Monday, June 24, 2013

LDS Book Review: Suit Up by John Bytheway, et.al.


ABOUT THE BOOK

The Lord needs more missionaries and He needs better prepared missionaries. He needs YOU!
From the bestselling authors that brought you Armor Up! this unique little book is intended to help teens get ready for all they will encounter as they embark on the unique adventure of missionary work. There has never been a more exciting time to be alive—and there has never been a more exciting time to be a missionary.

In Suit Up, several of your favorite youth speakers share lessons about preparing for a mission based on the scriptural advice contained in Doctrine and Covenants 4. If you're thinking about a mission, if you've already started preparing, or if you've got your call, you'll benefit from the messages and advice in Suit Up.
Contents
  • “The Lord’s Marvelous Work” by Hank Smith
  • “Give it Everything You’ve Got” by John Bytheway
  • “I’ll Be What You Want Me to Be” by Jennifer Platt
  • “Thrusting in our Sickle” by Brad Wilcox
  • “The Essential Credentials” by Anthony Sweat
  • “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” by Laurel Christensen
  • “Ask and Ye Shall Receive” by John Hilton III
Filled with quotable quotes, it’s the perfect book for those who are ready to Suit Up!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

John Bytheway is a bestselling author, favorite speaker, and part-time instructor at Brigham Young University. His many titles include Heroes: Lessons from the Book of Mormon; Standards Night Live; Isaiah for Airheads; A Crash Course in Teenage Survival; Behind Every Good Man and his most recent book, Of Pigs, Pearls & Prodigals. He has also created numerous talks on CD, many of which are combined in The John Bytheway Collection, Vols. 1 and 2.

John served a mission to the Philippines and holds a master’s degree in Religious Education. He and his wife, Kimberly, have six children.


For more information visit John Bytheway’s Fan Page on Facebook. 

Laurel Christensen, a runner, a Jane Austen devotee, and a sought-after speaker, grew up in California, Kentucky, and Missouri. After serving in the California Riverside Mission, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and later received a master’s degree. She has spent most of her career at Deseret Book Company, where she is currently Vice President of Product Development. Laurel is a favorite speaker at both Time Out for Women and Time Out for Girls, and she has published several talk CDs and books for young women.

John Hilton III was born in San Francisco and grew up in Seattle. He served a mission in Denver, and got a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. Along the way he met his wife Lani and they have five children. They have lived in Boise, Boston, Mexico and Miami. Currently, they live in Utah. John has a Masters degree from Harvard and a Ph.D from BYU, both in Education, and currently is an Assistant Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. He has also written several books with Deseret Book. Besides being with his family, his favorite hobbies are learning Chinese and doing humanitarian work. For more information visit www.johnhiltoniii.com
 
Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt is currently an assistant visiting faculty member at Brigham Young University and a recent addition to Deseret Book’s Time Out for Women events. A former seminary and institute instructor, she earned a PhD from Arizona State University in lifespan developmental psychology, focusing on women and social issues. She is married to Jed Platt, and the couple lives in Provo, Utah.

Hank Smith teaching in the Religious Education Department at BYU and is a favorite speaker for Especially for Youth, Best of Especially for Youth, and BYU Education Week. Hank and his wife, Sara, were both born and raised in St. George, Utah. They are the parents of one daughter and two sons. Brother Smith enjoys running marathons and eating lots and lots of ice cream (which is why he runs marathons). More than anything else, he loves being at home spending all day with his wife and children.

For more information visit Hank Smith’s Fan Page on Facebook. 

Anthony Sweat has PhD in education from Utah State University. He is a full-time religious educator for the LDS Church, and also a speaker at Especially For Youth and Education Week conferences. He is currently the seminary principal at Brighton High Seminary in Salt Lake City, Utah. Anthony is the author of the best-selling Deseret Book publication Mormons: An Open Book and the co-author of the best-selling Why?: Powerful Answers and Practical Reasons for Living LDS Standards. He and his wife Cindy are the parents of six children. Visit www.anthonysweat.com for more information.

Brad Wilcox is an associate professor in the department of Teacher Education at Brigham Young University, where he also works with programs such as Especially for Youth and Campus Education Week. As a young man, he served his mission in Chile, and he was later called back to that country to preside over the Chile Santiago East Mission from 2003 to 2006. He currently serves as a member of the Sunday School general board.


Brad is the author of the bestselling book The Continuous Atonement and the BYU devotional “His Grace Is Sufficient.” He and his wife, Debi, are the parents of four children and grandparents of three.


REVIEW

What a wonderful resource for LDS youth preparing for a mission!  This book contains seven short articles based on section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of scripture in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also known as the LDS or Mormon church).  With the recent announcement allowing youth to go on missions at 18 (young men) and 19 (young women) respectively, preparation is more important than ever.  Each article provides straightforward counsel about how to prepare to become a servant of the Lord. While it is directed specifically at young people becoming missionaries it also applies beautifully to all who want to serve the Lord.  The book covers topics such as hard work, using the Book of Mormon as a vital tool in the conversion process, acting on righteous desires, and developing faith, hope, and charity.  Each article also includes a QR code that takes the reader to short videos demonstrating the topics being discussed as well as brief discussions held by the authors with young people preparing to go on missions. Very informative and helpful, I highly recommend this book for both young people preparing to go on a mission and their parents/leaders.  There is also much here of benefit to anyone who wants to become a better servant of the Lord.


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