Why do we make it one and, in the process, make ourselves unhappy and distant from the Lord? Bestselling author Dean Hughes suggests some ways to "get out of the game," shedding a lot of what doesn't matter and focusing on what does. "When I stand before the Lord to answer for my life," he writes, "I'm certain that He is going to ask me a very different set of questions from the ones the world asks me. It seems important, during life, to 'win' at all sorts of contest: better job, bigger house, more important church calling, children with greater achievements. But I think the Lord will want to know whether I was kind and humble and whether I looked out for people in need." Dean offers some practical suggestions that will help us think more clearly about our priorities and act in ways that will make us truly happy because they will draw us closer to Christ.

    In this volume you will find the stories of all the hymns in the 1985 LDS hymnbook, so far as those stories are known. Some of the hymns came about in ways that are quite dramatic and personal; others came into being under ordinary circumstances. And each of the more than three hundred hymns has a message all its own. Prepared with the cooperation and assistance of the General Music Committee of the Church, this companion to the hymnbook gives brief biographies of the authors and composers of the hymns, the stories of the hymns themselves, and an account of changes that may have ocurred in the words or in the music. Our Latter-day Hymns gives insight into the beliefs and history, hopes and fears of the people who sing these hymns. Church members who have music callings as well as those who simply enjoy singing will find this volume fascinating and informative.

    Okazaki welcomes us into a garden of goodness where the gospel has the zing and zest of ginger. Sister Okazaki shares insights from the scriptures that are personal and practical. Christ is not just the way, the truth, and the life, she reminds us. He wants to be our way, our truth, and our life. The Christian way is not dramatic, flashy, or taxing. It is do-able, satisfying, and even fun.

    Here's the truth: Unless you strip every person in your house naked for the time it takes to run the clothes through a wash-and-dry cycle, your laundry is never going to be done. As women, our lives are full of unfinished business, simply due to the nature of the tasks that tend to fill our days. Sometimes it all weighs a little too heavily on us. That's when it's time for a shift in perspective, a talk with a friend, a reminder that we all feel this way and we all get through it. Take Two Chocolates and Call Me in the Morning offers a few precious moments of understanding mingled with some friendly suggestions that might help lighten the load. Author Emily Watts shares insights she has gained from just plowing through life--usually through a minefield of mishaps and mayhem. Bottom line: Happiness need not be postponed, even if the laundry is piling up

    Each one of them tells a story—a story about who He is, what He does, and how He shows up in our individual lives.The name Redeemer comes from a Hebrew word that means someone who will rescue or save by any means. Some days that is as a sacrificing Lamb, and other days it is as a loyal Advocate.Who Jesus was in the past—the Good Shepherd, the Mighty Jehovah, the Unfailing Deliverer—is who He still is today. As we learn about how He came into the lives of those in the scriptures, we begin to anticipate and see how He comes into our own stories.

    "Some of my gay friends—as well as some of the LDS friends—are a little surprised that I think it's possible to be a gay Mormon."In That We May Be One, Tom Christofferson shares perspectives gained from his life's journey as a gay man who left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then returned to it. After having asked to be excommunicated from the faith he was raised in, Tom spent two decades in a loving relationship with a committed partner. But gradually, the love of family, friends, and strangers and the Spirit of the Lord worked on him until he found himself one night sitting in his car in front of the bishop's house...This book is about the lessons Tom, his family, and his fellow Saints learned while trying to love as God loves. It is about the scope and strength of this circle of love and about how learning the truth of our relationship with God draws us to Him. For anyone who has wondered how to keep moving forward in the face of difficult decisions and feelings of ambiguity; for anyone who needs to better understand the redeeming power of our Savior, Jesus Christ; for anyone who seeks to love more fully; this book offers reassurance and testimony of God's love for all of His children.

    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.

    But what happens when you experience challenges and difficulties that leave you so spiritually exhausted that you can't see God's hand in your life? As a newly called mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, author Brent L. Top experienced a severe emotional and spiritual crisis. Desperate for help, he discovered that knowing where to turn is not enough; we must allow the Savior to rescue us. With remarkable candor, this gospel teacher shares a deeply personal story as he describes six essential ways to survive whatever trials we face. With compassion and understanding, he offers practical suggestions on how to say focused on Christ and take hold of His outstreched hand when the storms of life are raging. This insightful and encouraging book is a must for anyone dealing with adversity.

    

    Monson is the must-have companion to the bestselling, acclaimed biography of President Monson, To the Rescue. This book will be invaluable to readers because it -provides President Monson's teachings in topical format, and includes statements on more than 130 topics, from a discussion on the Aaronic priesthood through comments directed to the youth. -gives quick, easy access to statements on vital gospel topics covering more than a half century of President Monson's teaching. -is the ideal, reliable source for modern prophetic guidance on a host of subjects. -outlines what we should know and how we should live in our time. -includes a scripture index so readers can find what President Monson has taught about specific scriptural passages. -includes a page at the front of the book for readers to record their testimony about the impact of the prophet's teachings in their own lives. This book will be the authoritative collection of our beloved prophet's teachings and an invaluable resource for all who are involved in teaching the gospel.

    Uchtdorf reflects on the power of heavenly light in her own life and recalls the joy it brought to her family during a dark and difficult time. "It was like a miracle," she explains as she describes how hope came back into their lives.Discover how the light we share can make a life-changing difference to those whose lives we touch-as family members, leaders, missionaries, teachers, friends, and brothers and sisters in the gospel.

    Whether you are a first-time teacher or a seasoned veteran, Teaching by the Spirit offers valuable scriptural insights along with tender spiritual stories and practical teaching techniques that will invite the Spirit more fully into all your teaching.

    The life of a woman today isn't really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Like Mary, you long to sit at the Lord's feet...but the daily demands of a busy world just won't leave you alone. Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve him...yet you struggle with weariness, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy. Then comes Jesus, right into the midst of your busy Mary/Martha life-and he extends the same invitation he issued long ago to the two sisters of Bethany. Tenderly he invites you to choose "the better part"-a joyful life of "living-room" intimacy with him that flows naturally into "kitchen service" for him. How can you make that choice? With her fresh approach to the familiar Bible story and its creative, practical strategies, Joanna shows how all of us -Marys and Marthas alike- can draw closer to our Lord, deepening our devotion, strengthening our service, and doing both with less stress and greater joy. This book includes a twelve-week Bible study. Also look for the ten-week DVD study pack companion product to this book, which includes three DVDs and a separate, revised and expanded study guide.

    Our relationships with friends, spouses, colleagues, and family members can be wonderfully rewarding. They can also bring heartache, frustration, anxiety, and anger. We all know the difference between times when we feel open, generous and at ease with people versus times when we are guarded, defensive, and on edge. Why do we get trapped in negative emotions when it's clear that life is so much fuller and richer when we are free of them?Bonds That Make Us Free is a ground-breaking book that suggests the remedy for our troubling emotions by addressing their root causes. You'll learn how, in ways we scarcely suspect, we are responsible for feelings like anger, envy, and insecurity that we have blamed on others. (How many times have you said, "You're making me mad?") Even though we fear to admit this, it is good news. If we produce these emotions, it falls within our power to stop them. But we have to understand our part in them far better than we do, and that is what this remarkable book teaches. Because the key is seeing truthfully, the book itself is therapeutic. As you read and identify with the many true stories of people who have seen a transformation in their lives, you will find yourself reflecting with fresh honesty upon your relationships. This will bond you to others in love and respect and lift you out of the negative thoughts and feelings that have held you captive. You will feel your heart changing even as you read. "It would not be accurate to describe this book as supplying the truths upon which we must build our lives," writes author C. Terry Warner. "Instead it shows how we can put ourselves in that receptive, honest, and discerning condition that will enable us, any of us, to find these truths on our own." Finding these truths is the key to healing our relationships and coming to ourselves, and Bonds That Make Us Free starts us on that great journey.

    As we draw closer to Him, we must choose to let go of other "less-wild lovers," such as perfectionistic driveness and self-indulgence. Eldredge and Curtis identify the lies offered by "false loves" and instruct us on the journey back to the Lover of our souls.In carefully crafted words and images, the authors entice the reader to his or her own journey of the heart, promising, "It is possible to recover the lost life of our heart and with it the intimacy, beauty, and adventure of life with God."