One More Strain of Praise by Neal A. Maxwell

7/10

Maxwell, he is a personal fave. I read this on the mish. The title of the book comes from a line in Hymn No. 156, "Sing We Now at Parting." Not only that, but all seven chapter titles are lines from that same hymn. Pretty cool idea for a book to take lines from a hymn and have each chapter's theme based on the particular line. At least I think so. I don't have much else to report other than it's fun to read Maxwell. His style is so unique and enjoyable.

Few quotes:

"[T]he larger and the more untamed one's ego, the greater the likelihood of his being offended"

"[O]ur shortcomings are too often caused by our short-sightedness"

"Mercy rejoices in every step taken toward righteousness. Mercy is not easily offended and will gladly give place for such first, faltering steps."

"[W]hile a person may not always be able to keep an impure thought from entering his mind, he needn't offer it a chair and invite it to sit down."

"Even the first tiny droplets of decision suggest a direction. Then the little inflecting rivulets come, merging into small brooks, and soon into larger streams; finally one is swept along by a vast river which finally flows into the 'gulf of misery and endless wo'."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee

7/10

This is a Priesthood/Relief Society manual that was produced pre-mission but which I read post-mission as I was trying to get caught up on all of the Presidents of the Church books. I really enjoy these manuals and love that the Church has been producing them.

The best part about these books is getting to know a little bit about these men who served before I was born. I would know basically nothing about President Lee if not for this book. I still don't know much but it's better than nothing.

Also, as I was looking over this book I noticed that all throughout the book I had underlined words that I didn't know the definition to and I had written the definition of the word in the margins. I don't remember doing that and this is probably the only book I have ever done that with, so I thought it deserved a shout out.

To the few selected quotes:

"The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you are having the most difficulty keeping today."

"Testimony is as elusive as a moonbeam; it's as fragile as an orchid; you have to recapture it every morning of your life. You have to hold on by study, and by faith, and by prayer."

"[I]f you want to know the last revelation that has come to this people, you get down the last conference report and read carefully especially what the First Presidency said."

"It is not the function of religion to answer all the questions about God's moral government of the universe, but to give one courage, through faith, to go on in the face of questions he never finds the answer to in his present status."

Twelfth Night by Shakespeare

6/10

Here's another one of the few remaining Shakespeare plays that I had read before I took on the Complete Works, but which I had not posted about on the blog. According to my rankings, this is my 22nd favorite out of his 37 plays. Middle of the road Shakespeare in my opinion. Not bad for a comedy play. It invokes Shakespeare's go-to routine of having a girl dress as a boy which I picture as being about as hilarious as it gets back in the day. I liked this play overall though. It had a nice little plot and the characters were interesting.

Quotes:

Fool: "Good madonna, why mourn'st thou?"
Olivia: "Good fool, for my brother's death."
Fool: "I think his soul is in hell, madonna."
Olivia: "I know his soul is in heaven, fool."
Fool: "The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen."

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better."

"In nature there's no blemish but the mind;
None can be called deformed but the unkind."

Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt

9/10

I have wanted to read this book for years. Years. I finally did so and finished it earlier this week. I had high expectations going in and they were met and then some. I really loved reading this book. Especially the first 200 pages. Extremely fascinating. And very well written too, coming from a guy who authored many books, poems and hymns. He knew how to use the pen.

Parley said, "Should the author be called to sacrifice his life for the cause of truth, yet he will have the consolation that it will be said of him as it was said of Abel:...'He, being dead, yet speaketh.'" And that is what is cool about this book. A man who dedicated his life to the gospel and the preaching of it continues to testify of it through this book.

He was an amazing missionary full of faith and the power of the priesthood. He had total and complete confidence in his priesthood power and authority. I wish I would have read this book before or during my mission. It would have helped me see how a missionary should be.

I could talk more about this amazing book and amazing disciple, but I'll leave it there. Also, I could share many a quote from this book, but will only share this long one which is also the most famous story from the book:

     "In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if in sleep till the hour of midnight had passed, and our ears and hearts had been pained, while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies and filthy language of our guards, Colonel Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery etc., which they had committed among the "Mormons" while at Far West and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force wives, daughters and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women and children.
     "I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards; but had said nothing to Jospeh, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:
     "SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and bear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!"
     "He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon; calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowered or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.
     "I have seen the ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended on a breath, in the Courts of England; I have witnessed a Congress in solemn session to give laws to nations; I have tried to conceive of kings, or royal courts, of thrones and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms; but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight, in a dungeon in an obscure village of Missouri."

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

6/10

I read this about nine years ago. It is very short and an interesting look into the heart and mind of C.S. Lewis. This book was written shortly after the death of his wife. It is basically his thoughts and the struggles he faced in dealing with this loss. It is very honest and it is always interesting to get into the mind of C.S. Lewis.

I didn't quite enjoy it as much as some of his better stuff, but that's probably because the topic "Grief" is not really supposed to be all that enjoyable. But like I said, it is interesting and short (only 89 pages not counting the Afterword) and so I would recommend others to give it a look.

There are several quotes I could share, but I chose to only post this one:

"If I had really cared, as I thought I did, about the sorrows of the world, I should not have been so overwhelmed when my own sorrow came."

The Third Thousand Years by W. Cleon Skousen

6/10

This is the second book in Skousen's Old Testament trilogy. I read this one about ten years ago-ish. I think. I still haven't finished "The Fourth Thousand Years," the final book. Very reminiscent of my actual Old Testament reading where I can get through much of it with relative ease and then I get to Ezekiel and stay there for the next ten years. Fun fact: There are three different book series that I haven't finished. I haven't finished the Ender series (I've read seven of the however many there are now). Haven't finished the C.S. Lewis science fiction trilogy (I've read two of the three). Haven't finished this one. Maybe that's why I haven't picked up Harry Potter yet, I need to knock these ones out first. Or I just suck at reading series.

Anyway, much like "The First 2,000 Years," this book was enjoyable. Provides good and interesting insight into the Old Testament. It covers from Abraham to Samuel and Saul. Lots of cool stuff during this period.

Quotes:

"Not only was it a desperate and challenging time for men to endure, but also for God to govern."

"God doesn't change, but circumstances do, and God's commandments will vary accordingly."

"Except Jesus Christ, there is more information concerning the prophet Moses and the works of his hands than any other personality in the Bible."

"[W]e have learned from experience that periods of apostasy do not usually produce good historians."

Revelations of the Restoration by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Craig J. Ostler

10/10

I love, love this book. It is a 1,000-plus page book that I read on my mission. It should also be noted that I bought it on sale for extremely less than the original price. It was like a $50 dollar book that I got for $15. You may not believe it, but it's true. Anyway, this book is so great. This is one of the few books that seems to be on my night stand more than it is on my bookshelf due to constantly looking things up for personal study/Sunday School lessons.

A sticker on the front cover of the book that has remained on my cover for 10-plus years says that it is "THE MOST Comprehensive Single-Volume Resource on the D&C" which I accept as a true statement. I haven't read other D&C resource books, but I do know that this one is very in depth and amazing, providing incredible background to each revelation. Although, I must point out that it is more than a D&C resource book. As the title of the book suggests, it is about the revelations of the restoration, not just the revelations contained in the D&C. So, in addition to discussing all 138 sections of the D&C, the book also discusses the Joseph Smith History, Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith Translations of the Bible, Lectures on Faith, the Wentworth Letter and the Articles of Faith, The King Follett Discourse, and the Official Declarations of the Church.

It is all so very good. I enjoyed when they would make statements about certain sections, such as:
- About Section 19: "This section ranks among the most instructive of our doctrinal revelations."
- About Section 76: "Doctrine and Covenants 76 stands unrivaled as the greatest revelation of our dispensation."
- About Section 93: "Section 93 is one of the greatest doctrinal revelations given in this dispensation."
- About Section 110: "This revelation...records some of the most significant events of this dispensation, indeed, of the history of the earth"

I would for sure recommend this book as a book to read alongside a study of the D&C and Pearl of Great Price.

Some good quotes about revelation:

"[R]evelation is the arch enemy of false religion. Nothing so threatens the prince of darkness as the light of heaven. Continuous revelation is as important to true religion as breath is to life or constant nourishment is to the body."

"Just as we cannot with consistency say we love the Father while rejecting the Son, neither can we profess to love the Son while rejecting those whom he has sent in his name to do his bidding. To accept his servants is to accept him, to reject them is to reject him."

"The Lord has never had a people he acknowledged as his own to whom he would not speak. Revelation is the sure sign of the true Church; it is the foundation upon which the kingdom of God must rest."

And then one of my favorites: "When Joseph walked away from the grove of trees near his home, he knew more about the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, than any other living soul."