A Beginner's Guide to Talmage {Deseret Book Review}

Do you wish you could read (and understand) the writings of James E. Talmage?

When I told my husband I would be reviewing a book about the writings of James E. Talmage he just told me "Wow, good luck with that."  I'm not gonna lie...Talmage can be hard to read!  The man was incredibly smart and his writing can often be one step ahead of my reading level!  But--I've always wanted to read Talmage.  I've tried, unsuccessfully in the past, to get through Jesus the Christ but, I've just never made it.

Now, check out this new book from Deseret Book!  It is called A Beginner's Guide to Talmage by Calvin R. Stephens.

Instead of Talmage's full books this handy guide is made up of excerpts from his writings arranged topically.   With an introduction giving the reader some info behind the writings of Talmage and a great Life Sketch section that gives you some interesting historical data behind the man himself this new book has a common sense approach to reading Talmage.

Sections/chapters are:
1.  The Plan of Salvation
2.  The Godhead
3.  Jesus the Christ
4.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ
5.  Mortal Probation
6.  Satan is an enemy to God and Man
7.  The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times
8.  Church Government
9.  Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel
10.  Missionary Work
11.  Scriptures
12.  Responsibility of the Covenant People

Each chapter has pulled references from the Articles of Faith, Conference Reports, The Great Apostasy, The House of the Lord, Jesus the Christ, The Parables of James E. Talmage, The Story and Philosphy of Mormonism, and The Vitality of Mormonism. 

Each reference gives a subject heading to help the beginner like me have a better idea of what subject in that section I am reading about.  Voila!

The actual writings of Talmage have not been diluted in any way...the book has just been rearranged to allow for easier study!

Do you want to study the writings of James E. Talmage too?  It's easy to get your own copy!

A Beginner's Guide to Talmage retails for $13.49 as a paperback or $11.99 as a Bookshelf eBook on DeseretBook.com.

Disclaimer:  A hearty THANK YOU to Deseret Book for proving a copy of A Beginner's Guide to Talmage free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed herein are my own.  

A First Look at our New House...

Here is a 1st look at our new house.

 The walls were painted a very, very, yucky brown color. 

 Kayley's mural.

 

 This deer came with the house.  He is starting to grown on me.  LOL.

The house is pretty small and we will have to have a massive garage sale in order to downsize but I'm pretty excited about it.  We discovered that whoever lived here before us (renters!) had a dog that completely TORE up the panty.   They obviously locked the poor Pooch up in there.  Holes in the walls that that been very poorly patched, chew marks on the door, pee stains on the walls, etc.   I didn't do as well taking some "before" pictures so we could see the "after" but hopefully when we get a little more moved in I can post more pictures! 

The Classical Historian History Game {Mosaic Review}

Ever since we took the plunge and decided to try a year of Classical Conversations I have been in intrigued by the Classical Method of homeschooling.  We have enjoyed focusing on memorizing our "hook dates," events, math and Latin tables.  I'm shocked at what Kayley has learned this last year.  (Maggie too!)   So, we had this chance to review a Medieval History Memory Game from The Classical Historian and we are totally loving it! 

The company The Classical Historian was founded by John and Zdenka De Gree.  John realized there was a great need to help children think independently and critically after serving in the public school system for many years.  Zdenka realized fun games that taught history didn't seem to exist.   Thus The Classical Historian was born.  Their products " promote independent and critical thinking through open and thoughtful discussion of history...[and] teaches through games and creative curriculum."   You can read more about the De Gree family on their About Us page.

We had a lot of fun playing the Medieval History Memory game.  It is recommended for ages 3+ and even Maggie (with a little help) was able to get several matches.  The cards are colorful and super sturdy.  Played traditionally, like Memory - the person with the most pairs wins the game.  Each game card features a famous person, place, monument, artifact, event, or symbol.  As the child makes the pairs it reinforces what they have already learned or encourages them to explore and discover what that card is all about.

  

You can also play this game in Categories to learn geography and association skills.  Place the 4 Category tiles at the top and then place all the other tiles under the appropriate category.  (This was a little too advanced for us)

Like I mentioned earlier we just completed our first cycle (Ancient History) of Classical Conversations.  We are moving into Medieval History this year and this game will compliment our studies PERFECTLY solidifying those "hook dates" in our brains!

The Medieval History Memory game retails for $14.95 at ClassicalHistorian.com.    

Thank you Classical Historian for letting my family enjoy such a fun product!!  Don't miss it, Classical Historian also offers a ton of other products for all ages including a complete history curriculum.

What we've been up to...

Well!  We are still waiting...waiting...waiting on our new house to close.  It looks like 3 more weeks...  But, in the meantime we've been doing just fine.  We have been blessed to stay with some friends who have a 2nd home on their property.  While the young family that lives in this house is traveling we are fortunate enough to house sit once more.  Trust me it is NOT a hardship.  It is beautiful out here...

 The house is small and cozy.  It was once a dairy barn that has been remodeled inside.  Maggie calls it the "barn house" and we all love it and wish we could stay here forever.  ;)  It has been like a vacation!  There is so much to see, do and enjoy out here...  The weather has been perfect.

There is a slide and a swing.  

(Could those skinny little legs be any cuter?  

Bruised shins, mud, bandaids...

the girls have been playing hard and having a blast!)

 

 

The girls have had a chance to get up to their elbows in the creek playing with tadpoles.  We've seen all kinds of strange bugs, a snake, lizard and a turtle.

 

 

 While we are a little ready for our own space we are not in too much of a hurry.  We are having a nice break from regular life and enjoying a month of fun.  Everything is still going smoothly!  The girls have both had a month off from homeschool but they I know they are learning a ton through play.

The worst part of all this is having very little internet access.  We run "hot spots" on our phones to get online which...will probably cost a small fortune when my hubby finds out how much I've been using it.  LOL. 

We've got some fun things lined up over the next 3 weeks to keep us pretty busy and I'll be back hopefully posting some pictures later of our activities.  I hope your summer is off to a great start!  Thanks for stopping by...

21 Principles: Divine Truths to Help You Live by the Spirit {Deseret Book Review and GIVEAWAY!}

“As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles,” counsels Elder Richard G. Scott. “Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances.”

In this exciting book, Elder Scott offers 21 principles distilled from his life experiences. These “concentrated truths” will help you understand more fully how to be guided by the Spirit. Elder Scott's brief explanations open the way for your own discovery and exploration.

“I bear witness that Jesus Christ knows you personally,” Elder Scott writes. “He will provide answers to every difficult problem in your life as you trust Him and do all you can to understand and apply His doctrine and strive to live by the Spirit.” 21 Principles will be a valuable tool in that quest.

As we seek for spiritual knowledge and growth we are searching for principles to guide us alone our way.  Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles calls these principles "concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances.  A true principle makes decisions clear even under the most confusing and challenging circumstances."  Elder Scott has put forth tremendous effort to gather all of the principles he has learned and provide them for our personal study... He continues, "Principles are anchors of safety...They will help you have confidence in new and unfamiliar circumstances.  They will provide you protection in life's storms of adversity."  We can reach worthy goals and objectives when we stick closely to correct principles and this book can provide a starting point in your personal scripture study!  There are, obviously, 21 Principles of study each with scriptural truth, historical background, personal stories, and how to follow this principle in todays world.  One of the best parts?  Each chapter ends with a real awesome "you can do this" pep talk!  Not to be missed:  The Conclusion.  It is Elder Scott's testimony - don't skip this part!  It is humbling and motivating.

I enjoyed Elder Scott's book immensely and I think you will too!  Read it as a novel...or read it as a topical scripture study.  This book is a valuable source of spiritual learning.  21 Principles currently retails as a hardback at Deseret Book for $15.29 and as a Bookshelf eBook for $9.99.  You can also get the combo for $20.28.

Don't forget you can download the Bookshelf App completely free (and get several free eBooks to get you started!)

I had the thought that this might make an excellent Father's Day Gift!  Just saying...  ;)

Now!  Thanks to Deseret Book, I get an opportunity to giveaway a 2nd copy to a lucky reader!  To enter, leave a comment below.  Don't forget to leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win!  Good luck!  Entries close at midnight, May 31st.  I will draw the winners name using random.org.