"We seldom get into trouble when we speak softly. It is only when we raise our voices that the sparks fly and tiny molehills become great mountains of contention."
It’s
not too late to resolve to keep up with the 2016 Sunday school course
of study, and Covenant Communications managing editor Kathryn Jenkins
Gordon makes it a whole lot simpler (and removes the excuses) with
The Book of Mormon: Complete Commentary in One Volume.
Really. The entire text of the Book of Mormon appears in this
oversized book of 630 pages, with insightful commentary, quotes by
Church leaders, and additional scriptural references interspersed in
lighter print (maybe a little too
light for some people’s eyesight). The all-inclusive package is $34.99 in hard cover.
Scott A.
Livingston, my stake president as well as a communications guy and
writing instructor, has put down some deep but accessible thoughts on
forgiveness and responding in a Christlike way when others mistreat
us. Beauty for Ashes (Covenant 2015, 165 pages in soft cover, $11.99) takes a phrase from
Isaiah 61 which speaks of giving beauty back when we are offered
ashes.
The
subtitle, Learning from Christ How to Endure Life’s Greatest Pains, Sufferings, and Sorrows,
summarizes what’s between the covers: scriptural accounts,
anecdotes from personal experience, and quotes by Church leaders and
authors underscoring the everyday relevance of the Atonement.
Sensible, touching, and replete with application, this well-written
book is a testament to the transformative power of letting the
Atonement work in our lives as well as the lives of others as we
return beauty for ashes.
Much of
the pain we face in life is not of our own making; often, we suffer
the consequences of someone else’s actions or decisions. Misti
Stevenson examines this truth in a very personal way in her
self-published account, He Delivered Even Me—He Will Deliver Even You.
The ponderous title is a hint of the lengthy and sometimes
repetitious narrative. Stevenson details her own private struggles as
a teenager with OCD, a condition brought on by a controlling mother
obsessed with the appearance of perfection. Although it’s a
pertinent issue and there’s no doubt the author needed to tell
the insightful story of her journey through darkness into the light,
it could be more compelling in a fraction of the 324 pages (2013,
soft cover, $14.99).
More
readable (and fun to read) is Wain Myers’ blog-turned-book From
Baptist Preacher to Mormon Teacher (Cedar Fort 2015, 134 pages in soft cover, $11.99). Co-authored by
Kelly L. Martinez, the well-told story recounts Myers’ boyhood
“calling” to preach the gospel, but he didn’t find
out where until his now-wife introduced him to Mormon missionaries many years
later. A little past halfway through the book, Myers trades
storytelling for preaching, which isn’t nearly as fun but still
worthwhile. Myers is now living in Salt Lake City and serving in the
presidency of the Genesis Group, a social organization to support
Black LDS members and their families. (See authorwainmyers.com for
fireside dates featuring the author.)
Another
Latter-day Saint with an unusual story to tell is Al Carraway. The
title of her book, More than the Tattooed Mormon, gives
some idea of the content that underscores the truth that there’s
much more to a person than what you see on the outside (Cedar Fort
2015, 150 pages in soft cover, $18.99).
With
boldness and humor born in a blog, the author tells the story of her
conversion in Rochester, New York, at age 21 and the social and
family backlash she faced afterwards. But worse was the pain she
endured after moving to Utah and being shunned by Latter-day Saints
who couldn’t quite fit her into their own concept of a “good
Mormon.” The tattoos didn’t help, but Carraway’s
goodness and sincerity triumphed. “I don’t blog so people
will know me,” she writes. “I blog so people will want to
know God and know with confidence that God loves them.” Her
positive attitude and bright spirit have made her a popular speaker
among audiences of all kinds as she shares the truth that people can
change and no one should be judged for what they once were.
Laurie
Williams Sowby has been writing since second grade and getting paid
for it since high school. Her byline ("all three names, please")
has appeared on more than 6,000 freelance articles published in
newspapers, magazines, and online.
A
graduate of BYU and a writing instructor at Utah Valley University
for many years, she proudly claims all five children and their
spouses as college grads.
She
and husband, Steve, have served three full-time missions together,
beginning in 2005 in Chile, followed by Washington D.C. South, then
Washington D.C. North, both times as young adult Institute teachers.
They are currently serving in the New York Office of Public and
International Affairs
During
her years of missionary service, Laurie has continued to write about
significant Church events, including the rededication of the Santiago
Temple by President Hinckley and the groundbreaking for the
Philadelphia Temple by President Eyring. She also was a Church
Service Missionary, working as a news editor at Church Magazines,
between full-time missions.
Laurie
has traveled to all 50 states and at least 45 countries (so far).
While home is American Fork, Utah, Lincoln Center and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art have provided a comfortable second home.
Laurie
is currently serving a fourth full-time mission with her husband in
the New York Office of Public and International Affairs. The two
previously served with a branch presidency at the Provo Missionary
Training Center. The oldest of 18 grandchildren have been called to
serve missions in New Hampshire and Brisbane, Australia.