The Three Pillars of Zion

The Three Pillars of Zion began as a concept as early as 1996 when Larry Barkdull, Lance Richardson and Ron McMillan teamed to write two best-selling historical fiction novels on the ancient city of Enoch. These books (ZION—Seeking the City of Enoch and ZION—The Long Road to Sanctification) sold tens of thousands of copies, but the series came to an abrupt end when Lance passed away in 2004. The series was to end with The Pure in Heart.

Thereafter, the surviving authors pursued other interests. Ron went on to become a New York Times best-selling writer, co-authoring such mega-hits as Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations and Influencer. Larry continued writing award-winning books for Deseret Book and Covenant Communications. He also worked in his non-profit companies, supporting LDS arts and experimenting with the Internet as a missionary tool.

During that time, Larry researched, gathered materials and outlined for what was to become one of the most comprehensive works on the subject of Zion ever attempted, The Three Pillars of Zion. Because the research was rich in doctrinal concepts, the sheer weight of the principles would not support a fictional format. Therefore, after years of preparation and deliberation, he determined to write a doctrinal series, The Three Pillars of Zion. The resulting work is heavily documented with over 3,800 references and a massive bibliography.