What Gospel/Spiritual/Enlightening book are you reading right now, or have read and gained insight from?


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I've been slowly reading "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling". I've enjoyed it though it can get tedious here and there. So far it's really humanized Joseph Smith for me, and it's provided a good deal of historical context on events in church history for me. This is a book I will definitely be rereading in the future.

I've also just started reading "Understanding Temple Symbols through Scripture, History and Art". I've only just begun it, but it starts you off with a medieval painting and talks about all the symbolism in the painting to get you started and thus far I've found it enlightening, and I'm hoping it will allow me to better understand/think on temple rituals.

I'm hoping to hear of some other books you guys are reading or would recommend. What have these books done for you?

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Mostly, I stick to the scriptures and manuals.  Beyond those, Hugh Nibley is the author I've read from the most - his books are written in a way that works for me.  For the most part, I don't think they're as difficult as people make them out to be, though Enoch the Prophet was pretty hard.

Approaching Zion changed the way I think about: the concept of Zion (from a future place and social order to a current state of mind); money, work, generosity, the gifts of God; introduced me to the idea of "goods of first intent"; definitions of sin; preparing for the Second Coming.  Basically, this book is packed with ideas that may force you to think differently about your assumptions on a variety of topics.  I highly recommend it to any who think they are prepared for that.

Lehi in the Desert/The World of the Jaredites/There Were Jaredites added a lot of richness and some additional meaning to the Book of Mormon - simple cultural things that I either never thought of or never noticed, like whether Lehi and his family had camels, why they didn't make fire for a time, just how much time was passing, why the Jaredite usurpers would keep the former king in captivity instead of killing him (thus allowing him to have sons who, somehow, had enough freedom to overthrow the usurper - I mean, just kill the old king already!).  Stuff like that.  This was the easiest of the Nibley books I've read so far.

Old Testament and Related Studies gave me a new perspective on patriarchy and matriarchy.

The World and the Prophets really expanded my understanding and testimony of the importance of living prophets - how the scriptures alone are not enough, while at the same time, reinforcing just how important the scriptures are.  It presented the idea that the prophets, scriptures, and Holy Ghost make up three supporting legs of a testimony, that all three are needed for stability, so to speak.

Oddly enough, Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea series has included several little nuggets of wisdom that have caused me to ponder my view of reality - things like the power of words spoken, the nature of consequences.  Easier to just give some quotes that I pulled out:

Quote

But each deed you do, each act, binds you to itself and to its consequences, and makes you act again and yet again.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Farthest Shore

But when we crave power over life--endless wealth, unassailable safety, immortality--then desire becomes greed. And if knowledge allies itself to that greed, then comes evil. Then the balance of the world is swayed, and ruin weighs heavy in the scale.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Farthest Shore

There is a certain bleakness in finding hope where one expected certainty.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Farthest Shore

Only one thing in the world can resist an evil-hearted man. And that is another man. In our shame is our glory. Only our spirit, which is capable of evil, is capable of overcoming it.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Farthest Shore

In their heart they know that their lie, spoken, may change the world.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Finder

Once when my lord the Archmage was here with me in the Grove, he said to me he had spent his life learning how to choose to do what he had no choice but to do.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Other Wind

Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Tombs of Atuan

It's a rare gift, to know where you need to be, before you've been to all the places you don't need to be.
-- Ursula K. LeGuin, Tales from Earthsea, "The Bones of The Earth"

That second to last one, about freedom, is one of my favorite quotes of all time.  Lots of people think fiction is a waste of time, or good for nothing but entertainment, I find far to the contrary - I often learn great lessons from fiction.  Terry Goodkind's Faith of the Fallen, which is preceded by nearly 5000 pages in the series, includes the single best (I think perfect) demonstration of why communism, and its precursor socialism, is so very, very evil.  But it is so well-embedded into the story that I think most will not recognize it for what it is.

Edited by zil
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5 hours ago, jerome1232 said:

I've been slowly reading "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling". I've enjoyed it though it can get tedious here and there. So far it's really humanized Joseph Smith for me, and it's provided a good deal of historical context on events in church history for me. This is a book I will definitely be rereading in the future.

I've been meaning to read that.  Just look at my mini-profile to the left here.  But I've got several others I've been slowly working through.

5 hours ago, jerome1232 said:

I've also just started reading "Understanding Temple Symbols through Scripture, History and Art". I've only just begun it, but it starts you off with a medieval painting and talks about all the symbolism in the painting to get you started and thus far I've found it enlightening, and I'm hoping it will allow me to better understand/think on temple rituals.

What do you know about the author?  I've read the "about the author" blurb on Amazon which has basically his authorship resume.  But anything about him personally?

5 hours ago, jerome1232 said:

I'm hoping to hear of some other books you guys are reading or would recommend. What have these books done for you?

I'm currently reading Revelations of the Restoration.  It is essentially a D&C commentary.  I'm a really slow reader.  So, I'm having difficulty getting through it in the middle of all my other duties.  But I'm working on it.

I bought it specifically for any insights on sealing.  It hasn't really provided anything other than the typical stuff.  Kinda sad.

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2 hours ago, Carborendum said:

What do you know about the author?  I've read the "about the author" blurb on Amazon which has basically his authorship resume.  But anything about him personally?

Next to nothing. I know only that Facebook's ad algorithms showed me that book, I was intrigued. I leafed through it at a dessert book store and decided I wanted it and then I ordered it from Amazon and enjoyed the first chapter greatly.

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Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. "Brilliant" barely begins to describe this book. I read this book about 20 years ago. I don't think I had ever worked so hard to read a book, or had so much fun reading one. It has taken on a cult following, and you can find lots of weird groupies who seem to worship at its altar. Ignore them and read the book anyway. It will forever change how you view the human mind, the effort to find truth, and even how your own perceptions are formed. It's not a theistic book at all, but the topics it illuminates have profound ramifications for theists.

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I enjoy LDS historical novels. Last fall I read The Undaunted, Only The Brave, To Soar With Eagles and the first four volumes of Fire and Steel. I also read the last book in the Kingdom and the Crown series and the last two volumes in The Work and the Glory series all by Lund. I then read the three volume Come to Zion series by Dean Hughes. Since then I’ve read Christopher Columbus by Clark B. Hinckley, The Silence of God by Gale Sears, The Gospel at 30,000 Feet by Elder Uchtdorf  and I’m currently reading The Cost of Winning by Dean Hughes and The Duscourses of Brigham Young. 

I particularly liked The Undaunted because it is about the Hole in the Rock expedition and my second great grandparents were on that expedition along with some other relatives including the people who were in the last wagon down which is a story unto itself.  All of whom are mentioned in the book.   

After completing The Book of Mormon earlier this year I’m now reading the Old Testament cover to cover. I’m in Numbers. 

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@BJ64 Have you read Fire of the Covenant? That one has one of my great-great-great-grandfathers in it, which may contribute to why it and the Kingdom and the Crown series are among my favorites by Lund.

I'm not very good at identifying what exactly specific books have done for me, but I can say that books I've read that stand out to me include The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens, Way to Be by Gordon B. Hinckley, and Women of the Old Testament by Camille Fronk Olson (though I don't think I finished that one). I saved some quotes from The Fortunate Fall by Daniel K. Judd, so I can look up those to see what about it touched me.

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I’m currently reading a book called Home-Making by J.R. Miller, a Presbyterian pastor of a century ago. It’s basically a book about marriage and family life. I’m enjoying it a lot and find that his position is very close to LDS beliefs.

For LDS books I would suggest:

Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon by Jeffrey R. Holland

Hearing the Voice of the Lord: Principles and Patterns of Personal Revelation by Gerald N. Lund

Things As They Really Are by Neal A. Maxwell (LDS epistemology type book)

The Lord’s Way by Dallin H. Oaks (Compares and contrasts the Lord’s way versus the world’s way on various topics)

Anything by Terryl Givens

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3 hours ago, SilentOne said:

@BJ64 Have you read Fire of the Covenant? That one has one of my great-great-great-grandfathers in it, which may contribute to why it and the Kingdom and the Crown series are among my favorites by Lund.

I'm not very good at identifying what exactly specific books have done for me, but I can say that books I've read that stand out to me include The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens, Way to Be by Gordon B. Hinckley, and Women of the Old Testament by Camille Fronk Olson (though I don't think I finished that one). I saved some quotes from The Fortunate Fall by Daniel K. Judd, so I can look up those to see what about it touched me.

That was a great book!  I don't have any relatives in it, but I imagine that would make it even more awesome to someone reading it then for others, and it was already a wonderful book to start with!

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Daughters in My Kingdom, put out by the Church about five years ago, is one if my favorite books. It's written in a way you can read cover-to-cover or use it as a reference for a lesson.

I haven't done much reading lately, but I've been slogging through Talmage's Jesus the Christ for about a year. (I'm a slow reader on top of not doing it as much as I used to.) 

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I looked up the quotes I mentioned I'd saved earlier.

Quote

Identifying what have become our false gods is a vital part of learning to worship our Heavenly Father. Coming to understand the inability of these false gods to provide the blessings we desire for others and for ourselves also helps us understand the need each of us has for the blessings of the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.
-- Daniel K. Judd, The Fortunate Fall: Understanding the Blessings and Burdens of Adversity

The Greek word for sin used most frequently in the New Testament is hamartia, which means "a missing of the mark." The Apostle Paul taught, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Elder Neal A. Maxwell provided a key to understanding what it means to miss the mark when he taught, "The mark is Christ." To sin is to fall short of the example and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
-- Daniel K. Judd, The Fortunate Fall: Understanding the Blessings and Burdens of Adversity

...even though clear definitions of sin have been in existence since ancient days, the doctrine of sin is largely ignored.... To a greater or lesser degree, sin continues to be a problem in our lives, and to abandon the doctrine of sin is to abandon the hope of genuine happiness in this world and eternal life in the world to come.
-- Daniel K. Judd, The Fortunate Fall: Understanding the Blessings and Burdens of Adversity

Even a casual reading of the Book of Mormon reveals that Lehi and Sariah, like Adam and Eve before them, experienced many of the same problems we face in our marriages and families today. The Book of Mormon is of ancient origin, but it is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. We have much to learn from how the marvelous men and women of scripture dealt with their sufferings and sorrows.
-- Daniel K. Judd, The Fortunate Fall: Understanding the Blessings and Burdens of Adversity

It is fairly common to have someone say something like this: "I'm glad that I have a sinful past, for without such experiences I would have never learned to appreciate the Atonement." It is a wonderful truth that we can repent of sins and learn valuable lessons from the sins we have committed and the mistakes we have made, but we must also understand that sampling sin or indulging ourselves in iniquity are not required for us to learn of the power and beauty of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Sister Camilla Kimball, wife of President Spencer W. Kimball, taught, "It is not necessary to experience sin in life to know what sin is." Life contains sufficient exposure to sin and mistakes without our seeking sin as a part of a spiritual resume.
-- Daniel K. Judd, The Fortunate Fall: Understanding the Blessings and Burdens of Adversity

Without the fall of Adam and Eve, there would have been no atonement of Jesus Christ. And without the atonement of Christ, we would have had no hope for joy in this life or eternal life in the world to come. Eternal life entails more than being with God; it also includes being like Him. Our Father in Heaven will always be our Father and our God, but the central reason for the creation of this world, the fall of Adam and Eve, and the atonement of Jesus Christ is an invitation for us to become like Him as we help others do the same.
-- Daniel K. Judd, The Fortunate Fall: Understanding the Blessings and Burdens of Adversity

 

 

Edited by SilentOne
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On May 19, 2018 at 6:50 AM, jerome1232 said:

I've been slowly reading "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling". I've enjoyed it though it can get tedious here and there. So far it's really humanized Joseph Smith for me, and it's provided a good deal of historical context on events in church history for me. This is a book I will definitely be rereading in the future.

I've also just started reading "Understanding Temple Symbols through Scripture, History and Art". I've only just begun it, but it starts you off with a medieval painting and talks about all the symbolism in the painting to get you started and thus far I've found it enlightening, and I'm hoping it will allow me to better understand/think on temple rituals.

I'm hoping to hear of some other books you guys are reading or would recommend. What have these books done for you?

I was reading St. Francis DeSale's Introduction to the Devout Life, and I intend to pick it up again somewhat soon, probably after my current spiritual book! Right now I'm reading The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis.

Introduction focuses on practical applications, since through the book St. Francis is pretty much giving spiritual direction. He talks about things like prayer, friendship, and cultivating virtues such as humility and poverty of spirit. It's an old book, so I was able to find the PDF online (https://www.catholicspiritualdirection.org/devoutlife.pdf). It's very helpful for giving perspective and guidance to know what you could and should do to become holier. This is a rich read and is very much worthwhile, filled with direction like, "Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of Divine Light, and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love—nothing can so effectually purify the mind from its many ignorances, or the will from its perverse affections. It is as a healing water which causes the roots of our good desires to send forth fresh shoots, which washes away the soul’s imperfections, and allays the thirst of passion. But especially I commend earnest mental prayer to you, more particularly such as bears upon the Life and Passion of our Lord. If you contemplate Him frequently in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with Him, you will grow in His Likeness, and your actions will be moulded on His. He is the Light of the world; therefore in Him, by Him, and for Him we shall be enlightened and illuminated; He is the Tree of Life, beneath the shadow of which we must find rest;—He is the Living Fountain of Jacob’s well, wherein we may wash away every stain. Children learn to speak by hearing their mother talk, and stammering forth their childish sounds in imitation; and so if we cleave to the Savior in meditation, listening to His words, watching His actions and intentions, we shall learn in time, through His Grace, to speak, act and will like Himself."

Imitation is very good as well, focusing on developing your interior life, in perhaps more of the format of contemplation-oriented readings. This is an even older book, and I was able to find it online as well (http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF Books/Imitation-of-Christ.pdf)! It's littered with advice and lessons such as, "First keep peace with yourself; then you will be able to bring peace to others. A peaceful man does more good than a learned man. Whereas a passionate man turns even good to evil and is quick to believe evil, the peaceful man, being good himself, turns all things to good." There is a large section later in the book that has entries structured as small conversations between God and "The Disciple" (which I think is supposed to be the reader). 

I've also read Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality. It's a much lighter read, and is excellent for beginners to spiritual reading. Mother Angelica is encouraging and has a bit of a mischievous sense of humor. Each "lesson," for the most part, is a short paragraph with a heading, such as The Way to Heaven, which reads, "You must laugh your way to heaven, because tears won't get you there," Loving God, which says, "Since a stroke in 2001, Mother has been fairly quiet, speaking only when she has to. On March 22, 2006, one of the sisters asked Mother for a bit of wisdom. Without hesitating she said: He who loves God loves everybody. He who hates God hates everybody," and Perfectionism, which says, "For souls plagued by perfectionism, who fret and anguish over tiny details, Mother offered a sage bit of advice. I can't tell you how often she directed this line to yours truly: Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." This one's only from a little over a decade ago! (https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Angelicas-Lessons-Everyday-Spirituality/dp/0385519850) This was probably the first real spiritual book I ever read, and my relationship with and understanding of God progressed nearly radically during it. She introduces especially the beginner to concepts and realities that they haven't necessarily encountered or thought about.

I don't know if it completely counts as a spiritual book, but I've also being trying to read through the Catechism. But I keep forgetting. :( That needs to be one of my goals for this summer!

 

 

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I’m currently reading Apostasy  and Restoration, which was the Meschizedek Priesthood manual around 1960. 

It’s not particularly scholarly, but gives a good overview of the apostasy period.  I am going to use the references to further study the era. 

Edited by mrmarklin
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