Display Review

101 Powerful Promises from the Book of Mormon

By Wayne E. Brickey

Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle
On 11/19/2005

Deseret Book , 2005. Hardback:
222 pages.
ISBN: 1-59038-487-3
Suggested retail price: $18.95 (US)

Several years ago I attended a community meal sponsored by a localevangelical church. A friend invited me to go, and I was glad to do so.After the meal (and it was a good one!) the pastor gave me a copy of alittle book containing the promises of the Bible. There were all kinds ofgood things there -- promises of forgiveness, health, prosperity, etc.(Not a single "promise" of hell-fire or eternal damnation, by the way.)Intended to comfort and inspire, I thought it was a very good idea.

I've spent a lot of time in Christian bookstores. Collections of theBible's promises are not hard to find. Now we have a collection ofpromises from the Book of Mormon. The author, Wayne E. Brickey, has spentmore than 30 years working in the Church Educational System, and hasauthored several previous books. He brings to this volume a considerableamount of scriptural expertise and personal experience.

Presented in the order in which they occur in the Book of Mormon, theauthor selects 101 texts that are either explicit promises or containpromises implicitly. He follows this with a brief commentary that bringsthe text alive, often using contemporary illustrations to expand on thethoughts. These notes are very well written, right on target, and easilyaccessible to even a new Latter-day Saint.

In many instances, the reader is called to a deeper study of thepromise-text with a nice series of notes and cross-references. With oneexception, all the notes refer back to Book of Mormon passages. And atheme-based index helps the reader to find specific promises.

We live in a world where circumstances can easily discourage us. At timeswe reach out for answers to our deepest questions, hoping to find somecommon thread that will give our lives meaning and direction. For many,confidence in the promises of God is that common thread. To the believer,the word of God is as good as gold.

101 Promises brings to the reader a handy guide to the precious promisesfound in the Book of Mormon. Students of the Book of Mormon willappreciate this approach to further study. And with the many notes andcross-references, these readings can constitute a good theme for FamilyHome Evening or for individual or group scripture study.

This book would also make a good Christmas gift for the LDS family desiringa fresh approach to family worship. By focusing on the positive, all maybenefit from Brickey's fine effort.

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