LDS Women's Book Review

Howdy Kids!

I am pleased to be reviewing one of my favorite authors Merrilee Boyack's, new book , "In Trying Times, Just Keep Trying". I bought this one sight unseen! I broke my cardinal rule of beg or borrow firstJ I have to say that it was a wise choice to go ahead and purchase.

Many of us go through life looking at others and what they have or don't have and think about how unfair life is. When in reality, we each have trials tailor made for us by Heavenly Father, and some that come as a result of our choices. But either way, no one is exempt from life's challenges. Merrilee talks about her own personal battles with cancer, being relief society president, political issues, trying to sell their home, and job loss- all at once! I complain about my problems, but reading ( she doesn't expound too heavily ) about hers, was only proof that we all have our problems and that they are each different. She says it is "useless to compare our trials with others. For each of us, the things we are facing right now are real and significant. Comparing them to others neither makes our trials bigger nor smaller than they really are. Each of us has our own customized testing plan, designed to prove us and reveal to us what we're made of. I love how she also talks not only of the nature of our tests, but of the timing of them as well. Sometimes we forget that part of our tests include dealing with the timing of them as well.

She talks about our choices, whether or not we be true and faithful to our covenants or we just blame everyone else and live a bitter and angry life. She quotes Elder Neil A. Maxwell who states, "We cannot expect to live in a time when men's hearts will fail them, except the faithful experience a few fibrillations themselves. We won't be entirely immune from feelings that go with these fibrillations. "

Because of Jesus Christ, we are able to lay our burdens down on the feet of Christ. Merrilee says "I believe that God will allow us to have more than we can bear because it is often only when we are pushed to our limits – or beyond – that we surrender ourselves to God.

The book continues by addressing each chapter as a choice we can make. Choices like being positive, learning and growing from our trials, and nourishing our bodies and souls. She has daily affirmations that she mentions, like "each day I choose to be obedient and to repent of anything that doesn't lead me to the Savior" and "each day I seek after light. I choose light over darkness. That choice guides all my decisions".

I think that this book was well worth buying and I loved it- absolutely loved it.

Until next week!

Hillary