Book Review: Farworld Water Keep

Farworld Water Keep
by J. Scott Savage

From the back cover:

Other people may see thirteen-year-old Marcus Karnenas as an outcast and a nobody, but he sees himself as a survivor and a dreamer. In fact, his favorite dream is of a world faraway, a world where magic is as common as air, where animals tell jokes and trees beg people to pick their fruit. He even has a name for this place—Farworld.

When Marcus magically travels to Farworld, he meets Kyja, a girl without magic in a world where spells, charms, and potions are everywhere, and Master Therapass, a master wizard who has kept a secret hidden for thirteen years, a secret that could change the fate of two worlds.

But the Dark Circle has learned of Master Therapass’s secret and their evil influence and power are growing. Farworld’s only hope is for Marcus and Kyja to find the mythical Elementals—water, land, air, and fire—and convince them to open a drift between the worlds.

As Kyja and Marcus travel to Water Keep, they must face the worst evil Dark Circle can throw at them—Summoners, who can command the living and the dead; Unmakers, invisible creatures that can destroy both body and soul; and dark mages known as Thrathkin S’Bae.

Along the way, Marcus and Kyja will discover the truth about their own heritage, the strength of their friendship, and the depths of their unique powers.

Marcus and Kyja both suffer from what their individual worlds would consider disabilities. Marcus has physical limitations while Kyja believes she has no magic.
They both feel out of place in their respective worlds, and like most teenagers, they desperately want to fit in. But they don’t. It’s because they don’t fit in that they can become such highly identifiable characters and the story is so powerful. I love that Savage showed two visibly flawed characters overcome their obstacles, find inner strength and courage, and work to save Farworld.

Savage creates an interesting and detailed world complete with scary, creepy characters. The Unmakers are just plain creepy.

Readers will definitely enjoy the trip through this fantastical world with the underlying message that we all have magic inside us.

Farworld Water Keep will be available in stores in September.

Learn more about the author, J. Scott Savage, and his other books.

The Bible and the Book of Mormon

The 8th Article of Faith states, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”

Many people erroneously believe that we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do not believe in the Bible. We do believe in the Bible. We read from it, teach from it, and use it to guide our lives.

In fact, our high school-aged youth are encouraged to enroll in Seminary. Though in some areas Seminary is offered at various times throughout the school day, in many areas it is offered only in the early morning, before school begins. Youth study the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Church History in Seminary. Our youth spend two years studying the Bible. In fact, my daughters are studying the New Testament this year.

As a Seminary graduate, I also studied the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Church History. As an adult, I have continued my study and have come to love the New Testament and learning about the mortal ministry of the Savior.

In addition to Seminary, children, youth, and adults study the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Church History in Sunday School every Sunday. We take turns each year studying one of the standard works so every four years we study the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and Church History. We spend an entire year on each set of scriptures, trying to learn the gospel. Young children in Primary are also taught from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants (part of Church History).

Members are encouraged to study the scriptures in-depth both personally and with their families. I have learned so much about the gospel through my study of the scriptures. I’ve found answers to questions and even learned how to be a better parent.

The Book of Mormon does not replace the Bible. We believe the Book of Mormon to be another testament of Jesus Christ meant to support and better understand the teachings of the Bible. The Book of Mormon does not contradict the teachings of the Bible. It may help clarify some passages of scripture that may be confusing without the additional teachings of the Book of Mormon, but it does not replace the Bible.

The Lord has said, “ . . . In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (2 Corinthians 13:1). We believe that the Book of Mormon serves as another witness of the words of the Bible and fulfills this scripture.

The Book of Mormon is a record of the people in America and their struggles to live the gospel, the same gospel taught by the Savior. The Book of Mormon does not add to, nor take way from, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It does not teach a different gospel nor does it teach about a different Savior. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and a man will become closer to God by living what is taught within the pages of the Book of Mormon.

I have my own witness that the Book of Mormon is literally from God and I am thankful every single day that I have it in my life to help me become closer to my Heavenly Father and to my Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Gifts from God

“We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.” (7th Article of Faith)

Those called to serve missions experience the gift of tongues as well as the interpretation of tongues. Missionaries spend only a few months in the MTC learning a foreign language before they are sent out to use their newly learned skills. Generally, language study takes years and yet, these missionaries learn languages in a relatively short time and are communicating in a foreign country. The Lord blesses those who seek to obtain the gift and interpretation of tongues and helps them to teach the gospel in an unfamiliar language.

Prophecy and revelation are closely connected. We believe that we have a living prophet who receives revelation and then prophesies to the world the will of the Lord. The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, also serves as the President of The LDS Church and can receive revelation for the world. A Stake President is entitled to receive revelation and prophesy for those who live within the stake boundaries. A Bishop can receive revelation for those living in the ward boundaries. Husbands and fathers receive revelation for their families. We are all entitled to receive revelation for ourselves.

My son, who recently returned from his mission to Rome, Italy, said that one of the things he learned on his mission was how important it is for each one of us to receive personal revelation through the power of the Holy Ghost. He related experiences when he received his own witness, or revelation, that an aspect of the gospel was true. His testimony is not dependent on mine or on his father’s. He owns it. It’s his because he’s prayed, asked for a witness, and received it. He relied on personal revelation throughout his mission to know how and what to teach. We each need to communicate with God and receive our own revelations in our lives. We believe that God is our Heavenly Father. He is the father of our spirits. He loves each one of us and wants us to make the right choices. He wants us to communicate with him through prayer so that He can reveal His will to us.

The scriptures record many instances of visions. In the Book of Mormon, Lehi sees in vision the destruction of Jerusalem. It is only because he acts on his vision and takes his family into the wilderness that they are protected from the destruction. We believe that men still see visions today.

We also believe in healing. When my youngest son was first born, he failed his hearing test. We were advised to give him a more in-depth hearing test. The audiologist was sure that my son would never hear consonants and was basically deaf.
My husband gave him a blessing and blessed him that he would hear. I can say without hesitation that my son hears and that he hears consonants because he says words with consonants. Heavenly Father blessed my son and healed him. If it is Heavenly Father’s will, people can be healed from any malady.

Heavenly Father has blessed us with so many gifts, these are but a few of them.

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The Same Organization

The 6th Article of Faith reads, “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.”

In our family, we recite an Article of Faith each night after we read scriptures. It helps the kids to remember our basic beliefs and helps them to explain to their friends exactly what we believe. I have a daughter named Angela so when my older kids were younger they would mistakenly say, “ . . . namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelas.” I would try to correct them, but they’d get mixed up and, somehow, say evangelas instead of evangelists. Since then, every time I see this Article of Faith, I think about how my kids used to say it.
This Article of Faith explains our belief in establishing the same church as was instituted by the Savior himself. While Jesus walked the earth, he set up his church. The LDS Church seeks to follow the same pattern as set forth by the Savior. We believe that we have the same organization as the Lord’s church during biblical times.

Just as the Savior chose and set apart his apostles, we do the same today. Apostles are called and serve the rest of their lives as apostles of the Lord, Jesus Christ. When an apostle passes away, another is called to serve. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

While the Lord stands as the head of the Church, we have a prophet who acts as the mouthpiece of the Lord and receives revelations. Our prophet leads and guides us in these latter-days. We believe that just as the Lord revealed his will during the times of Noah, Moses, and Abraham, he continues to speak to his children through the prophet. Ongoing revelation is crucial for us so that we can follow the will of the Lord.

We believe that after the crucifixion of the Savior, that the gospel was taken from the earth. Many refer to this time as the “dark ages.” During the great apostasy, the priesthood was not on the earth. The gospel had to be restored, along with the power to act in the name of God. The Lord chose a young, unlearned man named Joseph Smith to restore the gospel and make it possible for us to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.

The restoration of all things meant that the Church must be established as it was 2000 years ago. The basis of organization for the LDS Church can be found in the bible. When Moses was leading the children of Israel he was chastised by his father-in-law, Jethro, for trying to solve all the problems by himself. Moses learned to delegate his responsibilities and allow other men to learn leadership skills. We do the same today. President Monson does not solve the problems of all of the people in the Church. He delegates that to others such as Stake Presidents or Bishops. In this way, we follow the pattern instituted by God and set forth in the Bible.

We believe that in order for it to be the Lord’s church, it must follow the same organization as he established.


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Review: Season of Sacrifice

Season of Sacrifice By Tristi Pinkston

From the back cover:

Sarah Williams is a young Welsh immigrant, coming to Utah to join her sister Mary Ann Perkins. When the Perkins are asked to join the San Juan mission to pioneer a trail through Southern Utah, they take Sarah along to help care for the children.

But a six-week journey turns into six agonizing months of hard work and toil as the Saints blast their way through a cliff to bring their wagons down what would become the famous Utah landmark, “Hole in the Rock.”
Finally settled in the San Juan, Sarah’s true hardship begins when Ben Perkins asks her to be his second wife. With their faith and testimonies challenged to the core, both Sarah and Mary Ann struggle to find the true meaning of Christ-like love and obedience. Will they make it through?

I enjoyed this book. Pinkston does an excellent job of portraying the struggle to travel to the San Juan. I have a greater appreciation for the Saints who were called to build this trail and the suffering they endured. My testimony was strengthened as I read about these real men and women who experienced great trials but never gave up. What tremendous faith these people had and Pinkston made me feel like I was right there experiencing it with them.

I was tempted to close the book after they made it to the San Juan because I’d grown to love the people and didn’t want to read about them having to endure the even greater trial of polygamy. I think Pinkston handled the polygamy aspect with great care and tenderness. I could really feel for Sarah and Mary Ann and how difficult it must’ve been to face the hardship of sharing a husband. I liked how Pinkston showed Ben’s feelings as well and his struggle to obey a commandment while being concerned about the feelings of Mary Ann. He didn’t make the decision lightly.

My favorite passage was when Sarah realized that though she didn’t have a testimony of polygamy, she did have a testimony of God and keeping his commandments. That’s still true today. We may not always understand a commandment, but if we are obedient, we will be blessed. We must learn to live by faith. I think this is the main message of this book.

I recommend Season of Sacrifice to anyone who wants to learn more about the expedition through the “Hole in the Rock” and who wants to understand more about those who practiced polygamy.

You can purchase your own copy here.

Visit Tristi's website www.tristipinkston.com to learn more about her and her other books.

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