Led By Divine Design

Led By Divine Design is the first book written by Elder Ronald A. Rasband. It is a compilation of his messages given about the Holy Ghost, how to recognize its influence in our lives, and to seek to have the Spirit with us in all aspects of life. Although this book is a compilation of existing public addresses, it is organized by topic to help it flow better. Some of the material also seemed new to me.

My favorite message from this book was the reminder that the Holy Ghost does not speak in a voice of thunder. He speaks by means of gentle persuasion. However, Elder Rasband warns that if we ignore the promptings of the Spirit, they will become more and more faint and more and more difficult to recognize. But if we act immediately on promptings, we will find that we receive inspiration more and more often, and we will understand it better and better.

Another time he talks about times when we don't feel the Spirit, and maybe find ourselves doubting. Elder Rasband encourages us to think back on times when our faith is strong and our prayers were answered. He promised that if we do this, avoiding things that would seek to tear down our testimonies, the safety and security of the Gospel will return to our hearts and we will be able to find peace while still searching for the answers.

This book also includes one of my favorite messages shared in General Conference. Elder Rasband talks about the time he was asked to accompany Elder Eyring while he assigned missionaries to serve around the world. Elder Rasband initially sat somewhat passively during the session, until Elder Eyring asked him where a certain missionary should go. Elder Rasband replied that he didn't think he could receive that revelation, to which Elder Eyring told him to pay closer attention. Elder Rasband gives a personal witness from his own experience that every mission call comes from the Lord, and every place where a missionary is assigned, or reassigned, is where the Lord wants them to be.

This book is nicely divided into small sections, making it easy to ready a little at a time, or all at once. It has a beautiful cover and some nice pictures inside as well. It is a great reminder of having the Holy Ghost in our lives, and how to live so that we may always have him with us.

Supreme Power

Of all the books I've read this year, I might have learned the most from Ted Stewart's book Supreme Power. In this book, Stewart examines seven decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States and how those decisions changed the course of our country. He also discusses how each of those decisions granted more and more power to the Supreme Court, or more appropriately, to five members of the Supreme Court. Such power was never intended by the original founders of the nation.

I learned that there are two main ways for a Supreme Justice to interpret the Constitution. The first is to interpret it according to the original intent of its writers (which the author acknowledges is not always an easy feat). Such an approach will examine not only the text of the document, but also the writings and commentary of its Framers. This approach coincides with the Rule of Law. The other approach is to interpret the text according to the current social trends of society or views of the Justice. This approach is a slippery path to tyranny.

The saddest chapter in the book focuses on the Plessy v. Ferguson case, in which the Supreme Court sanctioned racism and paved the way for the infamous Jim Crow laws. The author does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the time period and all that was going on. He doesn't just talk about the case, but talks about everything leading up to it. Because of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a state's "separate but equal" law, African Americans have suffered a second slavery. The effects of this decision did not end with the Civil Rights movement, but continue to be felt today.

Another crazy case was Wickard v. Filburn, in which a man was forbidden by law to grow more than 12 acres of wheat. Despite the fact that most of this wheat was for the man's personal consumption, and that of his animals, it was ruled that he was jeopardizing interstate commerce because he would not be buying from other farmers. Because of this precedent, the author argues that the government can limit the number of cookies a family is allowed to bake, because they won't be buying cookies from the store and will be hurting the economy that way. As outrageous as this might sound, there were many examples of the Supreme Court making a decision, people warning about the possible outcomes, and those very outcomes coming true.

I can't talk about the whole book, but I haven't even addressed how the Supreme Court has usurped power in many cases, taking control of things that were never intended to be controlled by the Supreme Court. It is partially responsible for the moral decay of our society. The people who hold this power are not elected by the people, serve no term limits, and it is very difficult to remove them from office. Thus, our country is ultimately being controlled by five people, a majority of nine, who can interpret the Constitution any way they would like in order to fit their personal views and biases. In all truthfulness, they have untethered themselves from the Constitution altogether.

Interestingly enough, not all the cases had an easy "good guy v. bad guy" side. In some cases, both sides had a valid argument, and the ruling by the court may not have necessarily been a "wrong" ruling. The real issue is that through the ruling in each of these seven cases, the Supreme Court claimed more power for itself. That is the real threat. Overall the book was a fascinating read, and I would encourage anybody interested in the subject to pick it up.

Almighty

If you are looking for an easy-to-read book about Heavenly Father and your relationship to Him, look no further than the book Almighty by David Butler. This book, written primarily to a teen audience, is simple to read, but full of an engaging writing style. Fun doodles fill the book, giving the reader the feeling that this is meant to be read as a friendly conversation.

The author talks about lessons he has learned. For example, once while serving as a missionary a man he was teaching asked why God sent us to earth. If our whole purpose is to make it back to live with Him someday again, why did He ever make us leave in the first place? This stumped the author. He imagined a parent driving his young children to a park in another state, dropping them off, and then telling them he'll be waiting back at home for them. This doesn't sound like a loving father!

After a lot of study and reflection, he realized this isn't the way it was at all. It is more similar to someone being sent off to a prestigious university. The parents cheer for the student. They know it will be hard, full of stressful days and sleepless nights, living on hardly anything, dealing with tough assignments and professors and more. But the parents know how much the experience will enrich their child's life. That is more how Heavenly Father thinks of our mortal journey.

There is a lot about the book I could talk about, but I will just touch on one more thing. The author relabels the parable of the Prodigal Son to be the parable of the Prodigal Father (he also points out Jesus didn't give most of His parables titles--other people did). I always thought the word "prodigal" meant wasteful, but it literally means "spending money or resources freely and recklessly" or "having or giving something on a lavish scale."

Yes, the son in the parable is prodigal. He demands his inheritance early (something that would have been highly offensive), and then wastes it all rapidly in riotous living. That is why we always think he is the prodigal. But then notice what the father does when the son returns home.

The father is watching for him. He runs up to him, falls on his neck and kisses him--all before the son even tries to make an apology. When the son does try to apologize, the father calls for his servants to put a robe upon him and put a ring on his finger. He kills the fatted calf--something that would have only been done on the most special of occasions (a daughter's engagement party didn't even necessarily warrant the fatted calf). He throws a party. Doesn't this treatment of the wayward son seem prodigal?

But that is how our Heavenly Father is. He is just. He expects a lot from us. But He is so merciful and so eager to shower blessings upon us. We deserve so little because we are all so imperfect in our obedience to Him. But He loves us so much that He blesses us with far more than what we could ever deserve, or ever hope to earn.

This book is great for people working on building their testimony of God, but really, it's a great book for anybody.

Because of the Messiah in a Manger

I love Brad Wilcox. I love the person he is, and I love what he writes. According to one of my fellow managers, Because of the Messiah in a Manger is the author's favorite of all the books he's written so far. Knowing this beforehand, I was eager to dive in and see what he had to share.

First, I think I need to talk about the author's humor. Anybody who has heard Brad speak knows he has a great sense of humor. He is candid about his own faults and weaknesses, but he writes about them in a way that is not demeaning to himself, but rather humorous. I think my favorite story he told was a time he got on a line at the last minute, full of packages for Christmas. He happened to sit down next to Gene R. Cook of the Seventy. He informed Brad he had passed right by the prophet, who was sitting up front. Brad's reaction was concern that he had probably whacked the prophet with his many bags. Just read the book. The way he tells it is hysterical.

But the best part of this book were the messages that Brad shares regarding parts of the Christmas story, or symbols of Christmas. For example, he talks about Christmas trees, and how they remind him of four other trees important to the Savior's mission: the trees of the Garden of Eden, the trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, the cross, and the trees in the Sacred Grove.

Another thought he shared that I found really interesting was the star that the wisemen followed to find the Christ Child. The sign of a star does not appear anywhere in the Old Testament, and yet the wisemen clearly understood this to be a sign of the Savior's birth. This alone proves there is more scripture than what is in the Bible. We don't know who these wisemen were, but we know they had access to scriptures which are not available to us.

 I enjoyed every chapter of this book, and it is rightfully selling out quickly. I'm grateful that the author was willing to share so many personal experiences and insights. This book can only enrich a person's Christmas.

The Gateway We Call Death

Having read several books about death and the spirit world, I wasn't actively looking for another book on the subject to read. But The Gateway We Call Death was available and is by the current prophet, so I thought I ought to read it. I am so grateful I did! I wonderful feeling accompanies this book. Russell M. Nelson was an apostle when he wrote this book, but he also had decades of experience as a surgeon. Using these two important aspects of his life, he was able to share some wonderful insights and truths.

First he talks about the purposes of life, death, and mourning. He talks about the difference between healthy mourning, which is ordained of God, and unhealthy mourning. The example he used was comparing it to the bounds in sports games. If there were no boundaries in a sports game, the game would get out of hand, confusing, and hard to follow. Likewise, we need to set boundaries on our mourning. Although mourning is therapeutic, it can become toxic if left unchecked, much like helpful medicines become fatal when overdosed.

He then talks about the different ages that people may die, such as young children, young adults and teenagers, and adults. He boldly talks about Euthanasia and strongly condemns it, supporting the Church's position on the subject wholeheartedly. His exact wording on the subject is, "I mention it here only to condemn it."

But my absolute favorite chapter was chapter 10: The Veil is Sometimes Thin. At the beginning of the chapter, President Nelson declares that there is communication between this world and the next. He also states that prophets and apostles treat these communications as sacred and rarely speak open about them. That being said, we do have some published experiences, which he then proceeds to share.

One of them was new to me. While accompanying Hugh B. Brown to the dedication of the Washington D.C. temple, one morning President Brown informed President Nelson that he had been visited the night before by Harold B. Lee, the previous prophet who had passed away a year earlier. He described it as a glorious visit, and was able to later share it with President Lee's wife.

Although not included in this book, there is another account from President Nelson that he shared once in General Conference. He told of operating on two young sisters in the early days of his career. Despite his best efforts to save them, both girls died. Embittered, their family stopped attending church. Recently, just a couple years ago, President Nelson awoke in the night. He felt a spiritual presence in the room, and discovered it was these two girls. They wanted him to know they were not sealed to their parents and asked for his help.

President Nelson found the girls' father (their mother had already passed away). He shared with the father the message from his daughters. He helped the father return to church, along with his son. He was present for the vicarious sealings of the father to his wife, and then of the girls to their parents.

Truly, President Nelson knows of these sacred communications from the other side of the veil.

I am glad I got to read this book, despite it not being originally on my reading list. It was worth my time. I felt the Spirit several times throughout the book. I felt closer to my Heavenly Father and more gratitude for his plan. This, again, will be a book I keep on my shelf.

Slave Stealers

I am a fan of Tim Ballard's work and his past books. The Lincoln Hypothesis was probably my favorite book I read that year. So when I found out he was coming out with a new book called Slave Stealers, I knew I had to read it as well. This book was intense, gut-wrenching, and inspiring all at once.

Timothy Ballard, in case you don't know, is the founder of O.U.R. (Operation Underground Railroad). He has dedicated his life to freeing modern-day slaves from human and sex trafficking. I got to read a little about his experiences in his other books, but this new book dives even deeper into the material. He talks about how he got started as a CIA agent assigned to a new division to fight human trafficking. It was torment to him. As he had to examine evidence of children the same age as his own children being abused, molested, etc. it made him sick to his stomach to the point where he would be dry heaving into his trash can at work. He had to learn to create an emotional barrier in order to pursue this line of work.

But all that changed when he met Guesno Mardy. Guesno's three-year-old son was kidnapped taken to a false orphanage that was really in the business of human trafficking. Tim Ballard met with Guesno and during their conversation, Guesno asked him, "Could you get in bed and sleep at night, knowing one of your children's beds was empty?" Here was Guesno, asking Tim Ballard to tear down that emotional barrier--to make the mission personal. And to his credit, Ballard did just that.

Unfortunately, the author soon learned that there was no angle he could use to get involved with the case. As a government agent, he could only get involved if an American citizen were involved, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not make a connection. There was only one thing to do: quit his secure job and paycheck, and start his own organization. Thus was born Operation Underground Railroad.

The book continues with gripping accounts of the search for Gardy, Guesno's son, and the rescue of dozens of children as a result of that search. The book exposes some of the darkest and most heinous crimes happening in our day, even at this very minute. These dark and heinous crimes have centuries-old roots in the evil of slavery.

Told along side this story is the true story of Harriet Jacobs, a black slave in Edenton, North Carolina in the 1800's. Much is learned from the courage and sacrifice of Harriet to escape slavery and secure freedom. But her escape and freedom would have been impossible were it not for the many people, even white people, who stood against the evil of slavery and made many sacrifices of their own to help her. Her history is not just an inspirational story; it is a pattern that we need to follow in order to work together to eradicate slavery in our own day.

Tim Ballard will be the first to say that he is not the hero. He will point to others like Guesno Mardy, Harriet Jacobs, and many others. But to me, he is a hero--a real hero! I was privileged to listen to the audio book, read by Tim Ballard. His passion could not be mistaken. His passion has moved me to make a difference as well. I don't need to go into the darkest infernal pits that exist in our society, but I do need to serve. I need to love. I need to set aside petty differences, disagreements, prejudice, and more. This is something everybody can do. And working together in this way is what will change the world.

The Blueprint of Christ's Church

My first exposure to Tad R. Callister was his book The Infinite Atonement, which is probably the best book on the atonement I had ever read. Because I loved that book so much, I am embarrassed to say that I just now finished his book The Blueprint of Christ's Church. I am glad I finally read it, though.

The main premise of the book is that Christ's church in New Testament times serves as a blueprint to help the modern-day seeker of truth identify the true church today. Any alteration to these blueprints needs to come by revelation. We see this happen in the New Testament itself. One such example is the Savior's instruction to His disciples to only preach the Gospel to the children of Israel, followed by a later revelation to Peter to take the Gospel to the gentiles as well.

Callister focuses on organization and doctrine to lay out a blueprint for Christ's church, then carefully demonstrates how the only church that follows this blueprint is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Towards the end of the book, he tells of an experience where he was talking with someone who was considering leaving the church because of some issues he had with its history. The author asked him if he believed in a pre-mortal life, in three degrees of glory, in salvation for the dead, and many more things. The man declared that he did believe all these things firmly. The author then explained that the only church that teaches all these doctrines is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Was he willing to give all that up because of some issues he had with the Church's history?

Callister not only opens the scriptures to highlight key doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ, but he also provides many examples from the first century or two of Christianity from surviving records. These records sometimes reinforce doctrines unique to the restored Church of Jesus Christ, and at other times they provide insight to the beginning of false doctrines prevalent in other churches today. It was so neat to me to be able to learn from these additional witnesses.

One of my favorite quotes in the whole book comes from the chapter on faith. He says, "Every time we are negative, it is like throwing water on the fire of faith; every time we are positive, it is like adding fuel to the flames of faith. Negativism is Satan's tool; optimism is God's" (page 135).

I borrowed this book from our store library, but I liked it so much that I will be purchasing my own copy to have in my personal library.

1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents

This is my first time reviewing a parenting book, and that thought is a little weird to me. Welcome to adulthood, I guess. Amy found this book at the library and then eventually bought her own copy. After she finished reading it, she asked me to read it as well. It was really well written and taught some great principles that both Amy and I have begun to put in practice.

1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents is written by Thomas W. Phelan and Chris Webb. It is an expanded idea on an original book by Phelan, but tailored for a Christian audience. I found some humor in this, because a few times the authors say something to the effect of, "It isn't really magic. It just seems like magic because it works." It made me laugh each time because it was almost as if they were worried some people would think the book contained witchcraft or something. There is definitely none of that in this book.

The main principle behind 1-2-3 Magic is that when children exhibit some sort of undesirable behavior, you count them. When they do it three times, they are told to "take five" and they go to timeout. But more than just counting, the crucial part of this is for the parent to do no other talking and to show no emotion. This removes all the fuel for a child who is misbehaving in order to get attention.

But counting is only for stopping behaviors and it should not be used for children who need to start good behaviors. Other methods should be used instead. One such method is getting a child to start doing their chores. If they don't, then they need to pay you to do it. This can be through allowance, time spent with electronics, toys, friends, etc. But this is just one of many ideas to help children start good behaviors.

That being said, counting and starting good behaviors are not the only parts of parenting. An essential part of that is to also provide one-on-one time with each children and create positive moments with them. These moments are crucial for healthy relationships with the children.

Most of the advice in the book was really good. Some of it, not so much. The part that made both me and Amy laugh was the suggestion to just not take small children to church because they are too young to behave. As tempting as that might be some weeks, we know that is not the right choice. But overall this book was very helpful, and I think it is safe to say that I will be referring to it many times throughout the next several years.

Dragonwatch: Wrath of the Dragon King

I have enjoyed Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series for many years now. Book two, Rise of the Evening Star, is the book that really hooked me into the series, especially with the cliffhanger ending (read it, if you haven't yet). His new series takes place less than a year after the end of Fablehaven, and it is always so much fun to jump back into that world. That is why I was excited for the release of the second book in his new series: Dragonwatch: Wrath of the Dragon King.

It's always hard to write about a fictional book, because I don't want to give away anything in case the reader of this blog wants to read the book for themselves. So, with that being said, I will try not to spoil anything too important, but I can't help but discuss certain parts of the book.

Both Kendra and Seth seem to have matured in this book, even more than the last book. Seth was much less willing to do brash and foolish things, even when tempted by a dark creature at one point. I thought it was fun with one part of the book where the brother and sister had to be without their special powers for a certain time.

I loved the way that Brandon Mull built up suspense about Stormguard Castle. At first it was just casually mentioned, but already as a reader I wanted to learn more about it. Then it kept coming up again and again, building more suspense each time. Finally, it became a crucial part of the plot line, and I loved every minute of it!

The pacing of this book was very fast! All of the events in it take place in about two days. Because of that, there weren't really any slow parts, and yet so many of the characters were still very well developed. That being said, there were a few times where I felt like things were rushed a little too quickly, especially scenes involving the cousins Knox and Tess. I have no trouble accepting magic, dragons, fairies, etc. But the reaction and treatment of these two children seemed a little unrealistic regarding the circumstances of the book.

As I neared the end of the book, I couldn't believe I had so few pages left, and yet so much more than I felt still needed to happen! And then it happened--Brandon Mull gave the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers! Obviously I can't tell you what it is, but I did NOT see it coming! It was extremely well done. The only problem? I probably have to wait an entire year for the next book! Hats off to the author for making me care this much, and making me so invested in the story!

I definitely recommend this book and this series. I'm glad Brandon Mull decided to return to the Fablehaven world. I am looking forward to the next three books!

Precept Upon Precept

When Robert L. Millet's book Precept Upon Precept was released, several members of my team read it and talked about how much they enjoyed it. For reasons I can't remember, I didn't read it when it was brand new, but kept it in the back of my mind. A couple weeks ago I finally got the chance and really enjoyed it!

This book is a doctrinal biography of Joseph Smith. This means it isn't just a regular biography of the prophet's life. It talks about how events in his life impacted revelations he received, as well as how the revelations he received impacted his life. Joseph's life and his revelations are so intertwined, but Millet has done an excellent job in presenting them both in this book.

There are many things in this book that I could talk about, but I will only mention two in particular. The first is the very beginning of the book. In talking about the "war of words" that Joseph Smith faced, the author lists several doctrines, and then notes which religions believed what regarding each doctrine. For example, regarding baptism, Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians believed infants were subjects of baptism and that sprinkling was an acceptable method. Baptists and Eastern Christians believed that baptism had to be by immersion, and only believers should be baptized. Quakers rejected all ordinances (including baptism) completely.

As Millet describes the various beliefs regarding several doctrines, it is easy to see why young Joseph was so confused. With so many contending doctrines, each stemming from different interpretation of scripture, it is no wonder that Joseph felt the only way to get a correct answer was to ask of God.

Another part of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed was Joseph Smith's translation of the Bible. Millet talks about how his translation led to so many other revelations as Joseph sought to understand more of the Bible. Several sections of Doctrine and Covenants were received because of Joseph Smith working on the translation and asking questions.

The author mentions that some critique the Book of Mormon because Joseph did not  quote from it in his sermons nearly as much as he did the Bible. He responds that it only takes a moment's reflection to consider that Joseph Smith was raised with the Bible. His family read from it. He spent three years on his inspired translation of it. In the words of Robert Millet, "The Bible was in his soul" (pg. 54). Joseph Smith loved the Bible. Those who fear that the Book of Mormon replaces the Bible need look no further than the Prophet of the Restoration to know what a treasure the Bible is and ought to be to each member of the Church.

I am glad I read this book. My only problem is reading it so close to the book Saints, which both deal with Church History. As I reflect on one, I keep thinking of passages from the other, mixing the two in my mind. It makes it difficult to write a review about each one, but also speaks to how much I enjoyed them both.

Carried

I remember well when the news reported that Annie Schmidt was missing, and later when her body was found. Perhaps one reason why it got more publicity than other missing person cases is because she is the daughter of Jon Schmidt of the Piano Guys. The book Carried is written by Michelle Schmidt, and gives us the perspective of Annie's mother as they searched for her daughter's body. I learned more details about the search than I had previously known, but that is not what made me enjoy this book so much. I enjoyed hearing the accounts of faith and divine inspiration from so many people involved in the search.

If I had to choose just one part from the book that impacted me the most, I would probably say it was this: "I don't believe that Heavenly Father caused Annie to die, nor that  her passing was necessarily His will. But I do believe that all things work together for good to them that love God, and that God is able to bless and guide His children in such a way that the most possible good can come of a tragedy such as this."

I loved how the author didn't just tell the store of searching for Annie and the faith, prayers and miracles that went into it. She also told of earlier experiences in her life that prepared her for this experience. She talks about learning to recognize the voice of the Lord, learning how to truly pray with faith, and trusting in God's wisdom and plan. Even though they did not find Annie alive, or even find her body as quickly as they would have liked, the author shares several experiences she had that let her know God was aware of her. She truly experienced many tender mercies throughout what could only be called a nightmare.

A very tender part of the book actually takes place at the end, where several tributes to Annie are included from people who knew her. These tributes helped me get to know Annie better. They made me ponder how I could be a better person.

I am grateful that Michelle Schmidt was willing to share her experience and testimony through this book. Because I read it, I want to be a better person. I want to learn to trust in the Lord the way she did.

Saints: The Standard of Truth

There was a lot of excitement centered around the release of Saints: The Standard of Truth, a publication put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book is the first of a four-part series of the church's history.

A lot of people I spoke with talked about how much they were learning, and how many things they never knew before. Having read a LOT of Church History, I didn't really learn many "new" things from this book. That being said, I did gain new perspectives and I got to read accounts from people that I had not read before. So, although I may have been familiar with the material, I was not as familiar with the different perspectives.

Take, for example, the Missouri conflict. I knew that one of the causes of conflict between the saints and the residents of Jackson county was the issue of slavery. Converts to the church were mostly from the North and opposed slavery. Missouri was, however, a slave state. I always understand this would create conflict. But what I had never taken into consideration was the fear that the slave-owning Missourians had that the church members would incite their slaves to rebellion. This had happened in other states and in one case, the slave rebellion resulted in the deaths of fifty whites.

While the concern can be understandable, it in no way excuses the people in Missouri for doing what they did to those early saints. Although the saints did many things wrong and disobeyed many commandments from the Lord, the heinous acts committed against them are inexcusable.

I also was pleasantly surprised to find accounts from some of Joseph Smith's plural wives. Although I have known for most of my life that Joseph Smith restored the practice of plural marriage, I honestly could not name more than one of his plural wives. This book talked about several of them, and I even got to read some of their accounts. The accounts shed more light on how difficult it was for Emma, at one time accepting the doctrine (and even attending the sealing of two other wives to Joseph), and at other times totally rejecting the doctrine (kicking those same two women whose sealing she witnessed out of their house).

Emily Partridge was one of these women. The doctrine of plural marriage was extremely difficult for her to accept, but after receiving her personal witness from the Lord, she agreed to practice it. Many years later she wrote the following:

"I know it was hard for Emma, and any woman, to enter plural marriage in those days, and I do not know as anybody would have done any better than Emma did under the circumstances. God must be the judge, not I." (Saints, pg. 508).

This first volume ends just as the saints are leaving Nauvoo and preparing to head west. I am excited to read more when the new material is ready. I am grateful to have read this volume, and to have read more about many of the saints, particularly Joseph Smith. I love reading his words. I love reading his testimony. I have my own witness that he truly is God's prophet.

The Compassionate Soldier

It is common to hear about the inhumanity of man during war. News reports give us atrocious details of the suffering and misery inflicted by war. That's what makes Jerry Borrowman's book The Compassionate Soldier so refreshing. In the midst of so many unpleasant stories, Borrowman has collected a few shining examples of men and women who stand out in history.

Every chapter in the book was good, but I will only highlight a couple. The first is Sergeant Richard Kirkland, a soldier in the Confederate Army. After a particularly difficult battle (especially for the Union soldiers), both sides were subjected to the tormented cries of the wounded on the battlefield. Finally, Sergeant Kirkland could stand it no longer and, after obtaining permission from the general, entered the field with as many canteens as he could carry and began attending to the wounded on both sides of the war. The Union soldiers were so startled that nobody fired a shot, and they began cheering when they saw what he was doing. Sergeant Kirkland made several trips, with gunfire ceasing on both sides every time his head emerged, until he had cared for every soldier on the battlefield. What an amazing story of compassion!

Another incredible story took place during World War II. Major General Dietrich von Choltitz of the Germany army was originally fiercely loyal to Adolf Hitler. He slaughtered enemies, and led his own men to the slaughter all to accomplish whatever Hitler ordered. That is what makes his story so remarkable. Towards the end of the war, Hitler placed von Choltitz Paris, which was Hitler's most-prized victory in the war. With the Allied troops gaining ground, Hitler ordered the major general to blow up the entire city if it seemed like the Nazis would not be able to keep it. The Furher cared nothing for the cultural treasures of the city that would be lost.

Von Choltitz, on the other hand, recognized that such destruction was nothing more than a vindictive move, and would be a tragedy if carried out. However, he also knew that if he did not carry out his orders, he and his family would be in grave danger and be seen as traitors. He had all intentions of being faithful to his orders, even placing the bombs strategically around the city. As uprisings began happening, he realized that he would very soon have to execute Hitler's orders. In a meeting with Raoul Nordling, the Swedish consul in France, von Choltitz asked him to get word to the Allies. In a traitorous move, he asked for the Allies to help him save Paris. Despite many last-minute telegrams and messages ordering him to destroy the city as the Allies descended upon it, von Choltitz felt a greater need to serve humanity, rather than the insane dictator.

There are so many more stories like this in the book. Anybody who likes to read true, less-known war stories would enjoy Borrowman's work.

Unshattered

One of the best-selling biography titles in my store this year is Unshattered by Carol J. Decker with Stacey K. Nash. The book is Carol's story, and what a story it is! When she was thirty-three weeks along in her second pregnancy, something felt terribly wrong. She went to the hospital, where she was eventually rushed for an emergency C-section. The C-section itself took only ten minutes. But Carol was in the operating room for a long time afterwards. Finally, her husband, Scott, got the news from the doctor: Carol had sepsis and was in septic shock.

The toxins released into the blood by sepsis eventually cost Carol her two feet, one hand, a finger on the other hand, and her eyesight. When she was being wheeled in for surgery, nobody had any idea it was the last time she would ever see her family. She never got to see the face of her second daughter.

Carol's story is raw, real, and beautiful. She is very frank and honest about what it was like to feel completely shattered, to have your life seemingly stolen from you. She is honest about her bad days--of which she had many. It was not an easy journey from her first surgery to where she is now.

But her story is still beautiful and one of hope. Slowly, she learned to let go of the parts of her life that were gone, but likewise learned to embrace the parts she retained and the parts that were new. She had a lot of help along the way. After expressing her sadness that she'd never be able to make cookies or cook with her daughters, Erin, their nanny, involved Carol in making cookies and pizza. Through the help of others, she slowly began to realize that there were so many things she could still do.

Carol's family was an incredible support to her. Her husband wore so many hats, yet never faltered in his love for her and determination to make her life as full and wonderful as possible. Her two brothers would spend days on end with her at the hospital. Her parents were there for her. Sadly, one of her brothers died of an overdose. Going to his funeral was hard, but also a turning point for Carol, as she found new purpose in her life through comforting the survivors in her family.

Although she has made so much progress and been able to do incredible things like surf, snorkel, and ski, Carol acknowledges that there are probably still many challenges ahead. But she doesn't despair because of them. She has learned to choose a beautiful life.

Melchizedek Priesthood

I was excited earlier this year when Dale G. Renlund and Ruth Lubbert Renlund wrote The Melchizedek Priesthood together. In the preface to the book, the authors explain that the book actually evolved from study and discussions that they had together. The book is a collection of their thoughts and insights on the Melchizedek Priesthood based upon what they learned from the scriptures and teachings of Church leaders.

Right off the bat the authors make an important distinction about what the priesthood is. The example they use is the term "earth." The word "earth" can either mean the planet we live on, or it can mean topsoil. While the planet Earth certainly includes topsoil, topsoil does not encompass the planet Earth. Likewise, priesthood is referred to as the power of God, but also the power delegated to man. The power delegated to man would be the topsoil in our example.

They talk about how the priesthood blesses both the priesthood holder, and blesses others. They point out that Abraham mentions a few specific blessings to the priesthood holder such as "greater happiness, peace and rest, righteousness, knowledge, and family blessings." However, the primary purpose of the priesthood is to bless others. The priesthood makes the covenants and ordinances of the Lord available to the world, allowing all of God's children full access to the blessings of the Atonement.

They talk about the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood and point out that it is always God who swears the oath, giving us full confidence in Him that He will fulfill His promises. In their footnotes, the authors also quote modern prophets who explain that we enter an oath ourselves through the ordinances. Priesthood holders are commanded obey the following commandments:

1. Pay attention to the words of life, because they need to live by every word that comes from God
2. Share the fullness of the Gospel of Christ with everyone 
3. Do not boast of miracles in their priesthood ministry
4. Become the Savior's friend

The last half of the book focuses on the doctrine of the Priesthood, and suggests how to obey these four commandments. Humility is required. Unity is required. Learning the attributes of the Savior and becoming like Him is required. The priesthood is meant to help us learn how to become more Christlike. It is a call to serve. It is a call to learn more of the Lord. As priesthood holders magnify their callings and the priesthood, they become more like God. The closer they come to being like God, the more readily are they able to use the priesthood.

I really enjoyed this book, and it will have a permanent home on my shelf. This is a book that I think every priesthood holder would benefit from as they read it. I am grateful I had the opportunity to do so.

Watch and Be Ready

I really enjoyed the book Watch and Be Ready by Brent L. Top. The message of the book is how to prepare spiritually for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Too often we might find ourselves so absorbed with the Signs of the Times that we neglect to focus on being ready for "the time." Even less productive is trying to calculate the day of the Savior's return based on signs and interpretation of scripture.

Top compares us in many ways to children on a road trip to Disneyland who keep asking how much farther they have to go. The driver can answer with the exact number of miles, but small children will not be able to comprehend the answer and so keep asking how much further. In that sense, we are like little children who keep asking when the Second Coming is. The author points out that between Matthew 24 and 25, the verses on the Savior's discourse on preparation outnumbers his discourse on signs four to one! This gives us an idea of where our attention should be when it comes to preparing for the Second Coming.

The fact is, many of the "signs of the times" have been present in every generation since the Savior first gave the warnings. The author points out that there is a purpose for this--to make sure we are always spiritually ready. In fact, in the Doctrine and Covenants, we are taught to live as if he is coming tomorrow. The signs aren't given to help us know the exact date the Savior is returning; they are meant to be a reminder to us to be spiritually prepared.

So what do we do to spiritually prepare? We need to be like the Savior. We need to develop charity. This includes having attributes such as forgiveness, kindness and compassion. There are certainly very troubling times ahead. The scriptures warn that if it is possible, even the very elect will be deceived. Only the most faithful and the most believing will abide the day of the Lord's Second Coming. With this in mind, how important it is to be spiritually ready!

Courage to Be You

Courage to Be You by Gail Miller is a fantastic, candid book. At one point in her book, Gail recognizes that for a long time she was merely known as "Larry's wife" because her husband, Larry H. Miller, is so widely known because of his businesses, ownership of the Utah Jazz, and more. But one day Gail realized the importance that she herself has. It was part of her journey to have courage to be herself.

Although the author is a billionaire, I found the entire book to be something I could relate to. She is very personable with her examples. While she does talk a little about their wealth, she also explains how uncomfortable talking about money makes her. She talks about how she and her late husband decided together that money would never change them. They always wanted to use the money to do good in the world. A couple of examples of this stood out to me.

After her husband was made a member of a board of trustees, he would get a paycheck for each meeting he attended. Instead of depositing the check, he would cash it, and put all of the money in a coat pocket in the closet. This money was meant for Gail to use at a moment's notice if she found somebody in need, no questions asked. If any money was left over at the end of the year, it was all used to help somebody with Christmas. The Miller family never kept a penny of the checks Larry would get for being a board member.

I loved the way that the author talks about money. Obviously some money is a necessity, but the focus should just be on having sufficient for our needs. After that, it doesn't matter how much money you have. What matters is how much good you can do with what you have. This makes me think of the parable of the talents. Miller explains that she has always been careful with money--even now. Recently a soap dispenser in her home broke. Although she has plenty of money to go out and buy a new one, she knew she could just as easily fix the dispenser she had, and find a better use for the money elsewhere.

But money was just a small part of what the author wrote about. She also talks about the value of hard work, and making sure that we teach it to our children, not shelter them from it. She talks about choosing friends wisely, putting family first, learning to serve, and moving forward and not letting the past dominate the future.

One last thing I loved is the open relationship that Gail and Larry eventually created. When he came home from work, he would soak in the bathtub while sharing all the details of the day with her. This led to her feeling actively involved with the company and feeling like a true partner with her husband. Even though she eventually learned to be her own person and find her own voice, Gail also learned how to be an equal partner with her husband at the same time. I found that both profound and beautiful.

Cleaning the Kingdom

Last year at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA I got to meet both Ken Pellman and Lynn Barron, authors of Cleaning the Kingdom and hosts of the podcast The Sweep Spot. I had heard about their book previously from the Facebook group that I belong to, and so I decided to purchase it from the authors and have them sign it.

The book covers just about every topic you could imagine that sweepers at Disneyland would experience. The authors shared some insider information on how the park works (which sometimes got really repetitive as they described what cleaning each land was like), but the authors also included a lot of fun history and cast member perspectives of park events and changes.

Some of the stories were disturbing (it's crazy to learn about what some guests try to get away with at the park!) while other stories that, although maybe gross in nature, were pretty hysterical. I think my favorite story was of when Disneyland was doing a circus theme and had real elephants marching down Main Street. Elephants urinate more than horses do, and the cast members were unprepared for that. They had just filled a barrel with elephant urine, when the barrel tipped over and sent a wave towards the guests on the curb watching the parade. I am SO glad I wasn't there for that, but it was sure funny to read about later!

Having read the book once, I don't think I would ever read the whole thing again. It seems to be more useful as a reference book. But the authors did a great job telling their stories and they maintain an entertaining voice to read throughout the book.

Moroni's Guide to Surviving Turbulent Times

John Bytheway is a fantastic speaker and author, and his skill is apparent yet again in his book Moroni's Guide to Surviving Turbulent Times. Bytheway essentially goes through everything written by Moroni, and teaches what we can learn from him. Quite a few things stood out to me.

Moroni first introduces himself by explaining what has happened. His father is dead, along with all of his relatives. Moroni is alone. But then he doesn't dwell on that fact. He moves on to address us, the reader, to warn us of the very things that destroyed his own people. Then he focuses on Christ and trying to bring people to Christ.

I was surprised that the author summed up the entire book of Ether in just one chapter. But what I learned the most was Moroni's hope for a better world (see Ether 12). Moroni had nothing left in this world, but his faith in Christ and hope for a better world kept him going strong.

Moroni talks about avoiding enemy territory, knowing his enemies would seek his destruction. He talks about the Holy Ghost, who was certainly a close companion of his during those lonely years. Over and over again we see his attitude of not dwelling on the negative, but striving to be one in Christ.

This book is quick and easy to read, but it sure gives you a lot to ponder about!

The Afterlife Academy

The Afterlife Academy by Frank L. Cole is my favorite of all his books! It is so unique and funny! We first meet Walter. In the first few paragraphs of the book, he dies (SPOILER ALERT!) He is sent a sorting office where he gets to choose a career before he eventually goes to heaven. Walter knows almost immediately what he wants to do--he wants to become a guardian agent! (Agent, not angel--he hasn't gone to heaven yet).

Walter's assignment is to protect a boy about the same age named Charlie, who has discovered The Summoner's Handbook. This book contains the power to open a portal from the underworld, and all the demons want to get their hand on it! Walter has had no training, but somehow he and Charlie need to work together to outwit the demons and somehow destroy this book.

The humor in this book is top class. I giggled out loud several times while reading it. Walter and Charlie are both so different, but they are stuck together. The result is a lot of comedy. For a subject matter that could have easily turned dark and too creepy for young readers, Cole has expertly found a great balance of adventure and humor to make the book appropriate. For example, the demons are not satanic, and most of them are basically big goons with less-than-average intelligence.

The main theme of the book is actually on bullying. It talks about the effects of bullying, how to deal with bullying (and how NOT to deal with bullying). These lessons are taught both in Charlie's personal life at school, and also in his interactions with beings from the underworld.

I highly recommend this book! I wish there was more to read!

Letters to a Young Mormon

I picked up the second edition of Letters to a Young Mormon by Adam S. Miller after hearing a lot of good things about his other book, An Early Resurrection. It is an interesting book with an interesting format. Each chapter is on a different topic, and is written in a letter format. There were some things I really enjoyed, and others that just seemed off to me, mostly in the analogies and metaphors used.

Right in the first chapter, Miller makes this point: "You are a pioneer. Life has never been lived before in your body." I really liked that thought! The second chapter especially resonated with me. He talks about work and how we sometimes try to earn the love of others through our work. He teaches that love works only as a gift, and never as a reward. He says, "If you try to secure God's love through your excellence, then, no matter how excellent your work, you will fail." But if we accept love as a gift, rather than trying to earn it, we will be able to enjoy the love more fully, and we will be able to enjoy work for the sake of the work.

The chapter on history also had some great points, talking about the danger of wishing we could live in the "good old days." There is no such thing. Every period in history has its problems. In the book of Helaman, Nephi cries from atop his tower how he wishes he lived back in the time of Father Lehi and Nephi, when the people were quick to obey the voice of the Lord. Miller points out that really wasn't the case, but the past had been romanticized. All of us do it. It is better to learn from history and actually live in the present.

His chapter on stewardship talked about how interconnected we all are, and we cannot live our lives thinking we are an island. Even our breath is dependent on other elements around us, and those elements are dependent on us.  To be stewards, we need to realize how interconnected everything and everybody is. We truly all need each other.

While divided into two chapters, he teaches similar principles regarding hunger and sex (which is also a type of hunger). We should not curse our hunger, but we should always not let it control us. He teaches that instead of gorging ourselves, we should eat like we want to eat again, not as if it is our last meal. It is something to be learned. He likewise suggests that chastity is not something we are born with, it is something we must learn. To be chaste is not to be innocent, but it means to have learned to control bodily appetites. In learning to control our hunger, sex drive, etc., we are likely to make mistakes. He reminds us that God knows exactly what it is like (and is perhaps a reason why Jesus was asked to fast for 40 days--to truly understand the power of physical hunger). God wants to help us, not damn us.

Although not every analogy and teaching resonated with me, many others did and I loved Miller's perspective on the many topics he addressed. I am glad I read this book. It gave me a lot of food for thought, but also inspired me to action. To me, that is the mark of a good book.

The Gospel at 30,000 Feet

I can still remember the moment when I found out that Deseret Book was publishing a book by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf called The Gospel at 30,000 Feet. I was at the annual leadership conference for Deseret Book and the book wasn't even bound yet. I could hardly wait for it to hit the shelves. Even better, the audio version of the book was actually read by President Uchtdorf!

Although most of the material comes from public addresses that President Uchtdorf has given in the past, the formatting of the book made the material feel somewhat new. The book is formatted based on the principles of flight, with the difference sections focusing on Lift, Guidance on the Journey, Weathering the Turbulence, and Our Eternal Destination.

The book is filled with his experiences as a pilot, but also with other life experiences. (It also has several pictures of him throughout his career and experiences as a pilot). If I had to choose one favorite thing to share from this book, I'm not sure I could choose just one. I love his examples of lift through prayer, and guidance from the Holy Ghost. I also enjoyed him talking about the beautiful and majestic storm clouds that pilots needed to stay away from. If they were to decide to pursue the beautiful clouds, they would certainly lose their lives to the terrible storms. He talks about repentance, and to not believe Satan's lies about there being a "point of no return."

But if I had to choose a favorite part, it would probably be where he talks about the benefit of challenges. As a young boy, he had to ride a heavy bicycle carting laundry around the city for his mother's customers. The bike was old and not like the slender new bikes. President Uchtdorf resented this chore at the time, but years later when applying to the air force, it was discovered that he had a lung disease. It turns out that all that heavy exercise on that heavy bike out in the fresh air was treating his lung disease and actually cured it. What seemed frustrating and discouraging at the time, ended up being a great blessing to him in the long run.

I loved this book, and would definitely recommend it for anybody's shelf.

When Heaven Feels Distant

The book When Heaven Feels Distant by Tyler J. Griffin caught me off guard when I read it. I wasn't expecting to learn so much and to gain so many insights. Sometimes I hear a topic and think I've already heard everything on that topic, only to be pleasantly surprised. Such was the case with this book.

Often times, we don't understand our trials an why we have to go through them. We wish God would take away the hardships. Griffin points out that God doesn't send His children into the wilderness just to get somewhere, but to become something as well. We already lived in Heaven with perfect parents. We came to earth to become more than we were then.

I also loved his insight on the iron rod in the vision of the Tree of Life. The scriptures state that the rod was on the bank of the filthy river. We could look at this as a frustrating location. Why have the rod so close to where we could fall in? The author points out that perhaps the placement isn't for the people on the path--it is for the people in the river, so that they can reach out and grab the rod and be saved from drowning. I love that imagery!

In another part of the book, the author talks about vertical and horizontal sources and how we need to make sure we our getting our information from the Lord, not from others around us. He gives a description of five people, making some sound very favorable, and others not so much. Then he reveals the individuals described. Those who sounded best, were actually terrible people, and those who sounded worst were actually prophets and apostles. We need to make good use of the gift of discernment.

Towards the end of the book, he talks about what to do when family members are struggling, particularly with the Gospel. His advice is to do as Father Lehi did when Laman and Lemuel went their way. Lehi stayed at the tree. He did not go chasing after them, nor did the prodigal son's father chase him down. They stayed at the tree, and beckoned their family to join them. We can also learn from that example.

This was a really good book and I am glad I read it.

Last Laborer

Last Laborer: Thoughts and Reflections of a Black Mormon is a very thought-provoking work by Keith N. Hamilton. I have had this book on my shelf for a while, and decided it was finally time to read it. I'm glad I did. This is a book that will definitely be a permanent part of my library.

The first half of the book covers the author's life. It was very insightful for me, as a white person, to understand the challenges that a person of african descent faces throughout his/her lifetime. I learned a lot from the book, and really appreciated the author's honesty and perspective. I also learned a lot of history. For example, I didn't realize that when a lot of slaves were freed, they took upon themselves the last name of their last owner because they didn't have last names up to that point. So the author's last name (Hamilton) actually comes from a slave owner who was distantly related to Alexander Hamilton. I learned that not all former slaves did this, and some later renounced the name to have no association with their former master, but in general it was a common practice.

The author's life was very interesting to read about. He has a great sense of humor, but he is also very honest. But I really enjoyed the second half of the book, where the author talks about the issue with blacks and the Priesthood from his own perspective and testimony, along with the scriptures and words of latter-day prophets.

I was amazed at how much false doctrine and false traditions I have grown up with concerning this matter. Everything can be summarized by the statement that the ban was instituted by God and was lifted by Him as well. The author has a very strong testimony of this. He is also very clear that he does not know why God ever instituted the ban in the first place, but He knows that God is the source and he trusts God enough to not worry about it for now.

He debunks rumors and clears up false doctrine. A common explanation for the Priesthood ban is that it is because those of african descent are descendants of Cain, who was a murderer. The author points out the lineage of Jesus Christ, who descended from David--both an adulterer and a murderer who lost his exaltation. Does this ancestry diminish who the Savior is? Of course not. So it is with blacks.

Another common teaching is that the ban was put in place because black people were born in their circumstances because they were less valiant in the pre-mortal life. Not only is there absolutely no scriptural basis for this, but there are actually many scriptures that teach the opposite. Take the man who was born blind. The Lord's disciples asked if it was the man who sinned in the pre-mortal world, or his parents sinned, that caused him to be born blind. Jesus answered that neither was the case, but he was born in these circumstances so that the glory of God could be made manifest.

Likewise, look at the circumstances surrounded the birth of the Savior. He was born in a  stable and slept in the manger for his first bed. He was born to refugee parents in a nation that was oppressed and controlled by another nation. Do those sound like favorable circumstances? No. Were those circumstances a consequence of a level of valiance in the pre-mortal life? No. The author actually teaches that those born in unfavorable circumstances, such as the Savior, are born in such because it is necessary to be in those circumstances to accomplish the mission they were sent to perform.

The book is great, and I especially enjoyed reading it just after the Be One celebration put on by the Church to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the Priesthood. I am grateful to Keith Hamilton for writing this book and opening my eyes a little more on the subject.