A Perfect Brightness of Hope by Anita R Canfield (5)

The Prophet Nephi once wrote of life's jounery, "Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20)

But how many of us have the hope Nephi described, the powerful, expectant hope that enables us to "press forward" to the end? In A Perfect Brightness of Hope, Sister Canfield explains the power of hope in Christ, which can help us overcome all obstacles on the path of life. Hope, she notes, is a spiritual gift that comes from God through obedience, sacrifice, service, love, and studing the scriptures. We can pray with hope, even in the face of what seems hopeless, and the Lord will cause miracles to occur of us, our families, and others.

This is a book which I picked up a while back on my mission. I found it in the bargin bin and it is one of my favourite books which know matter how many times I have read it ( and it has been a few ) always amazes me. I loved it that much that I went and purchased a further 10 copies and gave them to people ...

I love the easy style of Anita's writing ... It is effortless, REAL and engaging ... It brings home that when you think you have no control over situtions and how to change them ... That you do have options open to you !!! .... And you don't have to face them alone ....

I have so many favourite quotes from this book .... And if you have ever seen my book it is one of the rare times that it is dog eared, comments written in the margins and highlighter throughout !!

"The Lord does not require us to be perfect in his covenants and commandments in this life. He doesn't require that we understand them all. He doesn't even require that we agree with him. What he requires from us is that we give him our hearts -and are willing - desire - to be obedient"

"Whether we are fighting hopelessness and faithlessness because of adversity, or personal weakness, or because others have abused their agency, we have the power to use our own agency to "press forward". Turning a glimmer of hope into a perfect brightness requires a lifetime of pressing forward. And that will, at times, take great courage."

"The temples that dot the earth today are witnesses of faith, hope and charity. Entering the temple is like opening the gate to eternity. For a short time, within those walls, we are in the foyer of our celestial home. What hope awaits us on that threhold!"

"True freedom is a power within. No outward force can destroy it unless we allow it to. It won't happen if we press forward. Whether in a Nazi concentration camp, on the the side of a mountain, in a hospital bed in a cancer clinic, or on the wrong end of a flogging, we have the power to press forward toward a more perfect brightness of hope"

I could go on and on with quotes ... But the bottom line is I loved this book and will continue to re-read it often ...

I rate this book 5*****