4 out of 4 stars
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand forms the core of the book, Islands of Faith New Zealand. The authors (Randall R. and Linda Lee Ripplinger) express their love and support for the church by writing the book. The book opens the doors to the lives of many active church members who have played a pivotal role in the development of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) Church in New Zealand.
The book consists of 31 chapters. Each chapter revolves around the spiritual journey of a given family. The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS has a strong foundation in terms of their faith and spirituality. Their basic teachings are derived from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The families that are featured in the book have shown outstanding devotion to the teachings of the church. Most of them have served in different positions in the church. Bishops, elders, and missionaries play a major role in the growth, development, and stability of the church.
The authors’ writing style was very clear and concise. The information that the author provided in each chapter was easy to grip. Consequently, I felt like I was meeting and interacting with every new family that each chapter presented. Every chapter in the book has photographs of its characters. This is amazing. The photographs seemed to bring a clearer picture of each new family. The authors have given meticulous attention to every detail in the book. In addition, the book seems to have been masterfully formatted.
I seem to have liked every bit of the book. My favorite aspect of the book is that the authors seem to have a special connection with every character that they have featured in their book. I did not feel that a given character/family was given less attention than the others were. My favorite character was Manasseh. When he was a young child, he had an accident that prompted the doctors to remove part of his skull to allow his brain to heal. Through the miraculous works of God, the cranial bone kept growing until the skull was complete again. Eight years later, the hospital called the family to see if they wanted the skull (the one that was removed during the surgery) back. A family member said they did not want it. The boy was disappointed and said, “You should have said ‘yes’ so I could take it to school and show everyone!” That was a lovely reply.
I love how the faith of the LDS Church promotes unity and love within the family. Many families in the church today are struggling to remain united. There are thousands of broken families within the general Christian setting. However, the LDS Church seems to have strong teachings that keep their families together. This has made me desire to read the Book of Mormon. Well, I am Christian and I actively read the Bible. I just want to know what the Book of Mormon offers.
I gladly give the book 4 out of 4 stars. A lower rating would not match the wealth of information that each chapter offers. The book appears to have been professionally edited. I noted very few grammar mistakes. However, they did not make the book anything short of enjoyable. The book, Islands of Faith New Zealand by Randall R. and Linda Lee Ripplinger, would be a great read for everyone who wants to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. It is also good for spiritual growth, especially among Christians.
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Islands of Faith - New Zealand
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