2014, 160p, LDS Non-Fiction
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy from publisher for an honest review
Just as the scriptures teach us that the Second Coming of the Lord will be "at midnight" (Matthew 25:6), so the signs of the times teach us that "midnight" is close at hand.
In Living in the Eleventh Hour, author Robert L. Millet points our minds and hearts toward the future—to the glorious day that lies ahead. This encouraging work not only assists us a Latter-day Saints to recognize and better understand the signs of the times but also reminds us of our individual responsibilities as we prepare ourselves and the world for the much-anticipated return of Jesus Christ.
Filled with uplifting quotations from Church leaders, insightful scriptural texts, and engaging personal experiences, this timely book inspires us to live today as if He were coming tomorrow.
Brother Millet's faith-building message is clear: Steadfastly doing the small things that allow us to live each day with faith, rather than fear, builds our trust that the Savior's return to earth to rule and reign will be a glorious and welcome event.
This book is a good reminder of what we all need to be doing daily to prepare for the Second Coming. Since nobody knows when it will be, we need to be prepared at all times. There are lots of scriptures, quotes and personal stories included.
He spoke on filling our lamps with oil. When he was a Bishop, a couple came to him asking for help in getting more spirituality in their home. They hadn't been active for many years and their home life was falling apart. He gave several suggestions and they had a "reason" not to do each thing he suggested (reading scriptures, family prayer, Family Home Evening, even attending church). He asked again what they wanted and they said they needed to get God's Spirit in their home. At that point, he understood the parable of the ten virgins more fully. As much as he wanted to help them, there are some things that just can't be shared. They wanted the blessings that come with doing all those things but weren't willing to actually do them to obtain the blessings themselves.
He also spoke about what it means to treasure up the word. I like this quote: "...Because we are largely a product of what occupies our minds and because our feelings and actions are so inextricably linked to our thoughts, we must see to it that what we think about is worthy of a son or daughter of God striving for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. ..." (p. 42) It's not possible for us to be thinking about the scriptures every minute of the day, but we can each find time to read or listen to something uplifting each day. He also spoke on the importance of memorizing scriptures and how remembering them in our tough times can give us strength.
There are some other great insights and discussions and towards the end, he has a chapter on knowing the signs of the times. He doesn't go into them in any detail but shares principles he has gleaned over the years relative to reading the signs of the times. He ends by listing some of the personal responsibilities we share as we do our part to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Son of God.
I enjoyed reading this book and I felt like I was able to check off some things that I'm doing well and also determine the areas where I need to make improvements. This is a book that reminds us that there is a lot to look forward to in the coming days and years and we need to be full of faith rather than fear.
You can read an excerpt here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment