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The Holy Secret
Many today carry a secret: We do not love what we have been commanded to love. We do not love what is holy. Although we might reverence things that are deemed holy- the temple, for example, and the scriptures, and the Sabbath- we do not love them. Not really. Not with our whole souls.
The Holy Secret is the story of a man who learns how to love what matters. As he does, he learns another secret: Love for holiness transforms life itself. His realization of what he had been missing may lead you to some discoveries of your own!
The Holy Secret is the story of a man who learns how to love what matters. As he does, he learns another secret: Love for holiness transforms life itself. His realization of what he had been missing may lead you to some discoveries of your own!
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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1587 people want to read
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December 5, 2008
There is a growing genre of professional and personal development books that seeks to teach fundamental principles of life and living through the medium of a fictional story. Early versions of this type of book were largely forgettable, and even now many that I see in my professional work are not worth the paper they're printed on. However, two that I’ve read recently, both from The Arbinger Institute, were outstanding. James Ferrell, the author of The Holy Secret is from that same Institute, and his book is outstanding. It deserves a prominent place on any LDS bookshelf. Ferrell is also the author of another such book that many have appreciated, titled The Peacegiver, which has also been very well received by the LDS community.
The Holy Secret is divided into three parts, though the story seamlessly unites the three parts. The first deals with loving the scriptures, the second with loving the Sabbath, and the third with loving the temple. This book is not the typical, “do this and you’ll get that reward” effort. Instead, Ferrell opens the scriptures in a powerful way through the conversation between a good-hearted man and an elderly and wise friend. In the next few paragraphs, I hope to reveal just enough of the contents of the book to entice you to lay your hands on a copy and dive in.
Michael Nowak, one of the two main characters in The Holy Secret, is a tithe paying, church going, calling holding decent member of the church who nevertheless harbors a secret that many of us have probably held at one time or another…he doesn’t really love holiness, and he doesn’t know why. He has begun to feel discouraged because the things that seem important to God seem a little boring and dull to Michael. Of course he is troubled by his own attitude, because he knows it should be different, and yet he doesn’t know how to fix it. What follows is his journey through personal revelation and the power of a wise friend to learn to love, first the scriptures, then the Sabbath, and finally the temple. In the process, we’re invited into an inspiring study of the scriptures and what they can teach us about loving holiness.
As Ferrell says in his preface, while he is not speaking to any single individual, we as a people, a body of believers, seem to harbor the unfortunate secret that was Michael Nowak’s. “Our temples, for example, are not as busy as they would be if we loved being there; the pages of our scriptures are not as worn as they would be if we feasted upon their words; our stores are not as empty or our chapels as filled as they would be if we truly loved the Lord’s holy day.” In the context of his characters, he offers inspiring counsel.
In the first third of the book, Ferrell begins laying the foundation by addressing how to love the holy scriptures. While I won’t go into detail with the other two portions of the book (preferring to leave that to your own discovery), let me tantalize you with some of his counsel from the first part of the book.
Ask questions such as “what” or “why?” In other words, what’s the context? What is the meaning of the words? How might the people of that time have understood what was written? Why were certain things selected for inclusion? Why were things noted or said or explained in a particular order? As Ferrell’s character notes, “…in our daily lives we don’t for a moment presume that the messages around us consist only in what is being said on the surface. We are always asking why – why did they say this thing or that, or why aren’t they saying anything at all? And yet we don’t typically read the scriptures that way. We read only the words and see only the outward messages. We don’t ask the questions that consume us during most of our daily lives.”
Look for patterns. We all know that many experiences and events in the scriptures are “types” – that is patterned reflections that foreshadow events to come. Yet I, and perhaps others, have too often missed important patterns in the scriptures that shed light and knowledge if we will but see them. Word patterns, thematic patterns, structural patterns, similitudes, parallelisms, and so forth. For example, I have come to see the willingness of the 2000 stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon to fight against the Lamanites as a patterned reflection of the Savior’s atonement. Their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way, and to do for their parents what they could not do for themselves (without putting themselves at risk of eternal damnation) has caused me to reflect more deeply on the atonement. It has also opened my eyes in new ways to how others in around us act in ways that are patterned after the atonement. Missionaries, members of the military, and so forth – I have begun to see others around me in a new light.
Ponder the Savior. As a long time teacher, I have come to believe that the key to effective teaching at any level is fourfold, yet simple: (1) read widely in good books; (2) feast on the scriptures; (3) ponder often; and (4) pray always. Ferrell notes, rightly, the critical importance of the third of my steps to good teaching. Everything in the scriptures is designed to lead us to the Savior, and so one supremely important question we ought to keep constantly in mind is “how does what I am reading right now lead me to Christ?” Ferrell persuasively points out how virtually every scriptural prophet was, in one way or another, a “type” of the Savior himself. As he says, “Christ’s mission…is revealed through the parallel lives of many of the scriptural characters who preceded him.” Pondering on the Savior as we feast on the scriptures helps us to see how, and opens the Savior’s life and atonement up to us in marvelous ways.
Apply to oneself. This last is advice we have heard often, so I won’t dwell on it, except to say that our study of the scriptures means little if our learning doesn’t lead to personal change. We will continue to learn only insofar as we apply what we learn in our lives, and to the extent that we overcome our own personal “knowing-doing gap,” we will grow line upon line, precept upon precept.
As Ferrell’s protagonist, Michael Nowak, progresses from revelation to revelation, we see the very real impact that feasting on the scriptures, honoring the Sabbath, and immersing ourselves in the temple can have in the life of one person, and through him or her, many others. In a sense, we “become” Michael Nowak, and (for me, at least), his learning becomes ours. This is a fit continuation of Ferrell’s work begun in his highly regarded book, The Peacegiver, and one which I recommend to all who love the gospel.
The Holy Secret is divided into three parts, though the story seamlessly unites the three parts. The first deals with loving the scriptures, the second with loving the Sabbath, and the third with loving the temple. This book is not the typical, “do this and you’ll get that reward” effort. Instead, Ferrell opens the scriptures in a powerful way through the conversation between a good-hearted man and an elderly and wise friend. In the next few paragraphs, I hope to reveal just enough of the contents of the book to entice you to lay your hands on a copy and dive in.
Michael Nowak, one of the two main characters in The Holy Secret, is a tithe paying, church going, calling holding decent member of the church who nevertheless harbors a secret that many of us have probably held at one time or another…he doesn’t really love holiness, and he doesn’t know why. He has begun to feel discouraged because the things that seem important to God seem a little boring and dull to Michael. Of course he is troubled by his own attitude, because he knows it should be different, and yet he doesn’t know how to fix it. What follows is his journey through personal revelation and the power of a wise friend to learn to love, first the scriptures, then the Sabbath, and finally the temple. In the process, we’re invited into an inspiring study of the scriptures and what they can teach us about loving holiness.
As Ferrell says in his preface, while he is not speaking to any single individual, we as a people, a body of believers, seem to harbor the unfortunate secret that was Michael Nowak’s. “Our temples, for example, are not as busy as they would be if we loved being there; the pages of our scriptures are not as worn as they would be if we feasted upon their words; our stores are not as empty or our chapels as filled as they would be if we truly loved the Lord’s holy day.” In the context of his characters, he offers inspiring counsel.
In the first third of the book, Ferrell begins laying the foundation by addressing how to love the holy scriptures. While I won’t go into detail with the other two portions of the book (preferring to leave that to your own discovery), let me tantalize you with some of his counsel from the first part of the book.
Ask questions such as “what” or “why?” In other words, what’s the context? What is the meaning of the words? How might the people of that time have understood what was written? Why were certain things selected for inclusion? Why were things noted or said or explained in a particular order? As Ferrell’s character notes, “…in our daily lives we don’t for a moment presume that the messages around us consist only in what is being said on the surface. We are always asking why – why did they say this thing or that, or why aren’t they saying anything at all? And yet we don’t typically read the scriptures that way. We read only the words and see only the outward messages. We don’t ask the questions that consume us during most of our daily lives.”
Look for patterns. We all know that many experiences and events in the scriptures are “types” – that is patterned reflections that foreshadow events to come. Yet I, and perhaps others, have too often missed important patterns in the scriptures that shed light and knowledge if we will but see them. Word patterns, thematic patterns, structural patterns, similitudes, parallelisms, and so forth. For example, I have come to see the willingness of the 2000 stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon to fight against the Lamanites as a patterned reflection of the Savior’s atonement. Their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way, and to do for their parents what they could not do for themselves (without putting themselves at risk of eternal damnation) has caused me to reflect more deeply on the atonement. It has also opened my eyes in new ways to how others in around us act in ways that are patterned after the atonement. Missionaries, members of the military, and so forth – I have begun to see others around me in a new light.
Ponder the Savior. As a long time teacher, I have come to believe that the key to effective teaching at any level is fourfold, yet simple: (1) read widely in good books; (2) feast on the scriptures; (3) ponder often; and (4) pray always. Ferrell notes, rightly, the critical importance of the third of my steps to good teaching. Everything in the scriptures is designed to lead us to the Savior, and so one supremely important question we ought to keep constantly in mind is “how does what I am reading right now lead me to Christ?” Ferrell persuasively points out how virtually every scriptural prophet was, in one way or another, a “type” of the Savior himself. As he says, “Christ’s mission…is revealed through the parallel lives of many of the scriptural characters who preceded him.” Pondering on the Savior as we feast on the scriptures helps us to see how, and opens the Savior’s life and atonement up to us in marvelous ways.
Apply to oneself. This last is advice we have heard often, so I won’t dwell on it, except to say that our study of the scriptures means little if our learning doesn’t lead to personal change. We will continue to learn only insofar as we apply what we learn in our lives, and to the extent that we overcome our own personal “knowing-doing gap,” we will grow line upon line, precept upon precept.
As Ferrell’s protagonist, Michael Nowak, progresses from revelation to revelation, we see the very real impact that feasting on the scriptures, honoring the Sabbath, and immersing ourselves in the temple can have in the life of one person, and through him or her, many others. In a sense, we “become” Michael Nowak, and (for me, at least), his learning becomes ours. This is a fit continuation of Ferrell’s work begun in his highly regarded book, The Peacegiver, and one which I recommend to all who love the gospel.
August 22, 2009
I wish there were half stars on Goodreads...this would be 2 1/2. Should I feel guilty for giving a book about church stuff a lowish score? Don't get me wrong, there were life-changing concepts in this story for me. And that is why I read it, so I am thankful for that. But, just like in the author's previous book, The Peacegiver, the story that contains the principles is lame and so contrived. Honestly, I would rather that James Ferrell just write out his thoughts in essay (church talk!) form. I would get just as much out of them that way, and would cringe less at the awkward writing.
April 4, 2008
This book is by the same author of "The Peacegiver." The book is another classic which deserves to be read and reread time and time again. Beautiful! Anyone seeking to live a life of holiness will love this book.
July 14, 2008
This book is written for Latter-day Saints. It is a fictional story told about a man who is sitting in church one day listening to a talk given by an older man. He is touched by the talk so much that he decides that he needs visit the older man and talk to him about it. The relationship between the young man and the older man develop so much during their visit that they decide to visit again and again. Their visits consist of conversations around scripture study, church attendance, and temple attendance. The author is basically sharing what he has learned in his personal scripture study with the reader. I thought the material was very fascinating. However, after Rachel read the book, she mentioned to me that she didn't appreciate some of the things shared because she would have liked to figure those things out on her own. I guess it just depends on if you want to discover the mysteries of the kingdom on your own or if you want someone to share with you what they think.
June 17, 2008
First the disclaimer - I'm not normally a fan of LDS Fiction. I think there is enough good non-fiction we don't need to manufacture stories to influence spiritual experiences. That being said I enjoyed this story a lot. He had good information to deliver and wrapped it in a nice story. It was enlightening to read and I've been thinking a lot about it for the past couple weeks. I'd recommend it to any LDS person who feels a little stalled out spiritually.
September 11, 2013
This is actually the second time I have read this book. I have thought of it so much that I had to pick it up and read again. The books talks about how to come to love all that is holy. I have learned so much about the scriptures, the sabbath day, sacrament prayers, and more that I took very copious notes to have in the future. One of these days I will just have to buy this book. It is such a short, quick read too.
April 8, 2008
I loved this book almost as much as The Peacegiver. I am impressed by the author's ability to teach gospel principles in such an engaging way.
October 21, 2008
While one of the premises of the book is that we should delve into the scriptures and try to get more understanding, I felt like this book clubbed you over the head with the author's ideas instead of allowing you to get your own impressions.
He goes way too far off on language specific words. His explanation of "goodly parents" in 1 Nephi is possible, but I think there are other ways to easily see that Lehi was wealthy (the precious things given to Laman) which don't require twisting words. If you can read another language it is interesting to see how a word is translated. For example, in Chinese the word goodly is translated (big surprise!) "goodly"! It doesn't have ANYTHING to do with being wealthy. There is a completely different word for wealthy in Chinese. In the end, I think the point of reading scriptures is to come closer to God. I don't think that twisting individual word meanings gets you there.
Also, I don't enjoy the novelization of Ferrell's ideas. I wish he'd just write the book as non-fiction and express his ideas in essay form. The story that he built his ideas around was contrived.
To be completely honest, I have to admit I didn't finish the book. I was so annoyed about the scripture twisting, that I didn't read any farther.
He goes way too far off on language specific words. His explanation of "goodly parents" in 1 Nephi is possible, but I think there are other ways to easily see that Lehi was wealthy (the precious things given to Laman) which don't require twisting words. If you can read another language it is interesting to see how a word is translated. For example, in Chinese the word goodly is translated (big surprise!) "goodly"! It doesn't have ANYTHING to do with being wealthy. There is a completely different word for wealthy in Chinese. In the end, I think the point of reading scriptures is to come closer to God. I don't think that twisting individual word meanings gets you there.
Also, I don't enjoy the novelization of Ferrell's ideas. I wish he'd just write the book as non-fiction and express his ideas in essay form. The story that he built his ideas around was contrived.
To be completely honest, I have to admit I didn't finish the book. I was so annoyed about the scripture twisting, that I didn't read any farther.
October 28, 2012
"If I don't love what is holy in this life", Brother Kishler had said, "then I will not like holiness in the next. My attitude about what is holy here and now tells me where I am heading in the then and there."
I really enjoyed this book. It is a fictional story, but with many wonderful insights about the gospel. The book is divided into three sections, each teaching lessons about how we can love what is holy, specifically, the scriptures, the Sabbath day, and the temple. I loved the ideas given in the book for new ways to study the scriptures and new ways to understand why studying the scriptures, keeping the Sabbath day Holy, and attending the temple are important. The fictional story being told is also touching;a man who has become stagnant in the gospel learns what is is again to love what is holy. I definitely teared up a little bit.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a fictional story, but with many wonderful insights about the gospel. The book is divided into three sections, each teaching lessons about how we can love what is holy, specifically, the scriptures, the Sabbath day, and the temple. I loved the ideas given in the book for new ways to study the scriptures and new ways to understand why studying the scriptures, keeping the Sabbath day Holy, and attending the temple are important. The fictional story being told is also touching;a man who has become stagnant in the gospel learns what is is again to love what is holy. I definitely teared up a little bit.
April 27, 2009
The key 'take-away' of this book for me was that the key to spiritual learning - and really any kind of learning - is to ask 'why' more often. It has helped me to re-invigorate my desire to glean more from the scriptures, the sabbath, and the temple.
The storytelling approach that Ferrell using is helpful in getting that point across though the characters felt a little hard to relate to sometimes.
The storytelling approach that Ferrell using is helpful in getting that point across though the characters felt a little hard to relate to sometimes.
January 6, 2009
I liked this book, but not as much as The Peacegiver. I thought it would have more of a story, but it was more like 2 guys discussing the scriptures -- which is not a bad thing, but not much of a story either. There are some definite gems in there, though, that I found quite illuminating and useful.
June 7, 2025
I grew up listening to cheesy LDS music from the 90s and watching cheesy LDS movies. As such, I feel like I have a decent ability to see past the cheese (heck, even to appreciate it) and notice the depth behind. That skill was important for this book. It was incredibly poignant and taught some enormously important lessons but if you aren't confident in being able to handle a cheesy story (or as some have described, "contrived") it might be best to pass on this one.
That said, it's an incredible book. The premise of the book is an older man, Al, teaching a younger man, Michael, how to learn to love holy things - specifically the scriptures, the Sabbath, and the temple. We all struggle with this to some extent and so could benefit from the thoughts Ferrell shares.
My biggest takeaway is that if we want to love the scriptures, we need to wrestle with them. I feel very blessed to have studied English in college because critically reading and analyzing texts was a skill I was thoroughly taught. My undergrad changed my approach to scripture study and helped me develop a deep love for the scriptures. The Holy Secret showed me things I'm doing right - asking questions of the text; searching for context between the lines; evaluating word choice, including connotations; and developing theses and finding evidence to support them. It was validating and exciting to see, like meeting a stranger from your own country after being in a foreign land for a long time.
I'd like to think though that even without formal training in English literature, anyone could learn these skills and this book is a decent place to go for help with that.
I had many doctrinal takeaways including: A). God gives us commandments, in part, to show us how helpless we are. This in turn should drive us to the foot of the cross where Jesus can then make us into what we never could make of ourselves. B). The Sabbath is a day off rest, not merely physical rest but rest in the presence of God. In other words, it isn't supposed to be a day off relaxation so much as a day to reset and walk away from the mundanity of the world and to strive after higher, holier things. C).
Since Christ gave up all of himself to save mankind, wouldn't it make sense that if we want to become like him, we would need to let go of all personal pride, ambition, and desires for our brothers and sisters? This is the spirit of temple and family history work and missionary work.
I'd definitely revisit this book. The specific examples it gives of how to have deeper scripture study are fascinating. So many cool connections that invited other connections in my brain. Would absolutely recommend (keeping in mind the cheese caveat I mentioned). Thanks for another awesome book, Ferrell!
That said, it's an incredible book. The premise of the book is an older man, Al, teaching a younger man, Michael, how to learn to love holy things - specifically the scriptures, the Sabbath, and the temple. We all struggle with this to some extent and so could benefit from the thoughts Ferrell shares.
My biggest takeaway is that if we want to love the scriptures, we need to wrestle with them. I feel very blessed to have studied English in college because critically reading and analyzing texts was a skill I was thoroughly taught. My undergrad changed my approach to scripture study and helped me develop a deep love for the scriptures. The Holy Secret showed me things I'm doing right - asking questions of the text; searching for context between the lines; evaluating word choice, including connotations; and developing theses and finding evidence to support them. It was validating and exciting to see, like meeting a stranger from your own country after being in a foreign land for a long time.
I'd like to think though that even without formal training in English literature, anyone could learn these skills and this book is a decent place to go for help with that.
I had many doctrinal takeaways including: A). God gives us commandments, in part, to show us how helpless we are. This in turn should drive us to the foot of the cross where Jesus can then make us into what we never could make of ourselves. B). The Sabbath is a day off rest, not merely physical rest but rest in the presence of God. In other words, it isn't supposed to be a day off relaxation so much as a day to reset and walk away from the mundanity of the world and to strive after higher, holier things. C).
Since Christ gave up all of himself to save mankind, wouldn't it make sense that if we want to become like him, we would need to let go of all personal pride, ambition, and desires for our brothers and sisters? This is the spirit of temple and family history work and missionary work.
I'd definitely revisit this book. The specific examples it gives of how to have deeper scripture study are fascinating. So many cool connections that invited other connections in my brain. Would absolutely recommend (keeping in mind the cheese caveat I mentioned). Thanks for another awesome book, Ferrell!
January 13, 2009
This book was fairly good. It starts out with ideas and steps to learn to love the scriptures and how to really study and ponder them. Then it goes into insights he has gained from the scriptures. The first part was good. It reminded me of Preach My Gospel by the way it spoke of how to study. I'm not sure if I would recommend this as a book to read because 1. I think Preach My Gospel does a better job at going over study tactics and teaching you to love the scriptures if you really study it. And 2. The rest is just scriptures and his interpretation of them. Reading other's opinions of what scriptures mean when it's not necessarily backed up by the brethren is not the best in my opinion. Because scriptures, and revelations from the scriptures, are very personal and apply to the person recieving the insight specifically. But I would say that the one thing that I did like about this is that it opened up my mind to things to study on my own. It gave me ideas and put questions in my mind as to what I believe about different scriptures. It pushed me to do my own study on gospel topics, and that is why I would still give it a 3 out of 5
June 21, 2008
I am not sure what I think of this book. I read and loved the Peacegiver, and so I expected to love this book too. The story is written in the same way with 2 main characters having a spiritual discussion- one is clearly the teacher with the other as the student. I can see how this setup is necessary for what the author was trying to do with the material he wanted to get across. I will say that with this book and The Peacegiver, they both made me really think and talk about them with others to see what they got from this book. Some of the things he wrote (some interpretation of scriptures and some doctrine) I am trying to wrap my head around it and just not getting it. It may be that my heart just isn't ready for it. Anyhoo, this book has alot of spiritual ideas to mull over and if you are looking for some material for spiritual and philosophical discussions, this book is a good source!
April 18, 2008
Another great life changing, reach inside yourself experience will result from reading this book. I love the Arbinger Institute! Their work has awakened a need within myself to be more Christlike and truly understand what charity means.
I saw somewhere that you can read this book online, probably Deseret Book. I think a new chapter comes out each week. Check out this link for Chapter 1. http://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/ne...
Go to this link to read "The Peacegiver", also by James Ferrell, online if you have not yet read this exceptional book. http://deseretbook.com/authors/author...
I saw somewhere that you can read this book online, probably Deseret Book. I think a new chapter comes out each week. Check out this link for Chapter 1. http://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/ne...
Go to this link to read "The Peacegiver", also by James Ferrell, online if you have not yet read this exceptional book. http://deseretbook.com/authors/author...
July 12, 2008
Defintiely not what I expected when I picked it up. I figured it was a non-fiction book, but it is fiction with interesting doctrinal insights. I didn't feel it helped me to enjoy holiness more, but it did give me some new ways to search my scriptures.
It was worth listening to, but it isn't something I would buy (I got it at the library) as a lot of the things he talked about just weren't new for me and I don't think I would like the format when trying to refer back to it. There were also a couple of things he said that didn't sit quite right with me, but I'd have to look into them further before I actually disagreed with him.
It was worth listening to, but it isn't something I would buy (I got it at the library) as a lot of the things he talked about just weren't new for me and I don't think I would like the format when trying to refer back to it. There were also a couple of things he said that didn't sit quite right with me, but I'd have to look into them further before I actually disagreed with him.
September 14, 2008
This book has a lot of doctrine, quoting scriptures directly from the Bible and Book of Mormon, and is like going to a series of great CES lectures that are presented through a dialogue of two characters. Topics such as the Sabbath day, temple covenants, the Sacrament prayers, the priesthood, and more are correlated easily in a flow of discussion. I found some of the chapters harder to get into that others and might benefit from rereading the book to further understanding. I found some great insights but also found some things to be very obvious. The author has collected a wealth of scriptural knowledge in this book, and it was very enjoyable to read.
December 13, 2012
I tried to get through this book. I really did. I think James Ferrell has great and amazing insights into the scriptures. So WHY, WHY, WHY wrap them in a cheesy, unbelievable, ridiculous fictional format? The dialogue is horrible, stilted and choppy (basically NO ONE talks like that. Ever). The situations are absolutely unbelievable. Did I already say unbelievable? Well, they really, really are unbelievable!
Wish Ferrell would just write a non fiction reference book about the scriptures and leave out the lame Nicholas Sparks-type story! Then I'd be on board.
Wish Ferrell would just write a non fiction reference book about the scriptures and leave out the lame Nicholas Sparks-type story! Then I'd be on board.
May 31, 2009
I really loved the first book but this one just didn't capture me. Maybe I don't get it. I did try, but I felt talked down to the whole book and that annoyed me. The concepts are good but I couldn't help feeling some things were the author's point of view and not necessarily the gospel truth. I guess I may be one that needs to learn certain things on my own. I think I'll read the peacegiver again to buoy me up again. This just didn't do it.
June 3, 2008
He had great insights on scripture study, the sacrament, and temple worship, but I didn't enjoy the story as much as I did in the peacegiver. His dialogue was really lacking, I kind of wished that he would have shared his insights in a nonfiction work rather than using a fictional story to appeal to the masses. It's worth reading though.
August 25, 2008
I really liked this book. I listened to the audiobook and read it. I think I liked listening to it better. The dialog back and forth seemed to drag the story down a bit when I read it. I didn't notice it when I listened to it. Very good ideas and suggestions in helping us find deeper meaning to our worship.
November 13, 2011
Wow. Just wow. After finishing this, I'm ready to go back through it again- I know there's a lot that I missed the first time. I love Arbinger philosophy, which James L. Ferrell's books are full of, and coupled with the deep content presented in a digestible format, The Holy Secret was powerful. I learned so, so much and didn't want the book to end.
March 26, 2008
Written by the same author of the peacegiver; this book helps us understand how to search the scriptures better, how to enjoy and get more from the temple, how to more fully love holy things and be more holy.
May 20, 2008
This is another book that teaches gospel principles through fiction. I enjoyed this one even more than The Peacegiver, his other book. I especially loved what I learned about the Sacrament. I'm planning to read this book again when I have more time to think about it.
March 31, 2008
This book is absolutely amazing. It definately takes the holy things in life to a completely different perspective.
May 23, 2008
This book felt like a BYU master class on the scriptures, but told in an interesting and entertaining way. This was a very enjoyable and uplifting read.
Read
January 27, 2012Currently reading. Very good!
January 19, 2010
This book has changed me. Actually, it has encouraged me to have the desire to change. I didn't even realize that I needed to read it. I was wrong.
March 2, 2011
This book gave me a new perspective on three very important area of my spiritual life, Scriptures, the Sabbath and the temple. Well written with a great story line. I'm into my second reading.
August 15, 2012
This is an easy read and at the same time opens your eyes to deeper spiritual understanding. I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews