Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days: Volume 4, Sounded in Every Ear, 1955–2020

I’ll admit: I approached *Sounded in Every Ear* with skepticism. Official Church histories often sand down the edges, but this volume surprised me by leaning into the messiness. The section on the 1990s—when the internet first forced Mormonism into the glare of public scrutiny—is *electric*. Heyborne’s narration here is particularly strong; he doesn’t just read the text but *reacts* to it, his voice tightening slightly during the account of the *Salt Lake Tribune*’s leaks or softening with genuine pathos when describing a gay member’s struggle in the ‘80s. That said, the pacing stumbles in the 2000s, where the narrative occasionally bogs down in administrative details (do we *really* need a play-by-play of temple dedications?). And while the book deserves credit for addressing racial issues, its treatment of Black Latter-day Saints still feels cautiously diplomatic—more “institutional progress” than “reckoning.” Where the audiobook *shines* is in its oral-history-style interludes. The producers weave in archival audio—snippets of Gordon B. Hinckley’s broadcasts, a trembling voice from a 1970s relief society meeting—and Heyborne’s ability to mimic the cadence of these recordings (without slipping into imitation) is uncanny. The final chapter, covering the Church’s COVID-19 response, arrives with eerie timeliness, framing modern revelations as part of a living, breathing tradition. It’s not a whitewashed triumph march, but it’s not a tell-all either. For listeners who want the *human* story behind the headlines—warts, wonders, and all—this is as close as you’ll get to an official account with a pulse.