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The Incomparable Christ: Our Master and Model
Book by Featherstone, Vaughn J.
203 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 12, 2010
What a wonderful compilation of the thoughts and testimonies of a wonderful man, about a WONDERFUL Savior. I loved this challenge to my spiritual intellect and I emphatically enjoyed the fulness of the Spirit that this book brought to my heart and home.
My favorite chapters were: Justice vs. Mercy, Mormon, and The Last Drop in the Chalice.
My Favorite Quotes:
"You can see farther through a tear, than a telescope."
"His unconditional love is completely void of force, dominion, and compulsion. We will pass through tests not devised by human hands, but we will not tread the winepress alone, as He did."
"He will love me as no mortal can love."
"The greatest object in the universe is a good person struggling against adversity; And yet there is something greater still, and that is the good person that comes to alleviate it." - Oliver Goldsmith
My favorite chapters were: Justice vs. Mercy, Mormon, and The Last Drop in the Chalice.
My Favorite Quotes:
"You can see farther through a tear, than a telescope."
"His unconditional love is completely void of force, dominion, and compulsion. We will pass through tests not devised by human hands, but we will not tread the winepress alone, as He did."
"He will love me as no mortal can love."
"The greatest object in the universe is a good person struggling against adversity; And yet there is something greater still, and that is the good person that comes to alleviate it." - Oliver Goldsmith
February 27, 2016
This is a nice book of testimony and examples of Christ's great love and mission. Elder Featherstone talks about the important role of Christ in our lives and in the plan of salvation. Only through Him can we be saved. He satisfies justice and extends mercy. He is our Advocate with the Father and our Redeemer. This book encourages as to turn to and follow Christ.
Elder Featherstone was my Sunday School teacher for a couple of years and I can hear him speak as I read his stalwart testimony of Christ and His teachings. We must learn of the Savior so that we can be healed and strengthened and changed by Him. Some of my favorite parts of this book were the sweet stories he shared of children, General Authorities, and others doing good, being kind, and loving like the Savior would.
Here are a few quotes from the book that I liked:
"Before the Savior comes the world will darken. The time will come when even the elect will begin to lose hope if they do not come often to the temples. I believe that the Saints will come to the temples not only to do vicarious work but also to find a God-given haven of peace. True and faithful Latter-day Saints the world over will long to bring their children to the temple for service and for safety (p. 4)."
"The more pure in heart we are, the more we despise sin (p. 17)."
"'All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure.' (D&C 131:7) Futhermore, 'the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.' (D&C 84:45) If spirit is matter, and if light is Spirit, and truth is light, then how powerful is truth? Could truth be tangible? Could the Lawgiver enforce the laws of His everlasting gospel with truth? Is it not so, surely, that the truth from 'the rod of His mouth' will provide the punishment? (D&C 19:15) (p. 20)"
"What a lesson in humility and meekness! When we receive glory--that is, attention and honor--in our callings or for a given performance, should we not desire the glory only insofar as it glorifies our Lord or His Church (p. 25)?"
"Joy, truth, sanctification, unity, salvation, and exaltation are all tied to the Atonement. Justice and mercy are fulfilled because He, the Master of heaven and earth, the Only Begotten, trod the winepress alone. Of all who walked the earth, He alone qualified to satisfy the eternal demands of justice. We--all of humanity--stood by helplessly as He alone faced that most excruciating trial. Many of us would have given our lives to have accompanied Him through that agonizing hour, but alas, not one other was qualified. We praise His name forever and forever--and pray that we will be worthy to know Him (p. 29)."
"This Jesus Christ whom we worship stands on the right hand of the Eternal God of the heavens and all earths. The supreme power in all that we comprehend and beyond is the great God of heaven, and Jesus is His Only Begotten Son (p. 34)."
"What effect would the tears of Jesus have upon us--this Being with power to create and organize galaxies and yet so filled with compassion that He could weep in behalf of a small flock of His 'other sheep'? The Lord can touch the eyes of our understanding (p. 38)."
"Of course His countenance was brighter than the sun! He is the power by which the sun was made; His is the power by which it brings life and light to our planet. He was slain yet lives again; He is our eternal advocate with the Father (p. 39)."
"We do not understand fully how repentance works, but it does work. God, who can behold 'worlds pass away,' can, through His pure love and atonement, cleanse us from our sins, satisfying justice and extending mercy. Who is this Jesus who can satisfy the demands of justice collectively for all the children of God who will come unto Him and repent? Jesus the Christ is Lord and Creator, Redeemer and Atoner, Delivered and Exemplar, Chief Cornerstone and Judge, King and Lamb of God, Messiah and Comforter, Prophet and Teacher, and the Great Jehovah; He is the only true and Begotten Son of God, our Eternal Father. It is through His almighty power and His limitless love that we 'live, and move, and have our being.' (Acts 17:28) (p. 39)."
"I always become emotional when I become aware of a truly repentant one. Bravery, loyalty, and integrity in spite of consequence touch me deeply, as do genuine acts of Christian service--noble and great people stopping to help a child, great leaders who are not above hard and menial labor to serve another; forgiveness by those who truly have something to forgive; someone rescuing another person from a humiliating experience; people who suffer in silence; seeing someone overcome a lifelong habit to join the Church or to become active; watching someone go through the conversion process; observing someone with the 'prodigal's' father's compassion; standing alone for right when others buckle under pressure; defending someone who is being criticized but does not deserve the criticism; a truly humble, sincere prayer; sacred music; sincere, humble expressions of gratitude; great concepts and principles (p. 49)."
"I think we honor our Holy Father and Christ best by serving His children. He honors us most when we serve in a great or small way (p. 51)."
"As a young boy going to Primary, I was taught to pray. I did not know how to pray, but I accepted the fact that I should pray. Somehow in my young mind I felt to memorize the Lord's Prayer. Once it was memorized, I used His prayer as though it were mine. At night I would go out on our front porch, then look heavenward and say the Lord's Prayer. If I didn't feel that I was spiritual enough or that my prayer had gotten, I would simply say it again. One night I felt I was really praying and that the Lord's Prayer had become mine. All I did was add four additional words, something that multitudes of others have done. As I closed the Lord's Prayer, I said, 'For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever' and then added the words, 'and forever and ever, amen.' I suppose it was a feeling of reverence for God that I was offering in my young boy mind by adding 'and forever and ever.' Thank goodness for prayers that lift us upward even when we are unskilled and untrained but reverent (p. 54)."
"The Lord's Prayer is simple yet profound. A child can understand its phrases. The intellectual can be challenged by its implications and the profound truths found therein (p. 62)."
"What a marvelous spiritual revival we would have if the Saints would pray sincerely and humbly to God--the One Being in all eternity who is available to every soul who walks the earth, every moment of every day. Non are exempt save it be by their conduct and choosing. Oh, how we ought to love and worship our God and His Son. Oh, what an answer to the trials, frustrations, and perplexities of life. Peace and blessings come to the contrite soul who approaches God with a broken heart (p. 63)."
"I thank God for the light I have received from the prophets, from the Book of Mormon, from the commandments, and from our 'Holiness to the Lord' edifices. This is God's work, and all is light and truth through His Holy Son, Jesus the Christ (p. 70)."
"One dimension of those who truly possess charity is that they will come to the aid of those who are humiliated, embarrassed, shy, or timid (p. 71)."
"Would to God that every member of this Church could understand the sacramental ordinance. Those who live the gospel from week to week, who do not commit transgressions serious enough to bring them before a common judge, have a continuous opportunity to be forgiven. All who partake of the sacrament with humble hearts and contrite spirits, who may have erred or offended during the week, can find forgiveness. Of course, repentance is also required to obtain forgiveness for each sin. Each member who renews his or her covenants through the sacrament feels the healing blessing of forgiveness. Each week we strive for a slightly loftier level of Christlike living. We need not be baptized every year or two to receive continued forgiveness. We need only approach the sacramental ordinance in a contrite, repentant, humble way in order to receive the forgiveness we desire (p. 78)."
"Never was an act of mercy so eternally compassionate as Jesus Christ's atonement and His suffering on the cross. That act of love and mercy was the single most significant extension of mercy--and pity, if you will--in all eternity. It was absolutely essential to our eternal joy and destiny (p. 85)."
"'Heavenly Father, if you know that I exist, or if you even care or know I am here, please let me know.' Just then the doorbell rang. When she answered the door, the Relief Society president was there to say, 'I am here; how can I help?' They embraced. Through the mercy of a loving God, a sweet bishop's wife receive an assurance of His love for her (p. 87)."
"Although mercy cannot take away our pain and our grief, nor can it always remove trials from our path, it is always there to soften, modify, and suffer with us....Elder Orson F. Whitney stated: 'No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be call the children of God...and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven (p. 92).'"
"Charity must be an absolute and total submission of mind and heart in a completely selfless way so that we can serve every other human soul with the purest of motives. We cannot expect appreciation, gratitude, or any kind of reward except the natural consequences of blessing another's life (p. 101)."
"Because we must all face leadership, I would like to focus on the foundation pillars for gospel leaders who would follow Christ. President Harold B. Lee suggested that only as we make ourselves totally available can we become worthy disciples of Christ. Interestingly, lack of self-confidence or feelings of unworthiness do not conflict with this thought. Moses and Enoch both were 'slow of speech' and wondered at the call. We may feel inadequate, but when there is a job to do, someone needs to step forward and do it (p. 108)."
"In the most simple way, a Sunday School teacher can have a vision of every one of his or her class members growing up in faith and going to the temple. People must have a vision of their own personal lives--a humble, sweet belief that God intended us to do something larger and greater (p. 114)."
"This is the Lord's work. It must move forward. The Lord endows men and women with talents, and those talents and leadership abilities ought to be put to use where they can bring about the greatest results. Knowing that God gives such gifts might be why I feel so strongly about leadership....Leaders are movers and shakers, original, inventive, unpredictable, imaginative, full of surprises that discomfit the enemy in war and the main office in peace (p. 123)."
"We will find that those who have the most profound impact on our lives are those who use their leadership roles to serve. Those who are selfish, arrogant, or prideful are loathe to serve but quick to seize power. They love control, domination, and obedience by compulsion. The Master taught the true heavenly order of priesthood leadership....To lead people by persuasion is a holy order of God. Persuasion suggests a regeneration, a change of heart, conviction, or renewal. Persuasion brings those we are leading to the same level of understanding that we have. It does not force people against their will but helps willing disciples to change; thus, the will of the persuader and the will of the persuaded become one. Long-suffering suggests that God wants us to realize that His way in leadership is not a quick fix. We teach, train, and retrain, and then we patiently wait for the results we desired (p. 125)."
"Gentleness is a word the Lord uses to describe a necessary trait for those who would use the priesthood....Gentleness is inoffensive, is kind, and has a softening way about it. Think of a gentle touch until you can almost feel it. In leadership, often a gentle touch creates discipleship whereas an iron hand creates rebellion. When we perform the ordinances of the priesthood--such as administering to the sick, giving blessings, ordaining or setting apart, baptizing, or preparing the sacrament--physical and spiritual gentleness is always called for (p. 126)."
"True servant-leaders do not need a checklist of these character traits, for they live them daily....I have always made it a practice to have my secretary not ask a caller's name until after she has informed the caller whether I am in and available. If I am in a meeting, she takes a message and says, 'He will call you back as soon as he can.' If I am available, she says, 'Yes, I will put you through. May I tell him who is calling?'....I treat a transgressing missionary with the same respect as I do a stake president. I would not keep a stake president waiting, and I will not keep the missionary waiting either (p. 130)."
"Servant-leaders are leaders because they are servants first of all. Servant-leaders might not be properly recognized by those of greater influence and might not even be ridiculed as was Jesus for healing the palsied man. Nevertheless, the people always know who the real leaders are. Servant-leaders also understand the uniqueness and individualism of each person (p. 131)."
"When hope ides, we die. Hope is essential to life's continuance (p. 133)."
"What a comfort, what solace, what power in the few simple words of the Master of heaven and earth! The peace she received may have been equal to the healing blessing. When the Son of God blesses with peace, it is an absolute fact that peace will come. Nor could the crowd find fault, for He said, 'Go in peace (p. 135).'"
"As the Spirit touches us, we soften, modify, change. Our lives become more substantial, and we reach out to all who have loved us or who have needed us or whom we have needed. Our goal is to be 'even as He is' and to become brothers and sisters in Christ. How we express that goal and our feelings about it are manifest in many ways. My hope is that...you...feel the Spirit more deeply and, in turn, to find some way to express that feeling to lift others around you (p. 172)."
"Somehow, when we hear or read an account of suffering in its purest form without complaint, without self-pity or blame, we lift to a level more near that of the incomparable Christ, He who suffered exquisitely more than man could bear and did it without a thought of self--only to do the Father's will, whatever pain or grief or suffering that might have cost (p. 188)."
"One wonders at the profound impact some seemingly insignificant acts we perform have. A good deed is never lost, however insignificant or obscure it might be. The wonderful contribution of a mite to the church's treasury does not go unnoticed. There are many acts of mercy and tenderness, many words of compassion and consolation, many gifts of heart and soul that none but God can see. Nevertheless, He does see; He does know; and He, I am certain, is tenderly, sincerely, sweetly grateful to those who give them. This whole life is about service--service in its purest form; service performed to bless and lift our fellow beings; service that seeks no reward except making someone's burden lighter or bringing a moment of relief. And so many marvelous, wonderful, Christ-like deeds are done where no eye can see, no ear can hear, and no one will ever know (p. 191)."
Elder Featherstone was my Sunday School teacher for a couple of years and I can hear him speak as I read his stalwart testimony of Christ and His teachings. We must learn of the Savior so that we can be healed and strengthened and changed by Him. Some of my favorite parts of this book were the sweet stories he shared of children, General Authorities, and others doing good, being kind, and loving like the Savior would.
Here are a few quotes from the book that I liked:
"Before the Savior comes the world will darken. The time will come when even the elect will begin to lose hope if they do not come often to the temples. I believe that the Saints will come to the temples not only to do vicarious work but also to find a God-given haven of peace. True and faithful Latter-day Saints the world over will long to bring their children to the temple for service and for safety (p. 4)."
"The more pure in heart we are, the more we despise sin (p. 17)."
"'All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure.' (D&C 131:7) Futhermore, 'the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.' (D&C 84:45) If spirit is matter, and if light is Spirit, and truth is light, then how powerful is truth? Could truth be tangible? Could the Lawgiver enforce the laws of His everlasting gospel with truth? Is it not so, surely, that the truth from 'the rod of His mouth' will provide the punishment? (D&C 19:15) (p. 20)"
"What a lesson in humility and meekness! When we receive glory--that is, attention and honor--in our callings or for a given performance, should we not desire the glory only insofar as it glorifies our Lord or His Church (p. 25)?"
"Joy, truth, sanctification, unity, salvation, and exaltation are all tied to the Atonement. Justice and mercy are fulfilled because He, the Master of heaven and earth, the Only Begotten, trod the winepress alone. Of all who walked the earth, He alone qualified to satisfy the eternal demands of justice. We--all of humanity--stood by helplessly as He alone faced that most excruciating trial. Many of us would have given our lives to have accompanied Him through that agonizing hour, but alas, not one other was qualified. We praise His name forever and forever--and pray that we will be worthy to know Him (p. 29)."
"This Jesus Christ whom we worship stands on the right hand of the Eternal God of the heavens and all earths. The supreme power in all that we comprehend and beyond is the great God of heaven, and Jesus is His Only Begotten Son (p. 34)."
"What effect would the tears of Jesus have upon us--this Being with power to create and organize galaxies and yet so filled with compassion that He could weep in behalf of a small flock of His 'other sheep'? The Lord can touch the eyes of our understanding (p. 38)."
"Of course His countenance was brighter than the sun! He is the power by which the sun was made; His is the power by which it brings life and light to our planet. He was slain yet lives again; He is our eternal advocate with the Father (p. 39)."
"We do not understand fully how repentance works, but it does work. God, who can behold 'worlds pass away,' can, through His pure love and atonement, cleanse us from our sins, satisfying justice and extending mercy. Who is this Jesus who can satisfy the demands of justice collectively for all the children of God who will come unto Him and repent? Jesus the Christ is Lord and Creator, Redeemer and Atoner, Delivered and Exemplar, Chief Cornerstone and Judge, King and Lamb of God, Messiah and Comforter, Prophet and Teacher, and the Great Jehovah; He is the only true and Begotten Son of God, our Eternal Father. It is through His almighty power and His limitless love that we 'live, and move, and have our being.' (Acts 17:28) (p. 39)."
"I always become emotional when I become aware of a truly repentant one. Bravery, loyalty, and integrity in spite of consequence touch me deeply, as do genuine acts of Christian service--noble and great people stopping to help a child, great leaders who are not above hard and menial labor to serve another; forgiveness by those who truly have something to forgive; someone rescuing another person from a humiliating experience; people who suffer in silence; seeing someone overcome a lifelong habit to join the Church or to become active; watching someone go through the conversion process; observing someone with the 'prodigal's' father's compassion; standing alone for right when others buckle under pressure; defending someone who is being criticized but does not deserve the criticism; a truly humble, sincere prayer; sacred music; sincere, humble expressions of gratitude; great concepts and principles (p. 49)."
"I think we honor our Holy Father and Christ best by serving His children. He honors us most when we serve in a great or small way (p. 51)."
"As a young boy going to Primary, I was taught to pray. I did not know how to pray, but I accepted the fact that I should pray. Somehow in my young mind I felt to memorize the Lord's Prayer. Once it was memorized, I used His prayer as though it were mine. At night I would go out on our front porch, then look heavenward and say the Lord's Prayer. If I didn't feel that I was spiritual enough or that my prayer had gotten, I would simply say it again. One night I felt I was really praying and that the Lord's Prayer had become mine. All I did was add four additional words, something that multitudes of others have done. As I closed the Lord's Prayer, I said, 'For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever' and then added the words, 'and forever and ever, amen.' I suppose it was a feeling of reverence for God that I was offering in my young boy mind by adding 'and forever and ever.' Thank goodness for prayers that lift us upward even when we are unskilled and untrained but reverent (p. 54)."
"The Lord's Prayer is simple yet profound. A child can understand its phrases. The intellectual can be challenged by its implications and the profound truths found therein (p. 62)."
"What a marvelous spiritual revival we would have if the Saints would pray sincerely and humbly to God--the One Being in all eternity who is available to every soul who walks the earth, every moment of every day. Non are exempt save it be by their conduct and choosing. Oh, how we ought to love and worship our God and His Son. Oh, what an answer to the trials, frustrations, and perplexities of life. Peace and blessings come to the contrite soul who approaches God with a broken heart (p. 63)."
"I thank God for the light I have received from the prophets, from the Book of Mormon, from the commandments, and from our 'Holiness to the Lord' edifices. This is God's work, and all is light and truth through His Holy Son, Jesus the Christ (p. 70)."
"One dimension of those who truly possess charity is that they will come to the aid of those who are humiliated, embarrassed, shy, or timid (p. 71)."
"Would to God that every member of this Church could understand the sacramental ordinance. Those who live the gospel from week to week, who do not commit transgressions serious enough to bring them before a common judge, have a continuous opportunity to be forgiven. All who partake of the sacrament with humble hearts and contrite spirits, who may have erred or offended during the week, can find forgiveness. Of course, repentance is also required to obtain forgiveness for each sin. Each member who renews his or her covenants through the sacrament feels the healing blessing of forgiveness. Each week we strive for a slightly loftier level of Christlike living. We need not be baptized every year or two to receive continued forgiveness. We need only approach the sacramental ordinance in a contrite, repentant, humble way in order to receive the forgiveness we desire (p. 78)."
"Never was an act of mercy so eternally compassionate as Jesus Christ's atonement and His suffering on the cross. That act of love and mercy was the single most significant extension of mercy--and pity, if you will--in all eternity. It was absolutely essential to our eternal joy and destiny (p. 85)."
"'Heavenly Father, if you know that I exist, or if you even care or know I am here, please let me know.' Just then the doorbell rang. When she answered the door, the Relief Society president was there to say, 'I am here; how can I help?' They embraced. Through the mercy of a loving God, a sweet bishop's wife receive an assurance of His love for her (p. 87)."
"Although mercy cannot take away our pain and our grief, nor can it always remove trials from our path, it is always there to soften, modify, and suffer with us....Elder Orson F. Whitney stated: 'No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be call the children of God...and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven (p. 92).'"
"Charity must be an absolute and total submission of mind and heart in a completely selfless way so that we can serve every other human soul with the purest of motives. We cannot expect appreciation, gratitude, or any kind of reward except the natural consequences of blessing another's life (p. 101)."
"Because we must all face leadership, I would like to focus on the foundation pillars for gospel leaders who would follow Christ. President Harold B. Lee suggested that only as we make ourselves totally available can we become worthy disciples of Christ. Interestingly, lack of self-confidence or feelings of unworthiness do not conflict with this thought. Moses and Enoch both were 'slow of speech' and wondered at the call. We may feel inadequate, but when there is a job to do, someone needs to step forward and do it (p. 108)."
"In the most simple way, a Sunday School teacher can have a vision of every one of his or her class members growing up in faith and going to the temple. People must have a vision of their own personal lives--a humble, sweet belief that God intended us to do something larger and greater (p. 114)."
"This is the Lord's work. It must move forward. The Lord endows men and women with talents, and those talents and leadership abilities ought to be put to use where they can bring about the greatest results. Knowing that God gives such gifts might be why I feel so strongly about leadership....Leaders are movers and shakers, original, inventive, unpredictable, imaginative, full of surprises that discomfit the enemy in war and the main office in peace (p. 123)."
"We will find that those who have the most profound impact on our lives are those who use their leadership roles to serve. Those who are selfish, arrogant, or prideful are loathe to serve but quick to seize power. They love control, domination, and obedience by compulsion. The Master taught the true heavenly order of priesthood leadership....To lead people by persuasion is a holy order of God. Persuasion suggests a regeneration, a change of heart, conviction, or renewal. Persuasion brings those we are leading to the same level of understanding that we have. It does not force people against their will but helps willing disciples to change; thus, the will of the persuader and the will of the persuaded become one. Long-suffering suggests that God wants us to realize that His way in leadership is not a quick fix. We teach, train, and retrain, and then we patiently wait for the results we desired (p. 125)."
"Gentleness is a word the Lord uses to describe a necessary trait for those who would use the priesthood....Gentleness is inoffensive, is kind, and has a softening way about it. Think of a gentle touch until you can almost feel it. In leadership, often a gentle touch creates discipleship whereas an iron hand creates rebellion. When we perform the ordinances of the priesthood--such as administering to the sick, giving blessings, ordaining or setting apart, baptizing, or preparing the sacrament--physical and spiritual gentleness is always called for (p. 126)."
"True servant-leaders do not need a checklist of these character traits, for they live them daily....I have always made it a practice to have my secretary not ask a caller's name until after she has informed the caller whether I am in and available. If I am in a meeting, she takes a message and says, 'He will call you back as soon as he can.' If I am available, she says, 'Yes, I will put you through. May I tell him who is calling?'....I treat a transgressing missionary with the same respect as I do a stake president. I would not keep a stake president waiting, and I will not keep the missionary waiting either (p. 130)."
"Servant-leaders are leaders because they are servants first of all. Servant-leaders might not be properly recognized by those of greater influence and might not even be ridiculed as was Jesus for healing the palsied man. Nevertheless, the people always know who the real leaders are. Servant-leaders also understand the uniqueness and individualism of each person (p. 131)."
"When hope ides, we die. Hope is essential to life's continuance (p. 133)."
"What a comfort, what solace, what power in the few simple words of the Master of heaven and earth! The peace she received may have been equal to the healing blessing. When the Son of God blesses with peace, it is an absolute fact that peace will come. Nor could the crowd find fault, for He said, 'Go in peace (p. 135).'"
"As the Spirit touches us, we soften, modify, change. Our lives become more substantial, and we reach out to all who have loved us or who have needed us or whom we have needed. Our goal is to be 'even as He is' and to become brothers and sisters in Christ. How we express that goal and our feelings about it are manifest in many ways. My hope is that...you...feel the Spirit more deeply and, in turn, to find some way to express that feeling to lift others around you (p. 172)."
"Somehow, when we hear or read an account of suffering in its purest form without complaint, without self-pity or blame, we lift to a level more near that of the incomparable Christ, He who suffered exquisitely more than man could bear and did it without a thought of self--only to do the Father's will, whatever pain or grief or suffering that might have cost (p. 188)."
"One wonders at the profound impact some seemingly insignificant acts we perform have. A good deed is never lost, however insignificant or obscure it might be. The wonderful contribution of a mite to the church's treasury does not go unnoticed. There are many acts of mercy and tenderness, many words of compassion and consolation, many gifts of heart and soul that none but God can see. Nevertheless, He does see; He does know; and He, I am certain, is tenderly, sincerely, sweetly grateful to those who give them. This whole life is about service--service in its purest form; service performed to bless and lift our fellow beings; service that seeks no reward except making someone's burden lighter or bringing a moment of relief. And so many marvelous, wonderful, Christ-like deeds are done where no eye can see, no ear can hear, and no one will ever know (p. 191)."
April 13, 2020
I only got halfway through this book. Elder Featherstone has a beautiful testimony of the Savior and I enjoyed the first half but I chose not to finish it because I have a huge list of books that I want to get through and life is short. I may come back to it at some point though.
April 28, 2022
This book is not bad, there are just so many better books to learn about the Atonement. I would highly recommend The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister.
February 4, 2023
This book seemed a bit scattered to me. I enjoyed parts, but struggled to bring it together.
December 9, 2024
I did not remember that I had read this book over 9 years ago! Yet, what wrote about in 2015 is just as applicable today. Love it! October 14, 2015: I heard about this book in another book that I read. There is lots of great counsel. My favorite chapter is "Leaders Tread with Courage Where Christ Would Have Us Tread." The whole book is worth it, if just for this one chapter.
Read
June 28, 2007A book full of good ideas and poems and anecdotes and virtues. But the whole thing seemed disconnected. The first chapter didn't present any thesis or statement of purpose, nor did the final chapter wrap up or summarize. I guess it was just a collection of thoughts, one man's memiors or reflections on Christ. Not bad at all, but I wish it had more continuity.
May 6, 2015
I am a bit biased since I grew up in the same neighborhood as Vaughn Featherstone. The book was excellent. I enjoyed it very much. I love the personal experiences Elder Featherstone shares in this book.
August 28, 2017
It was good enough. It was well written and provided some good reminders, but there was nothing that provided me with an "aha" moment. It was also very broad, touching on a lot of subjects with very little depth, so I again did not necessarily learn anything new, but it was good enough.
September 5, 2008
This is one of those books that I learned a ton from and feel improved. I love a book that makes me feel that way.
December 31, 2024
Very inspirational and relevant. I love this book.
December 29, 2011
This book changed the way I saw the future and how we would need to live in order to find joy in it. I have quoted the first four pages in more talks than I can count. It's a great read.
January 7, 2010
This is an absolutely amazing book. I highly recommend it!
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