The Holy Secret by James L. Ferrell

Kathy in Bismarck gave me a beautifully inscribed copy of this book after I asked her if I could borrow hers. I heard her talk about it one evening and she was so positive about it, I wanted to read it. She mentioned having read it multiple times, so I thought it was one I needed to read, even though I suspected I had already read it at some point in my past. I was so enthused about C. Terry Warner, and the Arbinger institute that he founded, that I read a lot of their books probably 8 or 10 years ago. Ferrell is president of Arbinger, and I had read one of his earlier books for sure, The Peacegiver. They build on Warner's ideas, but are more allegorical. They don't resonate particularly well for me, and I'm not sure why. Warner is much more understandable to me and just makes sense. Ferrell tells stories, and they all seem pretty contrived. But his point isn't the story, it's the message.

As in other books of his, this one is a story. This particular one is about two men talking and learning together. I think in order to get more out of it, I need to read it again with my scriptures and try to trace the thinking in the examples. I did get a lot out of it, and am still thinking about his assertion that we need to learn to LOVE what is holy and that often, we do not. In particular, he believes we need to learn to love three things that will increase our holiness: the scriptures, the temple, and the sabbath.

A quote that stopped me in my tracks is this one, in the preface:

"If we do not enjoy holiness here, we will not have the opportunity to experience it there."

Another thought I liked is that we need to apply the cleansing agent of holiness. It reminds me of applying the atonement or of seeking and finding grace. All of these create a similar impulse and result, I think.

In his section on loving the holy scriptures, Ferrell's example of from the Book of Mormon is particularly fascinating and accurate. He explicates why Nephi continually mentions that his family dwelt in a TENT. And then explores all the implications of this and it really opens up the story more. It's a great example of how increased understanding really does enlighten the meaning and potential application. It helps me slow down when I read the scriptures and to ask more questions. The answers come easily in this book, and not so easy when I'm on my own! It's a worthy pursuit, however, and I have been trying more, especially during my scripture study opportunities in the quiet baptistry of the temple.

I definitely need to explore more the examples of holiness through temple worship and sabbath day observance. And I will!