"Our Search for Happiness"

...An invitation to understand The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

by M. Russell Ballard, 1993, 124p, rating=5

I know, I may be biased at my rating score but this is truly and extraordinary book in that great messages are found in its pages.  If one is sincere about wanting to understand The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and its members, then this is for you!  A quick read with much depth.  Here you will even find answers to life's most bewildering questions (taken from front flap):

• Who am I?
• Where did I come from?
• Does God have a plan for me?
• What is my relationship to Jesus Christ?
• Is there purpose in what I am doing?
• How can I find peace and happiness?

I found myself in tears because I was reminded of the totality of the Church.  It is truly Christ's church because it runs in that matter... organized, complete, and full of love. 

I like the analogy that Elder Ballard used to describe faithful saints and I don't think I can sum it up well so I'll just quote him:

"I continue to believe that faith--real faith, whole-souled and unshakable--can be as important to a healthy, balanced life as a sturdy anchor is to a ship bound for the open seas.  If you've ever seen the anchor on a large ship, you know how massive it is and how sturdy and strong the metal links of the anchor chain are.  But when compared to the total size and weight of the entire ship, the anchor and its chain seem small indeed.  Still, if properly placed on the bottom of the sea, a sturdy anchor can hold a giant ship fast, even in troubled waters.  That's the same function faith in God serves in the lives of believing Latter-day Saints.  Well-founded and carefully maintained, it holds them steady and calm despite the social turbulence and wickedness that swirls around them."

This book really does sum the basic beliefs and organization of the Church and does so in a way that speaks to the reader personally and exhorts him/her to ask God of the truthfulness of its content.  A powerful book!!  Please read it. :)