day Saints, there were few issues that were never touched upon. Arrington and Bitton never cover the Mormon peoples stand on certain social issues. They mentioned homosexuality once saying it was a problem Mormons face in the twentieth century. However, they never tell if homosexuals can become part of the priesthood, in which all worthy males are part of. Some other issues they never cover are the Mormon's stand on birth control and abortion. However, obvious that most would take conservative stands on these issues.

Arrington and Bitton allow one to better understand the phenomenon "Religion in Contemporary America"in the final pages of the book. The Mormon religion is faced with the same problems in America as other religious groups today. The Mormon people in America are continuously wanting to adapt to the American way of life. They have outside pressures and activities in modern life, that are forcing them away from being totally committed to the church and its religious beliefs. Like other groups in America, the Mormons are becoming increasingly divided between those who are Liberal and those who are Conservative. It is a separation between those who want to emphasize the original doctrine and those who want to move away from it. A Mormon person reading this book, would probably feel that the authors of the book were too willing to accept the views of outsiders. They may also feel that the authors were too accepting of the fact that there is outside societal influence on what they feel is divine revelation. On the other hand, Mormon people would probably find their interpretation of the beliefs and lives of Mormons accurate.

In conclusion, Arrington and Bitton allow the reader to explore the entire history of the Latter-day Saints. Their book covers almost every aspect of Mormon life during the nineteenth and twentieth century. Arrington and Bitton seem highly educated in the subject, and provide a pretty thorough, objective account of the religious group. The book was extremely well written and is highly recommended to those who want to get a better understanding of the Latter-day Saints.