An emotionally distant writer returns to his hometown of Cleveland for his beloved mother’s funeral, after having spent years successfully avoiding interactions with his high-strung sister, bumbling but well-meaning father, and untrustworthy step-father. While in town, he forges a new relationship with a charming, energetic stranger who pushes him to realize that he can’t avoid conflict forever — with his family or within himself.
After fallout from a story, reporter Melanie goes home to Cherry Springs for a break. When a friend disappears, she uses her skills to get to the truth, to the local detective's dismay.
Joseph Smith (1805-44), the founder of the Mormon Church, is profiled. "When so many were looking for answers to questions larger than life," says narrator Gregory Peck, "[Smith] said that he had them." But many disagreed, and the life of "Brother Joseph" - as chronicled here in readings, re-creations, and comments by historians (some of them Mormons) and LDS officials - was marked by frequent flights from enemies.
