Increase in Learning

From the Book Description:

The overarching purpose of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness is to provide His spirit children with opportunities to learn,” writes Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But how can we best learn the things we need to know and do?

Elder Bednar emphasizes concepts, patterns, and processes that invite each of us to act and learn fundamental truths for ourselves. Declaring that answers to our questions always are found in the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel, he provides a framework in this book for learning those doctrines and understanding with our hearts.

 

 

My Thoughts:This was a bit of a let down. It is divided into 4 chapters with Elder Bednar introducing the idea and then talking just a bit on the subject. He then would add a lot of scriptures about the chapter. This was followed by copies of Talks he has given that support the subject of the chapter.
At first I felt annoyed that I had spent the money on a book that included so much already published items, but in going through it found this to be helpful since it made me read it. If the talks had just been referred to I would not have ever looked them all up.
The best part of the book was the accompany DVD of Elder Bednar and his wife talking with several groups of people. I have watched and re watched this several times.

Sermons in a Sentence.

From the Book description:Quotations from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, with brief commentary.

My Thoughts: This little book is full of ideas and stuff to think about.
Basically it takes a word or group of words form the scriptures and Bro Bytheway gives a small page of insight.
While it did not have the stories that make Bytheway so himself, it does contain one liners and other thoughts that you know are defiantly him.
I enjoyed this book and made several marks in it to transfer to my scriptures as well as my book of thoughts.
I must and very easy read

The Paladin Prophecy

From the books description:

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and is being followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

 

 

MY THOUGHTS:I enjoyed this book. It took me a bit to get into the ideas behind it and put aside my constant "Yeah, that is really convenient" as certain things as they happened.
But when all is said and done I enjoyed just as much as some of the comic book hero movies I watch.
The main problem I still have with this book is one that happens in a lot of Youth fiction, that of how stupid the writer makes the adults in the story.
I find it hard to believe that a group of 15 year olds are so much smarter and more cunning than adults, even the evil minded adults, but at the end of the book I became ok with it. Wish the author would have made at least one adult be able to see what was going on and help, or not.
How a new kid at a school can within days root out a evil that has been there for years and not one other adult or student has a clue, even the adults that are suppose to be on the kids side. Oh well, suspend the area of disbelief just a bit more than I usually do and I am ok
All in all I will move on to book 2 with happy smile on my face.

Lifestyles of the Great and Spacious

Really enjoyed this book. The author, with his wit and special type of story telling, takes the reader into Lehi's Dream to help make sense of what it might mean for you.

A lot of the time is spent on the Large and Spacious building (hence the title) but that is probably where it needs the most discussion.
A must read for any Book of Mormon reader wanting a bit more.

Treasure Island

Considering that I never read this until I was 57 years old...what a treat!
This is the basis for so many of our accepted ideas on what a pirate is and how they should act.
Also the perfect picture of the anti villain.
Loved this book.
So many accepted pirate stereo types started here.
There is a reason that great characters and their stories last through the generations and more.
This is one of those classic books.

Man of La Mancha

I love this play and re-reading the words every few years is great. There is so much power and deep meaning in some of Don Quixote monologues is just as meaningful today maybe in some ways more meaningful than back in 1965 when the play first was shown.
This play is Miguel Cervantes' classic novel "Don Quixote" that was written over 300 years ago. " The story of a poor country squire who loves to read about the days of chivalry, knight-errants doing battle on behalf of their 'lady fair' and the evil they face. This takes the highlights of Cervantes' story and brings it to life in a musical. The only thing missing here is the actual music itself, but all the  lyrics and on-stage dialogue is present.

This was made into a movie but this book follows the play not the movie script which differs slightly.
A must read if you enjoyed the play.
Don't know how many people enjoy reading plays but to me it is a sweet experience, especially with one so full of beauty a this one.