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.

These Broken Stars

Definitely a different story than I anticipated.

These Broken Stars is the story of the heiress of a massive, galaxy wide industry that has its fingers in everything and a war hero who hates the spotlight. On a spaceship with 50,000 other people on board it was by chance at a ritzy party where Tarver sees a beautiful girl bored across the room. Lilac forgets herself and flirts with this man who doesn't know who she is. Refreshing. But then is forced by society to make him hate her. It would have been easy, as soon as they landed, he would go his way and she would go hers. But when the massive ship is tossed out of hyperspace they find themselves in the only escape pod that actually survives the descent into a planet's atmosphere. Being the only two people within a hundred miles and a need to survive they are forced to rely on each other. However, they may not be the only beings on the planet. Invisible whispers are everywhere and they aren't only from the dead.

I first started read this a long time ago, but wasn't in the mood for a prissy heiress and soldier boy story. But as I listened to the audiobook (read by Cynthia Holloway, Jonathan McClain, and Sarge Anton) I found I started to like it. I was expecting the story to stay on the ship, but when it suddenly went down my interest was peaked even more. It wasn't what I expected. A fight for survive with a plethora of snarky comments between the two had me invested. The plot became engaging and I really wanted to know what happened next.

Lilac was a made good progress through the story. She is a very proud girl to where she wouldn't even take off her stilettos while hiking. As the story progressed she gained confidence, not just pride. She was going to survive and stand up for herself. Tarver could have used more of a character arch, I think. I don't feel like he grew too much throughout the story. I wish there had been more of that. Over all there weren't many other prominent characters throughout the story. It was just them, which is okay, though I would have liked a village of hostile colonists or something. Outer hostile colonists were mentioned a lot by Tarver, so I assumed that was were we were heading. In the end though, there was a lot of blank space and internal dialog.

"There were trees." "There was grass." "We climbed mountains." "More trees." That was most of the setting. I can't complain too much, though. When they reached structures I knew where they stood and what was around them.

I think it was an interesting story, one that I didn't anticipate. I'd be interested to read more of the series, though it's not the highest on my priority list. It still gets a 4.5/5 for me because I couldn't find anything really wrong or that I disliked about it. Not a favorite, but good.