History Recap / WarriorsOfCumorah

This is the first book of the final and ongoing RescueArc, which continues for the next five (soon to be six) books.

With the parents unable to get back in time, Mary, Megan, Megan's boyfriend Ryan, and a newly arrived Apollus start driving to Frost Cave in the hope that they'll be able to make the exchange themselves. That morning, Joshua manages to create an opening for Becky to escape, but [[AloneWithThePsycho is left behind with an enraged Finlay]], who makes an important discovery - Joshua is old enough to remember the route through the tunnels to ancient times. And so he heads into the tunnels early, taking Joshua with him.

Rebecca, Garth and Mary wake up in a desert and discover they're in Palestine. But not just any Palestine; the Palestine of the ''1830's'', which is under Muslim rule. Becky also realizes that during the struggle in the cave, she snatched one of the seerstones Finlay was wearing off his neck. Since seerstones are a part of Mormon lore, she looks into it and discovers that she can receive spiritual insight, and that they should go to Jerusalem before trying to get home.

The group meet up with a traveling caravan run by a shifty extortionist/thug named Salim, [[GivingRadioToTheRomans using the contents of Mary's purse to barter.]] The two meet a nice monk named Brother Isaiah, but also a creepy monk named Shika. Shika is interested by Rebecca's seerstone and reveals that he himself is crafting an elaborate sword that he has with him in a cover. While staying the night at their monastery, the three are nearly attacked while they sleep and - with the seerstone's prompting - decide to leave immediately. They camp outside the walls of Jerusalem and awake the next morning to find what the stone was guiding them towards - [[HistoricalDomainCharacter an apostle of the early Mormon church named Orson Hyde]], who was sent to Palestine to dedicate the land for the gathering of Israel by Joseph Smith. They follow him and watch him give a dedicatory prayer for said gathering. Said prayer is also the spiritual boost the stone needs to tell them when the closest time tunnel is, and when it'll open back to their time - [[RaceAgainstTheClock the city of Petra in three days, but only at sunset!]]

Finlay forces Becky to tell him about Petra and starts traveling there. Eventually Becky escapes and is discovered by Mary and Josh, who linked up with Brothers Isaiah and Shika again and are heading to Petra too. Eventually the group arrive, but are ambushed by Salim and his men. But in that moment, Becky is kidnapped by Shika and hustled into a tunnel. Becky and Josh pursue, and both groups arrive in a chamber at the same time as Todd Finlay. Only for Shika to make a reveal - he isn't Shika. He is the Book of Mormon sorceror Akish. And the sword he mentioned working on, which he has right now ... is the Sword of Akish. Finlay traveled to the right time after all. And while the sword isn't quite finished, it's about to be finished with a coating of human blood. Akish paralyzes them all with sorcery and kills Finlay where he stands. But Mary and the kids are able to break free of the paralysis with a prayer and rush away to the tunnel they need to go through. The three reach a cliff and realize they have to jump, but in the moment before they do, Akish grabs Rebecca, wrenching the seerstone away from her ... but at the same time, lets the sword fall off the ledge with her. The three fall through the dark, traveling to a new destination, hoping they made it through at the right time.

In 4th century Central America, a hunter named Lamanai watches Ryan, Megan, and Apollus wash up on a riverside. In his narration, he realizes that these are divine messengers from the underworld of [[Myth/MayanMythology Xibalba]], here to help him [[HiddenBackupPrince reclaim the throne of Tikal, which was taken from him twelve years ago by the Teotihuacan general Fireborn.]] He welcomes them, and takes him back to his 4th century Mayan village, declaring them gods upon arrival, but his father, the village shaman, declares him mistaken - [[GodGuise the white shirt and fair complexion of the one who calls himself Ryan proves that he is the Nephite god Kukulcan!]]

The trio are very uncomfortable, but make a discovery - in a few days, the Teotihuacano leadership at Tikal are going to execute Moroni, son of Mormon. Since a prophet is the best source of return-to-your-time advice, and since [[OnceAnEpisode time travelers have ''always'' had to do something important before returning to their time]], they cautiously deduce that they've been sent here to ensure Moroni's survival, and that while they don't like being declared gods, maybe it's an opportunity to teach the locals about Jesus Christ. They make a pitch to the villagers for it, and Apollus, Ryan, and Lamanai leave with sixty-four men to effect the rescue.

It's a disaster - Lamanai's snivelling half-brother warns Fireborn ahead of time. They storm the temple where Moroni and other prisoners are being held, but only Apollus, Ryan, Lamanai, two villagers, and three of the prisoners (Moroni, Gilgal, and a lady named Tzi'kin) survive. [[RaceAgainstTheClock And they learn that Fireborn is sending soldiers to raze the village.]]

The group races to get back in time, but are too late to save anyone except Megan. But the events have nonetheless shown the Mayan world that an heir to the Lamanite regime has emerged. If Lamanai makes more appearances and secures allies, a lot of the Teotihuacano-formerly-Lamanite world will likely join him. And the best place to secure allies? The hill Cumorah, where a lot of the Teotihuacano and Lamanite forces are mobilizing to [[Literature/TheBookOfMormon finally wipe out the Nephites once and for all.]] Moroni proposes an alliance - if Lamanai unites the Lamanite people, the Nephites will help him depose the Teotihuacanos and reclaim his throne. But to do that, he'll have to negotiate with Mormon, Moroni's father, who's at the hill right now. Ryan, Apollus, Meagan, Moroni, Gilgal, Tzi'kin, and Lamanai begin a long journey to the hill. AndTheAdventureContinues...

In the Rainbow Room (now nicknamed the Millenium Room), Harry and Jim Hawkins, Marco, and Garth try to decide how to pursue their lost loved ones. On the ground near the pillar, they discover the other seerstone Finlay lost when Rebecca snatched them off his neck. Harry picks it up and discovers that it works for him too.

In ancient America, a hunter named Lamanai watches Ryan, Megan, and Apollus wash up on a riverside. In his narration, he realizes that these are divine messengers from the underworld of [[Myth/MayanMythology Xibalba]], here to help him [[HiddenBackupPrince reclaim the throne of Tikal, which was taken from him twelve years ago by the Teotihuacan invader Spearthrower Owl.]] He welcomes them, and takes him back to his village. Upon arrival, he declares them as gods, but his father, the village shaman, declares him mistaken - the white shirt and fair complexion of the one who calls himself Ryan proves that he is the Nephite god Kukulcan!

Rebecca, Garth and Mary wake up in a desert and discover they're in Palestine. But not just any Palestine; the Palestine of the 1830's, which is under Muslim rule. Becky also realizes that during the struggle in the cave, she snatched one of the seerstones Finlay was wearing off his neck. Since seerstones are a part of Mormon lore, she looks into it and discovers that she can receive spiritual insight, and that they should go to Jerusalem before trying to get home. The group meet up with a traveling caravan run by a shifty extortionist/thug named Salim, [[GivingRadioToTheRomans using the contents of Mary's purse to barter.]] The two meet a nice monk named Brother Isaiah, but also a creepy monk named Shika. While staying the night at their monastery, they're nearly attacked while they sleep and - with the seerstone's prompting - decide to leave immediately. They camp outside the walls of Jerusalem and awake the next morning to find what the stone was guiding them towards - [[HistoricalDomainCharacter an apostle of the early Mormon church named Orson Hyde]], who was sent to Palestine to dedicate the land for the gathering of Israel by Joseph Smith. They follow him and watch him give a dedicatory prayer for said gathering. Said prayer is also the spiritual boost the stone needs to tell them where the nearest time portal is - the city of Petra!

Finlay forces Becky to use the seerstone to tell him where the nearest time tunnel is. Eventually Becky escapes and is discovered by Mary and Becky, who are heading to

But there are two threats looming; first and foremost, twelve-year-old Joshua Plimpton’s ambitions. The eldest of Garth and Jenny Plimpton's two children, he lived his first six years in Nephite times, and he’s beginning to wonder [[TemporalMutability why they don’t save them from being destroyed.]] And at the same time, while working in Mexico [[FishOutOfWater Apollus Brutus Severillus]] comes across a man who seeks the Sword of Akish, and claims that he’ll do whatever it takes to recover it. His name? [[TheBusCameBack Todd Finlay.]] And during their conversation, Apollus lets it slip that he's not from Ancient America, but ancient Judea, and [[IncitingIncident Finlay realizes that you can travel to more than one time.]]

Rebecca, Garth and Mary wake up in a desert and discover they're in Palestine. But not just any Palestine; the Palestine of the 1830's, which is under Muslim rule.

It’s been two years since the last adventure, and things are looking good. Harry Hawkins is coming back from his mission in two weeks, Meagan Hawkins(formerly Sorenson) is about to start her senior year of high school, and Mary Ben Symeon (now a ward of the Hawkins family) finally has her driver’s license!

The next weekend, Apollus quits his job and starts driving up to Utah, determined to warn the Hawkins about Finlay. But he is too late. Jim, Garth and Jenny are all away for work, with Mary babysitting Joshua and Becky, his little sister. When Mary takes the two to a local theme park, Finlay kidnaps them, and leaves a note telling the senior Hawkins/Plimptons to show up at Frost Cave by the next morning.

The parents start driving back immediately, but the only people on hand are Mary, Megan, Megan's boyfriend Ryan, and a newly arrived Apollus. With the parents due to be too late, they start driving to Frost Cave in the hope that they'll be able to either beat Finlay there or make the exchange themselves.

That morning, Joshua manages to create an opening for Becky to escape, but [[AloneWithThePsycho is left behind with an enraged Finlay.]]

It’s been two years since the last adventure, and things are looking good. Harry is coming back from his mission in two weeks, Meagan’s about to start her senior year of high school, and Mary finally has her driver’s license! But there are two threats looming; first and foremost, young Joshua Plimpton’s ambitions. Having lived his first six years in Nephite times, he’s beginning to wonder why they don’t save them from being destroyed. And at the same time, while working in Mexico Apollus comes across a man who seeks the Sword of Akish, and claims that he’ll do whatever it takes to recover it. It is these threats that instigate the plot.