Are We Special Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Are We Special? by Jeffrey S. Reber and Steven P. Moody!

Tour Schedule

 

Are We Special? examines the source of the feeling experienced by so many of us and portrayed in so many films and books, that we are more than merely mortal beings and may even be chosen to fulfill some special destiny. Drawing upon the scriptures and the teachings of modern-day prophets, Are We Special? contrasts the true, divine origin of this special feeling with the worldly counterfeits propped up by the Adversary that lead us away from the love of God and produce feelings of pride, selfishness, and despair. Are We Special? provides insights from the gospel that are reinforced by psychological research and the authors' therapeutic expertise that will help the reader become more vigilant against the subtle manifestations of the Adversary's lie and more receptive to the resources God has provided us to know how truly and wonderfully special we all are.  

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About the Authors

Jeffrey S. Reber holds a PhD from Brigham Young University in psychology. He’s an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at BYU. His publications look at the relationship between religion, psychology, and interpersonal relationships. He has also worked with LDS Family Services and has served as a bishop.

 

Steven P. Moody received his master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Southern California. At USC, his clinical work focused on families, including marital therapy and relationships. Steven has worked as a counselor with LDS Family Services. He is now a therapist in private practice specializing in both relationships and addictions.  

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Review:

As members of the LDS church, we often get caught up in the idea that we are "special." We take pride in the truth that you find in the church. However, this idea of being special can be taken in the wrong direction as well. In this book, these ideas are explored. We see how we can balance our pride and our true value as a child of God. This can lead us to become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, and I was not disappointed in the reading of it. I find that our feelings of being special or unique as members of this church can sometimes be off-putting to others. This book helped to clarify that. It separates the truth that we are special and beloved children of God and the lie that we are unique and special in and of ourselves. This lie is really a strong example of pride, and this is where the problem lies. The book separates the different lines of thought into four basic quadrants based on whether they believe the truth of being special children of God and/or believe the lie that we are special in a more worldly way. It then goes through and studies each of these quadrants in depth.

I found myself really reflecting on where I stand. As is mentioned in this book, most people slide through many quadrants at any given time as we work through the things in our lives. I was really inspired by this book. I found myself recognizing that I spend way too much time in one quadrant concentrating on my flaws to excess almost. I need to work to find my unique divine nature while still finding a way to maintain humility in a worldly sense. I found this book answering questions that I didn't even know I had. This book is a fairly quick read, and I highly recommend it. I think that it will help people to see where they are good and where they go wrong, and this will then help us all to become better disciples of Christ. 

Book provided for review.

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Ends 6/16/13

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