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.