Book review: "The Kingdom and the Crown" by Gerald N. Lund

   This powerful new series tells the story of those who lived in the hills of Galilee while Jesus walked there and those he dwelt among. Fishers Of Men begins with the calling of the disciples and the ministry of Jesus Christ. It follows Peter, James, John, Mary, Martha and many others.
Gerald Lund is a popular author of historical fiction. His last ten books alone have sold over 3,000,000 copies. He earned degrees in Sociology, before his postgraduate studies in Hebrew and New Testament Studies.

 A dramatic account of Christ's ministry, as seen through the eyes of those who would follow him. In Come Unto Me, volume 2 of the bestselling series The Kingdom and the Crown, Simeon of Capernaum wrestles with how to undo the damage wrought by his reluctant conversion to a man called Jesus of Nazareth. His determination to follow the teachings of the Master has cost the life of one friend and sent three others to a Roman prison to await execution. How can he stay true to the teachings of Jesus, which require that he love his enemies, and yet deliver the friends who face death because of him? A similar dilemma faces Miriam of Jerusalem. Her father, along with the other leaders of the powerful Sanhedrin, are determined to stamp out the growing popularity of this itinerant preacher from Nazareth. But Miriam too has found Jesus to be far more than a mere man, and this poses a terrible choice for her--will she follow family or faith? From the Galilee to Jerusalem to the great city of Rome, Come Unto Me continues the story of the people whose lives are forever changed by the teachings of a simple carpenter from Nazareth. Award-winning author Gerald N. Lund masterfully blends the biblical account of the greatest story ever told with unforgettable fictional characters in this dramatic epic.

Jesus of Nazareth has been preaching in Judea for three years and has gathered many followers with his teachings and miracles. But he has also made enemies among the rulers in Jerusalem, who fear his power and his influence and who have conspired to put an end to him by whatever means possible. Mordechai ben Uzziel's life couldn't be any worse. His daughter, Miriam, has vanished from Rome, spirited away by none other than his old nemesis — Simeon ben David. Meanwhile, Mordechai's credibility with the Sanhedrin is jeopardized when the council learns that his own daughter has become a disciple of this so-called Messiah. Simeon ben David's life couldn't be any better. After struggling to follow the Savior and to testify of his knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, Simeon has found peace and joy in following the Master. More than that, he has found love; he and Miriam will be betrothed before the feast of Hanukkah. The family of David ben Joseph continues to follow Jesus, though the Savior's teachings now carry an undercurrent of sorrow and unsettling prophecy. And despite increasing danger, Jesus' ministry draws him inexorably toward Jerusalem. Along the way, Jesus performs miracles of astounding power; healing a woman afflicted for almost two decades, restoring sight to a man born blind, and raising Lazarus after four days in the grave. But not everyone is thrilled to hear Jesus declare, "I am the light of the world; I am the bread of life" during the Feast of the Tabernacles. As the end of Jesus' ministry — and his life — approaches, the lines are swiftly and solidly drawn between those who will stand for Jesus and those who will tear him down. The final volume of The Kingdom and the Crown series, , details the last week of Jesus' life — his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the spiritually fulfilling Last Supper, and the crowning achievement of the atonement that begins in the Garden of Gethsemane and culminates in the Garden Tomb. In The Kingdom and the Crown trilogy, Gerald N. Lund has given us the chance to behold the man known as Jesus of Nazareth, to experience what it must have been like to walk and talk with the Master.  http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/625607.Behold_the_Man


This series helped me FEEL what it would have been like to have lived at the time of Christ's Mission. Gerald Lund brought out the traditions of the times in Judea and how they facilitated the blessings of resurrection and the atonement. May we live our lives in such a way as to bless all of mankind with our testimonies of His divine roll as the Son of the Most High Father in Heaven, the Redeemer and Savior!!!!