This review originally appeared on my personal Facebook wall for a giveaway. I have made some edits to fit in this context of being a stand-alone book review. ~the Mom
I thought a lot about what I would want to share about The Beginning of Better Days. I read the book in early August, but life has gotten the better of me and I haven't been able to give writing about it the time that it deserves. I opted for a brief reflection here because I didn't want to delay any longer.
I will say this: As many who know me know, for years now, I've been studying, pondering, discussing, blogging, speaking about, planning and speaking on panels, etc. etc. etc. about the power of womanhood in God's plan. There are few things I'm more passionate about, actually.
In our world that seeks for equality based on tangible, measurable data points (such as salary or head count in the top spots of an organization chart), the structure of the Church can often leave questions about how women do fit into God's plan.
This book touches on some of these very common questions.
There are many wonderful quotes and thoughts shared throughout the book (I have highlighted much of the book -- I thought there was so much profound truth throughout). However, in my mind, the book to me is ultimately not meant to be a solution or answer to the questions, but to be an invitation to seek personal revelation. I see this book as a valuable tool for reflection in the "study it out in your mind" portion of the process of seeking such revelation. I would call it a must-read for any woman (or man) who is mulling over these things.
What Sisters Virginia H. Pearce and Sheri L. Dew do is share some of their personal experiences and reflections. The last part of the book includes minutes of Joseph Smith's words to the Relief Society, as recorded by Eliza R. Snow...again, with the invitation to feast on those words and seek for God's help in discerning truth within them. Sisters Dew and Pearce do a beautiful job pulling out some of the truths they saw and sharing how they relate to and connect with the teachings and efforts of current leaders (male and female).
But they are also clearly inviting each of us to experience our own reflections and revelation. They don't attempt to give all the answers. They, as many of our leaders have done, point us toward resources such as the Relief Society minutes that can help us gain more insights about important gospel truths such as priesthood, the temple, and more.
There is power in patterns, and to me, this was a book that reinforced patterns that reflect my own personal experiences with seeking more understanding and light about the role of women in God's plan and work. I absolutely loved it, and can't wait to read through it again.
