#22 Rough Stone Rolling

There are so many things I want to say about this book, but first I want to tell a story.

When I was 21 years old I decided I wanted to be a missionary. I decided this because I felt an abundance of gratitude for the blessings the gospel of Jesus Christ had given me and I wanted to show God I was thankful by making the sacrifice of serving as a missionary. So, a few months after I made this decision, I was knocking on doors in Ithaca, NY and telling people that God had called a prophet in modern times and his name was Joseph Smith. But I found myself struggling, because I knew in my heart that I didn't really know that what I was telling them was true. So I did what I had learned to do from the time I was a little girl and I learned it from this story..

From Joseph Smith History

...I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine...At length I cam to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.

So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding my self alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.

I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my heard, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

I had learned that, like Joseph Smith, I could get an answer from God about anything. So I prayed, and I received an answer, not a vision like the one described above, but an experience that was just as certain. This answer was only the beginning. The peace I felt allowed me to share the story of Joseph Smith with more confidence. During that time I was a missionary, I must have shared the story of Joseph Smith 8-10 times a day, 6 days a week, for 18 months, who knows how many times I told that story. The amazing thing for me was that each time I told it, without exception, the Holy Ghost witnessed that it was true, and not just to me. I told that story to countless people and everyone who listened to what I was saying, felt the Holy Ghost too. How do I know that? Sometimes they cried, sometimes I could see it in their eyes, and sometimes they would tell me. A few of those people wanted to know more and a small handful of people changed their life because of that story.

So, what I am telling you is that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I am not delusional. I am not weak minded. I would dare say, I am the opposite of those things. I know because the Holy Ghost testified to me in a very real way hundreds of times as that story came out of my mouth.

So, some things about Joseph Smith are hard to understand. They are hard because we don't know all the answers and his life is somewhat mysterious. They are hard because they are foreign. They are hard because we weren't there. They are hard because we want God's ways to be our ways. I don't have the answer.

But I do know that in the spring of 1820 a boy went to the woods to pray and God appeared to him and called him to a marvelous work. I know that the work involved bringing to light another book of scripture that witnessed to the world that Jesus is the Christ. I know that all of these things came about because of promises made to Abraham thousands of years ago. Most of all, I know that anyone who asks can get an answer from God.

I still feel like I want to talk about this book some more.

#22 Rough Stone Rolling

I am in the middle of Richard Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling and it is totally engaging. I don't know how anyone could know the story of Joseph Smith and not be fascinated by him. Although Richard Bushman is Mormon, he is very fair. He almost presents the case of Joseph Smith being a fanatical visionary who invented a religion, but then, when all the information is looked at honestly, that answer is too simple to explain him. I have had two responses as I have read. One is an amazement of how much Joseph really knew and the other is amazement of how much Joseph didn't know. It is though he understands principles and has a vision of how the gospel of Jesus Christ will fill the earth, but he seems to know very little of the details. They seem to come to him a little at a time and through a process that looks a lot like trial and error. Not exactly how our expectations might lead us to believe a prophet should receive revelation.

One example occurs when Bushman is discussing the emergence of the temple endowment in Nauvoo. He comments on how it is connected to Jewish tradition. He explains how there is only a remote possibility that Joseph was even aware of these customs and then gives this statement, "He had an uncanny ability to recover long-lost traditions for use in modern times." It is the method of uncovering these traditions that is sometimes hard to accept, and yet feels consistent with how we know God communicates with each of us. The answers seem to come line upon line. And he uses information that is available in the world to get him started on the process.

I will warn you that if you have a romanticized notion of how the LDS Church was organized or who you want Joseph Smith to be, you might be disappointed in this factual account. Joseph was a convert to organized religion. He wasn't raised with Sunday School or much of any school for that matter. He didn't have a modern perception of what we think religion, particularly our own religion, should be like. He was rough in many ways. But I believe the Lord chose him because of his roughness, not despite it. The Lord needed a man who was good to the core, but strong enough to bring about a marvelous work and a wonder. The more I read, the more I am convinced, there was not better man for the job.

So far, I love this book. I let you know how I feel when I finish it. It's a long one!

#20 and #21 Catching Fire and Mocking Jay

I loved these books that finished off the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I know when I posted about Hunger Games, I was a little ho hum, but Suzanne Collins got so much better by the end. It reminded me of Harry Potter in that the books were simpler when they characters were simpler, and as the characters progressed and understood more, we as the readers were ready for more as well. The books fall in a genre called dystopia, you can also find The Giver and 1984 in this group. These are books that for tell danger in coming societies if we don't change our ways. The futuristic society of these stories fortell the dangers of greed, a system that relies on the poor to create a comfortable living for the rich, and government control. I love that Collins did not answer every question or resolve every concern, by the end of the book, but also left us with hope. I know you will get swept up in Katniss and her family, but you may need to stick around to the second book before you catch fire, at least I did.

#19 Eat to Live

I don't know about you, but I am always interested in learning more about healthy eating and how food affects our bodies. It may because my mother would occasionally go through stages of no sugar in the house and I can remember occasionally accompanying her on visits to the herbalist. One thing I am grateful for is that we were too poor to grow up eating anything that came out of a box. I used to lament my homemade bread sandwiches with crumbles or our steady diet of beans and vegetables. We know now that so many of our tastes were formed during our childhood years. I never realized how blessed I was to develop my taste buds in a home with real food and a mother who was willing to cook for our family each day. I'm sure that seemed like tedious, never ending work for her, but it such a tremendous impact on my health today. I am so so grateful.

OK. Back to Eat to Live. I started reading this book because I have something called insulin resistance (everyone is talking about it these days) and I felt like I had to eat a high protein, low carb diet to deal with the symptoms of this disorder. I have been frustrated by that because it goes against the code of health I believe in called the Word of Wisdom. I have read and searched and prayed and thought about what to do. Then a friend with the same health condition recommended this book. The authors basic premise is that we need to eat more not less, but we need to eat more things with a high nutrient density. That means food that are filled with good stuff and have less calories. Which foods are the stars of this plan? You guessed it green vegetables. Which foods are the supporting cast? Fruit, beans, and other vegetables. Which foods should be occasional guests of the show? Meat and Sweets.
Here's a question for you. Which has more protein 100 calories of steak or 100 calories of broccoli? I know you aren't going to believe it, but it's the broccoli. And in addition to protein, the broccoli has all sorts of vitamins, minerals and cancer fighting, body healing amazing things.

So, if you are interested in learning more, I think you will like this book. It is called Eat to Live by Joel Furhman.

#18 Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a good read. I am not going to say it was a page turner, but instead it sort of moved quietly along, keeping me engaged in it's tale of young love and a human need to sort people by race and color. I feel like I am going to love the story more in days and weeks to come than I do now, like it needs to ripen a bit. Or maybe it will be somewhat forgetable. I am not sure yet. The thing I appreciated about the story is that it made me aware of internment of the Japanese during World War II. It is hard to believe that 50 years ago we were shipping people off on buses to live in work camps with barbed wire fences and armed guards. It is so difficult to relate to an era of time that has passed, even when it has passed so recently, when it seems so foreign to the time and place I live in now. I wonder what things my children will find hard to believe when I tell them about my experience with America as a child.
I would definitely recommend this book. It is a well-written, sweet story that you will enjoy, just don't feel surprised when you find it's ok to put it down and come back to it in the morning. It's just that kind of book.

#17- 1776 And Kings Shall Be Your Nursing Fathers

I loved reading this book. Yes, it is a war story and yes, I got a little bogged down in the middle, but it is our war story which makes it so much more interesting. I loved that I read this book in July and that when I saw flags and soldiers and fireworks I remembered the story of the beginning. I love that I have been studying the House of Israel while I read this book. I could not stop thinking about the promises God had made to them and how he was fulfilling his promises through them. Did George Washington know he was part of the story that Isaiah was telling. Did he know he was changing the world forever? Did he know that all the world would look at the example of that rag tag army and plan governments designed after what happened here? Did he know that his battle for freedom would open the door for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored. I'm guessing he didn't know all of that, but I bet he felt something. As the fog rolled in to keep his army hidden or the storm ragged to allow him to surprise the enemy, I think he must have felt something. I am so happy I picked up this book and read it. It makes it even more amazing to see the red, white, and blue wave. It helps me to remember that God keeps his promises.

I think I might tackle David McCullough's John Adams one of these days.

#17- 1776 It's All New to Me and It's a Little Embarassing

David McCullough's 1776 has been sitting on my shelf for a while, but I didn't feel inspired to read it until my recent trip to our nation's capitol. It has turned out to be the perfect time to pick it up because I feel like I am living the days with George Washington as he leads his troops ahead to the first Independence Day. I feel like the 4th of July will be filled with more meaning or at least more details than I have experienced in the past. I have been lucky enough to have been in many places in the world, but I am truly in love with America. I am in love with the people who were crazy enough to think they could fight the most powerful army in the world at the time and win. I am in love with their believing, adventurous, brave hearts. It makes me think about the House of Joseph and how they fulfilled their heavenly mission. Although they were so rough and tumble it would have been difficult to see them as the House of Joseph at the time they were fighting.

Washington just chased the British out of Boston and on up to New York. I can't wait to see what happens next. And yes, it's a little bit embarrassing that I don't already know.

#16 Olive Kitteridge- Is true love really so hard to hang on to?

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2009. I have learned that when book has a sticker on it that says something amazing that it won an award for, my expectations that it will be a great book increase exponentially and I am often disappointed. I feel this way about Olive Kitteridge. It is a great book that is designed to weave the story of one woman's life through the tangled history of many small town experiences. I liked Olive and I liked the way she showed up in the various vignettes. The thing I didn't like about the book is a continual theme of lack of fulfillment in marriage. I promise I am not living in a dream world and I understand that there are moments in marriages that lack the magic that was found in the beginning of the relationship, but I guess I want to hang on to my romantic notions that people really fall in love and stay in love. I struggled with Strout's perception that all marriages, even happy ones, often have some amount of unfaithfullmess. Regardless, I did love all the interesting characters she created and developed and I felt like I had taken a walk through this little town in Maine by the time I was finished. I am not adding this one to my list of favorites, but I still think it is a well-written, enjoyable set of stories that kept me interested throughout.

#15 How We Decide- You're going to love this one

How we decide by Jonah Lehrer was such a great read. Interestingly enough I read it as I was trying to make a very difficult decision. I would like to say that it gave me all the answers, but as much as it is great to have an amazing brain to work with, I am still grateful for advice from friends and God when you have a really tough decision to make, but that is all a little off the point. Lehrer takes a very complex process and breaks it down into manageable pieces. It is fascinating to hear his research and explanations on how the brain figures things out. It made me appreciate the capacity of this creation of God's that we understand so little about. I would highly recommend this book. I have been told that is along the same lines as Blink, but a better read.

#14 The Red Tent- This ain't no bible story

I have to say that enjoyed the first half of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, but it had a little more getting to know each other than I really needed and so I didn't finish reading it. The story is a fictitious version of the events of surrounding the family of Jacob and his 4 wives Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah, and the only daughter mentioned in the bible, Dinah. This book handles the touchy subject of polygamy in a way that makes you believe that it could be possible for a man to to love and appreciate two women, even if the women don't always see eye to eye. The LDS church has a history of polygamy and it is sometimes difficult to imagine how the women of my own history could have survived and even thrived in these sorts of relationships. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am all for a polygamist lifestyle, but I thought this author made a valid attempt to show the beauty that could come from a family like Jacob's. Don't read this book for a historically accurate view of the events surrounding Jacob and the House of Israel, but you might pick it up if you are curious about a uniquely different kind of love story. I'm interested to hear if anyone else has read this book and what you thought.

I have negleted my book blog

I just noticed that I have a few new followers so I felt compelled to explain my lack of posts on this blog. My apologies. Life got busy. I have started reading "Rough Stone Rolling" which is a book I have wanted to read for a long time, but I am not really far enough to make any meaningful comments. So don't give up on me. I will get back to reading soon. Please continue to tell me about the books you are reading. I am always excited to add new ideas to my list.

#13 My thriteenthe book was The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield was a very fun read. I'm going to warn you right away that there is some strange stuff going on in this book and that I almost turned back about a quarter of the way through, but I stuck it out and really enjoyed the adventure. The story is about a young woman who gets asked to write the biography of a famous author. The famous author has never truthfully told the story of her life and on her deathbed, she is ready to finally leave the truth behind. There are many twists and turns. There are unique characters that you may never meet the likes of again. There is a story that unwinds and unwinds and unwinds until you finally know everything. I promise it will keep you guessing. I definitely recommend this book, but not to your 14 year old daughter. Enjoy!

#12 Economics in One Lesson-Day One

Last night I was laying in bed with a miserable cold that I managed to contract last week and my stuffy nose and achy body would not let me sleep. So I turned on the light and picked up Henry Hazlitt's Economics in one lesson and started to read. What can I say, It's actually kind of interesting. The basic premise so far is that everyone out there is cuckoo. We have been taught that situations that create need, such as war, that appear to boost the economy have actually just diverted need. The demand for new homes, factories, and cars after a country has been demolished by war is a falsely created demand that would not have been there without the destruction. Had the country not have experienced war, there would have been a true demand for homes, cars, TVs, refrigerators, and other stuff because the people there would have been in the economic situation to have those things.
I am sure that is a poor explanation of what Hazlitt is trying to say, but I am only on the 2nd chapter. I will let you know if my understanding gets any less fuzzy.

I'm a little behind

It's great to hear that I have a few followers out there, so I thought I might apologize for being so slow on my next post. I do want to read Henry Hazlitt's Economics on one Lesson, but it looks so uninviting sitting on my night stand. The print is so tiny, that I feel like it will take forever to get through, so there it sits. Should I give up and move on to something else, or tackle this educational read. Stay tuned to see what I decide to do...

#11 The Wednesday Wars- A story of cream puffs, shakespeare, and yellow tights.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt is a great read in young adult fiction that is also entertaining for adults. I admit, it had a bit of a slow start, but it did not take long to fall in love with Holling Hoodhoood and his Presbyterian ways. The story is warm and funny and only slightly unrealistic. In fact you can almost imagine your self in Holling's 7th grade class. A great read and fun to have a story written from a boys perspective.

#10 Taking Charge of Your Fertility

OK, I debated about whether or not to post Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but it really is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone, so I am going to include it. You might wonder why a single girl is interested in taking charge of her fertility. The book teaches you about how a woman's body works. This is not exactly the stuff you learn in 8th grade health class. I found it really interesting and empowering, not to mention, miraculous. This a must for anyone trying to get pregnant or trying to not get pregnant, but also a great read for anyone who wants to understand their body, considering that their body is a girl's body.

#9 The Lovely Bones

I think it is a good thing if you feel passionate about a book. Unfortunately, I feel passionately that I hated this book. I don't hate a lot of books, sometimes I think they are poorly written, sometimes I think they are boring. I didn't think this book was poorly written or boring, in fact I could not put it down, but I still hated it. It tells the story of a girl who is kidnapped and murdered by a neighbor when she is 14. Then she watches from heaven as her family falls apart and her killer runs free. I knew that this is what the book was about, but somehow I thought it would be a good story. It wasn't. There is a movie coming out, that has moderate reviews. I have not decided if I will see it. I'm curious if there is anyone out ther who has read this one and has an opinion on it. Clearly, I did.

#8 Three Cups of Tea- Is Educating Girls the Way to Save the World

I think the answer to that question is yes. The last half of Three Cups of Tea tells about Greg's mission to combat extremist by building schools in Pakistan and eventually in Afghanistan. The people there are starving for education. The government does not provide schools in rural areas, and the parents are desperate to educate their children. The extremist Islamists build schools and educate children in anti-western and extremist principles. Unfortunately, the children are taught to hate America. Greg Mortenson is trying to combat this trend by providing an alternative to parents. He helps the members of a village build a school and provide a non-extremist education to the children of the village. He has discovered that if girls are educated, they become mothers who are educated and they teach their children correct principles. When young men are asks why they did not join extremist organizations, they often say that they knew their mother's would not approve. Greg Mortenson's story has been on my mind since I finished this book, and I have a feeling it will be on my mind for a long time. I strongly recommend reading this book.