A new series from the Odyssey Channel, "Landmarks of Faith," will feature the early history of the Church and the establishment of Nauvoo in an upcoming episode.

"Latter-day Saints - Beginnings" will air July 22 at 8 p.m. (MDT) over Odyssey Channel to more than 30 million homes through 1,500 cable systems, the Primestar direct-to-home satellite service (Channel 84) and C-Band dish owners through the United States. The Odyssey Channel is jointly owned by VISN Management Corp., a subsidiary of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition Inc. (NICC) and Liberty Media Corp. NICC is a consortium of nearly 70 Protestant, Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical and Pentecostal faith groups. The LDS Church is a participating faith group in NICC.Hosted and produced by Emmy Award-winning journalist Schuyler Sackett, the series runs one hour for each episode, with the Church's episode being one of seven this summer. Six new episodes of the series will air this fall.

" `Landmarks of Faith' is a compelling and visually beautiful series that uncovers the fascinating stories of the beginnings of various faith communities in the United States," commented Jeff Weber, president of Odyssey Productions. "Both entertaining and insightful, this series chronicles the little known events that have shaped each faith group.

The episode about the Church opens on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The narrator explains: "These impressive buildings bear witness to the success of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, America's largest indigenous religious movement.

"The Mormons' prosperity and autonomy took years of struggle to achieve. Much of their early history was a long saga of conflict, violent persecution and repeated migrations, as the Mormons searched for a place to practice their religion at peace."

The narrator then takes those watching back to the beginnings of Nauvoo, Ill., in 1839. The establishment of that town, under direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith, is related, along with the growth of the Church through missionary work in the eastern states and in Europe. The martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith is explained, along with the building of the temple, despite the martyrdom.

Finally, the life of Brigham Young is related and his leadership of the migration to the Salt Lake Valley. "In their remote inland colony," the narrator explains, "the Mormons at last found a place to withstand persecution. The new Jerusalem they founded beside the Great Salt Lake attracted flocks of settlers from all over America as well as from Britain, Germany and Scandinavia. Before a decade had passed, the desert bloomed and the Mormon Zion prospered."

Other "Landmarks of Faith" episodes include "Methodist Camp Meetings," July 15; "The Shakers," July 29; "Catholic Maryland," Aug. 5; and "Christ Church - Philadelphia," Aug. 12.