Other Random Books

Kelly, I'm not ignoring your comment--I'll find the info and post it for you tonight.

Right now, though, I want to sum up my thoughts on Henry B. Eyring's book To Draw Closer to God. There, I reposted the title for all you lazies who didn't want to hunt through old posts.

This book is amazing. I highly recommend. Here are some more of my favorite thoughts.

"The good works that really matter require the help of heaven" pg. 95.

"But the actions Alma commends to us are to ask for what we need and to return thanks. Please don't think of that as a routine command to say your prayers. Oh, it is much more than that. If you pray, if you talk to God, if you plead for the help you need, and if you thank him not only for the help but for the patience and gentleness that comes from not receiving all you desire right away--or perhaps ever--I promise you that you will draw closer to him" pg. 97.

"To God, we are all infants." I'm not sure why that gives me such a sense of calm and peace. Maybe because I don't expect my infants to do more than they are developmentally able, so this thought reassures me that I won't be judged based on anything but what I am capable of today.

"God's gifts are sufficient to help us overcome every sin and weakness if we will but turn to Him for help," President Benson, quoted by PE.

"Instead of thinking of yourself primarily as someone who is seeking purification, think of yourself as someone who is trying to find out who around you needs your help. Pray that way and then reach out. When you act under such inspiration, it will have a sanctifying effect on you" pg. 110.

There was one story that really touched me. PE was talking about his father, the famed Henry Eyring, and described the incredible pain H.E. was in during his last few months of cancer. One family member was assigned to sit with H.E. during the nights to offer whatever comfort he or she could. However, one night, for some reason, there was a space of time where nobody was in the room. H.E. managed to push himself out of bed and onto his knees (which must have caused him severe pain), and prayed. "He pled with God to know why he was suffering so. And the next morning he said, with quiet firmness, 'I know why now. God needs brave sons.'"

I think, when I read this story, that God needs brave daughters as well. I feel such a strong confirmation of this idea, but I'm a little scared about the ways we might be asked to be brave. Forgiving ourselves for our shortcomings as mothers and staying another day instead of leaving? It doesn't do to dwell on it. What does matter is that we try our best to be brave.

PE wrote a whole section on being less selfish that I also found very bracing. "Of all the times I have felt the promptings of the Spirit, they have come most forcefully and most surely when I was asking Heavenly Father what he would have do for someone whom I love and who I knew had a need" pg. 124.

Mormon 1:8, "And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren . . .." Same idea. Less selfishness, more unselfishness.

"Forget yourself and go to work." Take a minute and apply that to motherhood. It seems like everything we do is unselfish, but is our attitude one of selflessness or selishness? It makes all the difference in our happiness level, I think.

"You will testify to them, as I now testify to you, that the effect of sincere prayer and of careful scripture study is to always feel an urging to do things" pg. 151. Kami and I have talked about the value of guilt in helping you want to do more--be better. However, I don't think the urge to do something is equivalent to the heavy guilt of where we've gone wrong.

"Because our Father loves his children, he will not leave us to guess about what matters most in this life concerning where our attention could bring happiness or our indifference bring sadness" pg. 157.

"We may have to pray with faith to know what we are to do and we must pray with determination to obey, but we can know what to do, and be sure that the way has been prepared for us by the Lord" pg. 159.

"What could make it more likely that people in a family would love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and obey the law? It is not simply teaching them the gospel. It is in their hearing the word of God and then trying it in faith" pg. 169. This made me think that we need to issue more challenges to our children so they can test the word.

And that's it. There were a lot more that I wrote down for me, but those were my favorite. Let's review. This year, Andrea is trying to develop a closer relationship with her Heavenly Father because President Uchtdorf reminded her that loving God and others are the two most important commandments. President Uchtdorf also claimed that those who develop a stronger/better/closer relationship with Heavenly Father will feel more love and that love will spread out around them and they will develop more loving relationships with others. In his book, President Eyring reminded Andrea that God has plenty of wimps, he needs a brave daughter who doesn't feel self-pity in her chosen vocation of motherhood, but rather feels joy and peace in her calling. Andrea should remember that calling on the Lord with confidence has power and that she can overcome any failing, even her temper, with the help of the Lord if she REALLY BELIEVES that Heavenly Father can help her do it. Andrea also needs to remember to be more aware of promptings of the Spirit and to pray for direction for herself and her family. She also needs to remember to ease up a little on herself and remember that, "To God, we are all infants."

Anything stick out to you?