About book I Will Lead You Along: The Life Of Henry B. Eyring (2000)
I enjoyed his biography immensely. Since he had been such a good journal writer for so many years it was easier to include the short stories and remembrances that make a biography so interesting. It was a good insight as to how the church is/was run. I also developed a better understanding and appreciation for Ricks/BYU-Idaho. My favorite part was how Ricks became BYU-Idaho.Not all parts of his life were treated equally. A large amount of time was spent on his first years at Ricks and a relatively short time was spend on his time in the presiding Bishopric. Also, the journal entries were not used much duing the later end of the book. I wondered if it was because he wasn't writting as much or because they didn't want information that was too current to be publically avavilable. Every time I'd spend time in this well-done biography, I'd be inspired to be a better record-keeper! Henry B. Eyring had six children, busy church callings (it doesn't get much busier!), and demanding professions, but he also wrote in his typewritten (and then word-processed) journal every day. Amazing! This book was a treat to look at, too -- beautifully laid out with quotes and drawings and the occasional full-page black-and-white photograph. I loved the stories that were included; I realized that, though this book is 500 pages long, the author must have cut out a LOT of material, given that there were paragraphs or even pages of content for every single day of President Eyring's life.As I progressed through the book, I was more and more impressed with the man I only had known through his conference addresses. He chose a life of dedication to God when he could have easily walked a path or worldly prestige. His humility and teachability is an example. [Spoilers ahead, if you can call them that in a biography...] I thought that when I started reading the closing chapters, I'd start to feel as if the President Eyring in the book would start to feel even more familiar; after all, I've "known" him since I was a teenager and he was called into the Quorum of the Twelve. I was surprised to learn of the many heavy burdens he has been lifting these past few decades. He juggled two demanding church callings/assignments (Church Education Commissioner AND Apostle) for ten years while still having children at home. When he was finally released from the Commissioner position, he was soon called into the First Presidency, though there were many Apostles more senior than him. He has dealt with such health issues as cancer (the same cancer that had taken his father) and then heart problems, which ultimately resolved with the insertion of a pacemaker. And his wife has been slowly slipping into dementia for years. Yet he still works hard to do the very best he can, every day -- it's evident in his journal entries (he still keeps a journal, of course!). I will listen to and read his talks with a new respect and love for this man.---A few quotes from President Eyring that I enjoyed enough to write down:"I have a memory of watching my little boys kick each other as they lay before me on the floor during our family night as I taught a lesson on peace in the family ... Now, years later, they reach across the world to help each other. But the change takes time. Be patient and persistent.""Your goal in giving counsel is to increase the likelihood that the listener will seek counsel directly from the Lord. That will mean giving less advice than either the listener or you might like at the time.""God magnifies those He calls, even in what may seem to you a small or inconspicuous service. You will have the gift of seeing your service magnified. Give thanks while that gift is yours. You will appreciate its worth more than you can imagine when it is gone.""The challenge to remember has always been hardest for those who are blessed abundantly.""Clearly, the work of the Lord is a different kind of work: meekness is power, because it gives you access to the Lord's power.""I have come to understand that to try our faith is not simply to test it but to strengthen it, that the witness which comes after the testing strengthens that faith, and that God's preparation includes in the plan for deliverance the timing that will best strengthen our faith.""God sets the melody for [General] Conference and asks us [the Brethren] each to play the notes He needs."---A marvelous man; I learned a lot about how I should pattern my own life by reading this book. Highly recommended.
Do You like book I Will Lead You Along: The Life Of Henry B. Eyring (2000)?
I absolutely loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone and everyone.
—brittthestrange
I loved reading this and learning more about this great man and leader.
—cassadee01
Amazing and insightful, super easy to read. I loved it, must read!
—Alina
