We learn that we never can merit God's love and the good news is that we don't have to -- He loves us regardless. Through Christ's atonement, our complete commitment, and love, "then shall [our] confidence wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45) even though we don't merit it of ourselves. With this confidence, we can receive the gift of peace in our lives. This requires self-abasement, not self-esteem, to obtain because the source and focus is Him, not ourselves.

    This book explores how truth, beauty, and goodness can save our relationships even when we disagree with those we love.This book is for:1) Mormons who want to better understand a family member or friend who doubts2) Unorthodox or former Mormons who are looking for ways to talk about their transition with believing family members and friends3) People who are experiencing a Mormon faith crisis and wondering where to turnExcerpts from this book can be found at jonogden.com

    Featuring lessons taught through scripture, Church leaders, and personal experience, this inspirational book highlights the eternal strength inherent in and available to every woman. Readers will laugh, cry, and feel supported as they live their earthly missions with renewed peace and confidence. From the innate beauty of daughters of God to the gift of self-acceptance to the transcendent power of Christ's grace, sisters in every stage of life will be inspired to live more freely and fearlessly by learning to embrace their eternal potential and realize they are already more than enough--they are magnificent."--

    First diagnosed with bi-lateral retinoblastoma at the age of seven months, she had feared blindness since childhood. Ironically, the treatment that had saved her life as a baby was responsible for the radiation- induced cancer that again threatened her life as an adult. Now a wife and mother of two young sons, she faced her greatest challenge. Five major surgeries within the space of five months left her physically and emotionally devastated-- and completely blind. Yet during that horrendous time, Kris discovered moments of spiritual strengthening that became holy places in her life-- places where she could feel the purifying, transforming power of Christ that enabled her to survive and to learn how to live in a world of darkness. Compelling, honest, and at times humorous, her story and the insights she gained will help others find hope and healing in the midst of their own trials.

    I used to be happy, but then life took its toll.”Only one-third of Americans surveyed said they were happy. How can this be? Education is accessible to most. We’ve made advancements in everything from medicine to technology, yet 66 percent of us can’t find an adequate reason to check the “yes” box on the happiness questionnaire.Worldwide, people profess that happiness is their most cherished goal. Marketers get this. “Want to be happy?” they ask. Eat at this restaurant, drive this car, wear this dress. Happiness happens when you lose the weight, get the date, find the mate, or discover your fate. It’s wide, this way to happiness. Yet, for all its promise, it delivers a fragile joy; here one day, tomorrow scattered by the winds of comparison, disappointment, or unmet expectations.Max writes, “There is another option. It requires no credit card, monthly mortgage, or stroke of fortune. Age and ethnicity aren’t factors...an unexpected door to joy.” In this book Max shares the unexpected path to a lasting happiness, one that produces reliable joy in any season of life. Based on the teachings of Jesus and backed by modern research, How Happiness Happens presents a surprising but practical way of living that will change you from the inside out.  Also available in Spanish.

    Although at the time he was not intending that it would ever be published, he gradually came to recognize our “sacred covenant to share our burdens, our mourning, our comforts, and our witnesses.” The lessons he offers in this thoughtful and sensitive book are more than a chronicle of his own journey; they are important reminders to all of us to cherish every day we have with the people we love, to treasure the gift of our mortality, and to turn to the Lord in all our trials.

    Love enables us to bless others as we reach past our own concerns. Love provides opportunities to heal, to hope, and to have faith - even when dreams have to wait and the challenges of life weigh us down.When we are filled with love, we can make a profound difference in our own lives, in our homes and circles of influence, and in the world in which we live. Love makes it possible for us to do what we came to do.

    What is it, and where can it be found? Is it an ideal to be hoped for in the next life, or a reality to be sought here and now? "To me there was never a time when we had a greater need for happiness and for the peace, contentment, serenity, hope, gratitude, and joy that are part of it," writes Mary Ellen Edmunds. In Happiness: Finders, Keepers, she offers a wealth of practical, cheery, spirit-filled suggestions for living a happier life. Since our Father in Heaven's plan is "the great plan of happiness," and since one of the reasons for our very existence is that we "might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25), it's clear that we're meant to be happy right now, here, today! We can do so, even in the midst of trials, if we understand the true nature of this heavenly gift. "I am convinced that even with the heavy burdens, the awful injustices, and the tragedies in the world, there is happiness all around us," writes the author. "We must be the finders and the keepers — those who are aware of and who cherish this holy, abundant blessing." Overcoming stress, maintaining a sense of humor, remembering our blessings, feeling gratitude — these are just some of the paths to happiness discussed in this delightful book. Warm personal stories and solid insights from the scriptures and the words of Church leaders help shape our perspective. The message is one of hope: There are things we can do and feel that will make us almost instantly happier. As Mary Ellen says: "May we remember that we already chose the great plan of happiness, but we need to choose it again, hour after hour and day after day, through all our earthly experiences. . . . If we will, we can live happily ever after!"

    Oaks, wife of Elder Dallin H. Oaks. Whether they are nevermarried, divorced, or widowed, singles can often feel discounted and discouraged in a family- focused community. A Single Voice addresses these concerns and offers valuable insights, personal reflections (including the story of the author's courtship and marriage to Elder Oaks), and rich advice for living life to the fullest as a single member.

    Dalton writes, "As daughters of God, we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences, and our part matters because we matter. We are no ordinary women. We are elect, and each of us has a unique, divine mission to perform." Having had the opportunity to travel throughout the world and serve and work among women young and old and in between, Sister Dalton has seen firsthand how the Lord has blessed each of us with distinct and divine talents. And when we use those gifts to become righteous women of influence on the people and the world around us, there is no limit to the good we can achieve. Sister Dalton highlights many of the qualities we are blessed with as women of covenant in these latter days. Though many of us may feel that we have only a small part to play in the building of the Lord's kingdom, Sister Dalton helps us to recognize that "by small and simple things are great thing brought to pass" (Alma 37:6). As we reflect on our roles within our spheres of influence and commit to act as disciples of Christ in whatever we do, we discover that we truly are capable of great things and that our work and contributions in the kingdom are anything but ordinary.

    BROWN BOARDS WITH GOLD GILTING.

    Millet provides hope for families with wayward children by focusing on the scriptural and prophetic promises to those who have received the blessings of the gospel covenant. Wandering children and the trail of attendant sorrows are no respecter of persons. These make their way into the families of the rich and poor, active, and less active, functional and dysfunctional. This book faces head-on the reality that sometimes things simply don't turn out as we had planned. Robert Millet uncovers the doctrinal basis for hope when a loved one forsakes the faith. He offers real peace here and sustaining faith in the future. Paperback Published: March 2005

    

    It is as important to Latter-day Saints that there will be a "forever forward" as that there has been a "forever backward."Here is a scholarly book written to make manifest the truth that man is an eternal individual, and that he has had and will have an identity forever.The author, Dr. Truman G. Madsen, plumbs some of the "deeps" in man in a careful, solemn style. He affirms that an understanding of self, even as Christ taught men to know themselves, can endow life with glorious meaning.These essays will bear repeated exposure. The understanding to be derived from their frequent study will make life here and now more meaningful and the eternities ahead a goal worth living for.

    God never intended for us to act like "little girls," says Jan Silvious. His goal is for each of us to live as "big girls"-mature Christian women-who are capable of enjoying the richness of life He has planned.In Big Girls Don't Whine, Jan helps women:Move beyond the past and on to healthy relationships, Choose to be proactive rather than let life just "happen,"Discover their full potential,And become everything He made them to be.So how can we tell if we're living life as an immature 'little girl" or a confident "big girl?"A little girl…Is insecureBecomes the victim of circumstancesSays "I can't"ManipulatesA big girl…Is secureRests in God's sovereigntySays, "I can"CommunicatesIn Big Girls Don't Whine, Jan Silvious calls us to be real women in a real world, free to experience a life of full of potential and vision. This book is the how-to manual for making it happen.