In this 429-page work, the Late Pastor Peter L. Nevala records personal memories from his childhood in a Laestadian home in Northern Minnesota, including what he learned about specific battles of spirit and doctrine among his schism-stricken extended family and local congregation. He also chronicles what he researched and gleaned from oral histories about developments in Laestadianism in the broader North American and Northern European contexts and what he experienced in his years as a pastor, board member, and employee of the Association of American Laestadian Congregations [later LLC]. The book includes extensive documentation and auxiliary features: introductory writings, hundreds of historical photos, footnotes, an appendix of original documents cited, a glossary of terms, index-material of both people and places, articles on Lars Levi Laestadius and Juhani Raattamaa, a biographical sketch of the author, and an afterword on LLC developments since 1995.</p>Author Peter L. Nevala, Editor: Keith Waaraniemi, Hardcover, 429 pages