Inspiring Experiences from a Master Storyteller

When I was young, sitting through eight hours of General Conference on a cold, hard pew was not my idea of a good time. The speakers seemed to mumble on and on, prayers lasted for hours and the musical numbers were torturous time wasters. I’ve since grown up and come to actually enjoy the bi-annual meeting of the Church, but at that time there seemed to be only one bright spot in those long hours: Thomas S. Monson. Every time he stood behind the pulpit, he had a yarn or two to tell. I listened intently to his stories, laughing along with the giant Church leader. Even now, I perk up when President Monson speaks, knowing I’m in for some great tales.

Thus said, you can understand how excited I was to find Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith(1996), a collection of 154 stories from the life and ministry of Thomas S. Monson. Many of them are familiar to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who have heard the apostle speak in General Conference, firesides and other Church meetings. The experiences he shares deal with many different Gospel topics, but all of them touch and inspire, making this book a joy to read and to share with family members and friends.

The stories are separated into seven topics: Service to Others, Faith Precedes Blessings, Prayer Availeth Much, Missionary Moments, Testimony Teaches Truth, Example of the Believers and “On the Lighter Side.” The book is also fully indexed for easy reference. Experiences from the book are appropriate for use in talks, lessons and firesides.

President Monson has served faithfully in the Church for his entire life, holding positions of leadership even as a young man. He served as a bishop when he was only 22. As an older man, he oversaw the Toronto Canada Mission and has served for many years as an apostle of the Lord. He also served in the U.S. Navy and enjoyed a successful career with the Deseret News. The tales in the book prove how varied and exciting his adventures have been. He discusses trips to countries all over the globe–Bulgaria, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, Australia, South Africa–as well as many extraordinary occurrences in cities across The United States and Canada. He recounts instances involving important Church leaders as well as moments with the humblest of Saints. From this sampling of accounts from President Monson’s life, one can understand how such experiences shaped and honed him into the great man that he is today.

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