Challenges and Choices: Discovering the Proper Use of Agency

When all four of their children became entangled in drug addiction, Alan and Linda Mangum turned to the doctrine of moral agency and sound psychological principles to survive with their marriage and family intact. Framed around six gospel principles—from premortal agency to the healing power of Christ's Atonement—this candid, personal book offers parents facing wayward children hope, perspective, and practical tools. Blending scripture, rehab wisdom, cycling analogies, and hard-won experience, Mangum makes the case that how we choose to respond to our challenges makes all the difference.

• A father of four children who all battled drug addiction shares how his family survived—with marriage intact
• Foreword by emeritus General Authority Jack H. Goaslind
• Combines LDS doctrine with rehab wisdom, AA's Twelve Steps, and neuroscience
• Unflinchingly honest personal account—including a child living in an abandoned camper in a Utah winter

“What matters more than anything else in this world is how you choose to deal with those challenges.”

Perfect for an LDS parent agonizing over a child's addiction or rebellious choices who needs both doctrinal reassurance and practical coping tools.