Book Review: To My Friends: Messages of Counsel and Comfort by Jeffrey R. Holland

To My Friends: Messages of Counsel and Comfort, by Jeffrey R. Holland
2014, 264p, LDS Non-Fiction, Inspiration
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



"If you need a burden lifted, I want you to imagine I am in a personal, private, closed-door chat with you. I want to help you if I can." With those words, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland invites every reader of his latest book to become a friend, to receive instruction and encouragement, counsel and comfort.

Elder Holland addresses these powerful messages "to my friends who love the Lord," "to my friends who want to change," "to my friends who face opposition," and more. Each chapter begins with a beautifully designed quotation to help convey the message in an artistic way, making the book a lovely gift for friends to share. Throughout, Elder Holland's powerful witness of the Savior shines through, for, as he writes, "I am grateful for the greatest friend any of us could ever have, in time or eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ."

I love the words of Elder Holland and this book is fantastic!! This book is a compilation of 21 talks he has given through the years. Each one addresses a different topic. I went through first and read the ones that I felt I needed to hear. Each time I would finish, I thought that was the best talk of his I'd ever read, until I finished reading the next one. Then I read the rest--the ones I didn't feel as strong of a connection to, and found that I needed all that comfort and counsel, too! 

Some of these were familiar to me as I had heard them before. I liked that there were some I hadn't heard yet because they were given at devotionals and other meetings.

This is a beautiful book which will make a great gift for anyone. Each chapter starts with a quote. I love all of these talks and it's too hard to pin down my favorite one. One of the chapters includes a talk he gave with his wife, Patricia T. Holland, at BYU Women's Conference on April 28, 1994, entitled, "Considering Covenants: Women, Men, Perspective, Promises." 

This is a book I will read again and again. They do indeed bring comfort and give wonderful counsel. I felt uplifted, inspired and hopeful at the end of each chapter. This is a book that everyone will benefit from reading! 

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JEFFREY R. HOLLAND was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in June 1994. A native of St. George, Utah, he received bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University and a master's degree and PhD in American Studies from Yale University. In 1974 he became dean of Religious Education at BYU and two years later was named Church Commissioner of Education. In 1980 he was appointed president of BYU, where he served until he was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1989. Elder Holland is the author of several books, including Broken Things to Mend and Christ and the New Covenant. He and his wife, Patricia, have three children and thirteen grandchildren.