Chicken Soup for the Latter-Day Saint Soul: 101 Stories Celebrating the Faith and Family of Latter-Day Saints
In celebration of the 175th anniversary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sherm and Peg Fugal, publishers of the million-selling Especially for Mormons series, have edited this, the first nationally released collection of LDS stories and cartoons, written by saints from every corner of the world.
You’ll find sweet, funny and thought-provoking stories on faith, family, gratitude, holidays, miracles, missionaries, overcoming obstacles, prayer and serving others: stories that you’ll want to read and use yourself, then share with family and friends.
“Read these stories and you’ll understand how the LDS Church became the fastestgrowing Christian religion in the world, the fourth largest church in America, and the second largest church in the American west.”
âMaren Mouritsen, former dean of students, Columbia University; retired assistant to the president, Brigham Young University
“This is what we need: inspiring stories from fellow saints from all over the world with whom we share not only the restored gospel and Church, but also the same worldly challenges.”
âMatt Kennedy, publisher, LDS Living magazine; vice president/marketing, Deseret Book
“I have known and worked with both the Fugals, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen for years. What a brilliant combination of talent and ideas.”
âRobert G. Allen, bestselling author of Nothing Down and the One-Minute Millionaire
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A really uplifting book!
I love this book! It’s great for those who don’t have a lot of time to sit and read. The stories are each only 2-4 pages long, so you can read one or a bunch and still get some inspiration for the day! It’s a collection of very moving and uplifting stories from every day people. I’ve read many of them and none have been disappointing. Highly recommended!
3 Stars One half interesting, the other half shockingly awful
I enjoy reading about LDS culture although I am not LDS. Many of these stories are rather old or recycled pieces previously published. They are what is known as “faith promoting stories.” Apparently this series is some kind of Christian inspirational series, and frankly many of these stories display a shocking lack of intelligence. For instance, asides are included about how “Jewish people don’t believe Jesus is the Savior, and so they don’t celebrate Christmas.” Oh really? Never figured that out. Either the stories were written by simpletons, or the editors edited them that way, to achieve a kind of annoying “simple folks” whimsy and soft focus patina.
I enjoyed the stories about people who came from dysfuctional homes, or from great tragedy, and then found comfort in LDS life. Also, there are a umber of really amazing stories of basically unashamed giving, sometimes giving of quite significant things.
However, there is also many stories of people describing their families and along the way, unintentionally, they reveal some extremely negative characteristics. For example, one woman consistently gives her daughter two bowls of cereal, knowing she’ll only eat one, and then complains about her daughter’s wastefulness. Her families acceptance of the saughter’s selfishness is taken as true spiritual serenity. Uh, not quite–it’s just bad parenting. Another person titles an essay “Satan and My Car Keys” with predictably superficial results. Actually, that author is one of the four listed authors of the book. Peg Fugal is her name and she has upwards of 12 pieces, mostly about her favoring one granddaughter and–get this–writing down each of her words. “I’m on page 700 now, and she’s not yet 4,” Fugal writes. Instead of heartwarming, Fugal’s stories were all alarmingly revealing of very self-involved adults.
I enjoyed the stories that revealed the dark side of American life, reflected through the very rarified world of LDS. For instance, stories of people growing up adopted, turning into drifters, and then coming across LDS. Also, many of the authors are very wordly and cosmopolitan, in the best senses of those words. But I loathed the insipid, Lifetime-esque stories of how “my baby knows Jesus, and he’s not even crawling yet!”
This book is just rehash of things you can find online fro free. Do not buy this book.
4 Stars LDS
I reaal love this book because im LDS so it is nice to to read about other LDS people its the best book ever.
Filed under: Jack Canfield Book Reviews