Nephi Anderson

Born in Norway in 1865, Nephi Anderson emigrated to Utah as a child with his family after his parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He later became a teacher and writer, and his work grew out of the church-centered culture of the American West.

Anderson became one of the best-known authors of the "Home Literature" period of LDS fiction. He wrote novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, but Added Upon (1898) remained his signature book and stayed widely read for years. His fiction is often remembered for blending everyday storytelling with religious ideas and moral questions.

He died in 1923. Today, he is mainly remembered as an important early Utah novelist whose books helped give Mormon readers popular fiction written from within their own community and beliefs.