What was your inspiration for the series?

I’ve long thought that the Restoration was a wonderful story and thought about doing a novel on it. But I had put it off for other projects because of the massive scope of the story and the tremendous amount of research it would require. In 1988, a man by the name of Kenneth I. Moe, from North Carolina, approached me and said he was interested in seeing the story turned into a historical novel. When I talked about the challenges, he offered to provide some funding for research and possible travel. After a lot of pondering, I put aside the project I was working on. That was the genesis of "The Work and The Glory".

How long did you research the various themes and topics that are in the series?

I spent about 9-10 months with a research assistant doing foundational research; things like physical descriptions of actual people, historical chronologies, background research such as costume, customs, history and other events of America in the early 19th century. Once I started writing, I quickly found that I needed most of the history right in front of me as I wrote. So I added to my library until I had about 25-30 key books right by my computer. For each volume, I spent one third of the time in research and two thirds in writing.

What was your greatest challenge in writing these books?

Two major challenges, actually. (A) Being true to the actual story. I made a commitment right up front, with which Brother Moe fully agreed, that we had to create fictional characters to let readers see the various perspectives of what it would have been like to live through and participate in the Restoration. I felt safe in letting Joseph Smith carry on casual conversations with our fictional people, but knowing what he means to Latter-day Saints, I did not put doctrinal words in his mouth, or have him teach things that he did not teach. (B) Capturing the full drama, tragedy, triumph and pathos of the early Saints. I quickly came to realize from their writings that they did not see themselves as remarkable, and yet they were. Therein lies the power of the story, and it was a great challenge to try and capture that power.

Do you feel the films stick close to the main story lines that the books are built around?

Yes, to the degree that one remembers that a novel and a film are different media. To take 400-500 pages of novel and condense it down to 100 pages of screenplay, clearly something has to go. I feel the screenwriters were faithful to the story and to the characters. I am very pleased with how well they did.

Did you spend much time on the set during the filming of The Work and The Glory?

I have been on an assignment in England for the last three years, and so was not around. Scott Swofford, the producer, did invite me to stop off at the location in Tennessee if possible. We detoured there one day on our return to England from Salt Lake City. We spent about four hours on site and met the major players in the film.

What are your feelings about The Work and the Glory 3 being the potential last film made in this series?

Sadness, of course, and yet amazement and deep gratitude that we got three films produced. Larry Miller’s commitment to the project-financially, emotionally and spiritually is astounding. His willingness to fund the trilogy, allowed us to tell much of the story. One can always dream of seeing the rest of the story told some day, but we have already had so many dreams come true with this project, I am deeply satisfied.

What is your relationship with Larry Miller, how do you feel about his sponsorship of the films?

Larry and Gail Miller and my wife and I became friends through Larry’s reading of the books. He called one day and asked if we could meet. That was a surprise for us, but a treasured friendships and association came of it. From the beginning, Larry’s and Gail’s decision to fund the project was not based on some hope of making a great profit. He loves Church History, and wanted to see that story shared with the world. My wife Lynn and I consider Larry and Gail as one of the finest blessings that came out of our decision to tell the story of the Restoration.

How much input did you have on the screenplay?

By the time work was underway on the films, I had been called as a General Authority, and that was my first priority. The producers, directors and screenwriters agreed to let me read the screenplays for both historical accuracy and to see if I was happy with what they were making of the books. I read all the screenplays carefully and shared my input with the production team. Beyond that I had no participation in casting, shooting, music, etc. The team is terrific as you can see from the end result.

What is most rewarding about having your novels made into a film?

The most important to me is to know that thousands of additional individuals including many more who are not Latterday Saints, have been allowed to get to know the Steed family, Joseph Smith and at least a part of the story of the Restoration.