During the fifty-eight years he was a priest, his monastery at San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, became a mecca for pilgrims from all over the world. Born Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887 in the town of Pietrelcina in southeastern Italy, Padre Pio joined the Capuchin Order in 1903 and was ordained in 1910. On September 20, 1918 he received the sacred wounds of Christ, the stigmata, which he bore the rest of his life. Renowned for the stigmata, which modern medical science could not explain, Padre Pio also possessed other unusual qualities, such as bilocation, celestial perfume, reading of hearts, miraculous cures, remarkable conversions, and prophetic insight. Although he did not leave his monastery and was under obedience not to write or preach, this humble Capuchin monk became world famous for his piety, his counsel, and his miracles. He was universally regarded as a saint in his own time. Pope John Paul II beatified Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on Sunday, May 2, 1999 in St. Peter's Basilica Square before a throng of 650,000 devotees of this famed 20th-century stigmatist. His faithful followers now look forward with anticipation to his canonization."Remember that God is within us when we are in His grace, and outside of us when we are in sin." -Padre Pio

    These pages are filled with insights into Joseph, but most have not yet been shared in a way that makes the accessible to a broader audience. This collection of short essays will help close this gap and bring insights into Joseph to Latter-day saints, both those who are struggling with questions about Joseph and those who simply want to understand the founding Prophet of the Restoration better. These essays look at Joseph Smith's life, character, personality, and relationships with others. Know Brother Joseph, is an accessible and faith-promoting look at Joseph Smith, his life, and its relevance to us in our daily walk.

    We just know he did. In this new Advent study, Matt Rawle explores the faith themes in the Christmas classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! including, how did the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes come Christmas morning? How did Christmas save the Grinch? Could it be that the very thing we think we hate is the one thing that changes our lives? This Advent and Christmas season, look at a familiar classic through the lens of faith and see how Christ speaks to us through our culture.

    Also makes a perfect award or gift.

    Enzio Busche, emeritus member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, was born in Germany in 1930, three years before Hitler's rise to power. Fifteen years later, when World War II ended, Enzio was a prisoner of war, having been drafted into the German army at age fourteen. The war left Enzio with many questions: Is there a God? What is the purpose of Life? What happens after death? In time, he learned the answers. Yearning for the Living God is a collection of Elder Busche's experiences — both before and after his conversion — and an account of the life-changing awakening that can come to all who search for truth in this world.

    Therese teach you perfect trust. Learn how Therese of Lisieux trusted God through tragedy, scruples, spiritual darkness, and physical suffering. Connie Rossini pairs episodic stories from the saint’s life with memories of her own quest to trust. With Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and insights from psychology, Rossini leads readers to surrender their lives completely to Jesus.Practical and accessible, Trusting God with St. Therese includes questions for reflection that make it perfect for book clubs and faith-sharing groups.

    Hardcover

    Mukerjee was one of the first Indian followers of Maharaj-ji Westerners met in the late 60s and early 70s when they came seeking this Neem Karoli Baba that Ram Dass wrote about. Dada was fluent in English. He?d been a professor of economics at Allahabad University, editor of a prestigious economics journal, and a political activist. It was the women in his family who were interested in religion and spiritual matters until Maharaj-ji moved into Dada?s home. Dada gave up all his worldly activities then to follow Maharaj-ji. Westerners learned surrender from their acquaintance with Dada, that is did not enslave but frees. They saw there was no space between when Maharaj-ji spoke and Dada acted. His level of service to his Baba while hard for Westerners to understand was beautiful in its simplicity and acceptance of the moment.After Maharaj-ji?s death Westerners began gathering at Dada?s house, eager to hear his stories about Maharaj-ji. They couldn?t get enough and would keep Dada up late talking about his Baba. Now we have this delightful book containing Dada?s stories of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba. Readers will find themselves captivated by Dada?s remembrances, informed, and challenged. Dada opens wide for us a window into Indian spiritual culture as you begin to understand what it is that happens when Guru calls and the devotee replies ?yes.? ? Paperback, 224 pages. Published by the Hanuman Foundation, 1990. The story of one of Neem Karoli Baba?s Indian devotees about his time living in Maharaj-ji?s shadow. Rich with numerous photos of Neem Karoli Baba and Mukerjee and Indian ashram life. Mukerjee often served as Neem Karoli Baba?s translator and writes in a manner easily understood by Westerners, as he leads readers into an understanding of Indian spiritual values.

    There are many Book of Mormon commentaries and study guides available that give the author’s perspective on the Book of Mormon. This book is not one of them. The great truths of the Book of Mormon, particularly those that will be of greatest benefit to you, are found by going directly to the source then listening to the promptings of the Spirit. The study guide allows you to fully customize your daily devotional based on the amount of time you have available. It is divided into seven activities: Read, Look For, Ask Yourself, Ponder This Quote, Expand Your Understanding, Personal Application, and Prayer. This format allows you to select those activities that match both your needs and your time. For example, if you find you have limited time on a particular day you may only want to read the assignment and pray. On other days you can use the additional activities to expand your study and deepen your understanding. Following this pattern of scripture study and using these tools will lead you to ponder the Book of Mormon and will help you strengthen your testimony of its truthfulness as you listen to the Spirit. Additionally, it will aid you in obtaining the blessings promised by Elder Marion G. Romney in the April 1980 LDS General Conference:"And so, I counsel you, my beloved brothers and sisters and friends everywhere, to make reading in the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice. All of us need continuing close contact with the Spirit of the Lord. We need to take the Holy Spirit for our guide that we be not deceived. I am persuaded by my own experience and that of my loved ones, as well as by the statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that one can get and keep closer to the Lord by reading the Book of Mormon than by reading any other Book. Don't be content with what someone else says about what is in it. Drink deeply from the divine fountain itself. "I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to that counsel. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity--the pure love of Christ--will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness." (Conference Report, April 1980; 112-113) Update Notes: Edition 2 (March 2014) Contains links to the LDS.org scriptures site for each of the reading assignments. Additionally a number of minor error corrections have been made to the original edition.Edition 2.1 (17 Apr 14) Contains a significant number of punctuation and formatting changes to bring it more in line with the LDS Church style guide. It also contains a corrections to a few minor errors in the cross reference sections.Edition 2.2 (18 May 14) Contains additional minor corrections and updates to the cross references.Edition 3.0 (15 July 14) Over 2500 hyperlinks added to the document to make cross referencing easier. Also contains corrections to a few minor errors that were found during the update and re-editing process.Edition 3.1 (24 Sept 14) Minor corrections to the textEdition 3.2 (2 Jan 15) Fixed minor errors and hyperlinks.Edition 3.3 (16 May 15) Fixed minor errors and hyperlinksEdition 3.

     The evolution of church culture has been something that has needed to happen for a long time. Culture, traditions, oral laws, and the status quo can be a good thing... but it can also be a bad thing. Do you remember what was happening in Israel around the time that Christ came on to the scene? Israel started to live by their own set of oral laws and traditions, or what we might refer to today as "culture." The "culture" in Israel when Christ showed up was one of the most judgmental and hypocritical cultures the world had ever seen. It was a very isolated and unaccepting culture. But Christ showed up and cast a net over all types of people. The Greeks, the Romans, the Samaritans, and every other nation across the globe. His net covered even the worst of repentant sinners. The only people that were excluded or "damned" were the unrepentant elite, the "scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" who "strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23-24). Christ took the existing covenants and commandments and simplified them. He brought an evolution of love, empathy, and compassion. He built a culture that was geared toward the lowly of heart and revolted against those who spent their lives pointing out the flaws in others. "For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). The bulk of Israel was living according to their culture and their superstition instead of their religion. This has been the bane of each and every covenant society, which caused Joseph Smith to say, "What many people call sin is not sin; I do many things to break down superstition, and I will break it down." The doctrine of the LDS church doesn't lose people. It's the culture and superstition that causes unnecessary strife. This book, The Cultural Evolution Inside of Mormonism addresses the changing culture, the unprecedented changes that are taking place in the church, and the historical transparency. The Table of Contents explains where this book will take you: 1. More Extended Hands 2. Fewer Wrecking Balls 3. The Cultural Evolution 4. Not Customizing Christ 5. The Three Types of Mormons 6. A Place Where Doubters Are Welcome 7. The Kindness of Christ 8. Embracing Intellectuals and Scholars 9. Change in The Church Comes Slowly For A Reason 10. The Humble Few 11. Millennial Mormons 12. Making Rash Decisions 13. Giving Volunteers A Break 14. Logical Evidence For The Church Is Mounting 15. From Which All Others Are Derived 16. Temple Workers Galore 17. No Other Religion Provides A Better Hope 18. People Throwing The Book of Mormon Out The Window 19. The Bible That Needed To Be Rescued 20. Looking For Just One Reason To Believe 21. Liberal Conservatives 22. Pageantry In The Church 23. Peeling Back Polygamy 24. Looking At Tithing A Little Differently 25. Not Judging Others Sabbath Day Worship 26. The Place For Gays Inside The Church 27. What I Really Believe 28. Why I Love The Church

    Therese of Lisieux. She was an emotionally disturbed child who suffered and and caused anguish to her family. Her mother, the heroic Zelie Martin, suffered most of all. Marie Baudouin-Croix, well-known French poet, has examined Zelie's correspondence with her daughters, her sister, her brother, and her sister-in-law. We see the awkward child, the despair of many, who was the first to follow Therese's Little Way. It was only after three valiant but unsuccessful attempts that Leonie was finally accepted by the Visitation Order in Caen. She succeeded in conquering a 'tough' temperament, so that by the time of her death in 1941, at the age of seventy eight, she was regarded as a saint and her convent at Caen was inundated with letters testifying to her posthumous aid.

    This book is throughly researched-its scope is far-reaching and its evidence is reliable. The research in this book will help all who read it to prepare for the events to come. With over 450,000 copies in print, Prophecy, Key to the Future, is a must-have for every Latter-day Saint and Christians everywhere. ISBN: 0-882-90781-6, SIZE: 6x9", paperback

    But in this classic work, Christian philosopher and statesman Elton Trueblood reveals how Lincoln's leadership skills flowed directly from his religious convictions—which explains how the president was able to combine what few leaders can hold together: moral resoluteness with a shrewd ability to compromise; confidence in his cause while refusing to succumb to the traps of self-righteousness or triumphalism; and a commitment to victory while never losing sight of his responsibility for—or the humanity of—his enemy. These rich meditations offer deep wisdom and insight on one of the most effective leaders of all time.

    This experience with believing young people has allowed him to explore, as he puts it, his "own questions about life in an atmosphere of faith." The author's personal study has centered around three religious issues that hold the greatest meaning for him-faith, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and relationships with people-and the connection among the three: faith prepares us to receive the Atonement; the Atonement purifies and strengthens us; and the Atonement then helps us build our relationships with the Lord and with others. The author felt he might one day publish a series of books centering on these themes. Subsequently, he released his first book, The Believing Heart, in 1986. By the time The Broken Heart was published three years later, the first printing of The Believing Heart had expired. The author was then invited to publish a revised and enlarged edition of that volume to act as a companion to The Broken Heart. This second edition of The Believing Heart, which incorporates two new chapters as well as a substantial revision of the original four, is the result of that process. In these six thought-provoking essays, the author discusses the power available to all who truly believe in Jesus Christ. He outlines the pattern all who hope to increase their spiritual power must follow, including the difficulties they can expect to encounter-life's trials, the hazards of agency, the pull of the world, and so forth. How can we bridge the gap between the ideal and the real? Is it possible for "ordinary" mortals to have encounters with angels? How does one actually nourish the seed of faith and make it come alive? By answering these and other pertinent questions, Bruce Hafen provides insight into the process of increasing personal faith and shows how powerfully the seed of faith is connected to the doctrine of the Atonement. As he explains, "The tree of life waits for us, as it did for Adam and Eve, Lehi and Sariah, at the end of the inviting, but sometimes treacherous and lonely, path of faith. . . . We take our first steps (and many later ones) along this path through our freely chosen desire to have a believing heart-for "even all this can ye do if ye will."

    Three of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's notable essays: If You Were G-d, Immortality and the Soul, and A World of Love.