In the Non-Fiction Corner With Lauren
Because of Martin Luther King Day this week, we were learning at school about famous speeches. Ones that changed the way people thought and changed the world. I love that Lloyd Newell and Mary Jane Woodger have come out with a book that discusses the greatest and most life-changing speech of all time, The Sermon on the Mount. In this book, they talk about each one of the Beatitudes individually, each with its own chapter. In the introduction, they mention that the first four Beatitudes deal with your personal righteousness, and the last four deal with how you treat others, which I loved. Then, they explain the virtue using personal stories, other scriptural examples, as well as quotes from Latter-day apostles and prophets. At the end of every chapter, they have a list of scriptures that are related to the Beatitude and real-life things that you can do today to more fully live what the Savior was trying to teach. I absolutely loved looking closer at each one of the Beatitudes and learning from many different sources what the Savior's words mean to them. It’s not very often when I read a book that I text 10 friends the things that I am learning, but this book makes you think deeper about ideas that you have heard your entire life. My favorite chapter was one about “hungering and thirsting after righteousness.” They compare wanting this righteousness to being so hungry and thirsty that you don’t want anything else in the world. The hunger is so consuming that it is all you can think about. Then the author poses the question, “What do you want more than anything, in this life and the next?” Of course, for most of us, the answer is to be happy and to be with our Heavenly Father. Newell explains that this is exactly what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness, that we are hungry and thirsty for the Lord. Just like its usually poverty that leads to hunger, it is spiritual poverty that leads to the absolute need for nourishment that only the Savior can give. The chapter continues with quotes from Russell M. Nelson and Jeffrey R Holland, with even more incredible insights, and ends with a charge to not give up and be humble in your search for the Savior.
I cannot say enough good about this book. The authors have done so much research, and it is the perfect study guide to the words of the Savior as we study the New Testament this year. We can never know the Sermon on the Mount well enough, but this book is a really great start.
You can get your copy here
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Here is the back copy:
As Jesus Christ prepared His faithful followers to teach the doctrine of the gospel, He presented perhaps His best-known discourse: the Sermon on the Mount. This profound address is directed to all those who seek to be His disciples, with powerful instruction as to the personal conduct necessary for living a Christ-centered life. And at the heart of this sermon are the Beatitudes, guidelines of the character traits and holy attributes that can serve as a guide for developing disciples. But how can these attributes be interpreted and attained in today’s modern world? In Blessed: The Beatitudes and the Christlike Life, best-selling authors Lloyd D. Newell and Mary Jane Woodger delve into each characteristic the Savior spoke of, providing powerful, real-life examples, scriptures, and prophetic insights detailing ways in which modern-day disciples of Christ can cultivate these eternal attributes. Those seeking the path of discipleship will find in this volume a thoughtful and inspiring guide to internalizing the timeless truths of the Beatitudes in our day.
Here's the blog tour schedule:
*Jan. 21st: http://mybookaday.com/
*Jan. 22nd: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/, https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/
*Jan. 23rd: http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/
*Jan. 24th: https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/
*Jan. 25th: https://brightlystreet.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/
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