Clayton Christensen admits that he and his wife, Christine, felt that way in the past too. But they also recognized the tremendous blessings associated with the work, and they wanted to learn how to share the gospel in ways that would be natural and rewarding. Clayton's expertise as an innovator kicked in, and he set out with friends and family members to find a more effective approach to member missionary work. Their refreshing perspectives are presented in this book, which includes inspiring, unusual stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of the ideas. Chances are, you'll discover you're already doing a lot of the things mentioned, and with just a little tweak here and there, you'll be sharing the gospel naturally as part of your everyday interactions. Along the way, you'll feel the deep joy that comes from helping others discover the most precious blessing in the world: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    Hinckley said, "There is no more significant work in this world than the preparation of boys to become men . . . who are qualified to live productive and meaningful lives." And President Thomas S. Monson underscores this thought when he says that "It's easier to build boys than to mend them." Bradley D. Harris, professor of recreational management and youth leadership at Brigham Young University, and past member of the LDS Young Mens General Board, challenges parents and youth leaders alike to rediscover the spiritual dimensions of Scouting-to focus on the close relationship that should exist between Scouting and the Aaronic Priesthood. The author's 22-year professional career with the Boy Scouts of America, combined with extensive experience within the Church in various priesthood leadership capacities, gives him invaluable insights into the responsibilities that parents and leaders have in bringing young men to Christ. "The family is the first institution charged with bringing young men to Christ. . . . Working in harmony, the family and the Aaronic Priesthood should create an atmosphere where young men's individual testimonies can . . . flourish." Trails to Testimony is a powerful guide for families and leaders entrusted with the sacred responsibility of teaching and guiding the young men of the Church.

    Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, c1976.

    She is barely an adult when the trials of motherhood and marriage put her on an unexpected collision course with Jesus. After finding her faith at a suburban megachurch, Jamie trades in the easy life on the cul-de-sac for the green fields of Costa Rica. There, along with her family, she earnestly hopes to serve God and change lives. But faced with a yawning culture gap and persistent shortcomings in herself and her fellow workers, she soon loses confidence in the missionary enterprise and falls into a funk of cynicism and despair.

Nearly paralyzed by depression, yet still wanting to make a difference, she decides to tell the whole, disenchanted truth: Missionaries suck and our work makes no sense at all! From her sofa in Central America, she launches a renegade blog, Jamie the Very Worst Missionary, and against all odds wins a large and passionate following. Which leads her to see that maybe a "bad" missionary--awkward, doubtful, and vocal—is exactly what the world and the throngs of American do-gooders need.

    Desperate to help their son survive, his parents send him to the Netherlands. But the invading German army soon follows. During the ensuing war-torn years, young Avraham braves harrowing captures, daring escapes, torturous hiding, and heartbreaking losses. Yet he also experiences the goodness of humanity through the strangers who help him.Surviving the Holocaust takes ingenuity, guts, and sheer determination—all of which he calls on again, when he fights to establish the State of Israel during its War of Independence.And when mere existence isn’t enough, Avraham moves to the United States to continue his education and pursue his dreams.Determined takes the reader on an unforgettable journey filled with suspense and danger. But it is more than just a remarkable story of survival—it is a testament to human kindness, even in the darkest of hours, and to the achievements made possible through relentless perseverance.This unique autobiography will inspire readers of all ages—spanning fans of historical memoirs to readers seeking an uplifting perspective on a life fulfilled.

    congressman John Lewis, linking his life to the quest for justice in America from the 1950s to the present--from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Soul of America John Lewis, who at age twenty-five marched in Selma, Alabama, and was beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, is a visionary and a man of faith. Drawing on decades of wide-ranging interviews with Lewis and deep research into the history of the civil rights movement, Jon Meacham writes of how this great-grandson of a slave and a son of an Alabama tenant farmer was inspired by the Bible and his teachers in nonviolence, Reverend James Lawson and Martin Luther King, Jr., to put his life on the line in the service of what Abraham Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature." A believer in hope above all else, Lewis learned from a young age that nonviolence was not only a tactic but a philosophy, a biblical imperative, and a transforming reality. At the age of four, Lewis, ambitious to become a minister, practiced by preaching to his family's chickens. When his mother cooked one of the chickens, the boy refused to eat it--his first act, he wryly recalled, of nonviolent protest. Integral to Lewis's commitment to bettering the nation was his faith in humanity and in God--and an unshakable belief in the power of hope.Meacham calls Lewis "as important to the founding of a modern and multiethnic twentieth- and twenty-first-century America as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and Samuel Adams were to the initial creation of the nation-state in the eighteenth century. He did what he did--risking limb and life to bear witness for the powerless in the face of the powerful--not in spite of America, but because of America, and not in spite of religion, but because of religion." In many ways Lewis made his vision a reality, and his example offers Americans today a map for social and political change.

    Raised in the harsh Arabian Peninsula and orphaned while still a child, this unlikely leader and military genius received a calling to transform his society from a collection of raiding tribes into one of the world's most progressive societies. His message of monotheism and righetousness motivated an entire people to abandon idolatry and spread the word of God to surrounding nations. Although he was a military genius, his greatest accomplishments came from the religion he preached: Islam, which called its adherents to lead a life of prayer, charity, and contemplation. The second largest religion in the world, both Islam's prophet and its values are today often misunderstood by adherents and outsiders alike. This concise, informative biography explores Muhammad's background and boyhood; as well as the culture and society in which he lived. A look at Muhammad as a family man, and how his personal life was a testament to his high regard for women.

    

    Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament is richly illustrated with hundreds of images, including original artwork, artifacts, maps, and timelines. Uncover the origins of the books of the New Testament and learn how stories of Christ's life and teachings were preserved after His death. Explore the relationships between Greek, Roman, and Jewish culture that explain much about how the gospel was shared and recorded. Examine scriptural issues that have been debated by scholars throughout the ages. Nearly 300 topics provide valuable context to understanding New Testament times, from the role of women and families, to portraits of key personalities, to controversial legends that have persisted to our day. This unique resource is sure to enrich New Testament studies as never before!

    Though tragic, it is also a story of triumph that scarcely has an equal. It is one of history's great witnesses of the power of faith and sacrifice. Although this story is one of the most frequently told of all Mormon pioneer accounts, it is also among the least understood. This book provides the most comprehensive and accessible account of these pioneers' epic 1856 journey. In addition to painting a broad perspective of the trek, it includes dozens of personal stories from the pioneers themselves. Woven into the larger story of the journey west, these stories inspire, build faith, recount miracles, and reveal how these pioneers were able to endure such adversity. The book also includes chapters on the lives of many of these pioneers after the handcart trek. Immerse yourself in the challenges and miracles of this astounding odyssey as never before!

    . . . More than three decades had passed since she'd lost her precious Joseph. She had learned to live without him . . . but nothing had ever felt right without him. . . . “Joseph,” she whispered into the breeze as she lovingly fingered the worn gold beads encircling her throat, a gift from Joseph, one of the few tangible remnants of his love for her. In this triumphant tribute, well-loved LDS author Anita Stansfield conveys Emma Smith's greatness of spirit; her undying love for and loyalty to Joseph; her remarkable compassion, courage, and dignity; and her unwavering testimony of the Savior. Joyful and poignant, insightful and moving, intense and reverent, this thoroughly researched fictional narrative paints an intimate portrait of the Lord's “elect lady” through a love story that transcends time and embraces eternity.

    Transcripts of lectures present to an Honors Book of Morman class at BYU,1988-1990Has the smallest print I have every seen!!

    

    Every parent needs resources that will add to the spiritual roots, and to the moral foundation their children build their lives upon. As we are shown how God has inspired eminent people in their pursuit of excellence, we see how to find His guidance in our lives. When we plant in their hearts a view of history as a legacy to live up to, children are empowered to prepare for, and then perform, the missions God sent them to earth to accomplish.”

    Author Timothy Ballard explores the crucial role that President Lincoln played to bring this nation closer to heaven. Readers will see Lincoln as a man inspired of God who invoked a covenant relationship between America and its maker—not unlike the national covenants invoked by righteous leaders in the Book of Mormon. In addition, The Lincoln Hypothesis reveals documented evidence that Abraham Lincoln did, in fact, check out the Book of Mormon as he struggled with making some of the most critical decisions of his presidency. Did he read it? Did it influence him? Was the Book of Mormon a key factor in Lincoln's success and the healing of a nation?The author states, "As you read, you will, like a prosecutor reviewing a case, or like a jury determining a verdict, identify valuable pieces of evidence that can be fully substantiated. You will also identify pieces of evidence that cannot. I ask you to consider all the evidence and weight it accordingly. Through this study, many questions regarding the interplay between the restored gospel and the Civil War will be answered. New questions may emerge that will not be so easily answered. Either way, in the end you will find yourself on a most exhilarating investigative journey."