I Will Lead You Along, The Life of Henry B. Eyring {Deseret Book Review}

Henry Bennion Eyring was born on May 31, 1933, in Princeton, New Jersey, bearing the first name of his father, who was fast building a reputation as a brilliant scientist, and the family name of his mother, who didn't care for the name "Henry" and insisted that he be called Hal. 

In 1970, Hal received an impression to make a daily record of his activities. Years of journals form the backbone of this personal biography, a candid look at his walk through life with his beloved companion, Kathy. "The journal shows how a good-but-imperfect man works each day to win divine approval," write the authors, and this window into his past provides unforgettable insights about the man the Lord has shaped him to become.Readers will love these richly designed pages, filled with photographs, sketches from the pen of President Eyring himself, and scores of entries straight from his journals woven into an engaging depiction of his life's journey. 

President Henry B. Eyring's professional, academic, and personal experiences have all combined to make him uniquely qualified for his responsibilities as a member of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His life story vividly demonstrates the power of the Lord and the example set by one who strives to follow His commands.

I didn't know much about Henry B. Eyring, other than the obvious, that he is the First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Watching him speak at General Conference this year I realize that, since he isn't one of my "favorite" speakers, I have, sadly, not paid much attention to his talks.  I realized that I didn't know a thing about him.  So, since I was pretty clueless I was excited to read this book about his life and after spending days in its pages I feel like I've gotten to know President Eyring a lot better!

Here are some fun things that I learned about him:
He was already balding when he got married.
He is incredibly smart, I'm not joking when I say he is pretty much a rocket scientist.
He can draw/sketch and watercolor paint really, really well.  
He is the nephew of the late Spencer W. Kimball.
He went by the nickname "Hal" because his mother disliked the name Henry.
He served 2 years in the Air Force.
He was president of Ricks College (now BYU Idaho).
He has kept a journal his whole life!

The layout of this book is really interesting, not what I expected.  Each chapter focuses on a different part of President Eyrings life, punctuated with his own Journal entries and and his sketches throughout!   Since the 1970s he included these little sketches in his journal entries.  He said, "My sketches are not lovely, but the work is interesting to my family."  I think they are great!  At the end of the year he takes his journal, photocopies it, and gives it to his family members.  Isn't that a wonderful idea?  

There are also just tons of pictures in this book!

I have loved reading about Henry B. Eyring.
This book is not small, it is a heavy volume measuring 6 1/2" by 9" and has 560 pages!  It has taken me a while to get through it, but it is worth the time.

You can purchase a copy at DeseretBook.com for $29.69 in hardcover or as a Bookshelf eBook for $15.99.  Deseret also offers the eBook and Hardback as a combo for $34.68.

Don't forget the Bookshelf eBook app is completely free and available for both iPhone and Android devices.

Disclaimer:  Thank you to Deseret Book who provided me with a copy of I Will Lead You Along free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my very own...

My Little Pony, Party of One {Mosaic Review}

Finding apps that are appropriate for younger kids is tough.  A lot of the apps that are free flash enticing buttons that want you to buy something.  Not to mention the free apps are "lite" and there is not much there.  The down side of paying apps?  You have to pay for them…before you try them.  What if you don't like it?  You have to rely pretty heavily on reviews to try to figure out if that app is worth purchasing.  Well, here is one less app that you have to wonder about!  I got the privilege of reviewing a fun app from PlayDate Digital called My Little Pony, Party of One.

This app takes your child on an adventure with all her favorite pony friends!   Pinkie Pie throws the best parties, but when she is ready to throw a party for her friends she finds that they are all too busy!  What is going on?  Frustrated Pinkie Pie tries to figure out why they are all too busy for her.   Eventually, Pinkie Pie convinces herself she doesn't need to have a party with her friends when she can have a "party of one."  Luckily Pinkie Pie's friends, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Apple Jack, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle step in at the last minute and show her just how much they care!

This app is a fun interactive storybook that is designed for preschoolers.  It is easy to use and takes you through 17 screens.  When something is "highlighted" it can be animated and the child needs only to tap the highlighted character to bring each pony to life.  The voice of Pinkie Pie is the original voice-actress from the TV series.  New words are in purple and upon tapped will be repeated.

Here is a sneak peak at what this app is all about:



Some learning goals of this app include:  helping children understand feelings about friendship, tension and misunderstandings.  Learning new vocabulary words.  Seeing things from another perspective.  Developing empathy.  Effective communication and much more!

A behind-the-scenes parent portal lets you see how your child is progressing by showing what purple words they tapped and what screen they are on.  It also allows you to reset the story app so you can track another child, or track your child a 2nd time.  Links to other recommended apps, the Play Date Digital website, contact information and Facebook page are also found in the parent portal.

This app is perfect for my almost-4-year-old to navigate independently.  She really had a lot of fun going through the pages.  She would hit the same character over and over again and just giggle!

This app is a lot of fun and my both my girls really enjoyed it.  The only thing that would make this app better would be to define the highlighted words in purple when you tapped on them.  Right now it repeats the word for you, but it doesn't tell you what it means. It seemed like a good place then to define these unfamiliar words would be in the word "roundup," but it uses words like "box, hat, apple, etc."

My Little Pony, Party of One is available for both iPhone and iPad for the low price of $2.99!

Many of my Mosaic Teammates also reviewed this app!

To see their thoughts check out the linky on Mosaics.com

12 Gifts of Christ {Deseret Book Review}

Christmas is a time for celebrating the birth of Christ and a time for giving. In the middle of this busy season, it is easy to forget the very reason why we celebrate. The first Christmas began with gifts of light and gold. This Christmas, ask: What gifts can I give to Him? 

In 12 Gifts for Christ, author Merrilee Boyack suggests ways we can give to the Savior, including having gratitude, sharing through service, and loving others. With examples of these gifts shared through personal stories, scriptures, activities, and family home evening lessons, she suggests presenting those gifts to Christ in letters placed in stockings or brightly wrapped boxes. Following the ideas of this book will truly add joy to the spirit in our hearts and homes during Christmas!

I reallllly love Christmas.  I do!  But the downside of this time of year is that everything becomes self centered.  "I want this or that for Christmas!"  "What will I get for Christmas?"  I notice that it started frustrating me last year and this year is no different.  I have been looking for an Advent type book that I could use with the girls and I think this is going to fit the bill nicely!

12 Gifts of Christ is a wonderful little book that really offers opportunities to get into the spirit of the Christmas season.  Instead of worrying about gifts for our friends - the 12 gifts are gifts that we can give  our best friend, the Savior, this time of year.

The 12 Gifts are:  Personal knowledge, gratitude, remembrance, repentance, obedience, emulation, charity, forgiveness, faithfulness, love, healing balm, and joy.  Each chapter focuses on the different gifts with a couple of introductory pages.  The best part, is that each chapter has several activities to do with your family…   Recommendations for personal scripture study, Family Devotionals, Family Home Evening ideas (including song, story, games and activities), and a "Just for Christmas!" activity that correlates the topic with the Christmas season if you are studying in December.

This is a small book measuring 5" by 7" and 112 pages.  If you are interested in doing this project with your family you could easily spend (in my opinion) up to 12 weeks working through it!  It would make a great Christmas gift to celebrate the season all year long or as an intensive study of Christlike qualities all through holidays.  Merrilee Boyack has an easy to read and understand writing style that makes this book a perfect fit for families at any stage of life.

Want your own copy?
12 Gifts of Christ currently retails at DeseretBook.com for $11.99 in paperback.  Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer:  Thank you so much to Deseret Book for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Name Used to be Muhammad {Deseret Book Review}

Tito Momen was raised Muhammad Momen. Born in Nigeria, he was taught to observe the strict teachings of Islam. 

Beginning at age five, he woke at 4:45 every morning to attend the mosque and perform dawn prayer with the other men in his village. At age six, he began memorizing the Qur'an by copying the entire book word for word. He was preparing to become a cleric capable of leading a jihad, or holy struggle, to convert nonbelievers to Islam.But Tito's path took an unexpected turn when he was introduced to Christianity. His decision to believe in Jesus Christ cost him his family and his freedom. Sentenced to prison, Tito expected to spend his remaining days enduring a life sentence in an uncivilized Egyptian prison. For fifteen years, he suffered and waited and prayed. "I never gave up hope," Tito says. "I never stopped believing." 

Although he was falsely imprisoned, beaten, and ridiculed, Tito's remarkable true story is one of faith and forgiveness, as well as a witness that God does hear and answer prayers.

Because he was his fathers favorite son, when Muhammad Momen was a little boy he was groomed to become an "imam" or a holy leader in his community.  This required much sacrifice and dedication, even memorizing the Qur'an by copying it diligently, verse by verse.  Muhammad wanted very much to please his father and as a teen was thrilled to be accepted into a prestigious Islamic private school.   He was disillusioned however when he arrived at the school to discover it wasn't so much an institute of higher learning as it was a place to indoctrinate and brainwash young male teens to follow the teachings of extreme Islam.  The teachers were very abusive going so far as to beat students who asked questions that were contrary to Islamic teachings.  Muhammad stands up for himself and his friends eventually finding himself expelled from 2 schools, hurting his fiancee Aaban by cheating on her, drinking alcohol, and smoking.  

As he falls further and further away from Islam he finds himself falling closer to Christ.  He attends church with a friend and discovers the healing love and acceptance of Christianity when he attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cairo.  Eventually seizing the opportunity to be baptized, Muhammad changes his name to Tito (the Italian version of Titus) and embraces the gospel tightly.  This dedication to Christ eventually leads to imprisonment where he was given a life sentence...

Never giving up hope and never giving up on his faith, Tito tells his story of life as a child of extreme Islam, his conversion to Christianity and paying the price for his dedication to God by serving 15 years in terrifying conditions.  A prisoner in a corrupt system of government.

All I can say about this book is wow.  It really brings to life what it is like to be a child of Islam.  How they live day to day.  And why they do what they do.  What is expected of them.  This book is eye-opening, educational, faith promoting, and heart wrenching all rolled into one.  Once I started this book, I could NOT put it down.  I needed to know what happened to Tito Momen.  This man is courageous.  I would love to meet him.  Wow.  I mean.  WOW.  

Some people did get to meet him at the Deseret Book flagship store in downtown Salt Lake City.  

Check this out:

An emotional reunion just happened as the man that baptized Tito Momen & his wife showed up for Tito's book signing tonight. Brother & Sister Whatcott last saw Tito in 1989 in Cairo just before Tito was incarcerated for 15 years & were surprised to pick up a copy of @ldsliving to discover what happened. Wow! #lds#missionarywork #hastenthework #mormon

I pulled this picture off of Deseret Books Facebook page.  Isn't it breath taking?  Look at his face.  I want to cry just seeing his expression!

You will want to read this book.  It is amazing.

Currently My Name Used to be Muhammad by Jeff Benedict and Tito Momen retails on DeseretBook.com as a hardcover for $19.79 or as a Bookshelf eBook for $14.99.

Disclaimer:  I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my very own.  Thank you so much Deseret Book!

The First Christmas Night {FlyBy Review and Giveaway!}

’Twas the very first Christmas when all through the town

not a creature was stirring—there was not a sound.

The moon shining bright in the heavens so high

gave the look of midday to the Bethlehem sky.

The animals were nestled in warm, cozy places

with looks of contentment on each of their faces.

The First Christmas Night is a beautiful retelling of the birth of Jesus on that joyous night in Bethlehem so long ago. The poem begins with the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and winds though Christ’s birth, the angels’ appearance to the shepherds, and the visit by the Wise Men.  The simple, yet elegant, verses will appeal to little ones and are accompanied by the rich acrylic illustrations of Christine Kornacki.
Keith Christopher is a composer, arranger, orchestrator, and educator, and he has served as editor and producer for several major music publishers. In addition to writing and studio producing, Keith is on the faculty at the Blair School of Music of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife and two children.

The First Christmas Night tells the story of the birth of Jesus from Mary and Joseph's arrival in the stable to the visit of the wise men.  This is probably the single, most beautifully illustrated Christmas book I have ever seen!  Absolutely gorgeous pictures!  

The writing is written in "The Night Before Chrismtas" style, rhythmic and simple but beautiful.    While this book is recommended for kids ages 4-8 I think it is very appropriate for kids of all ages.  It a 32 page hardback with a dust jacket.   The final page of the book shares the story of Christ birth from the Bible.

This book would be a welcome addition to anyone's library!  Perfect for helping your family get into the Christmas spirit!  

You can get more info about the book here:

Ideals Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdealsBooks 

Buy! Ideals Website: http://www.idealsbooks.com/First-Christmas-Night-Keith-Christopher/dp/0824956532

I'm totally excited that I get an opportunity to giveaway a copy of this book to one of my readers!  This is a book that is not to be missed!  Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful Christmas!

Disclaimer: “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention iton my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordancewith the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”