The Law of Sarah: A Look Into the Celestial Doctrine of Plural Marriage

 Marriage, relationships, and laws are topics that are discussed all the time, especially in this social/political climate. Often they can cause a lot of strife and tension between communicating parties. Many do not see eye to eye as others people, for good or bad. 

This book is an informative piece on how the Law of Sarah, also known as "plural marriage" or polygamy, is supposed to be done under the Laws of God. Here evidences are given using scripture, General Conference talks, Journal of Discourses, as well as life stories from non-apostolic persons who followed this Law. 

There are many things about polygamy/plural marriage that I didn't understand before I'd read the book. The misconception that it was only for passive women and overbearing, lusty husbands who wanted a haram is often what people instantly assume is wrong. Under God's Law, that is not how it is supposed to be.  It also lists out very plainly the qualifications, accountabilities, responsibilities, and social and economical benefits of living this law. 

The biggest and most comforting things I've found is that it is a Calling from the Prophet. Not everyone will be called to do it, and those who are will be asked by the Spokesmen of God. It's not just something a couple can decide and do on their own, whether or not the husband is pushy toward it. I also like the idea that is brought up that if someone would be gungho to jump into this (lusty idea in tow), that they wouldn't be asked. They would obviously need to work on their own self before adding in another member to their family in such a way. 

I also liked the emphasis on how much God loves His children, His daughters specifically. That potentially do to a lack of worthy men who wouldn't be able to take their wife to the Celestial Kingdom, women are given another choice. Instead of settling with a lowlife or abuser (whom I've seen my fair share of recently), they could join in a family to someone who has already proven themselves to be a good Father, Husband, and Priesthood Holder. When looking for a spouse to claim for eternity, the women "will take a terrible chance" on the man they marry (President Gordon B. Hinkley, April 1998). But in a society that accepts plural marriage, the chances are far less terrible. 

Another part I find comforting is in "The Benefits of Living the Law of Sarah," and how it focuses mostly on the benefits for women. It's important for all sides of this relationship to know what they are getting into, and to see that there are multiple benefits for the ladies involved is comforting. The ones that are listed here are: Personal Liberties, Mental Health, Emotional Strength, Physical Wellbeing, and Spiritual Development. Being a stay at home mom can be rather isolating. Bombarded by homework and tears, or absolute silence for many hours where all I want to do is go back to bed can be exhausting (mentally and physically). But to have someone else around, who is my friend--because who else would I have join in my family for eternity--that I can talk to whenever I want, someone to help with things around the house or who can watch the kids while I go to work or vice versa. The comradery, friendship, and assistance one could get in a world that expects so much out of the "mom"--which honestly no one can live up to that expectation--would be elevating and comforting. 

Plural marriage is an interesting topic that ends up getting people really fired up. Many dislike it, from what I've seen, because of thoughts of potential disloyalty or favoritism. They are valid concerns and come with any relationship, marriage or otherwise. But when all parties put God first, remember always the covenants they made to their spouse and to God, and communicate often and openly with one another in counsels things will work. 

God places laws to help us stay safe, so we can come back to Him, and to help us be happy. This is a Celestial Law, marriage is a Celestial Law, and He wouldn't give us commandments or laws if they weren't for our eternal good. 

Revelations in Context

A book in the published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Revelations in Context gives background stories and circumstances behind the Sections, or chapters, in the book Doctrine and Covenants.

There are many wonderful, insightful, and helpful sections and scripture verses in the D&C. It explains many doctrines that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want and need in the Church to help it function. This book give context to those revelations and more background to the people they were given to.

Each specific chapter in this book is written by a different person. Individual historians have studied and produced a simplified explanation behind what was going on at the time these revelations were given. They've dung into historical record and letters to get the true stories behind the questions asked. In each section heading of the D&C, we are given a brief explanation as to what is going on, this gives a much deeper, yet still simple, understanding of the circumstances the early Saints and pioneers faced.

I think it is a good reminder that Revelation comes step by step, little by little, here and there as we ask for it and as God deems us ready for it. There are times when people aren't ready for the changes that need to be made, so time is taken, challenges and trials are given, so then people may be ready. Some changes may seem stark and abrupt, other changes we might see if we are attuned and diligently study the works and scriptures and doctrines we are given.

It is an intersting read and if you're wanting to dig into history a bit, read on.

Bloodline

This has been the first time in a long time that I've read anything by Covenant Publishing. It is an publishing company associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is a publishing company that focuses on producing clean, engaging stories that are pretty much PG-13. It keep profanity, bedroom scenes, and gore to non-existent which can be nice when readers are wanting simple clean stories.

Bloodlines is about a girl named Skye who, upon arriving home from her flight attendant job--where she got saved by an attractive Scotsman from nearly getting run over, finds that her aunt has gone missing. She receives mysterious notes, emails, and calls to go to a safety deposit box and find the "other two missing pages" otherwise her aunt is going to die. She's gets to the deposit box and finds this ancient piece of paper with Old Latin words that she can't decipher. Over the course of the next hour she gets guns pointed at her, is practically kidnapped herself, and is saved again and again by this Scotsman who often appears out of no where. Upon getting help from an elderly professor, the Scotsman, Professor, and Skye head to France to find one of the "other pages" to help save her aunt. Why are so many people after her? They are all from different organization, so why do they want her? Can she trust this Scotsman who obviously isn't telling the truth to many things and knows more than he's telling? What does she have to do with Robert the Bruce and a King from France?

There were a few things I things that I rather enjoyed about this story. The plot, for the most part, was pretty good. It moved quickly and I did want to see what was going to happen next. There were parts that were very predictable and others that were very dry, but it caught me enough that I continued reading.

I love the cover art. It is beautiful and very eye catching. Cover artist... *two thumbs up* Good job.

I did have some problems with this story though, so much so that my husband told me that all I did was complain and I should pick up a new book. The writing style had much to be desired. I felt like it was something I could have done in high school. It was extremely telling and very little showing. I often felt like I in the story, just watching it from a foggy distance. I mean, we are in Paris and traveling through castles in Scotland! There is so much mood that can be developed here. Skye and Jack's feelings could have bloomed more/less depending on where they were at by using the setting as a trigger, but it wasn't. Just the fact that they were walking through cathedrals and tombs and we got so little descriptions. They could have been floating through space for as much description was given with an occasional table or buttress that was flying around (Pun intended). Ms. Peterson missed a lot of opportunities to really develop the story.

I also had a really hard time with Skye in general. For a good 3/4 of the story her internal monologue was how she doesn't know if she can trust Jack for falling for his dreamy eyes. She couldn't make up her mind, like a pubescent teenager. So intense and so angry, but then she'd turn around and check out his jaw or eyes or something that it gave me a bit of whiplash. Jack almost seemed like a MarySue  where he was good at pretty much everything or knew everyone and was still the kind, compassionate, hot hunk of man meat. I don't know, there didn't seem to be much to him aside from the MarySue skills he could provide. The romance that was supposed to be blooming between them didn't strike me at all. It seemed like Ms. Peterson tried too hard to get them to work, but there was no real chemistry. Like a Florence Nightingale affect because he saved her over and over again. It was rather obnoxious.

For being a historical suspense I was rather upset that there wasn't more flashbacks to history, which is what the cover kind of told me would happen. Instead there was a lot of historical info-dump. It was bad. Important information to the story, but it was dry. I was very disappointed.

The ending was kind of a let down for me too. Not by much, but I still wanted more. She wrapped it up very quickly when I feel like a epilogue wold have been helpful because we don't know what would really happen after. There was a maybe we could do something, but *shrugs* who really knows? I'd like to have a confirmed "this is what happens."

Ugh, I don't know. I don't think I'd read this again. I don't even know if I'd read anything else Ms Peterson is writing. It's just really strange to me that she has written more books, that this isn't her debut novel because that's what this definitely feels like.

The Book of Mormon

I would feel very ungrateful if I didn't write a review about the book I just finished.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Book of Mormon is a "keystone of our religion" (Ezra Taft Benson). Many people will see the LDS/Mormon missionaries giving out free books and trying to discuss our beliefs with all those whom they see. We want to share the Gospel, the "good news," and this book is one of the best ways to share the Truth.

In the last few General Conferences that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints holds twice a year, we have been urged to reread the The Book of Mormon. I took up that challenge after the October General Conference this year and challenged myself to finish it before the end of the year. Well, today is the 31st of December and I finished it. It has lead to great discoveries about myself and the world in which we all live.

There will be many who will say that The Book of Mormon is false but I know it to be true. I know it.

The Book of Mormon, for those who are unaware, is the story of a few families (one in particular) that traveled from Jerusalem to the Americas six hundred years before Christ. It tells of their family feuds which leads to wars and later the destruction of one of the sides of the family. But more importantly it tells of Jesus Christ's visit to the people after he died in Jerusalem, how he healed and blessed the people who had gathered at the temple after the great destruction that had occurred with his passing. It is, as it says, "another testament of Jesus Christ." And it is truth.

Through this challenge to myself, I have grown in appreciation for Mormon, the man who compiled 1000 years of Nephite history to make this book. I am a lover of history and to know that I have that in common with a Prophet of the Lord brings me joy. He put so much time and effort into compiling this for us, today, so then we can be prepared for what is to come in the future. He had a great heart which was full of great joy and sorrow as he watched his people decay  and let anger and hatred fill their hearts. While he isn't the only great prophet in The Book of Mormon, he is one of my favorites.

If you like reading about wars and secret societies, read this book.

If you like reading about families, read this book.

If you seeking Truth (with a capital T), read this book.

If you want peace, read this book.

If you want to be prepared for the travesties that are to come, read this book.

Don't get stuck in 2 Nephi. Persevere and actually try to understand what Nephi is quoting (from Isaiah). Read of Captain Moroni and the battles he fought. Read of Abinadi and the brother of Jared and their faith in Christ. Read of Alma and Amulek and their devastating trials with the people of Ammonihah. There are so many stories that are relevant to today and the world we live in.  Read this book.

I know that this is Truth; I testify that it is. Pay particular attention to Moroni 10: 3-4 when you get to the end and follow his counsel there. You will not regret it.

Way of Kings

Brandon Sanderson is probably my favorite author.  There are very few authors that I tell my friends and patrons, at the library I work at, that they need read. While fantasy isn't everyone's cup of tea, which I understand, Sanderson takes a lot of elements from other genres and makes masterpieces. The Way of Kings is probably the best example of this.

If you're not up to reading a thick book, I'd suggest finding another one of Sanderson's books to read. The Way of Kings is a little over 1200 pages long, with its sequel being even longer. You will get captivated and mesmerized by the world and characters Sanderson has created here.

The story revolves around four or five main characters, depending on how you want to define "main." Kalladin, a former soldier turned slave has found himself in the useful death row; he's a bridgeman for Lord Sadaes on the Shattered Plains. No one lasts long as bridgeman, but somehow he does. This windspren won't leave him alone; is he going crazy? Maybe. But everyone around him is dying, just like they have before, and he's the only one that stays alive.

Brightlord Dalinar, who in his younger years was a warlord and combined the surrounding Principalities into a great nation with his brother--who was assassinated six years previously, has suddenly become a philosopher of the older ways. Before warfare and soldiering wasn't the highest Calling you could have, the philosophies he's listening to speak of peace and unity. But this is not the way of his people; his fellow Brightlords and his sons watch him lose his mind especially now that he is having visions of the past? Of the Future? What are they? Can he still save his family, his name while still pursuing these strange ideals?

Shallan, a naive, little red head comes to the big city looking to be a ward to the heretic Jasnah--sister to the new king and niece to Dalinar. But becoming a ward is not the only thing she is searching for. She's found herself in the position of amatuer thief that Jasnah has in order to save her family from ruin.

All of these characters, plus a few that world jump from other of Sanderson's stories (Hoid being one of the favorites), mingle, fight, banter, and survive through strange means that are beautifully woven and deeply understood as the story progresses. The reader crosses the world, slipping from character to character in interludes and main plot lines, and discovers interesting cultures that are so very different from each other. The cultures make you want to learn more, even by themselves.

The Stormlight Archive, with the first book being the Way of Kings, is a masterpiece. The reader can tell that Sanderson has spent years thinking, rethinking, writing, and rewriting these books and their connection to the Cosmere (Warbreaker, Emperor's Soul and Elantris, Mistborn, Well of Ascension, and Hero of Ages and the sequel series Alloy of Law, Shadow of Self, and Bands of Mourning, White Sand, and a bunch of short stories that you can find at the Coppermind Wiki for all of Brandon Sanderson's stuff). There is so much going on in these books that you have to go back and reread them again--this is my second time through Way of Kings and I caught things I definitely didn't the first time around.

I think my favorite part of Sanderson's writing is the detail he takes to help the reader understand the magics, cultures, and characters that he has created. There isn't so much detail that you get  bogged down too much (this book is 1200 pages so there is a lot of detail there), but there is enough for us to understand what is going on.

My only sad comment is that you have to make sure you have the time to sit down and read it. My first time through Way of Kings took me a week of nonstop reading and probably neglecting  my family. This time it was three weeks of fairly consistent reading. But I know that if you read slowly, you will have to dedicate a lot of time and effort into reading and finishing the novel. You may have to give it a few tries, but keep your bookmark in it. Come back to it. Don't give up entirely because it is a fantastic book.

The setting is amazing. The characters are wonderful. The writing is excellent. If you want to be consumed into a novel, read Way of Kings.

Eliza: The Life of Eliza R. Snow

I'm normally not one for biography or non-fiction in general because often times they come across as dry, stuffy, and full of simply lists and dates and are presented one right after another in paragraph after paragraph. But this biography of Eliza R. Snow was well done.

Eliza was born in 1804 in Massachusetts and became a prominent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was a force to be reckoned with. Later known as "Zion's Poetess" because of her amazing ability to use words. Her poetry is beautiful. I try, but I have the hardest time with any type of meter. So I commend her wholeheartedly for her ability.

It is a small book and I know there are a few major points in her life, that were horrendous that the authors didn't include. I'm assuming because Eliza didn't write about it herself, as I'm sure it was hard to relive through words.

But there was a lot of things about her that I didn't know. I hadn't done much research on her previously and this was my first step into understanding the woman who became that 2nd General Relief Society President. She wrote thousands of poems on the circumstances and people around her. They were amazing too. She was also someone who wouldn't step down from what she believed. Being a plural wife to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young after Joseph died. She was an advocate for women's rights and plural marriage as God directed it.

The most well known poem that she wrote "O My Father," which is given and is in the LDS hymnal. But they also give the circumstances behind why she wrote it. (You should check it out.)

While I learned a lot about her and I'd love to talk to her, the most inspiring part to me was her dedication to the church and her writing. She promised God that if she could have the truth confirmed to her she would use her writing to further God's work. She got that confirmation and changed from using pen names for the work she got published to using her own name. She used her talents to further do what she could for her God. And that is what we should all be doing. And we did it so well, so very well!

I would definitely suggest reading this book. I want to get her whole collection of poems and written works. The bits of her poetry that were in this book were beautiful and I would love to read more.