By Man Least Understood - Derek G. Rowley

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

03 Dec 2007 12:30 AM

"By Man Least Understood" by author Derek G. Rowley is an LDS doctrinal book that takes the principles of repentance, agency, restoration, atonement, and the everlasting covenant and breaks them down into smaller steps, with supplementing quotes and scriptures to illustrate each one. A former bishop and high councilor, Brother Rowley uses his insights into the principles of the Gospel to help the reader more fully grasp the incredible gift that is ours as given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We begin with a look into the fruit of repentance. Before we can embark on a path of repentance, we must first have faith that we can indeed be forgiven of our sins and that Jesus Christ has that power. It is faith that brings all things to us, and, in fact, the prophets of old themselves would not have accomplished their missions on this earth if it were not for faith. It is especially important to have faith when seeking our way out of a web of sin - as we come to rely on the saving merits of Jesus Christ, we come to a more clear understanding of what He can truly do for us.

Our journey through the book also takes us on an exploration of the keys of repentance. The author relates a story about the importance of keys. He was out on a vacation with his family when he realized he had lost his keys. They had been exploring miles of wilderness and he could have lost his keys at any point, so searching, beyond the immediate area, was an impossible task. He shares the insight he had into the importance of all the keys we hold in our lives, how each of them unlock different things that we so badly need, and that we must keep our keys intact to accomplish the good we must in this life.

One chapter I particularly enjoyed was entitled "Satan's Alternatives to Repentance." We read about the war in Heaven, how Satan desired to lead the children of our Heavenly Father astray, and how he would keep us from having the ability to choose. How grateful I am that we can choose for ourselves and that we can be accountable for our own destinies.

A nice addition to your religious book collection, "By Man Least Understood" is a valuable resource for any LDS family.

(This book was published in 2007 by Cedar Fort.)

Related Blogs:

Friends from Beyond the Veil

Gifts of Self-esteem

The Widow's Might

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger