So when the bishop calls her to be homemaking counselor, she knows that it's either a joke- or inspiration. Welcome to the Paradise Vue Ward, with stained glass windows so blindingly bright, the congregation has to wear shades. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll keep wondering how the author found out about all the wackiest people in your ward. Surely the funniest Mormon novel ever published. By the end you may discover it's also the best.

    She leaves behind the woman her ex-husband wanted her to be and hopes to find herself in a new, foreign place, a place to heal. Determined to isolate herself from relationships and practically the rest of the world, Liz settles in a small farming community south of Salt Lake City. She is gradually drawn into the lives of her neighbors, most of whom are LDS. She discovers wounds heal better in warmth and acceptance of friends.

    So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems them good. As for me, I believe. And it is, after all, my story." So begins "The Christmas Box, " the touching story of a widow and the young family who moves in with her. Together they discover the first gift of Christmas and learn what Christmas is really all about. "The Christmas Box" is a Christmas story unlike any other.

    He appeared before her in her father's house, filthy from the desert, tired and thirsty. But as the dirt of travel was washed from his body, the sight of him filled her heart. And when Abram promises Sarai to return in ten years to take her for his wife, her fate was sealed.Abram kept his promise, and Sarai kept hers they were wed, and so joined the royal house of Ur with the high priesthood of the Hebrews. So began a lifetime of great joy together, and greater peril: and with the blessing of their God, a great nation would be built around the core of their love.Bestselling author Orson Scott Card uses his fertile imagination, and uncanny insight into human nature, to tell the story of a unique woman--one who is beautiful, tough, smart, and resourceful in an era when women had little power, and are scarce in the historical record. Sarah, child of the desert, wife of Abraham, takes on vivid reality as a woman desirable to kings, a devoted wife, and a faithful follower of the God of Abraham, chosen to experience an incomparable miracle.

    Her husband's epilepsy has caused him to become cynical and verbally abusive, but with love in her heart and strength from her Heavenly Father, Mickelle is determined to make her marriage work. Then the worst happens, Can she ever pick up the shattered pieces of her life? Doing so seems impossible.Meanwhile, Rebekka Massoni arrives in America to work for handsome widower Damon Wolfe, leaving all her hopes and dreams back in her beloved France. She has loved and idolized Marc Perrault since she was five years old, but he can offer only her friendship in return.Can Rebekka forget Marc and learn to love another man? Both Damon and Samuel Bjornenburg, successful CEO of Corban International, hope to win a place in her heart, but Damon's daughter doesn't like Rebekka, and Samuel doesn't share her faith. To make matters worse, Rebekka's heart is still breaking over Marc. Suddenly she must make the most important decision of her entire life. Will it be the right one?Join Mickelle and Rebekka as they search for love and self-discovery. This tender story of heartbreak, healing, and faith is one you will not soon forget.

    We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning.What he got from her instead was a sweater. "A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell -- to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.Based on a deeply personal true story, The Christmas Sweater is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.

    Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page. Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.

    . . . If not for the knowledge that his sister would be waiting outside to take him home—and that he had two children at home waiting for him—he might have preferred to turn around and ask to stay. And so begins a new chapter in Greg’s life, which includes the daunting tasks of earning the trust and respect of his teen-aged children, finding meaningful employment in a society that doesn’t always take kindly to those who have “served time,” and daring to believe in love with its miracles of healing and forgiveness. And Greg has no illusions about conquering these hurdles. However, with the support of a devoted sister and her extended family, and the unexpected gift of a uniquely charming and brave woman’s love . . . it all just might happen. In this utterly captivating novel, bestselling author Anita Stansfield achieves a satisfying balance of romance, humor, and deep glimpses into the human heart and soul. It is a story that resonates with emotional truths that will linger long after the last page is turned.

    One bets the other that someone will make room for them in their hearts and home.

    in communications, reluctantly joins the other seven scholars at the insistence of his father-in-law, a prominent televangelist. Anney, Stephen's wife, who bears an old grudge against the Mormons, fears that he has been thrust into a study that may influence his protestant beliefs. As Stephen absorbs the truths of the Book of Mormon, a wedge is driven between them that could ultimately destroy their marriage.This extraordinary novel rivets the reader's interest on several different levels--intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. Will Peter Polk, the project coordinator, be able to carry off this study? Will his scholarly conclave reach any substantial conclusions about the authenticity of the Book of Mormon? And will Stephen risk losing his wife and family if he embraces a new faith?

    Now, as he approaches the birth of his first child, he feels deeply unsettled about his severed familial bonds. Before Daniel can feel ready to be a father himself, he knows he must unravel the painful mystery of his past and make peace with what he finds.This quest begins as Daniel discovers the story of his grandmother, a woman of great faith who wanted nothing more than to have her family sealed together eternally, but whose untimely death led to the scattering of her offspring. Daniel’s journey of understanding unfolds as he forms new connections with relatives he never knew he had and gains long-lost insight about the difficult circumstances that entangled his family tree. From a past riddled by abuse, abandonment, and alcoholism, Daniel comes to see himself and his future in a promising new light.Inspired by actual people and events, this novel poignantly imparts unforgettable lessons about love and loss, choice and accountability, and the everlasting ties that bind generations. I loved it! Not only is The Ties That Bind a tender story of a man in search of himself, but it includes a lot of good tips for how one might find the pieces to the puzzle of one’s own history.

    Unlike other books about the atonement, The Peacegiver is written as an extended parable. It tells the story of a man struggling, with the help of a loved one, to come unto Christ. IN reading the rich details of his often difficult journey, we find ourselves embarked on a personal journey of our own. His questions are our questions; his problems, our problems; his discoveries, our discoveries. Along the way, the truths of the gospel are unfolded with surprising clarity and power, illuminating aspects of the atonement that few of us have ever heard or considered before. These surprising implications show us the way to deep and lasting peace in our hearts and homes."My peace I give unto you," the Savior declared. The Peacegiver explores in a deeply personal way what we must do to receive the peace he stands willing to give.

    That is--until the school burns down.Follow Andy on his unlikely journey to the town of Mishap, Utah, where besides teaching math, he finds himself tricked into teaching a summer course on personal relations.Ever since Larry and Tillie Cutler defied the curse of Mishap and got married--and then immediately disappeared in a downed plane--the residents of Mishap are running scared. They all believe that anyone who marries in the town will come to an unseemly and untimely end. But Andy's been hired to fix all that.Meet a cast of lovable characters in a town that's filled with surprises. Captain Matrimony is a delightful read that will make you laugh out loud and keep you guessing as Andy unravels the mystery of a local curse and meets the girl of his dreams.

    "Excuse me?""You're pregnant."Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.Beloved author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.

    Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!