Special Guest Authors!

We are fortunate to have President Top and his wife Wendy visit our book group this month.

This husband and wife

were high school sweethearts,

have four children and thirteen? grandchildren,

served in the Peoria Illinois Mission together,

and co-authored some books:

Glimpses Beyond Death's Doors: Gospel Insights Into Near-Death Experiences [here] and [here].

Steven Kapp Perry interviews them about Glimpses [here].

Finding God in the Garden: Planting, Pruning and the Plan of Happiness [here] and [here].

Finding Inward Stillness [here] and [here].

That elusive feeling of self-worth and inner peace came not from what we could do, but from what the Lord can do with us. Many well-meaning Latter-day Saints live the gospel under very strict, self-imposed guidelines. In truth, we are often unreasonably harsh taskmasters when compared to the gentle, kind, loving and tender ways of the Lord. Learn to partake of the inward stillness that only comes by living the gospel according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Explore the difference between practicing the gospel of Jesus Christ vs. many of its popular interpretations and accompanying pressures.

They will be discussing two of their books, Finding Inward Stillness and When You Can't Do It Alone, a book President Top wrote about his experiences as a mission president. 

When You Can't Do It Alone [here] and [here].

It's easy to trust in the Lord when everything's going your way. But what happens when you experience challenges and difficulties that leave you so spiritually exhausted that you can't see God's hand in your life? As a newly called mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, author Brent L. Top experienced a severe emotional and spiritual crisis. Desperate for help, he discovered that knowing where to turn is not enough; we must allow the Savior to rescue us. With remarkable candor, this gospel teacher shares a deeply personal story as he describes six essential ways to survive whatever trials we face. With compassion and understanding, he offers practical suggestions on how to say focused on Christ and take hold of His outstreched hand when the storms of life are raging. This insightful and encouraging book is a must for anyone dealing with adversity.

They are a faith-filled couple who have been praised for being"open," "real" and "insightful." We are happy that they would make the time to share their experiences and wisdom with us.