Estimated reading time: 5-6 minutes
Everyone goes through difficult times in life. Some go through heartbreaking moments when they feel things are so dark and hopeless that they just want to give up. If you’ve ever felt that level of despair, Latter-day Saint author Steven Anthony Bishop has a message for you.
“The most troubled souls may be the closest to salvation,” he writes in his book, “Put on Christ.”
More than just a religious feel-good book, Putting On Christ takes readers through the soul-searching process of coming to know their Savior through spiritual rebirth. multiple reviewers I have reaffirmed that the book not only teaches you about Christ; it helps you to truly get to know him personally.
To illustrate how this can work, Bishop shares the stories of nine people who have been “born of God” through this very process. He describes these experiences as “on a par with many who have entered God’s presence through a near-death experience,” in that people’s hearts were forever changed by having come to perfect knowledge. of God and of his own redemption in Christ. .
The bishop hopes that by reading these stories, in addition to adhering to the relevant doctrine of Christ, readers will come to understand what it feels like or what it is like to be born again when they too take upon themselves the name of Christ through of spiritual adoption. . He highlights seven of these stories in chapter eight alone. From one of the early presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to personal acquaintances, each of these stories will illuminate your faith in the Savior’s ability to fill the heaviest of hearts with a “perfect glow” of hope.
Without spoiling the book, here is a short excerpt from some of these stories.
The testimony of Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow described an experience just weeks after he became a convert to the Church, and long before he became its fifth president, that gave Snow a perfect understanding of the reality of God. It was during a moment of personal prayer that he experienced “a tangible immersion in the heavenly principle or element, the Holy Spirit.”
“I knew that he had bestowed on me that which only an omnipotent can bestow, that which is of greater value than all the riches and honors that the world can bestow,” Snow declared in his account.
That simple experience turned out to be a turning point in the life of the future prophet, and one that he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
Reaching a breaking point in prison
Another man shares his story of making poor choices that led him to cry out to God for help in a jail cell at just 18 years old.
“I put my heart on the altar of the Lord and asked for his help and mercy,” he says.
“Immediately the room was filled with light and the presence of Jesus Christ, as if I could see him face to face, but covered by the veil, came to me and my soul was filled with a peace that I cannot describe to this day.”
Hope in the midst of despair.
After the devastating loss of his son to suicide, a man desperately turned to God for help to overcome his grief.
“I began to cry out to the Lord from the depths of my agony. He drowned me in guilt, torment and pain… I pleaded for help, like a person clinging to the edge of a precipice, but without the strength to hold on. one more second,” he shares.
“Just at the moment when I was about to give up, feeling totally and completely abandoned, hopeless and desperate, the most incredible miracle of my life happened: The Lord spoke to me. His voice was clear, audible and unmistakable… I I felt being lifted from hell and filled with wonderful and indescribable feelings of peace and hope. I felt as if I had been spiritually reborn.”
Fighting personal demons
A young missionary sister struggling with an eating disorder and perfectionist tendencies shared how the Lord lifted her up in her darkest moments.
“It was as if [the Savior] they were simply waiting for me to acknowledge to myself that I needed power beyond my own and permission for HIM to heal me. I didn’t expect him to give anything that I wasn’t capable of giving,” he said.
“I gave everything I had and it was enough. That moment made every minute of my suffering and pain worth it. The joy was indescribable.”
Read the full stories on ‘Put On Christ
These are just small previews of the stories you will read when you start reading Putting On Christ. You can order a copy at book website or in Amazon. The book recently came out in audio format and will soon be available in 10 languages.
“Putting on Christ” is an Amazon #1 national bestseller in nine categories and is one of the best-selling books written by Latter-day Saints on Amazon. All proceeds from the book will go towards remarketing the book as well as helping to feed and house the homeless.
In the author’s words, “The way is real and He is coming. Don’t waste time.” Pick up your copy of “Put on Christ” This day!