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A Quiet Heart
Of all the needs of the human heart, surely none is greater than the need for peace. So writes Patricia Holland in A Quiet Heart, and her words resonate with all who find themselves in turmoil. The truth is, no one escapes this life without plenty of trials; even in times of prosperity and happiness, we can get mired in the busy-ness of living and lose track of the soul-centering principles of the gospel. A Quiet Heart can help us find our way back. Its gentle, faith-filled tone immediately soothes the troubled mind and invites the reader to seek solutions and comfort from their one true Source. As Sister Holland assures us,God will not fail nor forsake us.
136 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2000
45 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Patricia T. Holland
15 books13 followersPatricia T. Holland was an American educator, writer, and religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
April 22, 2014
April 21, 2014 review (2nd reading): What I find amazing about this little book is that a large portion of it is not relevant to me and I STILL get a great, great deal out of this book. This book was written by a leader within the LDS faith for other Mormons and I'm an evangelical Christian; and so many of the scriptures and even many of the ideas get automatically filtered out because they don't align with my beliefs.
However even despite that, I found it to be SO very filled with truth and wisdom. During my first reading last year, I had underlined quite a bit. This second time, I still found the underlined parts to be as thought provoking as I did the first time, but I found myself underlining copious amounts of thoughts that didn't strike me the first time! It is literally stuffed with Godly wisdom and written in such a beautiful way.
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I find that there are so few evangelical Christian Titus 2 women who are writing books filled with such practical wisdom. Sally Clarkson and Elisabeth Elliot are 2 that come to mind. There are HUGE amounts of blogs, ministries, etc being offered by young mothers and women but we women could benefit from the wisdom of older, more experienced women!
In any case, this lovely book is definitely recommended and keeps popping into my path at just the times when I most needed it!
However even despite that, I found it to be SO very filled with truth and wisdom. During my first reading last year, I had underlined quite a bit. This second time, I still found the underlined parts to be as thought provoking as I did the first time, but I found myself underlining copious amounts of thoughts that didn't strike me the first time! It is literally stuffed with Godly wisdom and written in such a beautiful way.
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I find that there are so few evangelical Christian Titus 2 women who are writing books filled with such practical wisdom. Sally Clarkson and Elisabeth Elliot are 2 that come to mind. There are HUGE amounts of blogs, ministries, etc being offered by young mothers and women but we women could benefit from the wisdom of older, more experienced women!
In any case, this lovely book is definitely recommended and keeps popping into my path at just the times when I most needed it!
May 6, 2024
Definitely ups and downs for me in this book! I loved all her personal stories a lot! But some parts were really slow while other parts had me in tears, overall a good read!
May 4, 2014
O Pat Holland-I love you! Thanks for this beautiful book!
"It is a slow suicide or at best a huge waste of time to try to be people we are not."
"We are taught a very negative view of the world that contradicts who we really are. We are taught to think thoughts like competition, struggle, sickness, finite resources, limitation, guilt, and pride-as a result we begin to know these firsthand. We are taught that things like earning grades, being good enough, having money, and doing things the proper way, are more important than love, trust and confidence. We are taught that we're separate from other people, that we have to compete to get ahead, that we're not quite good enough the way we are. We are taught to see the world the way that others have come to see it. The thinking of the world began pounding in our ears almost the moment we hit shore. Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we have learned here." -Marianne Williamson
"It is a slow suicide or at best a huge waste of time to try to be people we are not."
"We are taught a very negative view of the world that contradicts who we really are. We are taught to think thoughts like competition, struggle, sickness, finite resources, limitation, guilt, and pride-as a result we begin to know these firsthand. We are taught that things like earning grades, being good enough, having money, and doing things the proper way, are more important than love, trust and confidence. We are taught that we're separate from other people, that we have to compete to get ahead, that we're not quite good enough the way we are. We are taught to see the world the way that others have come to see it. The thinking of the world began pounding in our ears almost the moment we hit shore. Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we have learned here." -Marianne Williamson
July 3, 2015
WOW! Such a beautiful book. One that I know I will turn to again and again. So uplifting and inspiring.
Here are a couple of examples:
"Often when I face difficulties, I need to turn off the phone, lock the door, kneel in earnest prayer, and then curl up in a chair and meditate, contemplate, search the scriptures, and cry out again and again in my heart, completely focusing my mind on the mind and will and presence of God until I can see a clear picture of him. I like to think of him with loving, outstretched arms. With such a loving image, I begin to feel my connection with him and a confirmation of his love. Sometimes I may have to work at this for hours, for a significant portion of the day, or several days....I realize that life has to go on and that you will not be able to pursue this heavenly communication in a completely uninterrupted way, but if it is a high priority and a fundamental goal in your life, you will find ways, early or late, to be with God. If the key to your car or your mortgage payment check or a child were lost, would you take the time to find them? Wouldn't finding them provide the peace you needed to then go about your day? If God is lost in your life and you are not going to be strong or stable without him, can you be focused and fixed enough to find him?"
On page 24 she tells the story of a little three year old boy who fell into a swimming pool and instead of panicking or thrashing around he put his hands straight up in the air. Within seconds his father saw that he had fallen in and that he was in over his head and simply grabbed his hands and pulled him out.
She follows that story with this statement:
"If only we could remember, when the water of worldly sorrow and pressure is crashing in around us, that we don't need to give up, nor do we need to wildly thrash around strangling anything that looks like help. If we could just remember to peacefully hold out our arms to let people and God know we are hurting, the help will come. I promise it will come."
Here are a couple of examples:
"Often when I face difficulties, I need to turn off the phone, lock the door, kneel in earnest prayer, and then curl up in a chair and meditate, contemplate, search the scriptures, and cry out again and again in my heart, completely focusing my mind on the mind and will and presence of God until I can see a clear picture of him. I like to think of him with loving, outstretched arms. With such a loving image, I begin to feel my connection with him and a confirmation of his love. Sometimes I may have to work at this for hours, for a significant portion of the day, or several days....I realize that life has to go on and that you will not be able to pursue this heavenly communication in a completely uninterrupted way, but if it is a high priority and a fundamental goal in your life, you will find ways, early or late, to be with God. If the key to your car or your mortgage payment check or a child were lost, would you take the time to find them? Wouldn't finding them provide the peace you needed to then go about your day? If God is lost in your life and you are not going to be strong or stable without him, can you be focused and fixed enough to find him?"
On page 24 she tells the story of a little three year old boy who fell into a swimming pool and instead of panicking or thrashing around he put his hands straight up in the air. Within seconds his father saw that he had fallen in and that he was in over his head and simply grabbed his hands and pulled him out.
She follows that story with this statement:
"If only we could remember, when the water of worldly sorrow and pressure is crashing in around us, that we don't need to give up, nor do we need to wildly thrash around strangling anything that looks like help. If we could just remember to peacefully hold out our arms to let people and God know we are hurting, the help will come. I promise it will come."
February 18, 2017
This was beautiful...reading this book at this time was a tender mercy for me. I was able to read it to my mom, a precious treasure for me. The insight and peace that this book brought to me at this time was invaluable. Meekness=a peaceful strength
December 17, 2017
I’m not great at reading non-fiction anymore. By the time I fall into bed I want light-hearted and easy. I did finish this book and enjoyed it. I was pleased with the feeling of peace that I felt while reading this book.
March 1, 2024
Such an uplifting and inspiring book! I really enjoyed this!
April 12, 2018
This was a beautifully written, uplifting book. It is quiet and thoughtful so needs to be taken slowly, but there are wonderful pieces of wisdom and encouragement all throughout. I didn't always feel that what she was talking about "applied" to me, but I know if I come back to it in a few years, it will be a different experience with a different reaction.
I sometimes struggled with the narrative voice, but at other times I found it very cozy and welcoming.
I sometimes struggled with the narrative voice, but at other times I found it very cozy and welcoming.
August 21, 2024
I want to be more like sister Holland. I feel so inspired by her words and the peace she teaches about.
July 27, 2017
What a fantastic read! I've recently had my struggles, this book was an answer to so many of my questions! I love her humor and honesty! I underlined so many little things she had to say! I definitely recommend this book to all the amazing women in the world!
April 2, 2008
This has been one of my "nightstand books." I'm pretty choosey when it comes to LDS literature (I don't want to be overpreached), so I try to keep one on my nightstand for a little inspirational reading on the side.
This one is very good. I've heard this book quoted several times in talks by other women. Holland provides insight into difficult-to-understand concepts such as meekness, the worth of a soul, etc. She's very real and you feel connected to her as she shares personal stories of growth and learning. It's a great self-esteem, go-women boost and makes you look at your priorities.
This one is very good. I've heard this book quoted several times in talks by other women. Holland provides insight into difficult-to-understand concepts such as meekness, the worth of a soul, etc. She's very real and you feel connected to her as she shares personal stories of growth and learning. It's a great self-esteem, go-women boost and makes you look at your priorities.
September 5, 2016
Fantastic book. This gave me lots to think about. It came as very timely for me as I've really been thinking about how I can improve as a mother. I came away with love them!!!! Especially when they are young (as mine are) let them know they are your world. I also loved the importance she placed on finding your own divine identity. Spending quiet moments with God and figuring out who he wants you to be
August 4, 2008
I read this book about 5 times when I had 4 little babies. It was life changing for me then-or I should say it kept me going. I read it now though and it doesn't do the same thing for me. I guess I've moved on?
August 21, 2009
This book changed me! I would recommend it to any woman who is struggling with ANY issue out there. It was so enlightening, and helped me to see and understand myself as a woman in ways I can't even describe. It is a spirital book that will draw you closer to God. Get it, buy it, read it!
May 22, 2022
I needed this book and it’s messages. I will be rereading! Patricia Holland is an amazing woman and I admire her ability to be real and relatable while also encouraging women to be better and kinder to themselves and each other.
February 20, 2011
A book I have read and reread. I absolutely love this book. Every time I read it I find exactly what I need.
September 29, 2016
A new favorite! Great book on priorities.
July 8, 2023
Read 2006
Reread 2023:
Quiet Heart
If we hope to bless others with God’s truths and compassion and sustenance—then we must spend more time with God in a very direct way.
One especially troubling complaint of our time is there is no commonality among women. Across cultures and countries and even in our own neighborhoods, we women have become so diverse and so separated in our lifestyles, interests, and preoccupations that rarely do we have a friend such as our mothers had over the back fence, a neighbor to visit, to love, and to talk with. But we still need someone to listen when our joints ache, our children squabble, or (perhaps even more urgently) when we wish we had squabbling children or loved ones nearby to nurture. We must not let the modern world isolate, fragment, or distance us from those we can love and serve.
To connect with God and be filled with his fulness, to resist conforming to the world, and to discover “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” for us requires a settled, calm mind, a “renewed mind,” as Paul suggests, a spirit of contentment, a divine trust and serenity, and a willingness to surrender to God’s will.
If we can be patient with his process—which simply means having faith—if we can commune personally and often with him, we can spare ourselves the emptiness and frenzy we feel if we are “conformed to the world”: faint hearted, impatient, troubled by envy or greed or pride of a thousand kinds.
Often when I face difficulties, I need to turn off the phone, lock the door, kneel in earnest prayer, and then curl up in a chair and meditate, contemplate, search the scriptures, and cry out again and again in my heart, completely focusing my mind on the mind and will and presence of God until I can see a clear picture of him.
Whether rain or snow is falling, whether the clouds are low and hovering or the sun is bright overhead, the temple is lovely and firm. It’s immovable quality steadies my soul—particularly on those days when I seem so very movable and so very drawn and driven in many directions. Its strong, straight spire reminds me that, unlike the temporal things in my life, my health, and the demands of the day and the laundry waiting to be done, the real me—the spiritual me—is firm and fixed and stable and settled, like that temple on that hill.
The kind of contemplation, reflection, and yearning for God I am speaking of can’t be accomplished very handily in competition with cell phones, computers, or a blaring TV. God can enter our realm only at our invitation.
Second only to dedicated temples, our homes are to be the sacred edifices of the Lord, places of peace and holiness and sanctity.
Please allow yourself to take the time to go to that wilderness retreat now, that sanctuary, if you will—the temple, your own home, a place of privacy and revelation, a place filled with prayer and meditation and scriptural truths. Allow yourself to turn a few things down and turn a few things off. Seek to position yourself prayerfully in some solitude and serenity to receive the mind of God. Stop what you are so frantically doing and go into your private wilderness. Shut the door, turn out all earthly lights, set aside all earthly sights. When you feel God’s presence, when you feel he is with you, you will be filled with a wonderful strength that will allow you to do anything in righteousness.
Let us then labour for an inward stillness—
An inward stillness and an inward healing;
That perfect silence, where the lips and heart
Are still, and we no longer entertain
Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions,
But God alone speaks in us, and we wait
In singleness of heart, that we may know
His will, and in the silence of our spirits
That we may do His will, and do that only.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “Quiet Time”
Christ and his love-filled sacrifice gave us the opportunity for inner stillness—that perfect silence, free of imperfect thoughts and vain-opinions. He asks of those whose lives are hurried and hyperactive, uncontrolled and uptight, fearful and frustrating, “Do you want to run about longer as a blind guide?” D&C 19:40 “Or would you like to walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and … have peace in me?” D&C 19:23
It isn’t God’s anger that allows change and upheaval and, from time to time, suffering in our lives. It is in fact his tenderest love that allows it.
If I were Satan and wanted to destroy a society, I think I would stage a full-blown blitz on its women. I would keep them so distraught and distracted that they would never find the calming strength and serenity for which their sex has always been known.
I believe we can find it—the steady footing and the stilling of the soul—by turning away from the fragmentation of physical preoccupations, or superwoman accomplishments, or endless popularity contests, and returning instead to the wholeness of our soul, that unity in our very being that balances the demanding and inevitable diversity of life.
“And so woman today is still searching. We are aware of our hunger and needs, but still ignorant of what will satisfy them. With our garnered free time, we are more apt to drain our creative springs than to refill them. With our pitchers, we attempt … to water a field, [instead of] a garden. We through ourselves into committees and causes. Not knowing how to fee the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distractions. Instead of stilling the center, the axis of the wheel, we add more centrifugal activities to our lives—which tend to throw us [yet more] off balance. [For women] the problem is [still] how to feed the soul.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
I believe we make too many external quests seeking peace or fulfillment. Only rarely do we consider the glorious possibility within us, within our own souls. “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21)
Prayer is our most pivotal protection against over involvement in worldly things, against becoming so absorbed with possessions and privilege and honors and status that we no longer desire to undertake the search for the soul.
We have to be prayerfully positioned in some solitude and serenity to receive the message of what is always a “still, small voice.”
Green pastures and still waters. Paths of righteousness and a cup that runneth over. Comfort and goodness and mercy all the days of our life. I simply can’t imagine more encouragement or more hope than God, our Heavenly Father, gives his children—you and me and all of our children—his little lambs, one and all.
Mothering, I believe, requires engaging every muscle, every nerve, every fiber of our being, and through it all we pray.
Think how glorious it would be if [our children] could see a forgiving attitude, hear us speak well of other virtues, watch us look in all such matters toward the Savior, the only source that can heal and set things right again.
Home is where I long to be. I want to be there, fixed and sure, when I am needed in any generation. I also know that when my family members, young and old, come to me in their struggles, they need to see me at my best. I want t hem to touch a hand that is calm, one that is undergirded with confidence, one that conveys strength and compassion and, if it is ever necessary, forgiveness. I want them to see charity in my eyes and feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in my home. I want with all my heart to reflect the love and strength of heaven as I join hands with God in protecting and blessing the souls of the children he has been good enough to send to and through me.
Peace is in the realm of the Spirit, not in the temporal world. Bowing the head. Bending the knee. Weeping. Blessings multiplied, pressed down, and overflowing.
“A quiet spirit” means we are integrated, settled, stabilized, stilled from the confusing, competitive stirrings within our own egos from the ill-conceived, disappointing and betraying incentives outside us in the world of getting gain.
Our future has everything to do with what we desire in our hearts.
Our trials offer a training ground for godhood. Without some moments in darkness, would we ever cherish the light? Without confronting some doubt, would we ever recognize and cling to faith?
Though his molding may require that you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he has provided for you a pathway of peace. Even through the darkest shadows we can walk in comfort and consolation if we lovingly trust God.
The promise that if we will remember something as fundamental as our baptismal, sacramental, and temple covenants, we will carry an inner peace that God is with us.
Though we may see our part in the matter of faithfulness going by fits and starts, by bumps and bursts here and there, God’s part is sure and steady and supreme. We may stumble but he never does. We may falter but he never will. We may feel out of control but he never is.
Psalm 107:26-30 They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired heaven.
Reread 2023:
Quiet Heart
If we hope to bless others with God’s truths and compassion and sustenance—then we must spend more time with God in a very direct way.
One especially troubling complaint of our time is there is no commonality among women. Across cultures and countries and even in our own neighborhoods, we women have become so diverse and so separated in our lifestyles, interests, and preoccupations that rarely do we have a friend such as our mothers had over the back fence, a neighbor to visit, to love, and to talk with. But we still need someone to listen when our joints ache, our children squabble, or (perhaps even more urgently) when we wish we had squabbling children or loved ones nearby to nurture. We must not let the modern world isolate, fragment, or distance us from those we can love and serve.
To connect with God and be filled with his fulness, to resist conforming to the world, and to discover “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” for us requires a settled, calm mind, a “renewed mind,” as Paul suggests, a spirit of contentment, a divine trust and serenity, and a willingness to surrender to God’s will.
If we can be patient with his process—which simply means having faith—if we can commune personally and often with him, we can spare ourselves the emptiness and frenzy we feel if we are “conformed to the world”: faint hearted, impatient, troubled by envy or greed or pride of a thousand kinds.
Often when I face difficulties, I need to turn off the phone, lock the door, kneel in earnest prayer, and then curl up in a chair and meditate, contemplate, search the scriptures, and cry out again and again in my heart, completely focusing my mind on the mind and will and presence of God until I can see a clear picture of him.
Whether rain or snow is falling, whether the clouds are low and hovering or the sun is bright overhead, the temple is lovely and firm. It’s immovable quality steadies my soul—particularly on those days when I seem so very movable and so very drawn and driven in many directions. Its strong, straight spire reminds me that, unlike the temporal things in my life, my health, and the demands of the day and the laundry waiting to be done, the real me—the spiritual me—is firm and fixed and stable and settled, like that temple on that hill.
The kind of contemplation, reflection, and yearning for God I am speaking of can’t be accomplished very handily in competition with cell phones, computers, or a blaring TV. God can enter our realm only at our invitation.
Second only to dedicated temples, our homes are to be the sacred edifices of the Lord, places of peace and holiness and sanctity.
Please allow yourself to take the time to go to that wilderness retreat now, that sanctuary, if you will—the temple, your own home, a place of privacy and revelation, a place filled with prayer and meditation and scriptural truths. Allow yourself to turn a few things down and turn a few things off. Seek to position yourself prayerfully in some solitude and serenity to receive the mind of God. Stop what you are so frantically doing and go into your private wilderness. Shut the door, turn out all earthly lights, set aside all earthly sights. When you feel God’s presence, when you feel he is with you, you will be filled with a wonderful strength that will allow you to do anything in righteousness.
Let us then labour for an inward stillness—
An inward stillness and an inward healing;
That perfect silence, where the lips and heart
Are still, and we no longer entertain
Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions,
But God alone speaks in us, and we wait
In singleness of heart, that we may know
His will, and in the silence of our spirits
That we may do His will, and do that only.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “Quiet Time”
Christ and his love-filled sacrifice gave us the opportunity for inner stillness—that perfect silence, free of imperfect thoughts and vain-opinions. He asks of those whose lives are hurried and hyperactive, uncontrolled and uptight, fearful and frustrating, “Do you want to run about longer as a blind guide?” D&C 19:40 “Or would you like to walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and … have peace in me?” D&C 19:23
It isn’t God’s anger that allows change and upheaval and, from time to time, suffering in our lives. It is in fact his tenderest love that allows it.
If I were Satan and wanted to destroy a society, I think I would stage a full-blown blitz on its women. I would keep them so distraught and distracted that they would never find the calming strength and serenity for which their sex has always been known.
I believe we can find it—the steady footing and the stilling of the soul—by turning away from the fragmentation of physical preoccupations, or superwoman accomplishments, or endless popularity contests, and returning instead to the wholeness of our soul, that unity in our very being that balances the demanding and inevitable diversity of life.
“And so woman today is still searching. We are aware of our hunger and needs, but still ignorant of what will satisfy them. With our garnered free time, we are more apt to drain our creative springs than to refill them. With our pitchers, we attempt … to water a field, [instead of] a garden. We through ourselves into committees and causes. Not knowing how to fee the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distractions. Instead of stilling the center, the axis of the wheel, we add more centrifugal activities to our lives—which tend to throw us [yet more] off balance. [For women] the problem is [still] how to feed the soul.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
I believe we make too many external quests seeking peace or fulfillment. Only rarely do we consider the glorious possibility within us, within our own souls. “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21)
Prayer is our most pivotal protection against over involvement in worldly things, against becoming so absorbed with possessions and privilege and honors and status that we no longer desire to undertake the search for the soul.
We have to be prayerfully positioned in some solitude and serenity to receive the message of what is always a “still, small voice.”
Green pastures and still waters. Paths of righteousness and a cup that runneth over. Comfort and goodness and mercy all the days of our life. I simply can’t imagine more encouragement or more hope than God, our Heavenly Father, gives his children—you and me and all of our children—his little lambs, one and all.
Mothering, I believe, requires engaging every muscle, every nerve, every fiber of our being, and through it all we pray.
Think how glorious it would be if [our children] could see a forgiving attitude, hear us speak well of other virtues, watch us look in all such matters toward the Savior, the only source that can heal and set things right again.
Home is where I long to be. I want to be there, fixed and sure, when I am needed in any generation. I also know that when my family members, young and old, come to me in their struggles, they need to see me at my best. I want t hem to touch a hand that is calm, one that is undergirded with confidence, one that conveys strength and compassion and, if it is ever necessary, forgiveness. I want them to see charity in my eyes and feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in my home. I want with all my heart to reflect the love and strength of heaven as I join hands with God in protecting and blessing the souls of the children he has been good enough to send to and through me.
Peace is in the realm of the Spirit, not in the temporal world. Bowing the head. Bending the knee. Weeping. Blessings multiplied, pressed down, and overflowing.
“A quiet spirit” means we are integrated, settled, stabilized, stilled from the confusing, competitive stirrings within our own egos from the ill-conceived, disappointing and betraying incentives outside us in the world of getting gain.
Our future has everything to do with what we desire in our hearts.
Our trials offer a training ground for godhood. Without some moments in darkness, would we ever cherish the light? Without confronting some doubt, would we ever recognize and cling to faith?
Though his molding may require that you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he has provided for you a pathway of peace. Even through the darkest shadows we can walk in comfort and consolation if we lovingly trust God.
The promise that if we will remember something as fundamental as our baptismal, sacramental, and temple covenants, we will carry an inner peace that God is with us.
Though we may see our part in the matter of faithfulness going by fits and starts, by bumps and bursts here and there, God’s part is sure and steady and supreme. We may stumble but he never does. We may falter but he never will. We may feel out of control but he never is.
Psalm 107:26-30 They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired heaven.
October 21, 2025
Favorite quotes:
"Let yourself fall upon the grace and gift of the Son of God. Let your hand fall into his hand that he may lead you. Want his companionship over any other joy in this world. Desire to do the work he sent you here to do." p 33
"Obviously the Lord has created us with different personalities, as well as differing degrees of energy, interest, health, talent, and opportunity. So long as we are committed to living righteously and with faithful devotion, we should celebrate these divine differences, knowing they are a gift from God. We must not feel so frightened; we must not be so threatened and insecure; we must not need to find exact replicas of ourselves in order to feel validated as women of worth." p 42
"I believe we can become so sidetracked in our compulsive search for idenity and self-esteem and self-awareness that we really believe it can be found in having perfect figures or academic degrees or professional status or... motherly success. Yes in so searching externally, we can be torn from our true internal, eternal selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our own uniqueness - that full and relaxed acceptance of ourselves as persons of worth and individuality. We become so frightened and insecure that we cannot be generous toward the diversity and the individuality and... problems of our neighbors. p 45
"Remember the Lord has asked above all else that we love. Everything else we do is secondary, and in fulfilling the two great commandments we can often measure how much we love the Lord by how well we truly love our neighbor." p 51
"...home is where I long to be. I want to be there, fixed and sure, when I am needed in any generation. I also know that when my family members, young and old, come to me in their struggles, they need to see me at my best. I want them to touch a hand that is calm, one that is undergirded with confidence, one that conveys strength and compassion and... forgiveness. I want them to see charity in my eyes and feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in my home... I want with all my heart to reflect the love and strength of heaven..." pp 99-100
"I am now nearly sixty years old and can honestly say that I have sincerely studied, pondered, experimented, practiced, tried, failed, and started all over again to be meek, to have a peaceful spirit, to have a quiet heart." p 105
"...when we cannot be in a temple, do we keep our covenants in that other holy place, our own home, the other great sanctuary God has given to the faithful?" p 115
"...hope tinged with sadness..." p 128
"Let yourself fall upon the grace and gift of the Son of God. Let your hand fall into his hand that he may lead you. Want his companionship over any other joy in this world. Desire to do the work he sent you here to do." p 33
"Obviously the Lord has created us with different personalities, as well as differing degrees of energy, interest, health, talent, and opportunity. So long as we are committed to living righteously and with faithful devotion, we should celebrate these divine differences, knowing they are a gift from God. We must not feel so frightened; we must not be so threatened and insecure; we must not need to find exact replicas of ourselves in order to feel validated as women of worth." p 42
"I believe we can become so sidetracked in our compulsive search for idenity and self-esteem and self-awareness that we really believe it can be found in having perfect figures or academic degrees or professional status or... motherly success. Yes in so searching externally, we can be torn from our true internal, eternal selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our own uniqueness - that full and relaxed acceptance of ourselves as persons of worth and individuality. We become so frightened and insecure that we cannot be generous toward the diversity and the individuality and... problems of our neighbors. p 45
"Remember the Lord has asked above all else that we love. Everything else we do is secondary, and in fulfilling the two great commandments we can often measure how much we love the Lord by how well we truly love our neighbor." p 51
"...home is where I long to be. I want to be there, fixed and sure, when I am needed in any generation. I also know that when my family members, young and old, come to me in their struggles, they need to see me at my best. I want them to touch a hand that is calm, one that is undergirded with confidence, one that conveys strength and compassion and... forgiveness. I want them to see charity in my eyes and feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in my home... I want with all my heart to reflect the love and strength of heaven..." pp 99-100
"I am now nearly sixty years old and can honestly say that I have sincerely studied, pondered, experimented, practiced, tried, failed, and started all over again to be meek, to have a peaceful spirit, to have a quiet heart." p 105
"...when we cannot be in a temple, do we keep our covenants in that other holy place, our own home, the other great sanctuary God has given to the faithful?" p 115
"...hope tinged with sadness..." p 128
May 7, 2024
I personally anticipated this book to be filled with counsel and inspiring stories about how to acquire a quiet heart, but instead throughout it emphasizes the need and causes for the need of a quiet heart with only scattered examples of such being received. Chapter 3 "But One Thing Is Needful" is almost entirely about the need and never mentions any One Thing. Chapter 5 "Goodly Parents: Reflections of Divinity" is a five star chapter -- a potential teaching blessing for all parents -- with which I agree fully and frankly wish I had had and had effectively learned sixty-three years ago. I have learned some of its messages from my own children. A beautiful and inspiring example of Sister Holland receiving a quiet heart by revelation is in Chapter 6 "A Meek and Quiet Spirit" on pages 102-105. In this example, at a time of uttermost need in her life, she received a consummate epiphany after a day touring in the Holy Land with her three young children. This book has awakened me to my own constant need for increased true meekness.
May 31, 2018
This book was amazing, maybe even life-changing. Sister Holland has so much wisdom and a very relatable way of writing. This was a great book to pick up throughout the day and read a paragraph or two. Like many LDS books, I think it's actually a collection of talks or short articles so it doesn't really flow from chapter to chapter. I'll definitely be reading it again.
A favorite quote from the book:
"...if at least some portion of our day is not turned to heaven, then we have a wrenching, rending emptiness awaiting us--isolation of the first order--and we will find no cloak of charity with which to protect ourselves or our sisters. We simply have to see what we can eliminate, what we can replace with something higher and holier, more reflective, compassionate, and eternal. Second only to to dedicated temples, our homes are to be the sacred edifices of the Lord, places of peace and holiness and sanctity."
A favorite quote from the book:
"...if at least some portion of our day is not turned to heaven, then we have a wrenching, rending emptiness awaiting us--isolation of the first order--and we will find no cloak of charity with which to protect ourselves or our sisters. We simply have to see what we can eliminate, what we can replace with something higher and holier, more reflective, compassionate, and eternal. Second only to to dedicated temples, our homes are to be the sacred edifices of the Lord, places of peace and holiness and sanctity."
December 12, 2018
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. Sis. Holland knows just how to say what she means and really made a powerful impression on me for good. In fact before I even finished reading it I got on ebay and bought my own copy so I can read it again and mark it up this time! She truly teaches what it means to have a quiet heart through scriptures, personal stories, and revelations. I want to be like Pat Holland when I grow up!
"Inside the kingdom of God is a temple.
Inside the temple is a daughter of Zion.
Inside the daughter of Zion is a quiet heart.
Inside the quiet heart is God's sanctuary.
I will be to them as a little sanctuary...saith the Lord." Ezekiel 11:16
"Inside the kingdom of God is a temple.
Inside the temple is a daughter of Zion.
Inside the daughter of Zion is a quiet heart.
Inside the quiet heart is God's sanctuary.
I will be to them as a little sanctuary...saith the Lord." Ezekiel 11:16
August 28, 2020
Because my parents have been reflections of divinity, I have been blessed to comprehend loving, caring, merciful heavenly parents.
This collection of just 7 lectures on Peace and Tranquility especially for women was just the balm I needed. I enjoyed this book so much, I mentioned it to my sister, who reminded me that she was the person who gave it to me for Christmas. I would recommend this book to every woman who has ever felt that yearning for peace even in times of trial. I loved it and will read it again for sure!
This collection of just 7 lectures on Peace and Tranquility especially for women was just the balm I needed. I enjoyed this book so much, I mentioned it to my sister, who reminded me that she was the person who gave it to me for Christmas. I would recommend this book to every woman who has ever felt that yearning for peace even in times of trial. I loved it and will read it again for sure!
February 3, 2023
First book of 2023 and I loved every page. It spoke to my soul on things I needed to hear, want to strive for and be better at. One I will definitely re read and learn from.
One of may favorite qoutes from the book..
“To enter into rest of the Lord means to enter his full presence. I believe before we can enter his presence, we have to be like Him, to enjoy His order, His traits, His characteristics and form of government. To become like Him, we have to desire more than any other desire to offer him our hearts and receive Him in return.”
One of may favorite qoutes from the book..
“To enter into rest of the Lord means to enter his full presence. I believe before we can enter his presence, we have to be like Him, to enjoy His order, His traits, His characteristics and form of government. To become like Him, we have to desire more than any other desire to offer him our hearts and receive Him in return.”
March 4, 2024
I have had this book on my shelf for many years. I've picked it up more than once, loved the little I read, but then set it aside for something more pressing. This was, finally, the right book and the right time for me.
I read with a pencil in hand, marking page after page of thoughts and quotes.
Sister Holland's gentle words washed over me, helping to calm and still an anxious heart as she taught me how she has found the peace and quiet that comes from spending time with the Lord and trusting in Him.
I loved it.
I read with a pencil in hand, marking page after page of thoughts and quotes.
Sister Holland's gentle words washed over me, helping to calm and still an anxious heart as she taught me how she has found the peace and quiet that comes from spending time with the Lord and trusting in Him.
I loved it.
September 25, 2018
A friend gave me this book as a gift when I started going through a desperate trial. This book was one I treasured and cherished. I didn’t want to finish it, so I savored it as so went. As I read the last bits today I was grateful that I’d saved some of it for now. I’m grateful for Sister Holland’s sweet testimony and example. And I’m grateful for a friend who shared this part of her heart with me as she gave me the book. I especially connected with the last 2 chapters.
September 6, 2018
This inspirational book is one I like to turn to ever so often for strength and encouragement. It is full of thoughts and personal stories of a religious nature from the wife of an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ. It talks of scripture study, answers to prayers, faith, simplicity and true joy. I have enjoyed hearing the author speak and I truly think her book is outstanding.
October 3, 2018
I kind of struggled with this book. I really like hearing how someone gained the insights they have developed, so the very few times when the author shares personal experiences (and apologizes for doing so) are the best parts of the book, for me. But, they were few and far between, and the rest of the book didn’t hold my interest or engage me at all.
February 15, 2023
Sister Holland offers some basic counsel on how to avoid being overcome by the stresses of living
in these troubled times. She reminds us that "love is what we were born with; fear is what we learn."
Her overall message is that peace is in the realm of the Spirit, not in this temporal world. All things work together for the good of those who trust in the Lord.
in these troubled times. She reminds us that "love is what we were born with; fear is what we learn."
Her overall message is that peace is in the realm of the Spirit, not in this temporal world. All things work together for the good of those who trust in the Lord.
August 1, 2023
I saw this recommended when I was reading about Pat Holland's life. As she recently passed away I read this as a way to honor her life. I have enjoyed her as a speaker in the past. I enjoyed it -- it was a pretty quick read. I probably would have enjoyed it even more as a young mother needing encouragement and. insights.
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