Odds Are, You're Going to Be Exalted by Alonzo Gaskill

**Note: I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book is written by an LDS author and is pretty particular to LDS doctrine. If you have questions about my beliefs, I'd love to talk to you, or you can visit THIS PAGE on Mormon.org to understand a little more about what we believe this life and the life after are all about. I love talking to people about what I believe, but please don't use this post as a forum for negative comments about my beliefs.



As a guilt-prone person of faith, I have lots of moments where I wonder if I'm really doing enough in the eyes of God. I always feel like I could be doing more...because all of us could be doing more. When is enough, enough? And even though I know we have been given the gift of Jesus Christ's Atonement to help overcome sin and weakness, I wonder if I'm applying it the way I'm supposed to. If I'm going to make it to the highest degree of glory, with all my family in tow, have I really done enough? This book calmed many of those doubts and fears.

I originally picked this book up because the author was my Book of Mormon professor my very first semester at BYU. He was the most entertaining professor I ever had, and he is an amazing scriptorian. When I saw this title pop up on my local library's Overdrive list, I decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did.

Gaskill uses a mix of scripture, quotes from general authorities, and commentary from gospel scholars to provide a compelling argument for his title statement: odds are, you're going to be exalted. One of his main points really hit home with me. After discussing what we know about the opportunity people without the gospel will have to receive it after death, he addresses this question: "so wouldn't it be easier to get to the celestial kingdom if I didn't have the gospel on earth then just accept it after?" He notes that there is no way being born in the latter-days and having the blessings of the gospel and covenants in the temple is a disadvantage. While it's true that where much is given, much is required, that doesn't mean having the gospel means you're less likely to make it to the celestial kingdom. That doesn't even sound logical. We should have a great advantage because we have the gospel and access to so many blessings. He provides much more evidence supporting this idea in the book.

After initially feeling reassured while reading the book, I started to have one big, creeping doubt as I got closer to the end. In a section on wayward children, Gaskill provides scriptures and quotes to support the idea that children will eventually return, after they've gone through the proper repentance process and suffered for any sins left unresolved. As a parent, I found comfort in this idea and know that the scriptures promise this. However, I have a hard time wanting this to apply to even the people in my life who are very intentionally making choices that harm other people, trying to tear them down. If these people have parents who keep their covenants, do they get to make it to? That doesn't seem fair to me, when I'm over here trying my hardest to live the right way. The justice part of my brain couldn't make peace with that. In the final chapters, my worries were assuaged. Through quotes from general authorities, Gaskill brought home the point that, in the end, both justice and mercy will prevail. God will take care of all. We are all His children and He wants us all to return to Him, but He will not let any unclean thing enter his presence. It will all work out. I want Him to be merciful with me, so I have to let Him show mercy towards others, trusting that the demands of justice will be met.

I would highly recommend this book to any LDS person looking to gain some additional insight into the plan of salvation. It was extremely thought provoking and allowed my husband and I to have some great discussions. I do have one disclaimer on any book like this, written by a gospel scholar and not as a church publication: THIS BOOK IS OPINION, NOT DOCTRINE. Although Gaskill uses scriptures and quotes from general authorities, he put them together in a way that makes sense to him that support his opinion of the plan of salvation. There are some beautiful truths in this book, but it is up to each of us, individually, to prayerfully consider the ideas and make sense of it.

Overall Rating:  4 stars

Content Warning: Nothing offensive, just a lot of religious stuff!

Target Audience: LDS adults, possibly even teens

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

In this inspiring true story, a team of nine rural boys from Washington cause the nation and the world to pause and reconsider everything they know about the sport of rowing. Most of the story focuses on Joe Rantz, the ultimate underdog, who fought against amazing odds to end up as one of the top rowers for the University of Washington in the 1930s. As the Washington boys work towards their Olympic dreams, Hitler and his minions are carefully crafting the 1936 Olympic Games to show the world a beautiful facade hiding horrors no one had possibly yet imagined. For fans of Unbroken, this rowing team competed at the same Olympics as Louie Zamperini.

After reading Unbroken, I saw this book suggested on Amazon and immediately put it on hold at my library. It took a couple months to make its way to me, so I was a little extra anxious to get started with it when I finally got my hands on it. I wasn't disappointed! Who doesn't love an underdog story? I'm amazed that, even though I knew how it would end, there was still so much suspense leading up to each event. The author did an excellent job of building the story to make you feel part of it and get your hopes up each time the team competes.

Joe Rantz's story is pretty amazing. Just like when I read Unbroken, I came away with a sense of how different life was back then. These men had real work ethic and weren't afraid to live on bare bones for the chance to go to a university and be on the rowing crew. They dedicated themselves to school and sport. It's rare to find people today with the same work ethic that existed back then.

I also found it interesting to read about some of the preparations for the 1936 Olympics. Hitler and his right-hand man, Goebbels, put an insane amount of effort and money into the facade they built to hide the gruesome reality of Germany at that time.

Overall, I loved this book. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is for the excessive descriptions in some sections. The pace dragged a little at certain points of the book. Where Unbroken kept me turning pages and intrigued every step of the way, The Boys in the Boat, was easy to put down here or there. Other than the slow parts, this was an excellent read. I knew nothing about rowing before I picked this up, but that didn't matter. The author explains the intricacies of the sport well enough that by the end, you understand how miraculous the ending is.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Content Warning: There is some brief, scattered language, but not much. Some adult topics are grazed over, but nothing graphic is discussed.

Target Audience: Anyone looking for a fascinating, true story, fans of Unbroken, anyone who's interested in rowing.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I'm usually not much a non-fiction reader, so to say this is one of the best books I've ever read is really saying something. Louie Zamperini's story could be told by pretty much anyone and would garner a lot of attention and awe. However, Laura Hillenbrand artfully chronicles Louie's life, from boyhood to old age, while inserting background information that helps you truly appreciate how incredible his life was. The book reads with the ease of fiction while telling what might be one of the most heroic, death-defying stories ever to be told.

If you've seen the movie and think you know the story, stop right there and go grab this book. The movie skims over his boyhood and trip to the Olympics, tells about a third of what happens to him while at war, then doesn't cover his later years at all. As I watched the movie in the theater, I kept whispering extra details to my husband. I just couldn't help it!

Hillenbrand provides just the right amount of detail to help you understand how miraculous Louie's story is without boring you. In order to grasp just how dangerous his last rescue mission was that ended him up at sea for 47 days, you have to understand the historical and technical background of the plane he was flying. Seeing footage of POWs being treated horribly is bad, but when you know all the illnesses they had on top of that and how sickly and starved they really were, you'll struggle to understand how any person could treat another human being that way. Hillenbrand weaves this details into the story perfectly.

The crowning moment of Louie's story, and the inspiration behind the title, comes from his life post-war, as he struggles with PTSD and finds God. By the end, this book paints a beautiful picture of the power of forgiveness and the resilience of the human spirit. Don't put this on your "want to read" list. Drop whatever you're reading a go grab it now. It's a must read.

Overall Rating: 5 stars (can I give it 10?)

Content Warning: Louie experienced some horrible things as a POW. Some of the content it quite violent. There's also a bit of strong language throughout the book, but not an overwhelming amount. There is a YA version that is tamed down and has more photographs. I haven't read that one, so I don't know the exact content, just that it's supposed to be a little less intense.

Target Audience: history buffs or anyone who loves a good human story (not for the faint of heart or young ones)