Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter

9/10

I finished reading this a little more than a week ago. I actually finished it the day after I finished the Hinckley book. I read every chapter in this book prior to the week's lesson at Church all year until the final lesson when we were out of town during the Christmas season. So for a few years this book remained unread by me because of the final chapter. It was one of my favorite Teachings of Presidents of the Church books, probably because reading the chapters prior to the lessons made the lessons much better.

I don't remember much of President Hunter during my life. He seemed like a humble, unassuming guy who was a pure follower of Christ. One of my favorite examples of this is from Neal A. Maxwell: "President Howard W. Hunter is a meek man.... This is the same lowly man, when I awakened after a weary and dusty day together with him on assignment in Egypt, who was quietly shining my shoes, a task he had hoped to complete unseen." It was nice reading this book and learning more about his life.

Quotes:

"The meek shall inherit the earth, a pretty impressive corporate takeover - and done without intimidation!"

"Please remember this one thing. If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can be permanently right."

"Whatever your burden is, you will find the strength you need in Christ. Jesus Christ is Alpha and Omega, literally the beginning and the end. He is with us from start to finish, and as such is more than a spectator in our lives."

"Christ knows the full weight of our sins, for he carried it first."

"Our detours and disappointments are the straight and narrow path to Him."

"If prayer is only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our emergencies. We should remember the Most High day and night - always - not only at times when all other assistance has failed and we desperately need help. If there is any element in human life on which we have a record of miraculous success and inestimable worth to the human soul, it is prayerful, reverential, devout communication with our Heavenly Father."

"There is within each of us a giant struggling with celestial homesickness."