My Name is Ann Lee: Of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s 2nd Appearing My name is Ann Lee, founder of the people the world came to call the Shakers, and I was born into noise, labor, and suffering long before I ever found my calling.   A Childhood of Toil and Silence I was born in Manchester, England, in 1736, the daughter of a blacksmith. From an early age, my life was marked by relentless labor. I worked in textile mills where the clatter of machines drowned out t

My Name is Alexander: King of Macedon and Conqueror of the Known World I was born in Pella, the capital of Macedon, in a world already humming with ambition. From my earliest days, I was told that greatness ran in my blood—my father, Philip II, forged Macedon into a military power, and my mother, Olympias, whispered that the gods themselves watched over my birth. Whether those stories were true mattered less than the fire they lit within me. I learned early that a ruler must

My Name is Francis Asbury: Circuit Rider and Bishop of the American Frontier I was born in 1745 in England, the son of a humble gardener, and raised among working people who knew hardship well. From an early age, I felt a restless pull toward faith, not as comfort, but as calling. When I joined the Methodist movement under John Wesley, I learned that religion was not meant to remain inside church walls—it was meant to walk the roads and meet people where they lived.   Called

My Name is Philip II of Macedon: King, Reformer, and Father of an Empire My name is Philip II of Macedon, and I was born into a kingdom others dismissed as rough, backward, and divided. By the time I left this world, Macedon stood as the strongest military power Greece had ever known, and my son stood ready to carry its banners beyond the edge of the known world.   A Youth Forged in Captivity I did not learn statecraft in comfort. As a young man, I lived as a hostage in Thebe

My Name is Isaac Backus: Baptist Pastor and Champion of Religious Liberty I was born in 1724 in Norwich, Connecticut, into a society where religion shaped nearly every part of life, yet freedom of conscience was far more limited than many believed. As a young man, I was raised within the Congregational tradition, faithful to its teachings and expectations, until a deep spiritual awakening transformed how I understood faith itself. During the revivals that followed the First G

My Name is Myron: Sculptor of Motion and Balance I lived in an age when stone and bronze were learning to move. I was born in the early fifth century BC, in a Greece that had survived invasion and was discovering confidence in its own strength. Artists before me had honored tradition, but I felt the pull of something more demanding. I wanted sculpture to capture life as it is experienced, not as it is remembered. My work became a pursuit of balance, tension, and harmony, shap

My Name is Theodore Frelinghuysen:  Reformed Minister and Awakening Voice I was born in 1691 in the Dutch Republic, into a world where the Reformed faith was deeply woven into daily life, yet often practiced more from habit than from the heart. From an early age, I was shaped by Scripture, catechism, and the traditions of the Dutch Reformed Church. As I grew in learning, I also grew in concern. I saw churches full of people who knew the words of faith but showed little eviden

My Name is Archidamus II: King of Sparta I was born into the Eurypontid royal house, trained from youth in the discipline and restraint that define our city. In Sparta, kings are not tyrants but guardians of tradition, law, and balance. From my earliest days, I learned that power is best exercised slowly, with foresight, and always with the survival of the polis in mind.   A King Formed by Caution and Experience Before war ever came, I studied the fragile balance of Greece. I

My Name is Martin Luther: A Monk Who Challenged an Empire My name is Martin Luther, and I did not set out to divide the Christian world—I set out to save my soul and tell the truth as I found it in Scripture.   A Childhood Shaped by Fear and Faith I was born in 1483 in Eisleben, in the Holy Roman Empire, to hardworking parents who wanted me to succeed. My father hoped I would become a lawyer, and I obeyed, studying law at the university. Yet fear ruled my heart—fear of God’s

My Name is Socrates: A Questioner of Truth I was born in Athens, not into wealth or political power, but into ordinary life. My father was a stonecutter, my mother a midwife, and from them I learned two great lessons: how things are shaped, and how ideas are brought into the world. I never claimed special wisdom, yet from a young age I felt compelled to ask questions about virtue, justice, courage, and what it truly meant to live well.   The Oracle and My Mission One day, a f