Fire on Ice: The Story of Icelandic Latter-day Saints at Home and Abroad

Fire of testimony burns in Iceland

Who were the first Icelanders to leave the land of fire and ice and make their way by “sail, rail, and trail” to western America? Many are surprised to learn that these early immigrants were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One hundred fifty years after the first converts arrived, their story is told in a new book, Fire on Ice: The Story of Icelandic Latter-day Saints at Home and Abroad. Author Fred E. Woods, professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU, notes the challenges the immigrants faced while trying to assimilate into western American culture. He also points out the strong bonds of friendship that continue today as the city of Spanish Fork holds annual “Iceland Days” festivities to honor those early immigrants and to keep their heritage alive.

A documentary about the project will air on BYU-TV on April 1 (Saturday) at 6:30 p.m. and on April 2 (Sunday) at 12 p.m. Ethan Vincent, documentary writer-director, says, “The documentary tells a little-known story of a unique group of Saints who have stuck together and kept their culture alive over the years. The descendants of those early pioneers know their heritage very well and can identify their ancestors by name and face. That is better than many of us can do.”

Vincent adds, “The Icelandic Saints of today are modern pioneers facing trials on a different scale. The challenge today is to keep the fire of testimony burning bright. The same fire that brought the early pioneers to Spanish Fork still burns within the pioneering members in Iceland today.”

Friðrik Rafn Guðmundsson, an Icelandic student and translator at BYU, said, “The book Fire on Ice will have a tremendous impact on the life of every Icelandic Latter-day Saint. Today every Latter-day Saint in Iceland is a pioneer much like the Icelanders who moved to Utah at the dawn of the restoration of the gospel. Reading about those early Icelandic Latter-day Saints will the build testimonies and faith of those of us that follow their footsteps in building the kingdom of God in Iceland today.”

Media contact:
Fred E. Woods
E-mail: fred_woods@byu.edu
Phone: 801-422-3366

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