LDS Books: By Man Least Understood

Of all the miracles ever recorded during God's dealings with man, perhaps the greatest of all is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ's selfless sacrifice made it possible for us to be forgiven, partake of Eternal Life, and return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Although many books exist on this subject, few command the depth of insight this book holds. Beginning with the basic principle of repentance, this book details the restoration of priesthood keys, priesthood ordinances, gospel covenants, agency, and forgiveness. It explores the truth that repentance is the process by which the power of the Atonement - the thread that ties everything together in our journey to the Celestial Kingdom - is ultimately available to us, and reminds us that repentance allows us to receive all the gifts, blessings, and promises of eternal life.

In By Man Least Understood, the reader will come to fully appreciate that the Atonement is the miracle that provides the path by which we can reach our full potential and become like our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Reviews -

"By Man Least Understood" by author Derek G. Rowley is an LDS doctrinal book that takes the principles of repentance, agency, restoration, atonement, and the everlasting covenant and breaks them down into smaller steps, with supplementing quotes and scriptures to illustrate each one. A former bishop and high councilor, Brother Rowley uses his insights into the principles of the Gospel to help the reader more fully grasp the incredible gift that is ours as given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We begin with a look into the fruit of repentance. Before we can embark on a path of repentance, we must first have faith that we can indeed be forgiven of our sins and that Jesus Christ has that power. It is faith that brings all things to us, and, in fact, the prophets of old themselves would not have accomplished their missions on this earth if it were not for faith. It is especially important to have faith when seeking our way out of a web of sin - as we come to rely on the saving merits of Jesus Christ, we come to a more clear understanding of what He can truly do for us.

Our journey through the book also takes us on an exploration of the keys of repentance. The author relates a story about the importance of keys. He was out on a vacation with his family when he realized he had lost his keys. They had been exploring miles of wilderness and he could have lost his keys at any point, so searching, beyond the immediate area, was an impossible task. He shares the insight he had into the importance of all the keys we hold in our lives, how each of them unlock different things that we so badly need, and that we must keep our keys intact to accomplish the good we must in this life.

One chapter I particularly enjoyed was entitled "Satan's Alternatives to Repentance." We read about the war in Heaven, how Satan desired to lead the children of our Heavenly Father astray, and how he would keep us from having the ability to choose. How grateful I am that we can choose for ourselves and that we can be accountable for our own destinies.

A nice addition to your religious book collection, "By Man Least Understood" is a valuable resource for any LDS family.

—Tristi Pinkston, families.com

Long ago, in my largely-wasted youth, I decided to attend a school that was as different from what I had been accustomed to as you might imagine. I had just had my conversion experience to Christianity, baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist church, and anxious to learn as much as I could about the faith. Adventists run a small network of "self-supporting institutions" - schools, farms, etc., run entirely on Adventist principles but not financially supported by the denomination. I met a man who had attended a school called Wildwood Medical Missionary Institute, in Wildwood, Georgia. I decided - this is it! This is what I want to do.

I packed my bags and headed to this very, very small southern town. Coming from New York City, it was quite a change! And it took me a while to become accustomed to the quiet. All in all, it was a wonderful experience.

My mother, worried about the kind of cult I had become involved in, decided to stop by. The nearest airport was Chattanooga, about 15 miles over the Georgia/Tennessee border. My friend and classmate Dennis volunteered to drive me to the airport to pick her up. Now, I'm not saying Dennis was a bad driver, but he acted as something of a magnet when it came to doing things wrong. As we drove through the streets, I mentioned to him that, yes, I didn't know how to drive, but why did the street signs all have their backs to us? Yikes! We were going the wrong way down a one way street. Dennis quickly turned off the street, smiling to make sure I was still calm. I said to him, "You know, the signs *still* have their backs to us!"

Yes, Dennis had turned off one street, only to turn on to another one way street, and proceed the wrong way! Only the grace of God got us to the airport and back. Of course, I had a lot of fun with this story when we all got back to school.

Dennis had repented - he realized he was headed in the wrong direction. But his repentance didn't guarantee he'd be going in the right direction! You can change your course, and still be headed the wrong way. This was a real lesson for me in my young Christian experience. I still tell this story from time to time when talking about repentance.

The theme of Derek Rowley's book is, indeed, repentance, with a focus on how repentance constitutes the heart of, and proper response to, the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ. Placing the whole into the larger context of the Restoration of the Gospel, Rowley explores his topic from many points of view, giving flesh to a subject mostly spoken of only superficially.

Indeed, as Rowley develops his theme, the idea of repentance comes alive as a central part of the Christian's life, necessary for exaltation and for living a celestial life here on earth. Drawing heavily from the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, the author builds a framework for understanding how repentance forms a foundation for our growing into the likeness of God.

His eighth chapter is a challenging look at the role of agency in our lives, a consideration of how agency costs not only us, but also the Father, in His design of a plan that allows even the pre-mortal angels to choose evil over good. In his role in ward and stake leadership, Rowley has had opportunities to grow in his own understanding of the atonement and of the place of repentance in this all-giving act of our Heavenly Father.

Through these experiences, and through his own study and struggles, Rowley has penned a simple, but often profound, study of the importance of repentance. Never judgmental, but always caring, the author has given the LDS community a nice treatise on this important subject. I'm certain many will enjoy and benefit from reading this book.

Unlike my friend Dennis, the author knows that it is important not just to turn away from sin, but to turn toward God and amend our lives to be in harmony with His plan. He has given us so much to assist us along the way. We need only reach out and accept this guidance.

I'm certain many will enjoy and benefit from reading this book. But more than reading, it will require the disciple to follow the counsels of the scriptures to point the way.

—Jeff Needle, LDSBookLovers.com