A New Book

I recently purchased a book from Deseret Book for my iPad.  They advertised a new book written by the author of The Peacemaker.  I loved that book, and his other book The Holy Secret so I decided to get this one as well, and I haven't been disappointed. 

 Falling To Heaven has given voice to some things I have been thinking of for some time.  He talks about look down in order to look up, similar to President Monson's talk about looking up to get answers.  However, Brother Ferrell stresses that we much humble ourselves and look down, in the manner of praying, in order to see where we should be heading.  The introduction talks about how people tell us we should be happy with ourselves, but in reality, Jesus taught us to love others and forget about our self.  When the world tells us to stop being so hard on ourselves, to look at our strengths, Jesus says that He will show us our weakness.  And then our job is to make that weakness our strength. 

He then goes on to explain about the Truth in Contradiction.  Like in walking, we move forward because we push backward.  A good basketball rebounder doesn't move toward the basket, but away from it. For a golfer to hit the ball hard it sometimes helps to swing easy; to hit the ball high, swing down.  The scriptures say "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall fine it."  In Lehi's dream of the Tree of Life, the one thing that one group of people did when they tasted of the fruit, having held to the rod of iron,....."they came forth and fell down and partook oft he fruit of the tree."  They didn't reach up to get the fruit, they fell down.  They became humble and fell to the ground. The Zoramites raised themselves up on the Rameumptom (what a word!), thinking they would be closer to Christ, they were better than the poor souls around them.  They even prayed that they were thankful for how good they were!  They felt so good about what they were doing, how righteous they were.  But the Lord made it clear that this was not a good thing. 
 
In the next chapters he talks about how being down isn't always good, either.....Herein lies the Great Paradox.  How do we find the balance between down and up?  We shouldn't look down on others and say we are up ourselves.  We can't look up at others and say we are down on ourselves.  We have to realize that we are focusing on the Savior, seeing our weaknesses, and working to make them our strengths, and realize that the Savior is the one who will help us in all ways. 

I love the titles of the chapters:  The False Doctrine of Up; The False Burden of Down;Unacceptable and Acceptable Sins (Do you mean some sin is acceptable? No, but some people think so, or in other words, think their actions and words are acceptable when in realize they are sins.)  Superiority by Association (Don't we all know people who think if they associate with certain people they will become superior themselves, or they can now associate with certain people because they have reached a certain place in their lives where they are 'as good as them', leaving the rest of their associates behind in the dust?)

All these types of 'upness' are discussed throughout the book, with the emphasis on learning to overcome this in our own selves, or learning how to recognize it in others and therefore learn not to get 'down' on others who we see suffering from this upness.  While at the same time not thinking we are better because we don't have the upness because if we think we don't and that others do, we make ourselves better, again.  The Great Paradox.

Right now I am reading about how we sometimes withhold forgiveness at our own peril.  This goes along with my mantra  "Eternity depends on how we view those who mistreat us."  If we say we forgive someone but refuse to have any association with them (thinking of family, loved ones, workers, friends, etc.) we our self need to repent.  As Bro. Ferrell says "We are unwilling to pay the purchase price of forgiveness and are using it instead as a crass currency of exchange."  "Any withholding of love is itself a sin.  So to have held it back on account of what another has done is itself an act for which we must repent.  .......when I as the harmed party respond to this request by giving up my resentment and my grudge, what I am doing is repenting--repenting of my failing to love.  Forgiveness is simply the word we use to describe this kind of repentance....This is the most crucial type of repentance of all.   "  He talks about how the Lord's example of prayer, known as the Lord's Prayer, has only one item that has a condition...""Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  And right after Christ closed his prayer he taught "your heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

 If we withhold our love, our association, our friendship, or our family ties from others because of their sins, we have not truly forgiven.  We may say we have forgiven them, and we probably have, but we need to forgive ourselves for withholding that love that Christ says we must show for everyone.

Why do I gravitate to books that force me to look at myself and see where I need to forgive?  I know it is because I hold some strong feelings toward others and need to let them go so I can become a better person.  My book is striped with highlighted comments, which is wonderful because then I can go back and read what I have been thinking about.  I love the interactive scriptures as well because I can then mark in my scriptures the verses that are brought to life. 

I am anxious to read Bro. Bednar's book "Increase in Learning".  I am so thankful that the church leaders feel the need to write books to help us.  Reading their words and looking up the scriptures they use to bring out their points, helps me in my scripture study.  I love reading the scriptures, but reading them in context with the words of the apostles and other people who teach through the scriptures helps me see ways I can apply the scriptures in my life.  I get so much 'pondering' done when I read books along with the scriptures, and then write about my thoughts. 

If you are looking for a good book, I suggest "Falling to Heaven: The Surprising Path to Happiness" by James Ferrell.