Day 6: The Book of Enos

This book continues to remind me of the power of prayer-This man prayed all day to have his sins forgiven, and when he was sufficiently forgiven he immediately begins to pray for his brothers, those with or without the truth, and the future generations that will follow him. Who has that faith? Do I have that faith? That kind of faith that I know I can bless other people's lives just by getting on my knees.....It's just a really interesting concept. I challenge you, whoever you are. that the next time you feel like praying, do what Enos did-whatever faith or church you may be a part of, I challenge you to pray all the day long-then see what miracles you can bring about.

Day 5: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

I never said I wouldn't do children's books....I didn't. And in fact, this one helped me today because I was doing major amounts of research and ended up with a whopper of a headache, which is better now...but anyway, back to the book. So this book was very different from the movie, and I saw the movie first. Now I know that someone at this point is probably wanting to get into the classic "Which is better book or movie" argument with me, but honestly I can say that I'm not sure which is better because they are so different from each other. The book doesn't explain how the crazy weather came to the town, but the movie has lots of side characters that are integral only to the movie script....Sigh. I will say though, that I love the protagonist in the movie: Flint Lockwood. He's really funny and kind of crazy, which I enjoyed immensely. There is no Flint Lockwood in the book. Maybe what you should do, if you haven't read the book or seen the movie, is read the book and see the movie in the same night-then you can form your own opinions. Let the sun shine, and may your dinners be scrumptious!

Day 4: 501 Pearls of Wisdom

When I explained this blog to a friend last night, she asked me, "So is that what you do? Read all day?" The answer is, "No, not at all. I look for jobs and have social engagements like everyone else, but reading for me is a lot better than whiling away the hours staring at the ceiling when I have time to spare." So, it is in that spirit that I write this next blog. It was a quote book given to me by my roommate before she left for London on study abroad, in case you're curious as to why a flood of quotes will follow....

"Humility does not mean weakness. It does not mean timidity. It does not mean fear. A man can be humble and fearless. A man can be humble and courageous."
-Ezra Taft Benson
"Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected."
-William Safire
"The call to discipleship is a call to continue. To carry on. To persist. To endure. To finish. The Lord needs finishers, those who make the commitment and then walk the road-no matter the difficulty or challenge-to the very end."
-Robert L. Millet
"As long as we exercise love, patience and understanding, even when no progress is apparent, we are not failing. We must keep trying."
-Marvin J. Ashton
"Reverence is like a symphony. Reverence is profound respect, mingled with love and awe, as for a holy being, or place, or an exalted thing."
-Harold B. Lee
"Patience is not to be mistaken for indifference. It is to care very much, but to be willing, nevertheless, to submit both to the Lord and to what the scriptures call "the process of time."
-Neal A. Maxwell
"God has planted in our hearts an instinctive desire to worship, to seek salvation, to love and to serve a power or being greater than ourselves. Worship is implicit in existence itself."
-Bruce R. McConkie
"Great trials lie ahead. All of the sorrows and perils of the past are but a foretaste of what is yet to be. And we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually."
-Bruce R. McConkie
"Be liberal in your giving, that you yourselves may grow."
-Marion G. Romney
"Ideals are stars to steer by; they are not sticks to beat ourselves with."
-Barbra B. Smith
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more."
-Melodie Beattie
"The test of our soul's greatness is rather to be sought in our ability to comfort and console, our ability to help others, rather than our ability to help ourselves and crowd others down in the struggle of life."
-Joseph F. Smith
"Perhaps the most essential godlike quality is that of compassion and love-compassion shown forth in service to others, unselfishness, that ultimate expression of concern for others which we call love."
-Spencer W. Kimball
*"A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race."
-Joseph Smith
"No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future."
-Hugh B. Brown
"Love is the most divine attribute of the human soul, and if you accept the immortality of the soul...then you must believe that love also lives."
-David O. McKay
"If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself."
-Joseph Smith
"Forget yourself and find someone who needs your service, and you will discover the secret to the happy, fulfilled life."
-Ezra Taft Benson
"We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators and elsewhere are the portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve."
-Spencer W. Kimball
"Music is truly the universal language, and when it is excellently expressed, how deeply it moves our souls."
-David O. McKay
"We each do the best we can. My best may not be as good as your best, but it's my best."
-Marjorie Pay Hinckley
"The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things."
-Orson F. Whitney
"On every hand we can find opportunity for the use of the talents our Father has blessed us with."
-George Albert Smith
"When a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of by physical force."
-Joseph Smith
*"It is not a call to a special office that opens the windows of revelation to a truth seeker. Rather it is personal righteousness."
-Bruce R. McConkie
"A temple is a place where the divine spark in man, or the infinite in man, can seek the infinite in God."
-Franklin D. Richards
"Any man can go into the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of God when his actions have been such that he can feel at home there."
-James E. Talmage
"Great love is built on great sacrifice, and the home where the principle of sacrifice for the welfare of each other is daily expressed is that home where abides great love."
-Harold B. Lee
"History rests on the shoulders of those who accepted the challenges of difficulties and drove through to victory in spite of everything."
-Hugh B. Brown
"No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction. God will never desert us. He never has, and he never will. He cannot do it. It is not his character."
-George Q. Cannon
"When trials and tribulations come, we can just hang tight and keep doing our best and things will eventually get better."
-Marjorie Pay Hinckley
"It is difficult to make a man miserable when he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him."
-Abraham Lincoln
"There will always be plenty of miracles if we have eyes to see and ears to hear."
-Howard W. Hunter
"The successful general is one under whose leadership the staff, as well as the rank and file, will work and die with enthusiasm."
-Walter Gifford
*"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
-Marjorie Pay Hinckley

*Note: The quotes with asterisks are words I live by....If I can help you in any way, shape or form, I will certainly do it....Please let me know how I might be able to serve you and be a good friend.

Day 3: Limitations by Scott Turow

More about the law than I ever wanted to know, which is probably why it was so epically confusing at first. I also figured out who the culprit was before the end, which is definitely new for me...I enjoyed that. :) It was not necessarily an action-packed page turner, like most mysteries seem to become, but truly a methodical vision of what goes on behind closed doors concerning the law. An interesting read, but watch out-there is certainly some colorful language, if I do say so myself. There are some particular quotes I just can't get over, though, and I must share them.

"George Mason has known Cassandra Oakey all of her life. He held her no more than a month after she was born, and retains a clear memory of playing Go Fish with her an entire afternoon when she was seven and had come to the office with Harrison on a school holiday while George was in the life-suspended state that always set in when he was waiting for a jury."

"When you sin, you always go back to your roots."

If any of you plan to become a lawyer or a judge, this book is for you....and don't think that I'm giving everything away by giving you the quotes-I'm not. You'll just have to read it and find out for yourself...:)

Day 2: A Study in Scarlet/The Country of Saints

I will admit that I had read the first half of this book, A Study in Scarlet, before; but I had never read the second half. Although they are written separately, and they come in two parts, I discovered, when I read this book completely this time, that they ARE actually connected. I decided to go backward on this one, considering that I had not read The Country of the Saints before. That's how I discovered these two were connected-Even if you had read them in the proper order, not very many would realize it 'til the end. Besides, I didn't mind reading A Study in Scarlet again-I think it's hilarious! It's the first story that has Sherlock Holmes in it, and the one, of course, where Watson and Sherlock meet. They don't know anything about each other, and Watson's first impressions are half the fun.

By the way, Mormonism does not equal evil despotism. Poligamy is no longer a part of the Mormon religion. In fact, it was ended from revelation given by Wilford Woodruff in 1890. The prophet today is not a despot or a tyrant, nor have they ever been, but a religious leader who is a conduit to the will of the Lord. The reason why I say this is because if you read The Country of Saints, you will get a misconstrued perception of Mormons, probably that they are wicked and tyrannical....but it is not so. If you are curious to find out more, let me know and I will do my best to help you understand.

Another thing....this morning, before I started reading, I went job hunting. In my wanderings, I dropped off only two applications, but discovered something else....a life-size cardboard cutout of Jesus, and an intimate observation of downtown Provo. The amount of things you miss when you aren't going slowly is quite a lot....indeed, a place that I have lived in for five years held quite a few surprises for me today. Perhaps this summer is for those intimate observations, rather than for anything of a material nature....we shall see.

Day 1: The Book of Job

Ch. 4: 17: "Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker?"

Ch. 13: 2: "What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you."

15-16: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him...He also shall be my salvation."

Ch. 27: 5: "Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me."

Ch. 42: 2: "I know thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee."

100 Books, 100 Days

My roommates and I came up with my goal: Read 100 books in 100 days....It is not impossible. I will also write an entry about each book I read-and they will be all types of books, from Sci-fi to Youth fiction, to non-fiction, plays....who knows? But hopefully I will learn, and take you along for the ride! Get set, 'cause tomorrow's gonna be a brand new day full of "Words, words, words..."!