Reviews -
Steven A. Cramer (the pseudonym for Gerald Curtis) has written many books on repentance and overcoming temptations. This book was an attempt to show practical use of the counsel contained in his other books through the medium of a novel.
Elder Curtis has been in the mission field for six months and has been working hard. But he has a big problem - he is feeling guilty for lying to his leaders about his worthiness. He had a pornography habit that he had stopped six months before his mission interviews so that he could say he was worthy. Now he realizes that he made a mistake.
The Elder has a series of interviews with his mission president, President Love, over a couple of days. He is given materials to read in between these interviews, which he then discusses with President Love. He learns what true repentance is and what it entails, with topics such as Godly sorrow, the atonement, forsaking sins, making restitution, confession, and even the pitfalls of perfectionism. He learns that it is us who decide whether we are "chosen, " as the word is used in D&C 121, which is what is being referred to in the title of the book.
The discussion between the elder and the mission president makes it easier to understand the principles being taught, however I think that the use of fiction could have been applied better to show the application of the concepts. It is very difficult to show meaningful changes in a person's life through repentance over just a couple of days. We do see some of this, but this is obviously not how quickly true repentance happens in real life. The author does point this and other problems out in the introduction, as well as stating that someone who uses pornography is usually not able to stop on their own, and he gives some addiction recovery resources in an appendix.
Overall, I thought this book did a very good job of presenting the doctrine of repentance. The dialogue between the characters helped to better explain some of the more difficult concepts. Repentance is not an easy road, but it is one that we must all follow, and this book can serve as a helpful guide.
Classifying this new book by Steven A. Cramer was a bit difficult. I decided on "fiction" because it is, after all, a novel. But it is in fact Cramer's attempt to tell a story that may very well be reflective of the experience of many Mormon missionaries.
Elder Curtis is Cramer's troubled missionary. He was accepted into the missionary program, but only after lying about his addiction to pornography. He thought he'd overcome the problem, but while on his mission, found himself struggling with the old passions. He confronts his mission President (who bears the fortunate name of "Love") with the problem, fully expecting to be sent home. Instead, the President takes him aside and challenges Elder Curtis to try to understand what his feelings really mean, and to meet them head on with clarity and faith.
President Love has prepared a small mountain of writings which he presents to the young missionary, asking him to read them, pray over what they teach, and then return and discuss the teachings. Their reach is broad - repentance, faith, honesty, etc. And they are filled with the words of the latter-day prophets, counsel to all who face daily temptations. As I read, I had to confront my own feelings about the missionary program. In my nearly two decades of Mormon studies, I've met scores of young men and women going through the San Diego area as missionaries. From the annoyingly bold to the amazingly timid, from the very wise to, well, the ones who really needed more training before being sent out to the mission field - you all know what I'm talking about. Two by two they leave their comfortable homes and set out for strange ground. Some can't hack it, and return "without honor" - a terrible stigma to place on a young person just starting out in life. Others return after their full stint, and begin to live their adult lives with this valuable experience behind them.
But how many have felt pressured, as Elder Curtis surely did, to fabricate one's real feelings in order to participate in a central rite of passage for young Mormons? How much pressure is put on young people to conform, to serve their years in the missionary army? Frankly, some of the missionaries I've met could not hide their discomfort - they really wanted to go home.
But for many, the years in the mission field are rewarding and memorable. I've met some very fine young men who have written to me years after they'd returned from their missions, telling me how valuable the experience was to them. I'm really glad when I meet young men and women whose years in the missionary program are rewarding.
Cramer has painted a picture of a young man who begins his journey plagued by his own weakness, but who is ultimately triumphant over that weakness. I don't know how this works in the real world - I suspect it's a bit more complex than that. But Cramer packs the "President Love Letters" with enough wisdom and understanding to satisfy even the harshest critic.
"Chosen" is a sometimes dry, but ultimately rewarding read. Readers will appreciate the honesty and compassion in the writing. I suspect some missionaries, and indeed mission Presidents, will benefit from the reading.
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