LDS BOOK REVIEW: Consider the Blessings by Thomas S. Monson

CONSIDER THE BLESSINGS:

True Accounts of God's Hand in Our Lives

by Thomas S. Monson

Deseret Book, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-60907-716-7

LDS Nonfiction

Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review.

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you ask people what they love most about President Thomas S. Monson’s teaching style, chances are they’ll say something about the personal experiences he relates. The accounts President Monson shares are always true, taken from his own life or the real lives of other people. Those warm, memorable accounts have truly become a hallmark of his messages.

Who can forget the woman who saved one of the two sticks of gum Elder Monson passed out to youth in postwar Germany? Or the neighbor who returned a box of baseballs to young Tommy as a thank-you for his kindness to her? Or the father who declined to attend a “Mormon” meeting with his family but had his heart softened by a message he heard on a radio that was actually broken?

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of his call as an Apostle, Consider the Blessings presents fifty of the true accounts President Thomas S. Monson has shared over the years. With beautiful photographs and heart-touching content, this is a book to treasure with the whole family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

President Thomas S. Monson was set apart as the sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. He had previously served for twenty-two years in the First Presidency of the Church, after having been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since October1963. Five years after his call to the Twelve, he was given a special assignment for the work of the Church in Europe, requiring many visits with members behind the Iron Curtain. He was instrumental in the construction of the Freiberg Germany Temple and in advancing the Lord’s work in other eastern European countries that were part of the communist bloc. He also served as chairman of the Scriptures Publication Committee and supervised the process that resulted in the new editions of the scriptures. His ministry has been characterized by his compassion for the needs of individuals and his gift for one-on-one service. President Monson and his wife, Frances, are the parents of three children, grandparents of eight, and great-grandparents of eight.

REVIEW

A beautifully designed book with gorgeous photographs and tender stories that touch the heart, Consider the Blessings is a book that I can heartily recommend.  The author is a man who well knows the meaning of the words 'love thy neighbor as thyself' and that shines through in the stories he tells.  Some of the stories involve him and some of them don't but they all relate to gospel principles.  There are stories of love, humility, forgiveness, kindness, and service as well as stories of Heavenly Father's love for his children expressed so often through the actions of others.  Truly a book that will lift your spirits and provide inspiration for those exhausting days where you just want to give up.