Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The fifth book of C. S. Lewis's series was one of my absolute favorites when I was younger. In this book, they travel to various islands, each with something magical and dangerous. They meet up again with King Caspian, who is leading this voyage. Only this time, it is only Lucy and Edmund who come, along with their obnoxious cousin Eustace. Eustace is a horrible brat and a jerk. Then, one day on an island, he becomes a dragon. He quickly becomes sorry for his behavior and he longs to be with the rest of the crew, but they cannot take a dragon aboard. Then, one night, a Lion comes into the camp and tells Eustace to follow him. The Lion leads him to a pool of water. Eustace knows that if he goes in he will feel much better. But before he is allowed to enter, the Lion (who you must guess is Aslan) tells him to shed his skin. Eustace tries a couple of times, but can never shed enough. Finally Aslan offers to help. He digs his claws deep into Eustace's back. It is painful, but he rips off the skin and throws Eustace into the lake, where he then emerges as a boy again. The lesson? No matter how much we try to do things for ourselves, only the Savior can make the final difference.

Later on, the sailors are sailing through a pitch-black sky with horrible screams and nightmarish voices echoing across the waters. They are all terrified and about to give into despair. Lucy, always the most faithful, prays to Aslan for help. Suddenly a beam of light falls upon the ship and from it descends an albatross, which whispers to Lucy, "Courage, dear heart." She knew the voice to be Aslan's. By following that light and the path set out by Aslan, they are able to escape from that horrible place.

At the end, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace find themselves on the brink of Aslan's country. There they meet Aslan, who tells them that the way that they will enter in is from their world. Lucy asks if he will show them, and he responds, "I shall be telling you all the time." He then informs Lucy and Edmund that they will never return to Narnia. They are both heartbroken and cry out in despair. Lucy tells him that they won't miss Narnia so much as they will miss him. Aslan then says, "But you shall meet me there, child." Edmund asks if he is in our world too, and Aslan says, "I am. But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This is the reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me better here for a little, you may know me better there."

This is where we learn that Aslan really is a symbol for Jesus Christ. Everything he does teaches us about the Savior. That is why I love The Chronicles of Narnia so much. They ring with truth in every page.

Prince Caspian

The fourth book in C. S. Lewis's series has become better known since the movie came out. To me, this book teaches about faith in the Lord, even when you cannot see His plans for you. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are again called back to Narnia to save it from a race of men that is determined to destroy Old Narnia with all the beautiful creatures that Aslan created. The woods have become silent, the magical creatures have disappeared, and talking animals seem extinct. However, with the rise of Prince Caspian, Old Narnia has a chance to win the fight, but only if the great Kings and Queens of Narnia return. When Susan's ancient horn is blown, the four siblings are called back to the ancient castle at Cair Paravel.

During their journey to find Prince Caspian, Lucy sees Aslan and excitedly tells the others that they need to follow him. But since her siblings can't see Aslan, they don't believe her, with the exception of Edmund. They continue on their path, only to find it is a dead end. Having lost a lot of time, they must retrace their steps and follow the route Lucy originally suggested. That night, Aslan visits Lucy and chastizes her for not following him. When she protests that her siblings didn't believe her, Aslan growls and she humbly says, "You mean that it would have turned out all right-somehow?" But Aslan replies that nobody is ever told what would have happened. Then he tells her to wake the others. He tells her that the only way to find out what will happen is to do it and see. Her siblings grudgingly follow her. Then, slowly, one by one, they are all able to see Aslan.

This book teaches that the Lord has a way prepared for us. It may not seem like the most logical way, but it is the best way. We must have faith in Him and follow the course He has set before us. That is the only way that we can know what will happen; it is the only way to know what the Lord has planned for us. It requires faith, but just like the Pevensie children, we will eventually see that the Lord truly is leading us forward in our lives.

The Horse and His Boy

When I was younger, this book bored me. I thought it was the weakest of all the books in C. S. Lewis's series. When I read it shortly after I returned home from my mission, however, my attitude changed completely! The book is about a boy named Shasta. He was raised by a fisherman who always treated him poorly. Shasta discovers a horse named Bree from Narnia and decide to run away together to Narnia. On the way, they encounter terrible threats. He spends a night alone among tombs with only a cat for company, while he hears the howls of jackals and the roar of a lion. The threats seem to mount continuously and he and his friend are even attacked by a lion while they are hurrying to warn a king about an upcoming attack. At one point, Shasta finds himself alone, riding a horse that couldn't talk in the misty fog. He is feeling very somber when he suddenly realizes that somebody, or someTHING is walking by him.

'"Who are you?" he said, scarcely above a whisper.

"One who has waited long for you to speak."' replies the voice.

The THING then talks to Shasta, who exclaims, "I am the unluckiest person in the whole world!" and the THING instructs him to tell of his sorrows. "So he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives; and of all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them...

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.

"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" said Shasta.

"There was only one lion," said the Voice.

"How do you know?"

"I was the lion." And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. "I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

I wish I could go on with the passage to the moment where Shasta has a sacred moment with the lion the reader must recognize as Aslan. I love how the many things that Shasta viewed as trials were actually blessings. The same is true for us. So many of our challenges are actually blessings. We just can't see the final result yet. But one day each of us will have a sacred moment with the Savior and He will show us everything. This reminds me of a Portuguese hymn called "Agora Não mas Logo Mais." Perhaps that will appear soon on my music blog. The point is, the Savior is watching over us and all of our experiences will work out for our good if we have faith in Him.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The second book in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series (but the first one that he actually wrote) is a timeless classic. It is also a culmination of Christian symbolism with the depiction of the Savior's Atonement. It all begins when Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy enter the wonderful world of Narnia, only to find that it is under the control of the evil witch Jadis, who is now called the White Witch. She makes it so that it is always winter and never Christmas. Peter, Susan, and Lucy learn that they are to meet Aslan, who is coming to destroy the witch once and for all, bringing summer with him. Edmund, however, has allied himself with the witch, having become addicted to her food. He betrays them, but is eventually rescued by Aslan's army, just as the witch is about to kill him.

However, the White Witch demands that Edmund be returned to her. Traitors belong to her, just as sinners belong to Hell. The law demands that such be surrendered. Aslan, however, subjects himself to Edmund's fate, suffering in his place. He allows his mane to be shaved as he suffers humiliating treatment from the witch and her subjects. Then he is killed, much to the horror of Lucy and Susan, who are watching close by. Their sadness is turned to great joy, however, when Aslan resurrects in the morning. He has paid the price for Edmund, has conquered death itself, and now brings back with him others that have been killed by the witch (she turns people into stone). Returning with his glorious, resurrected army, Aslan encounters the witch's army and personally kills her. Likewise, Christ died for all sinners, but resurrected three days later, along with the fallen saints. He has conquered all. Upon seeing Aslan and embracing him, Lucy and Susan cry out, "You're real!" Jesus is real, and He is alive.

The Magician's Nephew

Alright! Time to talk about my favorite books of all time! The next seven weeks I will talk about each book from C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. I love these books so much, and I have ever since I first read them as a kid. The Magician's Nephew, while not the first book C. S. Lewis wrote for the series, is a wonderful introduction to Narnia, mostly because it is the book where Narnia is created.

C. S. Lewis includes a lot of Christian doctrine in his books. This book talks about the Creation and fall of man. The Savior is depicted by Aslan, the great and mighty lion. He creates Narnia by singing, and you've never heard of a voice so rich and beautiful as his. Once Narnia is created, he calls forth to him Digory Kirke, one of the two main characters of this novel. Digory has brought the evil queen and sorceress Jadis to Narnia, infecting the new world with evil at the dawn of its creation. Aslan says, "Evil will come of this evil . . . and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself." This is foreshadowing his sacrifice, symbolic of the Atonement.

I love the symbolism of Aslan and the Savior. Aslan talks to the Cabby who came with Digory and says, "Son, I have known you long. Do you know me?" The Savior has also known us long, and asks if we know Him. If we are like the Cabby, we will answer that we have not met in the ordinary way, and yet it seems that we have met before. After the Cabby is declared the first king of Narnia, Digory is asked to fulfill a quest that will protect Narnia from the witch for hundreds of years. Before Digory leaves on his quest, he bursts into tears and pleads, "But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?" Digory's mother at that exact moment was dying in her bed. I love the part that follows.

"Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at his face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself." Digory was focusing on the justice of the Lion (the Savior), but when he looked up to see his face, he found compassion. The Savior does not joy in our sorrow. He knows our sorrow. C. S. Lewis does a remarkable job of capturing the love of the Savior and how He knows each person intimately. Even though I have read these books several times, they still bring tears to my eyes as I read about the love the Savior has for each of us.

Odds Are You're Going to be Exalted

This book by Alonzo Gaskill is a remarkable book that clarifies why the Plan of Salvation made each of us shout for joy when the Father presented it to us. We generally think that very few people will enter the Celestial Kingdom. Brother Gaskill says he cannot picture our Father saying, "I have a plan that will allow only a handful of you to return and the rest of you will be damned." He especially cannot imagine our reaction being shouting for joy. No, the Father presented a plan that would give us very good chances of returning to Him.

First, the author talks about those who die before they turn eight. As we know from the Doctrine and Covenants, any who die before the age of accountability are automatically heirs of the Celestial Kingdom. The author estimates that about half of the people ever born on the planet died before they turned eight. That means billions of people have automatically been guaranteed a return to our heavenly home. Then he talks about those who die without a knowledge of the Gospel. He uses scriptures and quotes from General Authorities to show that the majority of these people will accept the Gospel in the Spirit World and thus be granted exaltation as well. Indeed, the numbers are stunning of how many will be able to make it back.

The author then states that at times it might not seen fair to us. We didn't die before becoming eight-years-old. We know about the Gospel now. So how is that fair? That is where the Atonement comes in. God is so incredibly generous with His forgiveness and has made it so available that our part seems really small. The Savior has done most of the work for us. We just need to follow in His footsteps. He also argues that since, "Unto whom much is given, much is required," so likewise "Unto whom much is required, much is given." Because more is required of us than those who die early or without a knowledge of the Gospel, we are more abundantly blessed. Not only are we blessed in this life, but even in the next life we will have more experience to help us in our eternal progression. In the end, it all evens out. The majority of our brothers and sisters will indeed return to the Celestial Kingdom. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the way is paved before us and our own exaltation is highly achievable, so long as we strive to remain on the path and consistently repent of all our sins.

In His Steps

This is a book that every Christian needs to read. I don't care what denomination of Christianity you are from, Charles M. Sheldon's book will help you evaluate your life and your dedication to the Lord. This book explores the question, "What would Jesus do?" and takes it to a whole new level of meaning. The book begins with a pastor who is preparing his sermon. He is focusing so hard on what will please his congregation and make him look good, that he neglects to help a homeless man. This man arrives at his church the next day and speaks to the congregation before dying. His words have a strong impact on the pastor. At the next service, he issues a challenge to his members to always ask what Jesus would do and then do it. A select group take him up on his offer, and the rest of the book follows their choices. Some give up fame in order to serve. Others lose money. Many of them are rejected, ridiculed, and despised. Yet they continue in their quest to live as Jesus would have them live.

Sometimes it is hard for me to imagine what Jesus would do because it is hard to imagine him doing modern things, such as watching TV, or going to Disneyland. This book succeeds in trying to put Him in a modern setting. For example, one of the people owns a newspaper. Now, I personally can't imagine the Savior printing newspapers all day long. But this man was able to think, "If the Savior were in the newspaper business, what stories would he print?" He then chooses not to include stories that every other newspaper was printing. As time went on, he began to publish more and more stories that recognized the good in the world. It helps me to think, "If the Savior were a custodian, what would He do? If He were an employee at Deseret Book, what would He do?" Following this will make me a better person. The book gives examples of many, many sacrifices that had to be made, but the people found a deeper happiness than anything else could have offered.

I hope that in my life I can do better to follow "in His steps" and live as Jesus would live if He were in my position. I highly recommend this book. It will make you think about your life in a way you've never thought of it before.