When I was in Rome, I got to see the home of Juliet from Shakespeare’s play. They got asked so many times where the balcony was where Romeo courted Juliet that they eventually designated a specific spot.

Blasphemy! Juliet’s baclony is totally in Verona–I’ve seen it!

I’ll admit to sharing retellings of the “Looking for the Steeds” story, usually with some condescension, for which I repent. I say that, because I spent a lot of time after reading Orson Scott Card’s Saints/Woman of Destiny looking for parallels between the life of Dinah Kirkham, a fictional character, and Eliza R. Snow, a real person. So it’s the perception of reality that allows fiction to catch a reader, and hold them to the end of the book.

A little pride goes a long way, I’ve found. And for what it’s worth, I got tired of TWATG after the second volume, and never finished the series. Any comment more than that, and I would be exercising prideful condescension. (smiles smugly to himself)

I am fully aware that the Steeds are fictional, yet I just explained exactly where their fictional homes were located.

Melinda, you sound a little defensive. I suppose that is to be expected if you actually have a copy of a W & G volume handy.

CC – I didn’t intend it to sound defensive, but if you’d like to read a tone into it, go ahead. I liked TWATG. I’ve liked most of the non-fiction Church history books I’ve read too.

Are you telling me that Pro Wrestling isn’t real?

I find the way people get worked up about TWATG or Tennis Shoes as slightly ridiculous. They are after all fictional accounts not meant by the author to be taken as LITERAL history. I think basically Lund took the safe path with his book so to allow him to sell some books.

I do not fault him for this. People often consider fictional characters as real, see Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes as one example or those who follow Pro Wrestling.

I do think however that the story telling of those who repeat the Steed thing is at one blush academic arrogance. (similar to how some people really hate BYU sports for the way it was favoured by the church and repeated followed by those who went there)

At the end of the day I think the retelling of this Academic Faith Promoting Rumour (People are stupid and here is why…) is well is just silly.

And yes I do have copies of the series and I know a number of people who would not give a fig about church history if not for the questions brought up by the series.

Here’s a question. I don’t like the Work and the Glory. But I love J. Reuben Clark’s “They of the last wagon.” Most of my friends share my like/dislike of these two tales. Both are fictional, both are romanticized, and both are whitewashed, to a certain extent (though you could argue that Clark’s story is less so). Why the difference? I’m not sure I have an answer.

Kind of like the burial place of Jesus?