“Steadfast & Immovable” by Jenny Phillips is a different type of album, but in a good way.  There are really only a few songs on the album, but they are available in several languages, male and female arrangements, and even as just accompaniment tracks.  It was interesting feeling the spirit of the music even when not being able to understand the words because of the languages.

The music has a light,spirit-inviting feeling.  The messages in this music is so uplifting.  Some of my favorite tracks include “I Will Never Move” and “Mercies”.  The singers perform these songs very well and clearly convey the feeling of the music.

Jenny Phillips has arranged a beautiful collection of songs that cause one to want to be “Steadfast & Immovable”.  Especially if one understands some of the other languages on this album. I was touched, and feel that it was worth having the English tracks all the same.  I can’t wait to learn some of these songs and sing them!

D. J. Schneck
Akron, Ohio 

I’ve got a confession to make.  I’ve looked at this book several times, both on LDSAudio.com and at the Deseret Book Store, but never picked it up.  I always passed by it for something more immediately interesting and (dare I say it) less doctrinal.  However, I finally took the time to read it and it was amazing. “50 Signs of the Times and the Second Coming” by David Ridges is a well organized, incredibly interesting and thought provoking analysis of selected prophecies found in the standard works.
 
The book is organized in a way that provokes additional thought and personal study.  Each of the prophecies is assigned a category (depending on whether or not they have been fulfilled at this point in time).  Each prophecy is considered for just enough time to support the categorization made by Ridges and answer some basic questions.  It is clear that additional study of the scriptures and doctrine referenced is encouraged.
 
Almost all the text in the book is quoted scripture, either from the standard works or our modern day prophets.  I loved that I didn’t have to take Ridges’ word for any of his conclusions.  The answers are right there in the scriptures.  I am grateful, however, that Ridges took the time to collect the relevant verses into a single book.  I’m not sure I would have found half of them in my lifetime without his help.
 
Finally, I really appreciated the counsel Ridges provides at the beginning and the end of the book.  He encourages the reader to remember that the signs of the times are not given to instill fear or cause panic.  They are designed and carried out by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to prove to the people of the earth that the scriptures are true.
 
The compilation of scripture and modern day revelation coupled with common sense observations about the world in which we live, makes “50 Signs of the Times and the Second Coming”, by David Ridges, an incredibly rich book.  I encourage all my fellow readers, to take a chance and pick this book off the shelf the next time you have the opportunity.  Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.
 
J. Smith

When I was younger, I remember coming downstairs early in the morning during December.  The house was dark and silent and the soft light of the Christmas tree illuminated the stairway just enough to avoid turning on the harsher overhead lights.  The air was permeated with a feeling of reverence as I prepared for the upcoming day.  Our home was different, more peaceful, than any other time of the year.  Now that I’m older, and have a child of my own, I still catch glimpses of those peaceful feelings, but it seems to be more difficult.  The magic of Christmas is slightly shadowed by the reality that preparing for Christmas as a parent is hard work!  There are lights to hang, Christmas parties to attend, gifts to buy and a myriad of other things piled on top of a regularly busy schedule.  And while the work is good and the results are wonderful, I usually find myself in too much of a hurry to stop and let the reverence of my quiet home soak into my soul.  That’s why I love ‘A Marvin Goldstein Christmas’.
 
“A Marvin Goldstein Christmas” by Marvin Goldstein is a great collection of popular Christmas songs that will help bring the Christmas spirit into your home this holiday season.  The album includes both fully orchestrated songs as well as a set of piano solos.  The arrangements are embellished but traditional, making it easy to sing along and recognize the tunes.  I found that playing this album in the background helped me to focus on the reason for the season, instead of all the tasks that needed to be completed.  This beautiful music helped me to slow down and to enjoy the moment.  It has been a great addition to our Christmas music collection.

J. Smith
Maple Valley, Washington

There are angels among us…
 
The gloves come off as the battle between good and evil comes to a head in ‘From the End of Heaven’ volume 5, of Chris Stewart’s saga “The Great and The Terrible”.  Satan is loose upon the earth.  He and his angels are exercising their terrible influence on those who will listen.  Evil men seeking power have seized the government of the United States.  Food and water are scarce, and those with guns rule the streets.  For a moment, it seems as if there is no hope; the light gone from the world.  But even in the darkest times, faith shines through and invokes the power of the light. 
 
With the shock of the initial attack worn off, we get the first glance at what the world looks like, and believe me, it’s not pretty.  Our heros and heroines face the brutal reality of a world of fear, intimidation and mortal danger.  Good and evil clash in battles fought both on the physical and spiritual levels.  Tragedies and miracles take place as the righteous struggle to survive.  Among all the action, however, this story is about faith; faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in each other and faith in ourselves.  Exercising their faith in Jesus Christ through prayer, they are able to send help to those in need and literally save lives.  Through faith in each other they are able to triumph over the evil that attempts to kill them.   Through faith in themselves, they are able to overcome the crushing sense of hopelessness and find the strength to help others do the same.  Through their trials they demonstrate the truth of Jesus’s words in Matthew chapter 17 verse 20:  ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed… nothing shall be impossible for you’.
 
The situations described in this book helped me to remember what a powerful force faith is.  I thoroughly enjoyed this volume of ‘The Great and The Terrible’.  Though it was not as intense as its predecessors, it was rich with character development.  I am very much looking forward to the next volume.  As always, I definitely recommend this series.

J. Smith
Maple Valley, Washington

“All About You” by Kenneth Cope is another success in the Kenneth Cope collection!  Most of the songs are in Kenneth’s traditional style, but a few of them seem a little more upbeat with some modern effects added in.

The songs are very catchy and enjoyable.  Kenneth’s voice just floats along, and is just perfectly blended.  Some of my favorites, “Broken” and “More”, have been previously featured on Especially for Youth Soundtracks.  It is interesting to see how well a song can be focused around one word.  “Where You Are” is probably my favorite overall, with a simple, fun message and melody.

Kenneth Cope has been one of my all-time favorite artists and “All About You” is up to par with my expectations for his music.  He knows how to connect with his warm vocals and thoughtful messages.  Enjoy listening to an amazing album!

D. J. Schneck
Akron, Ohio

“Gabriel’s Well” by Blaine M. Yorgason is a wonderful book!  Brother Yorgason has a great way of telling stories!  This one takes place in 1904, and is just fun to listen too!  I really enjoyed it!  Some of it is predictable, but while that happens in books and movies these days, there are some surprises!  While listening to this book, it seems that one is transported back in time, and is actually watching the events unfold!  I could almost see the ‘dome’ that is talked about in the book!  It was just a lot of fun listening to this book. 

I highly recommend “Gabriel’s Well” by Blaine M. Yorgason.
 
K. Meyer
Castle Rock, Colorado

“The Arthurian Omen” by G. G. Vandagriff is a book on MP3 format from LDSAudio.com. It is a murder mystery that gets ahold of you from the first five minutes, and doesn’t let go until the last chapter.  Although unabridged, which makes the story quite long, I enjoyed all of the story.  It is read by Jane Hughes. 

The story is about a manuscript which Rachel finds out about.  She gets her sister, Merin Southcot, involved in finding it.  As Merin goes to England to meet up with her sister, she arrives at her sister’s apartment only to find that it has been ransacked, and her sister has been murdered.  The manuscript is proof that King Arthur lived, and reveals who he was.  Merin, who worked in law enforcement in the United States, gets involved deeper and deeper as the story tells out.  Previously, her husband was killed, and she has remarried.  She finds out that her new husband isn’t who she thinks he is, and could be involved deeply in the plot. 

“The Arthurian Omen” by G. G. Vandagriff is good listening and a good story line.  I enjoyed listening and couldn’t wait to find out the ending. 

J. Stevenson
Asotin, Washington 

As a society, we are very blessed and sometimes unaware of the underpinnings that support the lifestyles we enjoy.  We expect the lights to turn on, the garbage truck to haul away our waste, and the water to run out of the tap on demand.  We expect food and medical care to be readily available; we expect to have the ability to communicate with others no matter how many miles separate us.  While these are all reasonable expectations in our society, what would happen if suddenly all these amenities (some would call them miracles) were lost?  Would we fall prey to the snares of the adversary in our struggle for survival?  Would we become the people spoken of in D&C 88:91 which says ‘And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all the people.’?  Or would we stand firm in our faith being open to and following the direction of the spirit?  This is just one of the many profound questions explored in “The Great and the Terrible, Vol. 4, The Fury and the Light” by Chris Stewart.
 
The sign of any great book, fictional or not, is it’s ability to inspire the reader to take action.  Well folks, I’ve been inspired.  Without giving too much of the story away, I want to share with you the inspiration the story had for me.  First, its a great read; so good it only took me 5 days to listen to all 6.5 hours.  Second, it has renewed my committment to food storage and personal preparedness.  A pragmatist at heart with a limited budget, I previously had trouble understanding the need for such a robust food storage and personal preparedness requirement.  However, the scenarios described in the book opened my eyes and reminded me just how fragile our society actually is.  Third, it has reinforced my gratitude and respect for the power of the Priesthood.  There a poignant scene in the story where the power of the Priesthood is used to perform a mighty miracle.  A miracle in our day; and a miracle that modern medicine could not provide.  Finally, it reminded me of our Savior Jesus Christ, and how he will be there for me no matter what, even when all the lights go out.

“The Great and the Terrible, Vol. 4, The Fury and the Light” by Chris Stewart is part of a very interesting saga.  I really recommend it.  It’s a great read.

J. Smith
Maple Valley, WA
 

“Men of Valor: The Powerful Impact of a Righteous Man” by Robert L. Millet proves to be defining in text and rich in thought for Latter-day Saints, the average person, or anyone interested in finding reasons to live a meaningful life while on this earthly plane.

 As children we sometimes find ourselves surrounded by tough decisions and wonder about “growing up”.  Soon we find ourselves as eager “teenagers”, wanting to hurry the process to take advantage of the whims of what we think adults enjoy.   We want jobs to have things we think are “cool”, girlfriends or boyfriends, money to spend on stuff we want , hours to call our own, or no curfew.  All these things sound like something we can handle, and we can’t wait to become ADULTS.    We may even find ourselves serving a mission, getting married, getting an education at a college or university and entering the employment field as young adults before we ask the question, ” What kind of adult do I want to be?”

The author expresses the world wide response that all young human beings have who have entered this part of their lives.  “I can do it myself” is the universal attitude of youth, which at some point must change to acknowledgement that we need God’s help, and this comes by way of humility.

As we experience stress, struggles, challenges and traumas, we search for peace and hope for it to prevail. Only as we become well acquainted with the Savior and come to know that God will attend to all evil, then we conclude to submit to the Father in Heaven who Loves us, and commit to do as He sees fit.

When we finally take upon us this mantle to “Follow the Savior”, we become part of the peculiar people called from darkness to the light, and are called to serve contrary to the world. We should not surrender to the special interests of the world, but be true to the covenants we take upon ourselves. We then become different and are a part of a royal lineage as the scriptures tell us in 1 Peter 2:9, where we become part of a “Peculiar Nation”, lead by a different source, because the worth of a soul is great.  As we become enlisted in this cause, which comes through repentance, we also become ministers to the world’s inhabitants, and we must emulate a Christ-like attitude in our acts and other matters. As enlistees in this royal army, we must cherish the word of God, use constraint to master the spirit within us through reverence, never profane the sacred name of God, perform sacred ordinances, and be loyal to the covenants we take upon ourselves.

As we strive to live the life as Latter-day Saints of God, our word must be our bond.  Brother Millet reminds us  that we as Latter-day Saints do not have a monopoly on goodness. There are all around us noble men and women, not of our faith who live their convictions in high regard, and through their selflessness show honor and glory to God through their acts and conduct.

All who wish to become  men or women of valor should and must place the needs of others above their own. We must follow the Savior by helping Him to battle for souls, as we strive to live a Christ-like life which leads us to divine service and a mature spirit. 

” Men of Valor: The Powerful Impact of a Righteous Man” by Robert L. Millet stirs my being to better understand the sacred responsibilities I have undertaken by enlisting in His Royal Army, and helps me to search out my goals to accomplish God’s purpose.

D. Baxter
Nephi, Utah

For those who haven’t read volumes 1 & 2, the story starts in the pre-existence and describes the war in heaven from the perspective of four characters (our main characters).  It continues as each of the main characters come to earth during the last days. These spirits are some of Heavenly Father’s strongest children, and each has been sent to earth during the last days to complete a special work.  From Iraq to Washington DC, we follow them as they work to keep their faith in a very dangerous world. In “The Great and the Terrible, Vol. 3:  The Second Sun” by Chris Stewart, the adversary’s plan is revealed, and the first blow of the final battle is dealt.

Power. That’s what this book is about. Who has it, who wants it, and what some are willing to do to get it. This is an eye opening story of the disintegration of stability in the world.  Relatable characters, international intrigue, and a plot to destroy the world, led by Lucifer himself, make The Second Sun hard to put down.  The overriding theme of power struck me about halfway through this book (leave it to me to take 2 1/2 books in the series to finally pick up on one of the major themes).  The desire for power, or in other words the desire to have our will supercede the will of our Heavenly Father, and its destructive capacity can be traced all the way back to the pre-mortal life, where Lucifer sought to have power over all Heavenly Father’s children.  Over one third of our spirit brothers and sisters were lost as a result.  On earth, the story has been repeated many times over.  In the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites sought to rule over the Nephites, killing thousands on both sides.  In recent world history, evil dictators have sought to rule over many through war and the expansion of communist governments.  In this book the theme continues, as the second son of a Saudi King seeks for power, and in his lust, sets in motion a chain of events that could destroy the world.

“The Great and the Terrible, Volume 3: The Second Sun” by Chris Stewart has reminded me that there are two sides to this struggle, that I have the power to choose which way I will go, and that Jesus loved each of us enough to die to give us this opportunity – the opportunity to live, to love and to choose what we want to become.

J. Smith
Maple Valley, Washington