A Prophet's Voice; Inspiring Quotes from Spencer W. Kimball

Reviewed by Noelle Jensen, LDSFiles.com Staff Writer

A Prophet's Voice; Inspiring Quotes from Spencer W. Kimball

Retail Price: $13.95 Available here

Spencer W. Kimball was the prophet of my childhood, so to be able to sit and
read of his words as an adult has been an especially delightful experience.
The book begins with a compilation of the major events that occured in
President Kimball's life that shaped him into the amazing prophet of God he
truly was. I was especially touched by the response he had when he received
the call to be an Apostle for the Lord Jesus Christ. "On July 8, 1943,
Spencer arrived home for lunch as the phone rang. The voice of President J.
Reuben Clark, Jr., crackled across the phone lines. 'Spencer, do you have
chair handy? The Brethren have just chosen you to fill one of the vacancies
in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.' Spencer protested that it couldn't
be-that there must be some mistake-as he slid to the floor. President Clark
reassured him. In an instant, every petty mistake, every misunderstanding,
every wounded feeling raced through his mind. Voices seemed to ask, How
could you be an Apostle? You're not worthy. You can't do it." With this
awesome task of being an Apostle of the Lord looming in front of him Spencer
went to the mountains and prayed for a confirmation from the Lord, he
received it and was granted that peace that so many of us search for as we
struggle with our own feelings of inadequacy. I found such comfort in the
fact that he, too, battled with feeling insufficient to fill a calling from
the Lord but, through it all, he was willing; and upon receiving that
confirmation he went forward with faith knowing the Lord would make up the
difference.

After the preliminary introduction into Spencer's life the book is broken
into subjects; all alphabetical starting with adversity and touching on such
subjects of love, hunting, character, wealth and so on. Each page contains
manna for the soul, bits and pieces of heavenly messages that are the
perfect complement to a lesson, talk, or short message. As you read the
quotes on the subjects that the Lord chose President Kimball to address, you
can feel his immense love for all the Lord's creations- from the tiny
sparrow to the mortality and frailties of man. He understood our
difficulties in overcoming the natural man but gave encouragement to each us
through the phrase "lengthening our stride." This entailed choosing to do
the Lord's will in all things whether great or small. To help achieve this
change of heart he gave this direction: "First we make ourselves humble. We
change our own lives; that is the beginning. We all want to change the
nation in a day. A nation is made up of individuals. We start and change our
own lives, then we help another life get the same ideals-and then there are
two lives." With this simple formula and the ever recognized "lengthen our
stride" mantra, we are able to make a larger impact for good than even we
can imagine. I would encourage every family to add this simple volume to
their library. It is an addition everyone will enjoy. As you peruse the
pages of President Kimball's quotes you will feel your testimony grow, "your
mind will be properly stirred and fed" and as you 'come listen to the
Prophet's voice, you will hear the Word of God.'

The Operative

Reviewed by Dayna Davis, LDSFiles.com Staff Writer

The Operative by Willard Boyd Gardner. Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.

Retail Price: $15.95 Available here

"Consumed with unbearable guilt, Kam Daniels, an ex-Seattle policeman, is unable to forget the horrific accident he is certain he could have prevented. Desperate to escape his anguish, he takes a job halfway across the world and leaves everything behind: his home, his career, and his beautiful, bewildered wife — CIA agent Rhiana Daniels.
When an undercover operative is kidnapped by a fanatical Arab faction in Yemen, Kam's knowledge of the language and culture prove to be invaluable, and he is recruited to help rescue the agent. However, the mission becomes even more complicated when he learns that one of the team members is his estranged wife.

Traveling with a research group sponsored by Brigham Young University, Kam and Rhiana attempt to navigate the obstacles that distance and time have placed between them, even as they confront dangerous militants determined to prevent the agent's rescue by any means necessary."

It is always interesting to me just how many different styles of fiction there are. About the time when I have started to think that romance is typical for LDS fiction - I read something like "The Operative" and am reminded that not all fiction is created equal.

"The Operative" is a very intense 'spy' book - to sum it up briefly. We start out with just a minimum of information about Kam Daniels, the main character, and we piece his profile together as we go. It is suspenseful, not at all predictable, and a truly unique book. This novel takes us to several different countries, like France and Yemen. I do have to say that it is the first novel that I have ever read that is located in part in Yemen, and I found it to be well researched and very interesting. Although it is not needed, I do hope there will be a second book to see what happens next in the main characters' lives.

Ghost of A Chance: A Nightshade Mystery

Reviewed by Dayna Davis, LDSFiles.com Staff Writer

Ghost of a Chance: A Nightshade Mystery by Kerry Blair. Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.

Retail Price: $15.95 Available here

Samantha Shade has been hired to find the ghost that is haunting the San Rafael Mission. However, Samantha is easily distracted by the murders that occur in the same location as the "alleged" ghost haunting and the handsome police detective, Thom, who is leading the investigation into the murders.

This author writes books in such a way that you truly identify with the characters. As Samantha is bemoaning her weight issues and reaching for a powdered donut at the same time, she becomes real. It always annoys me when characters are too perfect. Perfect characters can result in a good book, but real characters feel like their problems could be my problems. They become like a friend, and because I care about my friends - I want to see how things work out for them.

This book was a fast fun read. I am really hopeful that things will work out the way Samantha wants with Thom, and I'm very interested to see what will happen next.

Beyond The Horizon

Reviewed by Dayna Davis, LDSFiles.com Staff Writer

Beyond the Horizon by Judy C. Olsen. Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.

Retail Price: $15.95 Available here

This was a very interesting book that tells a significant story from the journals of six men - starting with Jed Madigan at the time of Joseph Smith, and continuing through his son, etc. Each son has a experience to share that has shaped their lives and the lives of their family and taught them to rely on promptings from the Lord.

I learned a lot about journals through this book, what is important to share, especially spiritual matters, and how valuable it can be to share these experiences with our posterity. Journals can help teach people who we are and what is important to each of us.