Book picks similar to
The Cost of Winning: Coming in First Across the Wrong Finish Line by Dean Hughes
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religious
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religious-books
Burying Our Swords: How Christ Can Remove Rebellion from Our Hearts
Kevin Hinckley - 2008
His oldest son has dropped out of high school, stormed out of the house, and left the family in tatters. In response, his heartsick wife has become withdrawn and emotionally lost. Then, at the university where Mike works, someone begins leaving yellow notes on his desk. To his surprise, the notes direct him on a journey through the Book of Mormon and particularly the story of the children of Ammon. They lead him toward some surprising answers about how to heal his life and reclaim his family. And through it all he is left to wonder who is leaving the notes and why? And what is it they want him to do? Told in parable format, this book offers practical advice about improving relationships while providing fresh insights about crucial gospel doctrines.
Peculiar in a Good Way
Mary Ellen Edmunds - 2006
In this humorous but thought-provoking book, she explores what really makes “a peculiar people” and what sets us apart as distinct and different from the rest of the world. “Others surely do notice things about us,” she states, “so what would it be like if we could be depended upon to live what we believe every inch and minute of our lives?” Using the scriptures and personal experiences to help explain our uniqueness, Mary Ellen presents a positive and upbeat approach to making little changes that will help us strive to become better when we’re already pretty good.
The Promise of Enough: Seven Principles of True Abundance
Emily Belle Freeman - 2009
Perhaps you are lonely and long for an abundance of love. Maybe you suffer from an illness and long for an abundance of health. Some may long for an abundance of peace, or an abundance of comfort. Others may find that they long for an abundance of time or an abundance of joy.Welcome to a spiritual journey that will lead you to realize that the Lord is aware of you and He has miracles in store for you. Through this step- by-step process you will discover seven principles of abundance, each with an explanation of how the Lord can take what you already have and make it more. With an emphasis on making the most of every day, this book will encourage you to seek the gift that only He can bring — the promise of enough, with the miracle of some to spare.
I Hate It When Exercise Is the Answer: A Fitness Program for the Soul
Emily Watts - 2009
Read any pamphlet in your doctor's office. Like it or not, you'll find that exercise seems to be the prescription for just about every ill, from diabetes to heart disease to depression to (ironically) fatigue.Luckily, exercise bikes, dumbbells, and spandex suits are not needed in these 31 exercises to help keep our spirits in shape. I Hate It When Exercise Is the Answer is filled with funny, easy-to-relate-to stories that also come with lessons, such as: how a tax return can teach us perspective, how a big cookie teaches about assumptions, and what an engine-free car has to do with adjusting our expectations. In her lighthearted and conversational style, author Emily Watts offers ideas to improve our spiritual and emotional fitness. In just one short month, you could be a better, happier, more spiritual you!This is one fitness tool that won't end up gathering dust in the corner of your room.
Spiritually Anchored in Unsettled Times
Bruce C. Hafen - 2009
Whether we are new converts or lifelong Church members, sincerely trying to follow Christ in today’s fear-filled world can make us feel acutely aware of how far we have yet to go. How, then, do we stand steady in such a world while continuing to move with surety toward the “better world” the Lord promises his true followers (see Ether 12:4)? In this candid book full of personal stories and rich doctrine, Elder Bruce C. Hafen helps us think and feel in fresh, deep ways about faith, reason, and other elements of a well-anchored testimony — one that will stabilize, orient, and energize the disciple’s quest for that “better world” while “abounding in good works” in this one. The book shows how developing such faith is a process, not an event — a process that includes overcoming the snares and stagnations that punctuate our life’s paths. Elder Hafen here teaches us how we can again feel movement and find joy in the journey, with both anchor and sail so well set that “the furious wind” that blows “upon the face of the waters” actually hastens us “toward the promised land" (Ether 6:5)
The Holy Secret
James L. Ferrell - 2008
We do not love what is holy. Although we might reverence things that are deemed holy- the temple, for example, and the scriptures, and the Sabbath- we do not love them. Not really. Not with our whole souls.The Holy Secret is the story of a man who learns how to love what matters. As he does, he learns another secret: Love for holiness transforms life itself. His realization of what he had been missing may lead you to some discoveries of your own!
The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life
Terryl L. Givens - 2012
We encounter appealing arguments for a Divinity that is a childish projection, for prophets as scheming or deluded imposters, and for scripture as so much fabulous fiction. But there is also compelling evidence that a glorious Divinity presides over the cosmos, that His angels are strangers we have entertained unawares, and that His word and will are made manifest through a sacred canon that is never definitively closed. What we choose to embrace, to be responsive to, is the purest reflection of who we are and what we love. That is why faith, the choice to believe, is in the final analysis, an action that is positively laden with moral significance."As humans, we are, like the poet John Keats, "straining at particles of light in the midst of a great darkness." And yet, the authors describe a version of life's meaning that is reasonable—and radically resonant. It tells of a God whose heart beats in sympathy with ours, who set His heart upon us before the world was formed, who fashioned the earth as a place of human ascent, not exile, and who has the desire and the capacity to bring the entire human family home again.
Holy Places: True Stories of Faith and Miracles from Latter-Day Temples
Chad S. Hawkins - 2006
Holy Places includes more than sixty faith promoting stories with accompanying artwork from temples around the world, including the most recent temples in Ghana, Manhattan, Newport Beach, and Nigeria. Based on more than a decade of personal interviews and in-depth research, each story in this beautiful volume conveys a sense of God's hand in the important work of temples and the faith of Church members as they seek to perform that work. Families will love this treasured collection of stories documenting the faith and miracles associated with the most holy places on Earth.
The Infinite Atonement
Tad R. Callister - 2000
Millet in his foreword to this landmark book. "Even some doctrines, though interesting and fun to discuss, must take a backseat to more fundamental and foundational doctrines. It is just so with the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement is the central act of human history, the pivotal point in all time, the doctrine of doctrines."With The Infinite Atonement, Brother Tad R. Callister offers us what may be the most comprehensive, yet understandable, treatment of the Atonement in our day. He thoughtfully probes the infinite scope of this "great and last sacrifice," describing its power and breadth and explaining how it redeems us all.Using the scriptures and the words of the prophets, Brother Callister explores the Savior's divinity and the depth of his love for mankind. He explains the blessings that flow from the Atonement, providing insight into the resurrection, repentance, and the gifts of peace, motivation, freedom, grace, and exaltation. He explains the relationship of justice and mercy and the importance of ordinances. Through discussing the effects of the fall of Adam and our individual sins, he reminds us in a powerful way of the incalculable debt of gratitude we owe Christ for his unparalleled offering."An attempt to master this doctrine requires an immersion of all our senses, all our feelings, and all our intellect," Brother Callister writes. "Given the opportunity, the Atonement will invade each of the human passions and faculties.... The Atonement is not a doctrine that lends itself to some singular approach, like a universal formula. It must be felt, not just 'figured'; internalized, not just analyzed.... The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most supernal, mind-expanding, passionate doctrine this world or universe will ever know."With clarity, testimony, and understanding, The Infinite Atonement teaches us rich and wonderful truths about this "doctrine of doctrines," and elevates our spirits as we contemplate the perfect love of Him who gave all that we might receive all.
The Miracle of Forgiveness
Spencer W. Kimball - 1969
But perhaps his greatest miracle was the healing of people's souls, - the forgiveness of sin. Jesus offers us that same miracle on the same terms- sincere repentance. In The Miracle of Forgiveness, President Spencer W Kimball gives a penetrating explanation of repentance and forgiveness and clarifies their implications for Church members. His in-depth approach shows that the need for forgiveness is universal; portrays the various facets of repentance, and emphasizes some of the more serious errors, particularly sexual ones, which afflict both modern society and Church members. Most important, he illuminates his message with the brightness of hope that even those who have gone grievously astray may find the way back to peace and security. Never before has any book brought this vital and moving subject into so sharp a focus. This classic book is a major work of substance and power. After, all who does not need the miracle of forgiveness.
Redefining Joy in the Last Days
Chris Stewart - 2009
Drawing on unforgettable real- life experiences and rich examples from the scriptures, he offers suggestions for reorienting our lives in order to achieve greater joy and happiness even in the most challenging times. Redefining Joy looks at some of life s most difficult questions. But be prepared. The answers may surprise you.
That We Might Have Joy
Howard W. Hunter - 1994
Hunter asked members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "How often do we think of the Savior? How deeply and gratefully and how adoringly do we reflect on his life? How central to our lives do we know him to be?" Living a more Christlike life has long been a theme of President Hunter's messages to the Saints. That We Might Have Joy presents thirty-two of these messages, each expressing his testimony that "Christ's way is not only the right way, but ultimately the only way to hope and joy." The book is arranged in four parts"Making Christ Our Exemplar," "A Plea for Unity," "Facing Trials and Tribulations," and "Becoming Disciples of Christ." Each chapter within these sections draws from the scriptures an important message illustrating how using the Savior's life and teachings as our guide can lead to greater peace of mind and joy. President Hunter summarizes well this theme in his talk entitled "Facing Trials and Tribulations": "Our task is to have the gospel in our lives and to be a bright light, a city set on a hill, that reflects the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the joy and happiness that will always come to every people in every age who keep the commandments."
I Hope You Know How Much I Love You: And Other Advice for a Happier Life
John Bytheway - 2011
With humor and insight, John takes us through invaluable lessons he has learned in order to have a happier life. His advice to be content with ourselves and our accomplishments, reduce stress by striving to have the Spirit with us, choose to be delightful, show more appreciation to those we love, and rely on the Savior, among other great ideas, offers hope to us all. As John states, “Hopefully this book will be a battery charge for our lives.”
Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes
Gordon B. Hinckley - 2000
Hinckley, has created a classic look at the values that can change our world--and how to stand up for them. Drawing on anecdotes from his much-admired life of faith and service, as well as examples from American culture today, he examines ten virtues that have always illuminated the path to a better world: love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness and mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, optimism, and faith. He then shows how the two guardians of virtue--marriage and the family--can keep us on that path, even in difficult times. Standing for Something is an inspiring blueprint for what we all can do--as individuals, as a nation, and as a world community--to rediscover the values and virtues that have historically made us strong and that will lead us to a brighter future.