5 comments about Goodbye, I Love You.

1. This is the first book I came across that truly captured what it is like to be gay and married and it was written by the straight spouse. Of course, that was years ago and now I have come out of the closet and have found my voice and know what is in my heart. But back then I was deep in the closet and this book was a godsend. Thank you, Carol Lynn, from the bottom of my heart. It was wonderful to see in words what before I had only felt and not understood. However, I wished I had read your thoughts and feelings about being a straight spouse more carefully. It would have given me so much insight into what was going on with my wife. It took me years to gain that insight on my own. But back then it was all I could do to handle my own pain.



2. Carol Pearson is a wonderful writer. I felt like I was right there with her she relly pulls you into her life and feelings. I only hope that Carol has found love and happiness with a strong, straight loving man, which she deserves. She treated her husband Gerald with compassion and sympathy, something not a lot of other women would do. The only thing that bothered me was Gerald's insistance that his children call him "gerald" and not "Dad" since he was the children's biological father. I sincerely hope Carol and her children have found closure, peace happiness and love: they deserve it! A wonderful book!



3. You might not think an account of a couple who divorces due to homosexuality could be a memorable love story, but this one really is. I read this book many years ago, and was so moved by it. Carol Lynn Pearson is a remarkable woman. She writes this book with such transparency of her emotions. The love she had for Gerald Pearson before, during, and after their marriage is so rare. They truly were soulmates, but couldn't be married and both be happy. I started out by reading other books by her, especially about women in traditional church. She is Mormon and I was, at the time, too. I grew up Catholic, and that church and the Mormon church both put limits on what women can do. In in the Catholic church women can't be priests, and in the Mormon church, they can't hold the priesthood. She writes about the bewilderment of that inequity, the same way she wrote about her bewilderment of her husband deciding to live as a gay man, and the struggles he had with that decision. I have felt similar struggles trying to find a place as a woman in traditional Christian churches. When I tried to talk with others about my feelings about feeling less as a woman in the church, I was told I shouldn't feel that way. The way she writes about people who feel disenfranchised by policies and religious tenets made me feel like FINALLY someone gets it. I actually called her on the phone many years ago to tell her to tell her how thankful I was that someone else understood about being a woman in a tradtionally male dominated church, and she was so generous and gracious on the phone to talk with me for a few minutes, so I could tell her thank you. The compassion she has for people who feel like outsiders, and how she treats those people, is what I think of as true Christ-like love. I highly recommmend this book for anyone who ever felt like they don't belong. She went through a very difficult time and showed unfailing love, just like Christ would do.



4. I had heard of Carol Lynn Pearson's story, and I expected the story to be interesting, but I had no idea how much I would feel, and how many things I would have to think about (a lot, not just the reality of homosexuality, not just the many types and forms of love, but many many things.) I was completely unprepared to laugh, but I did, and I must say, the Pearson's were amazing people. Such strength, such energy, such a desire to be like Christ and do what is right. This story is incredible and incredibly written.



5. Pearson's memoir drew me in from the first page, as she relates her initial encounter with her future husband. "Gerald shone. That's the best way I can describe him. He shone."
   Can't we all relate to that Kismet moment, the first meeting with "the one." When our pheromones come alive and propel us to pursue the OBJECT, the prize, our destiny.
   The author's Mormon religion has instilled in her, early on, a desire for an "eternal marriage" much like her parents own union, which only ended at her mother's death.
   Gerald, also a Mormon, and Carol Lynn, joked about Brigham Young's statement that "any young man over the age of twenty-one who is not married is a menace to the community."
   After Gerald proposes, he decides to share a deep truth with Carol Lynn. Which is that he has had homsexual experiences, but has repented of his sins. He then promises her that she will be enough for him sexually after they are married.
   She accepts Gerald's promise, as she'd always been taught that when tempted, boy's were weaker than girls. Their ensuing marriage brings challenges beyond the norm, as Gerald loses his battle against his homosexual cravings. Yet Carol Lynn's love for her husband never dies.
   As an author and a human being, she shines. Her personal integrity, compassion, and capacity for unconditional love, awed me as a reader. I devoured this book in two sittings, fascinated by the true love shared between this husband and wife. She supported Gerald, even when he contracted AIDS, and brought him home to die with she and their children by his side till the end.
   They both rose to bear witness to their highest selves, in spite of their horrific circumstances. This memoir is full of rare insights into the complexities of a romantic relationship, and to the human condition. It educates, entertains, and inspires. Kudos to Pearson's courage in sharing this extremely personal story. An awesome book by an outstanding writer.

No comments about The Book of Mormon.

2 comments about Prelude to Glory, Vol. 3: To Decide Our Destiny (Prelude to Glory).

1. Having read both Volume one and Volume two, I was looking forward to following the trails and tribulations of characters in Ron Carter book. And how he weaves these fictitious people into the birth of our nation, I was not disappointed and will be sure to start the next volume.



2. This entire series was incredibly frustrating for one major reason ... instead of writing the story in chronological order so that the story unfolds in a logical way and carries your attention as it goes along he writes it in some order known only to the author.
   
   The best example of how aggravating this was was the story of a British officer tied in a love story with a Boston girl. Because the author decided to write the story thematically you find out in the first book that the man dies a ways into the war. Then in the next book he is suddenly alive again, then he dies, then the next book he is alive again, then he dies. By the time you get halfway through the series you are way past the point where you couldn't care less about him because you know he is going to die, there is no big mystery here. It is not page turning by any means.
   
   It feels like the author can't think chronologically so he figures that his readers can't either. I for one was extremely disappointed as I was very interested in reading a well written series about the American Revolution as historical fiction. What I got instead was such a disjointed, self-repeating tale that I didn't even end up reading it all the way to the end as I kept reading the exact same thing over and over again just from a slightly different perspective each time.
   
   Also, although he gives a timeline at the beginning of the books you don't really get the feel of how the different events fit together in a chronological timeframe. How did the sea battles fit timewise in with the army's land battles? I'm not going to constantly flip from book to book to try and match a timeline just because the author can't write things in order.
   
   The whole series was a huge disappointment and even a few years after reading the books the disappointment still lingers. Hopefully another author will come along and write the story in a gripping and yes even a chronological way. I hope so at least.

5 comments about The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers.

1. 18 Oc 2006
   I found this book to exceed my expectations in every way. I had numerous questions about "the rest of the story" from prior works by various authors. This volume answered all that came to mind. I found the organization made for greater clarity than ever before while the tone of the book made it easy to read and left me waiting for the next work by this very talented author.
   The stories shared are inspiring without being mushy. These real life characters and the tragedies they encountered make these very frail humans seem larger than life for their commitment, obedience and ability to persist in the face of death.
   My thanks to Mr. Olsen for all the infill as well as the original material shown here for the first time which adds to the majesty of these early converts to the LDS faith. It will be of universal value for anyone who has pioneers in their family line or pioneering in their hearts.
   This book is sure to inspire and uplift those who read it, think about it in the context of their own families then research their family history. It remains to be seen just how widely this book will influence others but the content will certainly bring a sense of family appreciation and desire for further information about our common forefathers.
   Shalom,
   rhp



2. Andrew Olsen presents facts and analysis. He separates the Willie story from the Martin story. He pulls together facts about indivuals and gives plenty of individual experiences. Some of the families are so similar in background, conversion stories, and hardships that they tend to blend together yet this book gives details to accentate the differences when possible.
   Mistakes and human weakness are not glossed over but explored in a non-judgemental form. The reader is allowed to digest the information. The life experiences after the trek are given.
   Don't stop at the end of the chapters as the notes at the end are interesting.
   My only criticism is Chapter 20 "Remember". It takes a different tone and gives the author's personal feelings about visiting Martin's Cove. The facts and journal voices in the other chapters allow the reader to feel the events better than chapter 20.



3. Awesome book. Loved very page.Now my number one place to visit ASAP is Wyoming in order to walk where these brave Saints walked! A must read.



4. Andrew Olsen shows that the stereotypical account of the Mormon handcart pioneers is but a crude facsimile of the incredible reality. Olsen digs deep into the journals to expose the lives of these pioneers: their faithfulness, their faults and folies, their lives in England, their conversion stories, and some cases their tragic deaths or disheartening loss of faith.
   
   These pioneers are not charictatures of Mormons. Olsen reveals them to be familiar people. Once can imagine them today as friend, acquaintance, or family member. Their feelings, frustrations, and expressions of faith are almost typical of today's devout, despite the passage of time. That their lives are far from typical is what makes their story so compelling.
   
   Olsen breaks new ground in his exposition of the fatal decision to embark the Martin and Willie companies far too late in the season, and the underlying hubris of Franklin Richards. Richards is the President of the Mission to Great Britain who accompanies his emigrants back to Zion. The Pioneers accept promises of divine protection and choose to proceed with their fateful journey. That the Pioneers are over-eager to proceed and completely trusting of their leaders places great importance on the actions of Richards and others.
   
   Richards had chances to prevent the tragedy and was counseled by company leaders including Jesse Savage to hold the companies over for the season. Instead of listening to wise counsel he severely rebuked Savage and others and the result was tragedy. One would expect Savage to depart the ill-fated companies after such a rebuke, but he doesn't. In a remarkable demonstration of faith and humility he journeys with them, one of the most valuable pioneers, and saves numerous lives with his efforts. For the rest of his life, Savage is not known to bear ill-will or to engage in any "I told you so" gratuitous vindication.
   
   The frost-bite, starvation, death, and other trials are painful to contemplate in this day, especially because we feel as though we know these people. They show resiliance and courage, even in death. For some survivors, their experience is a gateway to a life of divine joy in religious experience. The reader is left to marvel at the mirror-opposite themes strewn throughout the pages: humility and hubris, faith and despair, failure and triumph, even joy in the face of suffering and death.
   
   More than a history, reading this book for me was a mind-expanding experience



5. The literature was outstanding. A tremendous book and a tremendous story. I have nothing but praise for all the books that I recieved and ordered. They are all great.
   The service at "Amazon" was at exactly the opposite end of scale. It was simply atrocious and extremely expensive. A recent order had approximately $95.00 worth of literature and very near the same price for the shipping and handling. Thereby doubling the cost of the books. Not only was the service expensive but was very, very time consuming and no way to track the majority of the shipments. The cost was immediate but the arrival of the material was up to a month for continental United States deliveries. VERY VERY UNSATISFACTORY!!!

3 comments about Growing Up: Gospel Answers About Maturation and Sex.

1. This is an great book for the LDS youth. It adheres to LDS standards yet is comprehensive and easy reading. I read it with my 9yr old daughter and it was a good experience. I will read it with my son when he's old enough. It will remain in my library so they can pull it out whenever they have a question but might not want to ask me.



2. We thought we hadn't covered this information with our son and after reading the book realized we've covered it in more detail than we thought. Glad to have such a basic resource though to give to our boys to read on their own after we've discussed it with them. Thanks



3. I thought this book was written so well. It takes a basic "these are the facts" approach. It would be very easy to have your child read on their own. It is written specifically for the 10-15 age group. I felt that the author' approach was very positive and respectful. You can tell he has dealt with this subject and talked to kids this age about this subject. He puts it in an easy way for them to understand, but not like he is talking down to them. We are going to use it and read specifically from it for our "big talk". It takes a gospel centered approach and I loved it. It is a must have, for this subject matter.

2 comments about Fairhaven Chronicles: A Fresh Start in Fairhaven (Mormon Mitford Series).

1. This is billed as the "Mormon Mitford" series, and I'd say that's a pretty fair comparison. If you are familiar with the Jan Karon series set in North Carolina, you'd feel right at home in this series set in rural Alabama. There's the same small town feel with an emphasis on faith and family life. I got totally caught up in the characters and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Maybe it's not 'great literature', but it was a lot easier and more enjoyable to read.



2. I was first introduced to this author with "The Healing Place" a friend had recommended since I didn't like to read and needed a healing time and a place to do it. I found myself so deep into that book, tears welling many times as I too began to heal.
   When the Fairhaven Chronicles came out, I didn't want to start reading until I had all of them. Without knowing exactly how many there were going to be, I had purchased 4 volumes one at a time after each release. I had had them for a few years but could not wait any longer as they sat on my book shelf as I would add a new volume to my collection and through 2 moves. I started on volume 1 and read for 2 days as much as time would permit me until I finished them all through volume 4. I just can't wait for the next volume to come out. I almost want to read them over again before I start on volume 5.
   Its a must have for the "don't really like to read" person, and the one that may be going through some personal trials and often wonder if others do too.
   Wonderful christian writing, simply read with great understanding, empathy and love for all the characters. For the young adults to older adults, truly a great selection of reading.

2 comments about The Mormon Cult: A Former Missionary Reveals the Secrets of Mormon Mind Control.

1. This book presents a superb account by a former Mormon missionary of his journey through, and away from his pressure-filled entanglement with the church. I find it impossible to think of a suitable analogy to describe this complex social and human entrapment experienced by Elder Worthy, entrapment by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). (The author refers to himself as Elder Worthy, as that is how others referred to him throughout his mission.)
   
   Beginning with his two-year mission in Hong Kong at the age of nineteen, Elder Worthy takes the reader with him as he experiences the journey first hand. Everything he had been brought to believe told him this would be a wondrous experience. The whole support system of his social environment, as proscribed by the Mormon Church, including his parents and authority figures, all reinforced the idea that this mission would be positive almost beyond imagination. For, how could it not be when the Heavenly Father would be inspiring individuals to hear the Word he was about to bring?
   
   The mission itself was an ordeal--filled with frustrations, embarrassments, and feelings of inadequacy. Elder Worthy blamed all these shortcomings on himself. If only he were more diligent, more worthy, he was sure the Heavenly Father would cause the mission to be the success he had been certain it would be. Many of these frustrations were the direct result of the highly constrained rules and pressure for obedience concerning sexual expression.
   
   As the months wore on, Elder Worthy became disillusioned about the whole mission setup. He started seeing patterns across the other missionaries at his outpost that seemed consistent with his own experience, and saw that it might be the system that led to disappointing performance, not his lack of being sufficiently worthy. The more he became disenchanted with the system, the more he began to press the limits, more or less to see how the system would react. Ultimately, the combination of frustrated sexual desires and the rush that comes with pressing the limits led him to the most serious infraction of the rules. This led to disciplinary action, the premature ending of his mission, and the disgrace to his parents and himself when he returned amongst suspicions he may have done something unworthy. He of course was not invited to give his testimony about the wonders of his mission.
   
   Whether or not a person is familiar with the inner workings of the Mormon Church, I think the reader will gain an excellent understanding of what actually happens on these two-year missions that every 19-20 year old Mormon male experiences. Even more important in my mind is the account of one lonely person's struggle to make sense out of the many contradictions he saw on his mission, compared with all the glowing reports from the missionaries that went before him.



2. In an era where memoirs have become self-obsessed vehicles for inflated content that is designed to shock, Jack Worthy's book is a breath of fresh air. Worthy's focus on this memoir is not so much on himself as it is on the mind control methods used by the Mormon Church. Worthy never tries to inflate his claims nor does he ever dip into melodrama. He is respectful towards his parents and treats them with affection and he never accuses the church or any of its members of any kind of abuse other than mental. (He even seems to think that many of the Church officials are victims of this peculiar culture.) There are even times, when discussing his mission trip, that he appears to be a little nostalgic. This is perfectly understandable in that his transformative years took place within the culture of the Church. He does not try to make his apostasy a heroic triumph of reason over superstition. He is, in a way, expelled from the church because he believed in it and because of his own brutally honest way of dealing with himself. It was only later that he saw the Mormon Church (and all other churches, for that matter) for what it is: a cult.
   Because he keeps the focus on the culture of Mormonism and the culture of the mission trip itself, Worthy gives an historical account that is, thankfully, free of the self-obsession so typical of the modern memoir. I learned a great deal from this book, about Mormonism, about the culture of Hong Kong, about the Cantonese language, and about how the art form of memoir should be treated.
   This is highly recommended reading.

5 comments about The Keystone of Mormonism.

1. Arza's is yet another story of a faithful lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) who decides to investigate the claims of the Book of Mormon and research church history only to discover all sorts of problems, inconsistencies, and deception. And, like others, Arza went on to write a book about what he found and ended up getting excommunicated. Such is the all-to-common fate of intelligent and honest members of the church who look too deeply at the shadowy history of Mormonism.
   
   "The Keystone of Mormonism" is ostensibly a book about the Book of Mormon, which was written by the church's founder, Joseph Smith, and is presented by the church as literal scriptural history of ancient America. Arza's taken the title of his book from a comment by Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon Church) to the effect that the Book of Mormon is ".... The most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion..."
   
   While the first part of Arza's book is about the Book of Mormon, and its many well-known and serious problems with science, the second half is a treatise on LDS doctrine and some of the darker episodes in LDS history. Woven throughout Arza's book is his clear and unmistakable conclusion that Smith was a con artist, adulterer, and a shrewd and calculating cult leader devoid of common standards of morality and decency. This, of course, is the polar opposite of how Mormons view their leader. The difference being largely due to the way in which Mormons are raised on a diet of official historical fiction/fantasy, while Arza's conclusions are drawn from his extensive examination of historical documents and even-handed application of standards for moral decency.
   
   For devout Mormons, Arza's book will hardly be convincing. It's simply too easy for true believers to glibly ignore critical information about the church while claiming the apostates are possessed of a "lying tongue," and given over to the devil. What these members would see, if they'd bother looking, is that virtually all of Arza's conclusions are drawn from pronouncements made by church leaders, who were speaking in their capacity as "prophets, seers, and revelators" while publishing their teachings using church avenues of communication.
   
   For example, one of Arza's points is that Smith was full of himself, and that he organized the church, in part, to feed an insatiable ego. To back this up, Arza quotes dozens of passages from church documents that illustrate how egotistical Smith really was. Here is an example from the Doctrine and Covenant (official LDS scripture):
   
   "Whatsoever they [Smith and other priesthood leaders in the church] shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation."
   
   Mormons often quote this scripture to justify strict obedience to their church leaders, but Arza helps see this statement (and dozens of others, equally full of pride) as the ambition of a backwoods con artist who had finally attained the level of respect and adoration that he so desperately needed. Arza then shows how this thirst for human praise exists today in the General Authorities of the church when they do things like having themselves "sustained" twice yearly as "prophets, seers, and revelators."
   
   To many non-Mormons the esteem with which Mormons hold Smith borders on worship. Indeed, while mainline Christian churches attribute the resurrection solely to Jesus Christ, in Mormonism the resurrection is predicated upon Joseph Smith's say-so. Here is another choice reference from Arza's book:
   
   "How are you going to get your resurrection? You will get it by the President of the resurrection pertaining to this generation, and that is Joseph Smith Jun. Hear it all ye ends of the earth; if ever you enter into the kingdom of God it is because Joseph Smith let you go there. This will apply to Jews and Gentiles, to the bond, and the free; to friends and foes; no man or woman in this generation will get a resurrection and be crowned, without Joseph Smith saying so. The man who was martyred in Carthage Jail, State of Illinois, holds the keys of life and death to this generation. He is the President of the resurrection in this dispensation, ..." (Brigham Young, unpublished Discourse, October 8, 1854).
   
   Another persistent theme in Arza's book is the manner in which the LDS Church uses "persuasive techniques" to cajole members into compliance. For example, on page 131, Arza says:
   
   "If a child can be so thoroughly indoctrinated that he or she becomes incapable of spontaneous, independent thinking, this extinguishment of individuality may be considered a serious form of child abuse."
   
   Arza illustrates the church's use of family as an extension of power, effectively using mothers, fathers, and siblings to exert extraordinary pressure on individuals to conform, pressure that the organization alone could never muster.
   
   The preeminent example of a hidden agenda, deceit, and sexual exploitation all rolled into one is the practice of polygamy as taught by the LDS Church. Indeed a significant portion of Arza's book is aimed at discussing polygamy, and especially the immoral way in which Joseph Smith committed adultery while pretending that his sexual indiscretions were done at the command of God under the guise of polygamy. Particularly damning is the manner in which Arza reviews the historical documentation showing that Smith engaged in this lewd sexual conduct under the guise of polygamous marriages to women who, at the time, were already married to other men.
   
   I found Arza's book to be hard hitting, but mostly fair and balanced. He certainly pulls no punches in holding Mormonism up to the standards it professes, and illustrating quite convincingly (I think) the church's failure to do as they preach.



2. Joseph Smith claimed that he translated the Book of Mormon word for word with the power of God. He said that it contained the fullness of the gospel and that it was the "most correct book on earth".
   
   Too bad that the LDS church has made approx. 4000 corrections in several new editions since Smith first published the Book of Mormon in 1830. These changes do everything from correct grammar mistakes and spelling errors to change the theology of the book to reflect the mormon theology that developed after its publication. Apparently God doesn't know English very well, and apparently he changed his mind that blacks are darkskinned because they are evil.
   
   This book shows the Book of Mormon to be the made up fantasy that it truly is by attacking it from every angle imaginable: science, history, grammar, theology, as well as several chapters about the lives of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
   
   In regard to their lives, you'll learn that Smith had at least 50 wives (probably more) and that many times they were women who were already married and who he forced to swear an oath of secrecy, even from their husbands and any children they had from Smith. You'll learn that Young died a millionaire.
   
   I admit, however, that this is not the most scholarly book ever, and isn't the best written. But it's an honest presentatin of information gathered by an ex-mormon.
   
   I definitely recommend it.



3. This book by Arza Evans contains too many mistakes and ignores a heck of a lot of contemporary Mormon scholarship that blows his arguments out of the water.
   
   For example, in the case of the Arabian geography of the Book of Mormon, Evans charges that no continually flowing river in Arabia exits (1 Nephi 2:5-8). Furthermore, he charges that Bountiful could not possibly exist too (1 Nephi 17:5). However, even before the book was first published, these arguments were proven void.
   
   In 1994, for example, Warren and Michaela Aston published the book, "In the footsteps of Lehi," revealing that plausible candidates for both Nahom (1 Nephi 16:34) and Bountiful exists in the Arabian Peninsula. Furthermore, only a few years later, George Potter discovered a continaully flowing river in Arabia, right where the Book of Mormon states it is. This was one of the first topics discussed in the 2003 book he co-authored with Richard Wellington, entitled, "Lehi in the Wilderness."
   
   Now, the questions of Evans can be turned on their back -
   
   How did Joseph Smith know so much about Arabia? How did he know of the presence of a continually flowing river south-south-east of Jerusalem in Arabia, when, for decades, critics have derided such (and, in their ignorance, continue to do) as an impossibility (see 1 Nephi 2:5-8)? How did he know of a burial site, *NHM* in the same direction, corresponding to "Nahom" where Ishamel was buried in 1 Nephi 16:34? Furthermore, on this point, lime altars have been found in this region, attesting to the historicity of the name and burial site pre-dating the Book of Mormon volume, serving as the first archaeological evidences attesting Book of Mormon antiquity. In addition, how could Smith have known of a lush garden spot east of Nahom, and describe all its physical and material cultural characteristics, when, again, critics have derided Bountiful in Arabia as another impossibility?
   
   I am only scaping the surface, but this should be suffice to show that this book is far from a convincing critique of the Book of Mormon.



4. It is a quick and easy book to read. It covers many aspects of the belief system and identifies the source documents where the original information can be found. It does not go into the scholarly information in the way Quinn or Brodie would address the subjects, but provides an overview of some of the major problems found in the Mormon Church.
   
   The author goes beyond most books of this type and explores the sociological and control aspects of the Mormon Church. He shows how the Mormon Church manipulates and controls its members using many of the same techniques as the founders. He also discusses the egocentric nature of the early leaders and ethnocentric beliefs found in the Mormon Church. He demonstrates the level of lying and hiding the truth which was prevalent in the early Mormon Church. This lying and hiding the truth about the history and doctrine is still a common characteristic in the Mormon Church.
   
   Criticism has been given in light of the "Trail of Lehi" and "In the Footsteps of Lehi." The "Trail/Footsteps of Lehi" book, lectures and tours have been discredited by the Mormon Church's own apologists, the FARMS organization. This includes the river, alters, names, locations and other information included in the book.



5. BB: In 1994, for example, Warren and Michaela Aston published the book, "In the footsteps of Lehi," revealing that plausible candidates for both Nahom (1 Nephi 16:34) and Bountiful exists in the Arabian Peninsula.
   JK: Nahom & Bountiful? Sorry dude we don't want plausable candidates, we want definite confirmation!
   BB: Furthermore, only a few years later, George Potter discovered a continaully flowing river in Arabia, right where the Book of Mormon states it is. This was one of the first topics discussed in the 2003 book he co-authored with Richard Wellington, entitled, "Lehi in the Wilderness."
   JK: I Nephi 2:5-8 says that the River Laman emptied into the Red Sea. But, there are no rivers in all of Arabia now or in recorded history, and no river empties into the Red Sea! The Red Sea is a body of water connected to the Mediterranean Sea on the north and to the Indian Ocean on the south. When it rains, which is rare, a wadi (a dry riverbed) will carry water for a short time. But a wadi is not a river.
   BB: Now, the questions of Evans can be turned on their back - How did Joseph Smith know so much about Arabia?
   JK: The guy could read, books on geography and cultures wouldn't have been too far out of his reach.
   BB: How did he know of the presence of a continually flowing river south-south-east of Jerusalem in Arabia, when, for decades, critics have derided such (and, in their ignorance, continue to do) as an impossibility (see 1 Nephi 2:5-8)?
   JK: A wadi is not a river (read my comment above).
   BB: How did he know of a burial site, *NHM* in the same direction, corresponding to "Nahom" where Ishamel was buried in 1 Nephi 16:34?
   JK: It is important to note that NHM is believed to be a tribal name, not a place name, and that the three consonants can have a variety of spellings when vowels are inserted. Aston notes in his web site article that references to NHM are "usually given as NiHM, NeHeM, NaHaM etc." The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies reports that this can also be spelled "NaHM" (7:1, 1998, p. 7).
   BB: In addition, how could Smith have known of a lush garden spot east of Nahom, and describe all its physical and material cultural characteristics, when, again, critics have derided Bountiful in Arabia as another impossibility?
   JK: Let's not forget that Bountiful's temporary filler is only a candidate. And NHM doesn't mean NaHoM. Subsequently, this lush garden spot east of NHM maybe cactus plants.

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.