"THE BRICK OF MORMON CHURCH HISTORY," by Steven J. VanWagenen, $19.99, 200 pages
Back in 2010, a father-and-son team from Sandy, Utah, self-published a book depicting scenes from the Book of Mormon using nothing but Legos.
Now the family is back with a second book, "The Brick of Mormon Church History," depicting scenes from LDS Church history using, you guessed it, nothing but Legos.
"The Brick of Mormon Church History," by Steven J. VanWagenen, highlights events from 1805 to 1847. Despite the use of Legos as a medium, the book takes a serious tone, stating in the introduction that "this book brings to life a few of the many stories of men and women who possessed and demonstrated faith, courage, testimony and spiritual strength."
The charm of the book is the color photos of Legos showing beloved scenes from LDS Church history. Almost every page has a photo that represents a lot of time creating a scene. The restoration of the priesthood, the organization of the church, Zion’s Camp and other stories are all here.
The 200-plus-page paperback follows a steady pattern with each story told. The story title, such as “The Lost Pages,” is presented followed by a brief recounting of the corresponding historical story. At the end of each story, there is “a character building block” section that states a character quality such as “obedient” and relates the word to how characters in the previous story were obedient. It’s a great way to talk with your kids about positive character traits.
The final section of each story lists a few questions that can be used to create a discussion. For example, at the end of the “Forced to Leave Jackson County Missouri” story, there are four questions. The first asks, “Who do you know that has beliefs that are different from yours? How can you show respect for them and their beliefs?" The added questions make this book good for bedtime reading with children.
Proceeds from the sale of the book go toward missionary funds for the five VanWagenen boys who helped their dad, Steven, put the book together. For more information go to brickofmormon.com.