He burst on the fusty corridors of Victorian spirituality like a breath of fresh air, regaling one prime minister with his sense of humor and touching the lives of seven presidents. Who was this man? A visionary educator and fundraiser, D. L. Moody was also a renowned evangelist in the nineteenth century. Long before radio and television, he brought the transformative message of the gospel before 100 million people on both sides of the Atlantic. Thousands of underprivileged young people were educated in the schools he established, and before the Civil War, he went to a place no one else would: the slums of Chicago called, "Little Hell." The mission he started in an abandoned saloon drew children by the hundreds and prompted a visit from President-elect, Abraham Lincoln, in 1860. Drawing on the best, most recent scholarship, D. L. Moody—A Life chronicles the incredible journey of one of the great souls of history. He burst on the fusty corridors of Victorian spirituality like a breath of fresh air, regaling one prime minister with his sense of humor and touching the lives of seven presidents. Who was this man? A visionary educator and fundraiser, D. L. Moody was also a renowned evangelist in the nineteenth century. Long before radio and television, he brought the transformative message of the gospel before 100 million people on both sides of the Atlantic. Thousands of underprivileged young people were educated in the schools he established, and before the Civil War, he went to a place no one else would: the slums of Chicago called Little Hell. The mission he started in an abandoned saloon drew children by the hundreds and prompted a visit from President-Elect, Abraham Lincoln, in 1860. Drawing on the best, most recent scholarship, D. L. Moody--A Life chronicles the incredible journey of one of the great souls of history. KEVIN BELMONTE holds a B.A. in English from Gordon College, an M.A. in Church History from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a second Master's Degree in American and New England Studies from the University of Southern Maine. He has twice been a Finalist for the John Pollock Award for Christian Biography, and in 2003, his book, William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity, won that award. For five years, his biography of William Wilberforce has been taught as part of a course on leadership and character formation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. On several occasions, he has served as a script consultant for the BBC, and also for the PBS documentary, The Better Hour. For six years, he was the lead script and historical consultant for the critically acclaimed film, Amazing Grace. Kevin resides in a seaside village in Maine with his wife, Kelly, and their seven-year-old son, Sam. A LIFE D. L. MOODY By KEVIN BELMONTE, JAMES VINCENT Moody Publishers Copyright © 2014 Kevin Belmonte All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8024-1204-1 Contents Foreword, 11, Preface: McKinley, T. R. and Wilson, 15, 1. From Home to Boston, 19, 2. Young Man About Town, 33, 3. West to the Windy City, 45, 4. A Sunday School Drummer, 55, 5. Camps and Battlefields, 63, 6. Emma, 75, 7. The Pickpocket's Gift, 89, 8. The Chicago Fire, 99, 9. The Mission to Great Britain, 107, 10. Golden Days, 123, 11. Northfield, 139, 12. Mount Hermon, 149, 13. A School and Publisher for Chicago, 159, 14. The Lands of Faith, 175, 15. Deliverance at Sea, 183, 16. Moody at the World's Fair, 189, 17. The Place of Character, 199, 18. The Banner of Heaven, 213, 19. Yale and the Coming of Summer, 223, 20. No Place Like Home, 235, 21. The Last Campaign, 251, 22. To the Westering Sun, 261, Afterword: With the Talents God Had Given, 273, Notes, 275, Appendix: Paul Moody's Tribute to His Father, 297, Acknowledgments, 301, About Moody Bible Institute, 303, Select Annotated Bibliography, 307, Index of Subjects, 311, Index of Persons, 319, CHAPTER 1 FROM HOME TO BOSTON The first meeting I ever saw [Moody] was in a little old shanty abandoned by a saloon-keeper ... I saw a man standing up, with a few tallow candles around him, holding a negro boy, and trying to read him the story of the Prodigal Son. A great many of the words he could not make out, and had to skip. I thought: "If the Lord can ever use such an instrument as that ... it will astonish me." After that meeting was over, Moody said, "Reynolds, I have got only one talent: I have no education, but I love the Lord Jesus Christ, and I want to do something for Him." —William Reynolds From the vantage point of history, 1837 was a year of portents. Queen Victoria ascended the throne of Britain. Charles Dickens began publishing Oliver Twist (in serial form). Across the ocean in America, an aspiring lawyer named Abraham Lincoln was admitted to the bar. The world took little note that Dwight Lyman Moody was born on February 5,1837, in Northfield, Massachusetts. But there were points of connection with the lives of his more famo