601 B.C.—The Babylonians have come and gone, leaving Jerusalem plundered, weak, and broken. The power hungry Elders in the city council have banished and murdered the prophets. Anyone foolish enough to voice their support for the prophets is labeled a "Rekhabite," a dissenter, a traitor worthy of death. In the midst of this turmoil, Jonathan the blacksmith has moved his family from Sidon to Jerusalem, bringing with him knowledge of the new alloy, steel. Torn between heeding his wife's warnings and a fear of not providing for his family, Jonathan becomes a pawn in the hands of the Elders and Laban, the captain of the guard. Aaron, Jonathan's crippled son, receives a blessing and a promise of healing, and is told that he will save the life of a prophet. When he is hired by the oil-merchant Lehi, Aaron's life changes forever. So begins the first volume of The Promised Land series; a sweeping epic, telling of the incredible beginnings of the Book of Mormon.