Out of the Best Books

We often look at the temple as sort of a finish line, but can we reframe our temple experience so that it feels like a starting point? In this episode, you'll hear a fresh approach to the temple experience. Melinda Brown, author of An Endowment of Love joins and shares this revolutionary message: "if the temple is making your life better now, then the concerns for the eternities will figure themself out." Melinda is an author, teacher, speaker, mother, friend, and recently got her Masters degree from Duke Divinity School in Christian education. She wrote this book because she saw a need for young people to better understand the temple when she started teaching a class called Temple Plus when she was called to serve in a YSA down in Provo. You can pick up your own copy of An Endowment of Love today! Also head to LDS Living's YouTube to hear more from Melinda and deepen your understanding of the temple!

In the whole of the Doctrine and Covenants there are only two women mentioned by name. The first being Emma Smith, whose story most of us are familiar with. But the second is a woman provides an insight into what life was like as a saint in the early Church. Today's conversation is all about Vienna Jaques. And her story will help illuminate our study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year. Joining in this episoe is Brent Rogers, a historian and the author of The Lord Spoke Her Name: The Remarkable Story of Vienna Jaques in the Restoration. Brent shares how Vienna's story has helped his testimony of the restoration, and why it matters to learn of the everyday saint. Order your copy of The Lord Spoke Her Name today or head to Deseret Bookshelf+ to listen to the audiobook!  

In preparation for the Easter Season we are spending this episode learning about the Atonement of Christ. Elder Cook said in this weekend’s General Conference that “The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the ultimate rescue from the trials we face in life.” And doesn’t that sound like the kind of saving we all need. Tad R. Callister’s book The Infinite Atonement teaches about many principles of the Atonement. In this episode you'll hear chapter 16 titled "The Blessing of the Resurrection." Order your copy of The Infinite Atonement today! Or head to your local Deseret Book store or download Deseret Bookshelf+ to listen to the audiobook with your family this Easter.

We might have all at one point asked ourselves, “Why do we have prophets? Why should we listen to them?” In the restored gospel, we believe that the counsel we receive from prophets prepares us for all that lies ahead. The revelation they receive is for us today—revelation that takes into account the unique circumstances in the world now. In Prophets See Around Corners, Sheri Dew shares from her own experience working closely with prophets, seers, and revelators throughout her life and career. She answers common questions about prophets and affirms the myriad ways they point us to Jesus Christ. In this episode, you'll hear chapter 6, "Why Follow Prophets?" which helps answer one of those common questions and in it we see that God prepares us when we listen. Order your copy of Prophets See Around Corners now! Or head to your local Deseret Book store or download Deseret Bookshelf+ to listen to Sheri Dew read the entirety of her book.

As Latter-day Saints, we’re connectors. We care about creating and maintaining relationships both on earth and after death. And we want to better understand our unique doctrine of eternal relationships so we can better love and appreciate our relationships now, across the veil, and in the eternities.  Which is something Professor Amy Harris has a passion for. She’s a historian and genealogist who coordinates the Family History Bachelor’s program at BYU. Her enthusiasm for family history and her study of temple work in the D&C will help us see God’s abundant love and careful attention to all his children.  Her book, Redeeming the Dead: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants can be found at your local Deseret Book, or on deseretbook.com, or on the Deseret Bookshelf+ app.

Forgiveness is a principle of the gospel that serves as a salve to any and all of our relationships. We hope to receive it from the Savior, and we are promised that through His divine atonement, it is possible. Elder Anderson writes, "As surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, the Savior's divine gifts of repentance and of forgiveness, offered in the beauty of His encompassing love, are certain for those who come unto Him with full purpose of heart." In this book, Elder Andersen writes especially to those who are "awakening" unto God—those who are just beginning to discover or who seek the divine gifts and power of repentance and forgiveness in their lives. The Divine Gift of Forgiveness is organized in such a way that readers can choose the section or chapter that applies most to them and study it without having to have read from cover to cover. In this episode, we dive into chapter 7: Joy or Remorse of Conscience. This work will help all readers become more devoted disciples of the Savior. If you want your own copy of this book, head to deseretbook.com or find it now on Bookshelf+.

In the Church, we often colloquially refer to a trial as something we're “going through.” As if there is a finish line, or even a moment in time that we just need to get by. But perhaps the real need is to slow down in our hard times and find out what it is we can learn when we simply sit with them. Author Rachel Cope invites us to this very thing in her book The Slow Work of God. In it, she makes the case that sitting with grief, loss and hardship can bring us into a deeper conversion. She joins this conversation to share how a very personal loss taught her about God's nature, and that we are His slow work. Rachel teaches Church History and Doctrine at BYU. She holds a PhD in American history with an emphasis in women’s history and religious history. You can find Rachel's book The Slow Work of God on the Bookshelf+ app or at your local Deseret Book or head to deseretbook.com.

As we self-examine our own process of conversion, there may be big, miraculous moments that we can point to, but lasting conversion is generally a slower process. That process builds up over time and brings us a continued conversion. And learning to embrace this process, despite the hard, will bring us as much joy as the miraculous big moments. Author Rachel Cope is personally familiar with that formula for conversion through grief, as she explains in the introduction to her book The Slow Work of God. In this episode, you'll hear in her own words, the introduction of her book, which is the perfect starting point to understand where her motivations for writing about loss come from, and how that universal understanding can help us see the hope that comes through patience with the divine. If you want to listen to the rest of this audiobook, download Deseret Bookshelf+ in the app store and search her book The Slow Work of God. You can also head to deseretbook.com or your local Deseret Book to pick up your own copy today.

Steven Harper, author of 'Wrestling with the Restoration: Why This Church Matters', dives into the significance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He discusses the historical migration under Brigham Young, emphasizing humility in understanding sealing and exaltation. Harper explores the evolution of endowment ordinances, revealing their enduring nature. He highlights the urgency of revelation in genealogy work and the continuous restoration of temple teachings, all while urging listeners to connect with their ancestral roots.

Steven Harper, a professor of Church history at Brigham Young University and author of Wrestling with the Restoration, dives into the significance of faith and the Church in contemporary society. He discusses the importance of questioning beliefs, revitalizing faith amidst declining attendance, and the necessity of deep reflection in a fast-paced world. Harper encourages listeners to engage with historical narratives and the Book of Mormon, fostering a richer understanding of their spiritual journey and the unique teachings of their faith.