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In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust
IN EARLY 1997, I RECEIVED A telephone call one Saturday morning from my father, who lives in another state. Unlike most of our conversations, which deal with family updates and the like, he began this call with a rather firm declaration. "I know what your next book should be," he said. I had recently completed a book with two dear friends, the late Rex E. Lee and his wife, Janet-and I responded that I did not have plans to write another book. He continued, undeterred, "No, you need to write a biography of James E. Faust."
Though still half asleep, I knew immediately that he was right, but I asked him anyway why he would make this suggestion. His answer was simple: "Because he's a good man, and the members of the Church don't know enough about him."
Not knowing President Faust, but feeling a need to act on my father's suggestion, I passed the idea along to Sheri Dew, who is the vice-president of publishing at Deseret Book and a long-time friend. She, in turn, discussed it with Ron Millett, president of Deseret Book, and the two of them arranged to meet with President Faust and discuss the idea with him.
He listened politely and said he would consider their proposal and then let them know of his decision. Having read, some months later, his journal entry for that day, I know that his initial reaction was a preference that such a book not be done. But after several weeks of discussion with his wife, family members, and a few close associates, he informed Ron and Sheri that he would agree to have a book done-but with two conditions: First, that the biography be brief; and, second, that a selection of his teachings be included in the same volume.
487 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 24, 2021
"My father said, “Son, couldn’t I trust you to take care of just one lamb?” My father’s remark hurt me more than losing my woolly friend. I resolved that day, as a little boy, that I would try never again to neglect my stewardship as a shepherd if I were ever placed in that position again." (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"I have tried to analyze why President Moyle had such a profound influence in our lives. I think it was because of his personal interest in us. He was our friend. We knew that he was always there when we needed him. It was said of him that when Henry Moyle loved you, he loved you through and through.7" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"There were times when it was so cold or stormy and I wanted to stay home and be comfortable, but in my mind’s ear I could hear my little lamb bleating, and I knew I needed to be a good shepherd and go with my senior companion. In all those many years, whenever I have had a desire to shirk my duties, there would come to me a remembrance of how sorry I was that night so many years ago when I had not been a good shepherd. I have not always done everything I should have, but I have tried.10" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"In reflecting on that day years later, he would add, “Instead of thinking you have to do everything perfectly as a leader, you do the best you can. And sometimes when you’re doing the best you can, you find that you can’t do everything as well as you’d like. But people are forgiving of our weaknesses and shortcomings, and they don’t expect us to be perfect, especially when we’re willing to laugh at ourselves and admit we’re human.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"“I cannot succeed as a General Authority if I don’t first succeed as a husband and as a father.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"What impressed me about President Lee, President Kimball, and so many of the other Brethren was that they made me feel like they were not coming to find things wrong; they were coming to help me. I knew what was wrong in my stake—I didn’t need to have somebody come and tell me. What I needed was help, and the manner in which these brethren did their teaching was enveloped in a spirit of confidence and love which I very, very much appreciated at the time and have come to hold in sacred remembrance ever since. And that was true without exception of those great leaders. They had all been in my shoes. They all understood my situation." (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"Lord. I think the role of visiting authorities is to build the Saints up and strengthen them, so I’m grateful to have learned from some of the great leaders of this dispensation, men who set an atmosphere in which you wanted to listen and wanted to learn, rather than creating an adversarial relationship.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"“Dad presented his recommend, which is a special one issued to the General Authorities and looks somewhat different. The gentleman who was checking recommends did not know what it was and told my father he wouldn’t be able to enter the temple. Rather than embarrassing the man by telling him who he was, Dad politely excused himself and we all left.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"people recognize him and come over to visit with him—whether it bothers him or embarrasses him. He patted my hand and said, ‘It’s just the calling.’”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"“He gave Scott just a few words of advice when he was called: ‘Delegate or die.’" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"I have tried to analyze why President Moyle had such a profound influence in our lives. I think it was because of his personal interest in us. He was our friend. We knew that he was always there when we needed him. It was said of him that when Henry Moyle loved you, he loved you through and through.7" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"There were times when it was so cold or stormy and I wanted to stay home and be comfortable, but in my mind’s ear I could hear my little lamb bleating, and I knew I needed to be a good shepherd and go with my senior companion. In all those many years, whenever I have had a desire to shirk my duties, there would come to me a remembrance of how sorry I was that night so many years ago when I had not been a good shepherd. I have not always done everything I should have, but I have tried.10" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"In reflecting on that day years later, he would add, “Instead of thinking you have to do everything perfectly as a leader, you do the best you can. And sometimes when you’re doing the best you can, you find that you can’t do everything as well as you’d like. But people are forgiving of our weaknesses and shortcomings, and they don’t expect us to be perfect, especially when we’re willing to laugh at ourselves and admit we’re human.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"“I cannot succeed as a General Authority if I don’t first succeed as a husband and as a father.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"What impressed me about President Lee, President Kimball, and so many of the other Brethren was that they made me feel like they were not coming to find things wrong; they were coming to help me. I knew what was wrong in my stake—I didn’t need to have somebody come and tell me. What I needed was help, and the manner in which these brethren did their teaching was enveloped in a spirit of confidence and love which I very, very much appreciated at the time and have come to hold in sacred remembrance ever since. And that was true without exception of those great leaders. They had all been in my shoes. They all understood my situation." (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"Lord. I think the role of visiting authorities is to build the Saints up and strengthen them, so I’m grateful to have learned from some of the great leaders of this dispensation, men who set an atmosphere in which you wanted to listen and wanted to learn, rather than creating an adversarial relationship.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"“Dad presented his recommend, which is a special one issued to the General Authorities and looks somewhat different. The gentleman who was checking recommends did not know what it was and told my father he wouldn’t be able to enter the temple. Rather than embarrassing the man by telling him who he was, Dad politely excused himself and we all left.”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"people recognize him and come over to visit with him—whether it bothers him or embarrasses him. He patted my hand and said, ‘It’s just the calling.’”" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
"“He gave Scott just a few words of advice when he was called: ‘Delegate or die.’" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord - The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
I loved reading more about President Faust, including his life, work, political service, and his service as a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Reading this, there can be little doubt of his love for and dedication to the Savior, his family, and the church. Nor is there any doubt regarding the overall goodness of his life.
As the author notes, President Faust did not seek attention and, as a result, insisted on the actual biography being brief. Consequently, I was left wanting more: I very much wish that the author would have been allowed to delve deeper into President Faust’s life and ministry. I know there are myriad stories out there that would have further served to illustrate President Faust’s attributes and personality. But, what is here is still very worthwhile to read and learn about. And as one who admired and respected President Faust a great deal to begin with, reading this book only added to that.
The last half of the book consists of snippets of President Faust’s teachings on numerous topics. This is a solid resource, though I have some quibbles with the lack of context and the specific quotes they used (for example, there are some topics that are rendered somewhat obsolete by recent changes/updates to church policies and teachings). I also would have loved to see more context behind various talks in the biography—I.e., why did President Faust address this particular topic? What were the concerns that motivated him to do/what were his goals behind this talk?
All in all, this is a good book that I really appreciated reading. With a bit more depth in the biography itself, some greater context associated with his teachings, and a bit more care in selecting the specific quotes used, this book would be truly excellent.
As the author notes, President Faust did not seek attention and, as a result, insisted on the actual biography being brief. Consequently, I was left wanting more: I very much wish that the author would have been allowed to delve deeper into President Faust’s life and ministry. I know there are myriad stories out there that would have further served to illustrate President Faust’s attributes and personality. But, what is here is still very worthwhile to read and learn about. And as one who admired and respected President Faust a great deal to begin with, reading this book only added to that.
The last half of the book consists of snippets of President Faust’s teachings on numerous topics. This is a solid resource, though I have some quibbles with the lack of context and the specific quotes they used (for example, there are some topics that are rendered somewhat obsolete by recent changes/updates to church policies and teachings). I also would have loved to see more context behind various talks in the biography—I.e., why did President Faust address this particular topic? What were the concerns that motivated him to do/what were his goals behind this talk?
All in all, this is a good book that I really appreciated reading. With a bit more depth in the biography itself, some greater context associated with his teachings, and a bit more care in selecting the specific quotes used, this book would be truly excellent.
October 17, 2016
I loved learning about President Faust, however the book itself was poorly written.
December 28, 2008
This book has two sections. The first section is a biography of Pres. James Faust's life and the second part shares portions of his talks arranged by topic. The second portion would be a great resource for talks and lessons.
I always enjoyed listening to Pres. Faust at conference time. His warm, kind personality was especially evident to me during the First Presidency Christmas devotionals. I enjoyed getting to know who Pres. Faust was.
It was very interesting to read about his early childhood. He was raised during the depression and because of today's economic turmoil, it was interesting to see how his family survived and how those lessons learned impacted his later life. He was determined to pay off his home as quickly as possible and avoided debt. He was very frugal when it came to his own expenses, keeping the same overcoat for over 15 years until his wife firmly told him he really needed a new one. But, when it came to his family, especially his beloved wife, Ruth, he wanted the best for her. In their later years, they needed a new lamp. One of their adult daughters went shopping for them and called to describe two possible lamps. One was twice the cost of the other and his wife was willing to get the cheaper one. But her husband said, "Now Ruth, we don't buy lamps too often." They purchased the nicer, more expensive lamp.
Pres. Faust's biography covers his mission, military service, local church service, his call to serve as an assistant to the quorum of the twelve, his calling to the quorum of the twelve, and finally serving as second counselor in the First Presidency. Despite his busy schedule, he always reached out to others--whether it was at church meetings or running into people who knew who he was in restaurants, amusement parks, or even a beach in France. He took his three sons on a trip to France. One day as they were walking the beaches of Normandy, "an LDS woman, accompanied by a non-Mormon friend, came up and said, right out of the blue, 'Hello, President Faust.' I didn't have on a white shirt, but she recognized me. Then she said to her friend, 'This is one of our prophets.' and she began to cry. Meeting her that way made me feel very, very, humble." He was also very sensitive to others feelings. After realizing that a young boy had felt slighted by him after a church meeting, Pres. Faust felt so bad that he wrote him a letter of apology.
Pres. Faust firmly believed that he could not successfully serve unless he magnified his eternal calling of husband and father. Throughout the book, it shared how he reached out to his children and grandchildren, making time for them. On one occasion, he arranged time in his busy schedule to go on a double date with a granddaughter and her date.
As I read about his negotiations building the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, working to release two young missionaries held hostage in Russia, and serving faithfully in whatever he was asked to do, I felt like I knew more about this remarkable and humble man. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies.
I always enjoyed listening to Pres. Faust at conference time. His warm, kind personality was especially evident to me during the First Presidency Christmas devotionals. I enjoyed getting to know who Pres. Faust was.
It was very interesting to read about his early childhood. He was raised during the depression and because of today's economic turmoil, it was interesting to see how his family survived and how those lessons learned impacted his later life. He was determined to pay off his home as quickly as possible and avoided debt. He was very frugal when it came to his own expenses, keeping the same overcoat for over 15 years until his wife firmly told him he really needed a new one. But, when it came to his family, especially his beloved wife, Ruth, he wanted the best for her. In their later years, they needed a new lamp. One of their adult daughters went shopping for them and called to describe two possible lamps. One was twice the cost of the other and his wife was willing to get the cheaper one. But her husband said, "Now Ruth, we don't buy lamps too often." They purchased the nicer, more expensive lamp.
Pres. Faust's biography covers his mission, military service, local church service, his call to serve as an assistant to the quorum of the twelve, his calling to the quorum of the twelve, and finally serving as second counselor in the First Presidency. Despite his busy schedule, he always reached out to others--whether it was at church meetings or running into people who knew who he was in restaurants, amusement parks, or even a beach in France. He took his three sons on a trip to France. One day as they were walking the beaches of Normandy, "an LDS woman, accompanied by a non-Mormon friend, came up and said, right out of the blue, 'Hello, President Faust.' I didn't have on a white shirt, but she recognized me. Then she said to her friend, 'This is one of our prophets.' and she began to cry. Meeting her that way made me feel very, very, humble." He was also very sensitive to others feelings. After realizing that a young boy had felt slighted by him after a church meeting, Pres. Faust felt so bad that he wrote him a letter of apology.
Pres. Faust firmly believed that he could not successfully serve unless he magnified his eternal calling of husband and father. Throughout the book, it shared how he reached out to his children and grandchildren, making time for them. On one occasion, he arranged time in his busy schedule to go on a double date with a granddaughter and her date.
As I read about his negotiations building the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, working to release two young missionaries held hostage in Russia, and serving faithfully in whatever he was asked to do, I felt like I knew more about this remarkable and humble man. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies.
February 1, 2008
this book had some wonderful quotes and stories that I took notes on b/c they really inspired me! For example, Pres. Faust told the story of a wealthy and contented farmer named Ali Hafed who was told about diamonds. He decided to sell his farms, took all his money (leaving his family behind) and left to find diamonds. The land that he had sold ended up being the most valuable diamond mines in the history of the ancient world! Pres. Faust's book focusses a lot on how to find happiness, even in adversity. Included in his marital advice was, "In the enriching of marriage, the big things are the little things. They are constant appreciation for each other and the thoughtful demonstration of gratitude. They are the encouraging and helping each other to grow. Marriage is a joint quest for the good, the beautiful, the divine." There are inspiring stories of early pioneers and the ideas that you have to pay a price to become acquanted with God and that it is harder for most of us to live a Christ-like life every day than to "lay down our life". I also loved this quote from the "Emperor's New Clothes" (which I realized I've never seen), "We cannot hide what we are, try as we will. It shines from with in us. We are transparent. When we attempt to deceive, we deceive only ourselves."
March 14, 2008
While the life and teachings of James Faust certainly merit five stars, the author was slightly lacking in his ability to understand and convey the life of an apostle. I do not mean to be critical; he certainly did a better job than I would have. The only way I know this was less than perfect is because I compare it to other biographies, such as A Watchman on the Tower, the biography of Boyd K. Packer.
Still, it's definitely worth reading. Especially poignant for me is the part, right after his marriage, where he has to spend something like 87 days on a boat in the military with no communication to or from his wife. He wrote her a letter every single day, and as soon as he was on land mailed the whole bunch.
Still, it's definitely worth reading. Especially poignant for me is the part, right after his marriage, where he has to spend something like 87 days on a boat in the military with no communication to or from his wife. He wrote her a letter every single day, and as soon as he was on land mailed the whole bunch.
March 30, 2012
This book comes in two sections. The first is biographical, the second is a collection of talks. I didn't like the first part because I felt it was very long winded and don't recall anything that would be interesting of its own accord (without the office of the subject in later life). Contrast that to other biographies of GAs, like Howard W. Hunter or Spencer W. Kimball, who lived full and interesting lives prior to their call to full-time service. I didn't like the second part of the book because I again found little of note. I also don't really agree with some of President Faust's positions on things, which became apparent as I read the second half. I considered reading this book a complete waste of time and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Read
September 10, 2008Another terrific book about a giant of a man. The book is divided into half a biography and half a collection of his teachings on a variety of topics. This unique format helps to give insight into the experiences that shaped who he was, as well as (in the teachings) the substance of what he believed.
From his experiences in World War II, to his mission and subsequent service as a General Authority in Brazil, to his calling as an Apostle and a General Authority, In the Strength of the Lord provides a moving picture of this servant of the Lord.
From his experiences in World War II, to his mission and subsequent service as a General Authority in Brazil, to his calling as an Apostle and a General Authority, In the Strength of the Lord provides a moving picture of this servant of the Lord.
February 13, 2011
This book has a permanent honored place on our shelves. Pres. Faust's life is so inspirational. What a truly great great man. The first part of the book is about Pres. Faust life, the second half is compiled teachings...which are amazing.
I loved this book. I was especially touched with his humility and love for people..and his unwavering firm belief and testimony of the Savior.
I highly recommend this book. Take the time to read it. It is one that I would like to turn around and just re-read again!
I loved this book. I was especially touched with his humility and love for people..and his unwavering firm belief and testimony of the Savior.
I highly recommend this book. Take the time to read it. It is one that I would like to turn around and just re-read again!
April 23, 2014
This book was just OK for me. It got a bit tiresome. He was perfect.. his wife was perfect.. that got really old.. and also the teachings were like the same talks just reiterated. I feel somewhat bad saying this but not so bad I am not going to say it
February 29, 2008
A great life! Half the book is his biography and the other half includes his teachings.
March 11, 2008
He has to be one of the sweetest men that ever walked the earth. Meek.
March 19, 2008
A wonderful biography. One of my favorite things that he says "Just because it's legal doesn't make it right." I loved reading this and learning more about President Faust.
March 26, 2008
I loved this book. It gave me a greater understaning of an amazing man of God.
May 9, 2008
Loved reading about the great example and love story of Pres. Faust and his wife.
Read
May 29, 2008Great book. His compassion and judgment really standout. Great chapters on the BYU Center in Jerusalem.
November 22, 2008
as good as hinckley's bio
May 21, 2009
I read this because President Faust is my husband's great uncle. I wanted to find out more about our heritage. It was a really great book and fun to learn more of this great man's life.
September 25, 2010
I love biographies of outstanding people!
October 11, 2010
One of my favorites!
February 22, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. He was such an amazing person.
January 25, 2013
James E. Faust was one of my favorite speakers and General Authority. This book only solidified his place and I miss hearing him speak.
January 29, 2008
Truly humbling and inspiring book of a quiet, but powerful man of God.
June 11, 2008
Another outstanding leader...these men truly amaze me, and so do their wives!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews