2 comments about The Ephraim's Child: Characteristics, Capabilities, And Challenges Of Children Who Are Intensely More.

1. Parenting the Ephraim's Child is the answer to my prayers! The book not only explains my child's baffling behavior, but offers real, effective methods to work with my child's temperament. After reading this book I see my child in a different, more positive light, and now can see the strengths of my intense child. I recommend this book to anyone who feels that their child is somehow more challenging, but don't know why. They probably have an Ephraim's Child, and this book is a MUST for parents of one of these super-intense, incredible children. I am telling everyone I know about this book!



2. 3 of my children have been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. I have felt that there was no hope except medication and struggle. At last I see them for who they are... Strong and sensitive Children of covenant who have been sent here at this time to be able to stand firm in a day of turmoil.
   
   I Love this book!! It opened my eyes to the Strengths and gifts that have been given to my Children. What seemed to be combative, distractable and completely frustrating behavior now not only makes sense, butcan further be developed into strength of charachter and focused into positive aciton, and will become great assets in the lives of my Children.
   
   My wild, impulsive, stubborn, noisy, Know-it-all drama King has become Energetic, spontaneous, perservering, tenderhearted social, and Sensitive.
   
   My compulsive, distracted, slow to adapt, full of fear, antisocial, angry, bossy and argumentative boy has become an unshakable, aware, steady, cautious, reserved, passionate boy who stands by his convictions and is devloping leadership abilities.
   
   My Introverted, disorganized, impetuous, extreme, unpredictable, overly sensitive, too hard on himself loner has become Reserved, unconventional, quick, passionate, caring, conscientious, and independant.
   
   My Children have not changed as of yet, (I'm, just half way through the book), but my perception of them has. Though I know that there is a lot of work and struggle ahead, the suggestions given to turn these character traits into strengths are easy to understand, and easy to impliment.
   
   Thanks to this book, I have hope that my Ephraim's Children will Stand strong in these last days as Covenant keepers who are anxiously engaged in good works and God's work.
   
   Thank you!

5 comments about How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation.

1. I recommend this book both for Mormons and Evangelicals. It's well-written, balanced, and informative.



2. A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation: How Wide the Divide?, by Professors Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) and Stephen E. Robinson (Brigham Young University) garners five stars for committing a spiritually revolutionary act. Blomberg, a Baptist with Calvinist doctrinal leanings, and Robinson, a Mormon who's mastered evangelical theological nomenclature carried on a conversation that was respectful, intelligent, uncompromising, and yet, built out of relationship. These guys are friends! My theologically sophisticated response to this? Hallejah!
   
   The two discuss the doctrines of Scripture, God and deification, Christ and the Trinity, and salvation. In so doing, the reader is treated to truly informed theological discourse that is challenging, yet accessible to any motivated student of Christianity. I discovered, with a good deal of resistance, that the teachings that separate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and evangelicals in general is not as wide as I had thought. Myths were swept away. Problems of vocabulary were explicated, thus further diminishing differences. By the end of the book, I came to agree with Professor Robinson that Mormons and evangelicals are not close enough that we could share communions or baptisms. We will not stop proselytizing each other. On the hand, he is also correct that sincere followers of both faiths seek to follow the Jesus of the New Testament. So, if Christians see seekers at the gate, rather than castigating them for their perceived failures, perhaps we ought to do as Paul suggested, and help the weaker ones.
   
   The key concept of this book is that Christians need to stop trying to convert souls. Only God can change hearts. Rather, we ought to bear our beliefs with a humility that only spiritual confidence can produce. Furthermore, we definitely need to give any seeker of God the benefit of the doubt, and hear what they have to say, what they believe, and cast aside preconceptions. We engage people, not organizations. As an evangelical, I'm not talking to the LDS church in the flesh when missionaries come to my door-I'm talking to two people. Likewise, when a Mormon encounters me, they are not speaking to the face of evangelicalism, but to a guy that loves God. Why is it that we all have two ears, one mouth, but we say twice as much as we hear?
   
   Blomberg and Robinson have produced a phenomenal written conversation that highlights the most important differences and shared beliefs between Mormonism and evangelicalism. They also model dialogue done right-with respect, and yes love. These two guys have been talking for years. Neither has converted. They talk often about religion-perhaps the most contentious topic possible. And yet-they are friends! If we learn nothing else from this short, yet full offering, it is that God still performs miracles. Amen.



3. This book is the best book I've ever read that has been fair about the Mormon views without somehow distorting them. It's also completely fair from the Evangelical point of view with out distorting them. There are no attacks made about each others religions, only misgivings about what each others beliefs are, and they stick right to True Doctrine of both churches no pre-supposed or back historical events. Especially in the wake of the unfair "Good News for LDS." This book displays how an outreach to that LDS community SHOULD be made.



4. When all is said and done, what matters in "How wide a Divide" is authority to act in the name of God and proper interpretation of the Godhead.
   
   There is no historical account of God the father and his son visiting man. That he did so as Joseph Smith claims is unique. The LDS church states this occured in order to restore the true nature of god that man might once again worship and know him and gain eternal life. In order to worship in truth and know God we must know about him.
   
   The incomprehensible Nicence God fashioned from years of contentious debate in 325 AD is post biblical. The church was willing to adopt Greek paganistic ideas about God to secure a power base from which to grow. The Church succumbed to high Greek culture which cultivated the art of expression, an art with tremendous influence over poor and unlearned church members.
   
   Authority to act in the name of God really implies authority to recieve revealtion. The LDS claim Christ's church must be established and maintained upon revelation. This is supported in the bible but MC does not claim this need. The Nicene God definition was not arrived at through revelation but by contentious debating men.
   
   Jesus called and ordained his apostles giving them authority to act in his name. Their primary function was to recieve the mind and will of God concerning the affairs of men and church. These leaders were crucial in keeping them on the right path. The church was to be built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. New apostles were appointed as vacancies arose. This holy order does not exist in MC. This is a huge breach as divine lasting unity cannot be established or sustained without ordained authority. MC is built on capitalism.
   
   That doctrines and laws of man are taught as the mind and will of God is commonplace in MC. That these teachings and ideas vary from one church to another is easily seen. Testimony of truth is oneness or divine unity. Division leads to hate and conflict.
   
   Yes man can have a personal relationship with Christ without being LDS. But the LDS church is in it for the long haul. Gods kingdom is everlasting. He knows mans lasting nature thus his need for divine organization and holy order to keep him unified and on the straight and narrow path.



5. I really enjoyed reading this book. The preface was so full of useful information that I feared that the rest of the book would be empty. Kind of like a movie preview that has all the funny lines in it. But I was happy to find that every chapter was engrossing and extremely educational.
   
   As a Mormon, I've always been somewhat bewildered by the antipathy that I've felt from some (not many) Evangelicals, given the many similarities between our beliefs and, more importantly, our cultural and moral values. I bought this book hoping to gain a better understanding of why "orthodox Christians" feel so uncomfortable with my beliefs. And I certainly did.
   
   I've seen tremendous progress toward understanding between my faith and those of others during my life. Perhaps this book (having been around for 10 years now) is due some of the credit.

5 comments about The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Mormon (The 10 Most Important Things).

1. I don't understand what kind of mentality bashes other religions. I think we should rejoice in what is good in each other not tear each other down. I was very disappointed in the lack of the author's apparent research.



2. MUST READ-Great book and well worth the read. It is well documented in numerous other sources, that this religion has changed, and dramatically, over time. If nothing else, that would make me questions a religion.
   
   It's a free country-SO FAR! And, because of that, no none MAKES us be any religion, one way or another. There are many countries around the world where killing is the accepted form of trying to convert people to that religion. Instead, we in this country of the USA ought be thankful we can choose whatever religion we want, write about whatever religion we desire and live however we want to :)



3. This book is lame, I have better common sense than to need someone to tell me how to have a simple conversation with a mormon. Save your money. I'm glad I only rented it from the library.



4. This rag wasn't terribly researched, and very biased. Perhaps written by a former member of the Church that was dis-fellowshiped? Hmmmm.........
   
   And no, I am not LDS. In fact, I'm Jewish. However, I lived in Provo for two years, and found my Mormon neighbors to be very lovely people. I was never "black balled" or shuned. They were all helpful and nice. I was never pushed, and they respected my own faith.
   
   Sorry, but the book missed the mark and tanked.



5. This book is seriously outdated. Most Mormons would laugh at the arguments made here. You are much better off reading "How Wide the Divide"

5 comments about One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church.

1. Seldom does a day go by where I don't see or run into a pair of lily-white, ultra-confident, and wholly ungrounded members (read: early-twenties elders) of the LDS pedalling their bicycles and pedaling their religion, and this is because I reside in Taipei, Taiwan. In this part of the world, I can tell you, the Mormons are out in full force. Indeed, they have nearly 100 centers throughout this country and make something like 50 converts a month, incredible when you consider Taiwan is only the size of Holland (or Tennessee), and that it is Chinese.
   
   I had always assumed that Mormons were simply an austere order of Christians, but after a conversation with a pair of them one day I wondered if that could be so. No Christians that I knew of were required to wear magical underpants. I decided to conduct an investigation. I informed the "elders" that I would like to attend a few services, which I did. What I saw shocked me. Then I read ONE NATION UNDER GODS: A HISTORY OF THE MORMON CHURCH and I was shocked some more; for 650 pages, to be precise. Meanwhile I kept up the charade; yes, I was on the verge of joining, I said, but I had bought a book that seemed to counter much of what I had been told. Also, the core belief - that god was a polygamous space diety named Elohim who resided near the planet Kolob with his wife (Heavenly Mother) engaging in space sex with the spiritual offspring (i.e. humans) scattered throughout the universe - had been conveniently ommitted from any explanation, the Mormons got nervous. "Are you or are you not Christians?" I persisted, but they wouldn't answer. They had been discovered. You can discover them too in Richard Abanes' mesmerizing history. Incidentally, I ended up writing about the Taiwanese Mormons in my own book and oddly enough the "elders" I see everyday never even say hello anymore. Pity. I was really hoping to catch a glimpse of their underwear.
   
   Troy Parfitt, author



2. If the LDS / Mormon faith is true, then it should be able to withstand the scrutiny that books like this provide. But most Mormons are afraid to open a book like this. They are told by their church that they should not read such "propaganda." Notice the other reviewers who call it that. They don't actually refute the facts in the book that make the Mormon faith look bad; they simply label it as "propaganda" and refuse to engage on the merits of the evidence.
   
   Example: I've read Gerald and Sandra Tanners' work, and it is meticulously documented using ONLY MORMON / LDS sources! They photocopy original Mormon journals, and use lengthy passages from the Book of Mormon, the Journal of Discourses, the Pearl of Great Price, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Bible. It is not just "Propaganda," but evidence that demands a verdict.
   
   Mormons can't stand to have their faith shown up as a fraud, so they just call such evidence "propaganda." Then they turn the argument around and try to take the focus off the facts, by accusing other people of "bashing their religion." Never mind the fact that the Mormon faith teaches that all the Christian churches are an "abomination" in God's sight, and that only Mormons can go to the Celestial Kimgdom and become a god someday. Who's bashing whom?
   
   I've never met so many people with their fingers stuck firmly in their ears. Truly tragic. They are afraid to examine anything that might shake their faith...and their leaders usually order them not to! Go to [...]If your faith is the truth, then it should be able to withstand scrutiny and answer these allegations.



3. I became acquainted with the early history of Mormonism through a brief article in a historical magazine that I read years ago. I thought then that any Mormon who knew even a little of Joseph Smith and the origin of their religion would find it impossible to believe, but since that obviously isn't true, I decided to read a little more on the topic. This book is a great introduction. It is very readable, full of evidence to back up its statements, and unflinching in its recounting of the formation of the Mormon Church.
   
   But what's really interesting about the book is the comparisons it doesn't make. It's easy to snicker at the Mormons' mindless obedience even when their founder's prophecies didn't come to pass, and new visions seemed to pop up at very convenient times. But people of any religion should think this through to its conclusion. Were Joseph Smith's revelations any more "convenient" than Peter's vision that kosher laws no longer applied (in the context of a fight over whether Gentiles wishing to become Christian would have to convert to Judaism first), or Muhammad's that Muslims should pray toward Mecca rather than Jerusalem (in the face of unacceptance by Jews)? Were his tales in *The Book of Mormon* any taller than the Bible's of prophets getting swallowed by whales or virgin births, or the Koran's of Muhammad's night flight to Jerusalem on a winged horse? Were the atrocities perpetrated by the Mormons any more atrocious than the Inquisition or 9/11?
   
   Mormonism may be a pack of wild yarns and self-serving religious power-mongering, but is any other religion any better? If you're going to knock down the house of cards that is Mormonism, you should also take a look at the house you've been living in. Doesn't seem like religion has changed much in the past few thousand years, does it?
   
   My only other comment is that the book is marred by just enough typos and grammatical errors to be a bit irritating. These should have been taken care of during the editing process, and I hope they will be in the next edition. This is why I only gave it four stars. But that aside, I recommend it wholeheartedly. Hopefully it will put into motion some serious questioning even after you've read the last page.



4. An easy-to-read tome of information, but not the most balanced, and certainly not the most objective. Especially disappointing is a later chapter which "shows" how Mormonism is not Christian, by presenting a chart that compares "proper" (ie. Fundamentalist Protestant) Christian beliefs with Mormon ones. An unfortunately antagonistic addition to an otherwise scholarly and informative work.



5. Richard Abanes has written the definitive account on the history of Mormonism from its founding in upstate New York in the 1820s through the turn of the twenty-first century. "One Nation Under Gods" is written as history, but reads more like an action-packed novel.
   
   The book reveals the devastating truth about Mormonism and Joseph Smith. Irrefutable evidence is presented that Smith engaged in the occult practice of money digging/glass looking, for which he was convicted of a misdemeanor in March 1826. The Book of Mormon as it was originally composed in 1830 contained numerous errors. "One Nation Under Gods" describes in detail the trouble Mormons had living in harmony with other settlers in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois before finally moving to Utah. Also very well documented is the fact that in the nineteenth century, Mormonism was a very violent religion. Most stunning, perhaps, is a letter by Mormon scholar Thomas Stuart Ferguson that admits that Mormonism is not true.
   
   Throughout this historical account, Abanes describes the numerous doctrinal differences between Mormonism and Christianity. Mormonism was founded because Smith believed that all denominations of Christianity were false, and in its beginning Mormonism was explicitly a non-Christian religion; today, however, Mormonism has been repackaged as Christian. This book is vital for those who wish to be well-versed concerning the American religious scene today.

5 comments about Brigham Young: American Moses.

1. This biography proves to be a very informative life account of one of the great leaders of the LDS as well as one of the prime movers of the American West. But Leonard Arrington avoids the major controversies that surrounded Brigham Young, exhorting on his virtures rather then his faults. While that does not make a bad biography, it doesn't show us the complete man. Arrington make it clear that Young was the right man for the right job at the right moment in history. Without his leadership, intelligence and gusto, the Mormon church probably won't have survived the death of Joseph Smith, its founder. Arrington revealed how talented, how skilled and how devoted Young was to his church and how he put all he had into it. But what Arrington failed to get into, was some of Young's failings which must be just as important as his accomplishments. Arrington played into the traditional Mormon defense on Mountain Meadow Massacre, doesn't question Young's devotion to plural marriages which often rallied the rest of the nation against the Mormons and Young's racist attitudes - especically toward blacks that the LDS Church didn't resolved until the 1970s. Although these are just examples, they presented long term problems that Young left behind and they should have been address by the author. But overall, its still a good biography and worth the effort in reading it and understanding the basic essence of the man.



2. This is certainly by far the best biography ever written on a very important figure in western American history. It is very well documented. Arrington does not skip the controversies, it is all layed out. I certainly came away with a greater understanding of Brigham Young. Leonard Arrington was the head of the Mormon churches hisorical department for years and had a great influence on many Mormon historians to write honest and concise history. My only criticism is sometimes Arrington overly discusses economics in Utah rather then other aspects of Brigham Youngs life. Overall though it is great!



3. Between the 1950s and the 1990s no one was more important in advancing the cause of Mormon history than Leonard J. Arrington. Prolific personally, and encouraging of others, he is best known for a path-breaking book "Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900" (Harvard University Press, 1958), but "Brigham Young: American Moses" is a close second. This is a work of great maturity and sophistication. On rereading it twenty years after it was first published, it remains unsurpassed as a biographical treatment of this remarkable Mormon leader. In it Arrington tells the life story of Brigham Young, an early convert to Mormonism and the leader of the largest group of Mormonism to emerge from the split that took place within the church at the time of the assassination of Joseph Smith in 1844. As president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles Young had a powerful position from which to exert influence over the churc. At first he asserted leadership only as president of the Twelve, and was only ordained to the presidency in 1847.
   
   But it is what Young did afer the 1844 succession crisis in Mormonism that is most important. He realized that the Latter-day Saints had to depart the United States to enjoy their peculiar version of theocracy with esoteric temple rituals, plural marriage, and a millennial expectation of the destruction of all earthly governments and the establishment of a "Kingdom of God" on Earth. He led the Mormons to the Rocky Mountains, hence Arrington's characterization of him as the "American Moses," arriving in the Great Basin in 1847 and establishing Salt Lake City beside the lake from which it took its name. For a decade he aggressively expanded his Mormon kingdom in the mountains, but in 1857 he faced down a U.S. Army sent to bring the Mormons under control and he avoided all-out war only through negotiations that allowed both sides to live with the situation. Much married and with many children, Young lived another twenty years after that confrontation. He saw his church expand in numbers and influence, suffer under pressure to end the practice of plural marriage (which it would finally officially do in 1890), and to enjoy much easier transportation with the completion of the Transcontinental railroad in 1869. Young finally died in 1877.
   
   Arrington's biography is an example of "faithful history," a genre of Mormon history that is honest but also highly enthused with the ideas and ethos of the LDS faith. It is a book that most Mormons would be quite happy with, but one that does not whitewash difficult issues. For instance, Arrington deals with the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 in which Mormons in southern Utah engaged in the killing of all of the adults in a wagon train bound for California. Some think Young was the mastermind of this horrific event, but Arrington demonstrates that he did not order\ it. He did help to cover it up, however, and Arrington acknowledges that it was "The most tragic event in Mormon history" (p. 257).
   
   This is a most welcome work of history. It is a compelling story well told. It is also very much Arrington's Brigham Young. With unprecedented access to the archives of the Mormon Church, because of his role as Church Historian, Arrington created a portrait of a poorly-educated man of the people who was rational, even-handed, practical, diligent in his work, and faithful to the tenets of Mormonism as he understood them. There is no question but that this is the Brigham Young that Arrington would have happily followed; it is neither the unlettered tyrant and reprobate of anti-Mormon conceptions nor the saccharine depictions of simplistic devotional literature.
   
   There is a sense of irony in this book that bears mention. "Brigham Young: American Moses" was written using the voluminous primary source materials available at the LDS Church Archives. No one has enjoyed such unfettered access and Arrington notes in this book that "they have since been closed to researchers, and it will not be possible for readers of this book to check out every source I have used" (p. 433). This grated on Arrington, for he spent his career campaigning for greater openness. He always believed that LDS members had nothing to fear from their history. Honest accounts would show people struggling to live their lives within the context of their faiths, and not always succeeding but still trying. For Arrington this struggle gave him hope that his own failings would be forgiven, and he was the first to admit them. He also believed the same would be true for others. His account of Young's life is an example of this endeavor, as Brigham Young is neither a saint nor a demon.
   
   This is as near to a definitive work as one is ever likely to read about Brigham Young, and it will be quite a long time before it is seriously challenged as a benchmark in the historiography of Mormonism. Its insights are impressive.



4. The book captures the energy of this man as Brigham always said,"I will die in the harness" and he did.An amazing true tale of how he was able to rise as leader of the Mormons after Joseph Smith's death.He was able to organize with the help of others the grand migration to the Salt Lake despite persecution from the U.S. government as well as infighting within his own ranks.The image i most remember is when in the last year of his life a Mormon who had "fallen out" with Brigham cursed the old gentleman as he passed by in his wagon. Brigham sat back in his seat,uttered not a word but tightened his lips.Probably he was thinking,"Buddy if you knew even the 1/2 of it you'd curse me even louder"!!As Frank Perdue asserted,"it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken",the same for a religion.No apologies here just alot of facts.still though sometimes energy can land a person in alot of trouble.If young's life were publicly laid bare by today's standards he would probably have more than one's share of problems.But as well documented in this book you would have to be aware of events in America and in England and Europe during this period.The Great Awakening was a period of religious ferverency like no other since.Mormons were just one small group that came from this period. But with leadership like Smith and Young they emerged from the 1830's intact and growing.Also the young United States was on the verge of Civil War,the Mormons being nonslave owning and settling almost in the heart of "Bleeding Kansas". Brigham Young just had that charismatic personality that made people listen and ones who didn't he had the cruelty to prevent them from becoming a disruption. Characters like young gave the Mormons a big "jump start"which is what a small group needs to survive.No need to comment whether he had 70 wives or 54 since more than 1 automatically would put you as a polygamist.That door officialy closed in 1890 never to be reopened and from reading this book,Young himself would have been capable of changing with the times.The major emphasis of the book seems to be on the Wagon Exodus of the Mormons from Illinois and Missouri,hence the title Brigham Young,American Moses.The Mormons were persecuted by the then shaky American government as were the Jews in Egypt.Since alot of the Mormon settlers were displaced industrial workers and farmers from old world European countries,one would have to wonder if the major motive for conversion to Mormonism was economic.A chance to start a new life with a guarantee of land and credit for the immigrant.A larger than life figurehead like Young,offered the mormons a rallying point,who could at times turn a "blind eye" to both large and small indiscretions necessary to gain an advantageous foothold in Utah.Young also could bring in the government and private contracts so many of his shortcomings were overlooked as well.Then you have about 4 or 5 "pretenders to the throne" to be dealt with and you have a balancing act only a real tight rope walker could pull off.let's hope Frank Perdue could handle the problem and no comparisons would have to be made to Al Capone!!



5. The name Brigham Young conjures up many images of the unsettled West. He was one of the greatest religious colonizers of the nineteenth century. The reason is the overall fact that he was so successful. Much of the Eastern images dealt mainly with his polygamous relationships. This unfortunately overlooks his major contributions as founder of over 300 settlements in the West's Great Basin. He gathered the beleaguered Mormons, from Missouri, Illinois and the World, home to the Rocky Mountains. Leonard Arrington, late LDS Church Historian, has compiled a fairly objective account of his life. From Brigham's early conversion to Mormonism through the migration to the Salt Lake Valley to his settling the Utah range, here is a history of a very interesting man. As LDS President, Prophet , Territory Governor and Indian Agent, Brigham displayed a very practical and pragmatic philosophy. Arrington show us a man that truly was faithful to Joseph Smith. Not only did he preach and read scripture but he practiced what he preached. This was no better emphasized than on Sunday October 5, 1856 when he stood and delivery the opening address of the semiannual general conference. He said "I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may speak today and during the conference. It is this....Many of our brethren and sisters are on the Plains (Wyoming snows) with handcarts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place. They must be brought here, we must send assistance to them. The text will be to get them here!..I will tell you all that your faith, religion and profession of religion will not save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people on the Plains and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal..."
   The effects of this speech were that during the conference 27 young men and 16 mule teams were out on the trail to start the rescue. Throughout his life Brigham emphasized that the spiritual and temporal were inclusive entities that needed daily careful maintenance.
   
   Arrington emphasized that not all the programs that Brigham Young started were successful but that indirectly they lead to a cohesive ethnic society. He had many verbal wars with Washington over statehood, judges and the slow money to cover Indian affairs. Arrington doesn't shy away from the Mountain Meadows Massacre and Brigham's desire to settle this affair or with his confrontations with apostle Orson Pratt. The one area that I wish Arrington would have covered more was the Mormon War or Buchanan's Blunder, but overall I felt he covered Brigham Young well. Anyone interested in the settling of the West needs to include Brigham Young in that study. Well worth recommending and adding to the history shelf.

5 comments about No Doubt About It.

1. A few weeks ago, I met Sheri Dew and was told by an acquaintance
   that she is a "heralded author" and with an "inspirational message". So I read this book while traveling to the coast.

   Unlike many other powerful motivational writers and speakers, sheri's book drags and offers no concrete direction or advice. Except in her belief in a modern day prophet as a member of the Mormon faith, also known as the church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints.

   All through the book she cites meetings and situations with others and in my opinion puts their beliefs down and again espouses her belief in a modern day prophet and her belief in humans existing in a spiritual world before birth, witnessing the miracles of god. Witnessing what she belives was a war in heaven.
   All this part of her belief in Mormon Doctrine.

   The book is a hammering of her Mormon Beliefs and how one needs to adopt those beliefs in order to find the road to a more positive life.

   Since I do not share this belief and find the lDS doctrine sketchy. i found this book to be repetitive and boring.
   The book I believe is a tool for conversion.




2. Sherri Dew is revolutionary to the concept of an LDS woman. When I read her book and as I have listened to her, I don't hear a 50s throwback (giving good grandmotherly advice but not what I need), but instead I hear someone who understands my questions, concerns and love of the gospel. Her book is well referenced (though of course to other LDS works) and thoughtful. She also tells great stories (I didn't find them arrogant like another reviewer did, but I definitely was biased toward the author to begin with). She has a great sense of humor about her life, and many of her stories are acutally a little bit on the self-depracating side, though not in a bad way. While I recognized most of the book from various talks I have heard, it was great to read them again. If you're not LDS, there are better books that can introduce you to our religion, but if you are this is a must read.



3. I AM NOT LDS BUT AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN, AND WITH ALL RESPECT, AND NO OFFENSE INTENDED, I FIND THEIR DOCTRINE TO BE PLAIN AND SIMPLE HERETICAL, OFFENSIVE AND BLASPHEMOUS. I DID HOWEVER, UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF AN LDS FRIEND, READ THIS BOOK. I SKIPPED OVER THE LDS MISTRUTHS OF DOCTRINE AND GOT RIGHT TO THE MEAT AND WISDOM THAT THE AUTHOR IMPARTS ON RAISING CHILDREN, LIVING WITH INTEGRITY, BEING MODEST, CHARITABLE AND A SERVANT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. I ENJOYED THE BOOK AND WAS CONVICTED OF MUCH SIN IN MY LIFE - ON CHARITY TO OTHERS, GOSSIP, DEVOTION TO OTHERS, ETC. I AM NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND THIS TO A NON LDS READER, OR NEW CHRISTIAN AS I WOULD NOT WISH THEM TO BE INFLUENCED WITH THE FALSE DOCTRINE CONTAINED THEREIN, BUT TO A SEASONED AND MATURE BELIEVER....THIS IS A GOOD BOOK, BUT READ WITH CAUTION:)



4. Miss Dew was ordained (excuse me set-apart since women aren't to be real authorities) to a General Relief society Counselor. This was supposed to give single women of the Church a shining example of what an older single woman could be. All I saw was an older single woman with great executive skills but living a very lonely, socially-unfulfilled life. (As evidenced by the dour look on her face when ever I pass by her.) The book is full of advise and ancedotes on how to live her "Godly" sacred life--enduring to the end, aging and alone. After reading this book I wept for the Single Women, wishing they had a vibrant, joyfull,powerful, passionate exaample to follow.
   Most women I know realize we deserve so much more and seek the fulness of God's blessings in the Eternal Now instead of holding to the hope of fulfillment "some day" as is her message. She is a great mouthpeice for the men of the Church, nothing more.



5. I loved this book. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. Loved the simple truths that were shared in such an eloquent way. :)

5 comments about As a Woman Thinketh.

1. The original of this piece "As A Man Thinketh" is a profound piece, but distinctly marred from a female point of view by the inextricably male casting of the reader. This book is a much easier to take read for me and I think for most women (though it would be as irritating for most men as the original was for most women). It is somewhat more subtly marred by the occassional misuse of a gender term - I.e. "womanly" does not substitute straight for "manly" in most usage without making the resultant sentence rather odd.

   Other than this quibble, it is an excellent book and one I would recommend to anyone as nourishing food to feed your mental life.




2. This book has alot of "feel good" inserted in it.
   I was disappointed in it. I bought it to give to my daughters and daughter-in-law, but changed my mind when I read it.
   It strayed from the Biblical view.



3. This is a small, but powerful, little book. Take the contents to heart.
   For a woman, there is more appeal in choosing the "female version" of
   this booklet. It is inspirational in nature, and the truth of it's subject
   is what inspires, and makes it powerful. The fact that the phrasing of
   the statements therein, are in an "old-fashioned" style of speech does
   not detract from it's valuable message.



4. I have to admit, I was disappointed in this book. I had read, "As a Man Thinketh" and loved that book. It is a classic on the power of thought. So when I saw there was an, "As a Woman Thinketh," I thought it would be interesting to see what it said. This book literally just takes "As a Man Thinketh" and replaces all the masculine gender references with feminine gender references. So "he" becomes "she" and "him" becomes "her", etc.
   
   I would recommend reading the original book, "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen.



5. This small but powerful books goes to the depth of you. You can put on a happy face to the world, but if the thoughts that run through your mind aren't lined up right and monitored carefully, it doesn't change your circumstances. It's written a bit 'high brow', but inspite of the old English wording, you definitely get the message. A basic for anyone seeking to better themselves inside and out. It's nice that they changed the gender wording so it is more personal for women, although you can get the same jist from the original.

5 comments about Mormonism Unmasked: Confronting the Contradictions Between Mormon Beliefs and True Christianity.

1. When are the people of the South going to learn, Bigotry in any form is ugly and dispicable.
   I grew up Mormon and although I haven't attended church in well over 10 years its not for a lack of belief in Christ, but a lack of belief in organized religion.
   It's no wonder that radical Muslims want us dead, over differences in belief when tripe like this is published and its hatred spewed forth, furthering the divide between people who at the core, believe the same.
   United we stand, divided we fall. . . ever hear that? We are all Christians, whether Mormon, Baptist, Catholic, Calvinist or Lutheran. Seriously, get your nose back in your own Bible (or Holy Book) and keep it out of mine.
   It's no wonder hard-line Atheists want the religious right silenced when we can't even get along with one another.
   I have little love for Mormons. I was brought up in a household with a Catholic father and a Mormon mother. I couldn't play with some kids on my block growing up in Utah because of my Catholic dad. I'd hear in hushed whispers when I was in church how my Dad was never going to be able to go to Heaven because he wasn't Mormon - I think anyone who would dare say such a thing about anyone of an opposing religion should be damned to hell for their own ignorance, as well as arrogance!
   I have even more disdain for the "Born Agains" because you are all so bleeding high & mighty! You don't see Mormons writing books condemning other faiths, but the Evangelicals for years have gone out of their way to slander the Mormon religion. Why? Is there salvation through bigotry? I must have missed that passage in the Bible. . . Maybe one of you enlightened souls out there can point it out to me?
   Seriously, why are you so threatened by Mormonism? Let's just say for an instant that there were some truth there. . . that Christ did come back to ancient America. If he is the Savior of mankind and not merely of the Jews does it not make sense he would have proselytized(sic) his beliefs throughout the world, not merely the Holy Land?
   Is it mere coincidence that the Mayans and Aztecs await the return of Quezyquotl, a white, bearded God that was rumored to have visited before he ascended to the Heavens in 100 A.D. This is not merely Mormon doctrine. This is scientifically reported FACT.
   Does that make the Mormons right about everything? Certainly not. Does it make your preacher on Maple right about everything he says? No way!
   I think the same people that would blindly follow anyone who claims to know the full truth, are the same kind of sheeple that would decapitate a prisoner for being an infidel, or write a book like this.
   No one has a lock on the truth. There is truth everywhere as there is evidence of God everywhere. How you prescribe to God is your own personal business which maybe extends to your family, but even then, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu or even Athiest (I think it takes just as much faith not to believe in anything, as it does something so they deserve mentioning), our belief (or lack thereof) is part of our own personal experience and slander and bigotry of any kind against someone of a different faith should be scorned and reviled.



2. This book is a must read for anyone who has left the Mormon Church and, if members of the Mormon church would read it, it would serve as a great source of information and "eye opening" for them. I believe we would see more people actually questioning something they are not encouraged to question and it would be for their own good. This book is done in a very informative and tasteful manner and is a good read.



3. There is a lot of confusion present within both the LDS membership and non-Mormons alike on exactly what Mormonism is and if it is Christian.
   
   It's an emotionally charged topic and is complicated by the orthodox Christian terminology that Mormonism uses.
   
   This book does an excellent job of getting to the main points and past the misconceptions that so often cloud discussions about Mormonism.
   
   For example: There is nothing more fundamental to this discussion than God Himself. Mormonism's foundation of belief is based on the worship of a god who was once a human being and one of many gods. The ultimate goal of Mormonism is for the individual to achieve the same end, i.e. become gods themselves. As the book points out, this is the indisputable core doctrine of Mormonism and obviously dramatically different than Christianity.
   
   By putting the fundamental issues at the forefront one can see clearly that Christianity and Mormonism are mutually exclusive, which then puts discussions on details like salvation, Jesus, and grace into proper perspective.



4. As a Catholic married to a Mormon I pretty much knew most of the stuff in this book. It is a great read for someone who is a "recovering" Mormon or someone needing a smack on the forehead as something to be wary of. I love my husband, I love his family, I don't love this wacky "religion."



5. Dr. Phillip Roberts in his book Mormonism Unmasked (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 1998) provides an easy to read and thorough understanding of historic Mormonism as it relates to the subject of polygamy in the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) church. This group broke from the Latter Day Saints years ago when the LDS changed its views on polygamy. States Roberts on this subject:
   
   "Joseph Smith, its founder, supposedly received new, secret revelation regarding the nature of eternal marriage and polygamy. Besides a man's ability to be married in the eternities to his wife, he could add other wives as well. Those that entered these new covenants were promised that they would have 'a fullness and a continuation of the seeds [children] forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end, then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.' The revelation went on to command Joseph's wife, Emma, to 'receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God... And I command mine handmaid Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph... But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord' (Doctrines and Covenants 132:52, 61, 62, 64). With such dire warnings, many LDS women felt they could not refuse the new doctrine."
   
   Up until this point, even though he had vindicated his polygamy via new revelation, Smith had practiced polygamy secretly, always denying it. Evangelical apologist Jerald Tanner's Mormonism - Shadow or Reality?, an in-depth, lifelong work on Mormonism, states, "Smith's polygamy was not publicly acknowledged until 1852, eight years after his death." (pp. 245-48). Mormonism would go on to change this revelation of Joseph Smith to avoid embarrassment. But herein, nonetheless, is the seedbed for Mormon practices of polygamy to this day.
   
   I heartily recommend Mormonism Unmasked to those who desire an introductory overview of Mormon teaching in light of scriptural truth.

4 comments about Holy Temple.

1. This is the defintive book on LDS temples and temple worship. It merits six or seven stars.

   Boyd K. Packer, LDS apostle and educator traces the history, doctrine and function of the LDS temples, temple worship, and temple work. His chapter on symbolism should be memorized! As with the chapter "First and Every Time." This is an essential book (for insiders and ousiders) on understanding what Latter-day Saints belive and understand about the temple.




2. PResdient Boyd K. Packer, acting presdient of the Presdient of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles has written a marvelous book about the temples of the Church opfJEsus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has a very soft and gentle voice whichmakes this book more of a conversation among friends than a stuffy lecture in starched collars.

   He covers the history of the temples, ancient and mordern, but more inportantly ocvers the doctrine, the "Why!" of the temple. We build these temples to preform weddings, since we view marriage as eternal, not a "'till death do you part" affair.

   In California, we have four operating and three under construction, and in Utah there are eleven operating. In the State of New York, we have one operating, and one planned. Overall, we have one hundred seven operating, with ten under construction,and seven announced, for a grand total of one hundred twenty-four.

   Get to know these buildings with this book!




3. Many members will be familiar with this title merely as a pamphlet given to those who are preparing to receive their temple endowments for the first time, and they may not even recognize that the pamphlet they receive is adapted from this text. I read the complete text on my mission, and it gives a comprehensive picture of the temple experience from the beginning of revealed temple ordinances to the ultimate goal of exaltation.
   
   This book does not focus on the specifics of the temple ordinances, but rather it focuses on the ways of being involved in temple worship, from being worthy to enter, to being open to learn from the ceremony, to serving those who have passed beyond. The book also goes into the impact that temple worship should have on our personal lives.
   
   Reading this book gives an entirely new perspective on the temple experience for one who has been through the temple and returns with great frequency. It opens up the next level of participation in temple worship. If you find your temple experience to be stagnating, this book is for you.



4. If you are looking to gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the purpose of LDS temples this is the book for you.

5 comments about Between Husband & Wife: Gospel Perspectives on Marital Intimacy.

1. I agree with many of the other reviewers about this book. It's not something newlywed couples should read, and certainly not married couples experiencing intimacy problems.
   
   The tone of the book is very offensive and even anti-sex at times. It gives you a complex about sex and possibly crossing some "line" which the author refuses to actually draw. Sex is treated as a selfish thing, and being selfish is a sin. The book is especially degrading of women and their needs. For example, it talks about orgasm with a kind of disdain, something "unecessary" that you shouldn't bother aiming for. It has a kind of "oh, that's overrated" attitude towards orgasm and the female's pleasure in general. If she doesn't experience it at all or with any frequency, i.e. not satisfied, eh, that's ok, no big deal. And same for the guy. Satisfaction doesn't "just" come from orgasm.
   
   The book will ultimately cause you problems. I can't see it helping anybody with much of anything. It makes you feel selfish about doing anything and will bind you down with worries and make you feel guilty for trying to find solutions to problems that exist or ones that might come up.



2. I'm engaged and some of the anatomy type explanations were very helpful, that's where the good parts of the book end. As a man reading this book I felt like every stereotype in society about men being sex-animals with no feeling or regard for anyone was pointed out-and agreed with. If my sex drive is higher that's my problem, and I need to fix myself. If our sexual relationship isn't going right it's always the man's fault. On the flip side, my fiance almost cried as she read the book, feeling that being happy with our sex life and finding satisfaction can't ever happen. While I haven't been married yet, I believe this is a false belief, that a wonderful sex life can be achieved. A relationship where each partner is unselfish and aware and sensitive to the needs of their partner. This book did a poor job of giving anyone who's never experienced a sexual relationship, hope of that ever being a unifying, positive experience for both people.



3. I am LDS and my bishop gave me this book before my marriage. I found the book to be an easy way to approach this serious subject before marriage with someone else who was may be shy to discuss intimate things openly. I specifically liked the section about the purpose of the honeymoon.
   
   I think the people who complain that the book labels oral sex as unnatural and against LDS doctrine, are the LDS members who are guilty of it and don't want to admit that their behavior is against church teachings.



4. Notwithstanding the severe hatred that some of my fellow readers seem to harbor for this book, in truth it can be a very helpful and educational for those of us entering marriage that are "naive" to matters of sex. Before I get too far into it, I personally know Dr. Brinley and have taken a class at BYU entitled "Marriage Prep" which was fantastic. I do, however, fear that the stance of the book taken on certain topics was not completely accurate. However, I also never felt that topics such as female orgasms were portrayed as negatively as some would have you believe. In fact, during his class he was quite clear that satisfying your wife was just as important as your own pleasure. Unfortunately, the subject of "unnatural" sex (specifically oral sex) is not discussed clearly, and I do believe the implied views are inaccurate because I've yet to hear clear guidance on the subject from actual Church leaders (at least not from this century). In fact, from what I've understood, the church specifically avoids answering these questions because, as the book says, it's between Husbands and Wives.
   
   In conclusion, don't let the extreme negatism pursuade you against reading this book if you really need help understanding yourself and the opposite sex. It was an excellent aid for me and my wife and I believe it encourages sex between couples much more than some critics would have you believe. Do remember, however, that this is NOT doctrine, and these are only the educated opinions of "professionals."



5. Does little more than admit that a husband and wife should have sex. Still very conservative. Not much helpful information.