Days of Awe: Jewish Holy Days, Symbols and Prophecies for Latter-day Saints

by Gale T. Boyd

In Days of Awe Gale Boyd reminds Mormons of their close connection with ancient Israel. She teaches members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that they have roots that extend back to their literal, blood Old Testament ancestry and that there is much to learn from that connection (Kent Hunter, Orem Institute of Religion). In explaining some important traditional and doctrinal basics of Judaism and their similarities to what Mormons learn in church, she provides a foundation for a deep dive into the Jewish high holy days to find the Messiah Mormons worship. Richard K. Scott's paper supporting a Thursday crucifixion for Christ.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, History

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable book written by a Jewish woman who converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great explanations of Jewish feasts and other customs. Helps relate these to concepts of the LDS Church. I find myself experiencing "holy envy" (as articulated by Krister Stendahl, the Church of Sweden Bishop of Stockholm). There are wonderful aspects to Judaism that I find beautiful and worthy of emulation. A fun plus: Ideas in the back for teaching these concepts to one's family. And, recipes!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I started this book I was worried it would be too similar to the book, The Feasts and Festivals of the Messiah by Lynda Cherry, that I read last year. I was wrong. I learned so much and was reminded of little things that I had already forgotten from other sources. It helps make the Old and New Testament more relatable as you understand the feasts.

I loved that the last half has application: recipes, scripts, Family Home Evenings, so that you don't feel overwhelmed with how to take this new knowledge and teach others. We used a few recipes for Passover and it turned out great. I can't wait to reference it over and over again.

[Catherine Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about the Jewish festivals and holy days in this book. Gale Boyd has a unique perspective into them, from her years of living in Jerusalem. It is clear that she loves the Jewish people and has reverence for their worship. I also learned several interesting historical events that occurred on various holy days, which brings a greater meaning to them. The last part of the book is how to celebrate the holy days with your own version at home. She includes a number of recipes for the days, and scripture readings, song suggestions and activities explained.

[Chappyfamily · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much symbolism in the Holy days. If you don’t know the customs you won’t know the symbols. Fascinating

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to learn here.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes the experiences of the author living in Israel, which she found to be a very religiously oriented society. This book describes the customs and beliefs of that society. It shows how those tie into the scriptures.

To aid in understanding the discussion, the glossary is right up front on pages numbered 5-15.

"Just like we keep records here on earth ..., the angels keep records in heaven. The Jews believe the Lord has three books, one for the names of the righteous (called the Book of Life), one for the names of the wicked, and one for the names of the people who couldn’t decide whether to be good or bad and needed more time to repent. These heavenly books are mentioned in the Book of Mormon. .... Alma 5:57-58" (Page 172)


The book has:
- A glossary
- A description of the religious meaning that permeates Israeli life.
- A description of how to celebrate Passover (and other religious festivals)
- Some recipes
- Some scholarly articles on the dating of Christ's death

My few comments don't do justice to the coverage of this book. To give a little idea of the depth of coverage: The table of contents covers 6 pages. The book has 14 chapters and Appendix A through N.

I read the 2015 PDF version of this book.

[Dr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant exploration of Jewish life for Latter-day Saints. The best book on Jewish culture, from a Latter-day Saint who converted from Judasim.

[Brandon Minster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Responsible for my family celebrating Passover.

[Roseanne Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for all Latter-day Saint families.

[Kaylynn Johnsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about this book on a podcast and the author was making it available as an ecopy (as the book had been out of print for ages) and I was intrigued enough to download and read. I truly loved learning the meanings behind all of the Jewish traditions, holidays and festivals. I am looking forward to have an authentic (as we can make it) Passover with my family!

[Heather]

https://mormonhub.com/perks/days-of-awe/