BOOK NOTICES By Divine Design: Best Practices for presents an accessible, interesting, and Family Success and Happiness, edited by practical profile of its family topic, Brent L. Top and Michael A. Goodman enriched by color photos and relevant (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, summaries of scientific data or gospel- Brigham Young University; Salt Lake related teachings. The volume opens City: Deseret Book, 2014) with a chapter on a common family struggle, seeking harmony in family In The Family: A Proclamation to the life in a busy, chaotic world. The next World, the First Presidency and Council three chapters focus on sustaining a of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of healthy marriage, with articles that Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaim address the role of faith and commit- that the responsibilities and joys of mar- ment in marriage; time challenges and riage, parenting, and family life are given couple rituals in marriage; and mar- to men and women “by divine design.” riage, divorce, and covenant-keeping Using this phrase to set the tone for in the LDS community. The remaining their edited volume, this book’s editors eight chapters explore multiple dimen- further subtitle this selection of twelve sions of the parenting experience. One articles a compendium of “best practices” chapter on parenting provides an in- designed to promote family success and depth discussion of raising children happiness. The edited collection was based on the key principles of latitude, developed under the guidance of Brent L. limits, and love. Other chapters explore Top, dean of Religious Education and the unique roles of women and men professor of Church history and doctrine, as parents, with one focused on the and Michael A. Goodman, associate pro- mothering experience in our modern fessor of Church history and doctrine, world and its key contributions, while both of Brigham Young University. the other addresses “faithful fathering” “Best practices” in fields ranging and vital elements of how fathers can from education to management refer reach for success in family life. Another to principle- based approaches that are chapter explores the transmission of useful, enduring, and meaningful in faith to children and best practices in facilitating growth and success. Many cultivating a healthy religious environ- a spouse or parent has wondered how ment in the home that will bless chil- best to resolve an interpersonal conflict dren. The last four chapters focus on or provide helpful support to a family parenting teenagers and young adults, member in times of difficulty. In this and include explorations of specific and volume, the authors were encouraged proactive parenting practices for teens, to draw upon and integrate essential raising teens to overcome selfishness teachings from scripture and prophetic and indulgence, helping young adults leaders with sound findings from social transition into the key domains of adult science to make clear and apply such best life, and selected parental practices for practices to family life. The contributors navigating the challenges of raising include a range of scholars and educa- “emerging” adults. tors from marriage, family and human In a world where trustworthy infor- development, sociology, psychology, mation can be difficult to find, this vol- and religious education at Brigham ume presents a useful compilation that Young University. blends spiritual perspectives with sound This collection of twelve articles has research findings. If readers are indeed been edited carefully, and each chapter interested in finding “family success BYU Studies Quarterly 55, no. 1 (2016) 189 190 v BYU Studies Quarterly and happiness,” this book will provide of bringing the accounts together into them with an understanding of contem- one, and his organizational plan, which porary challenges in family life and a is essentially to keep the canonized ver- broad set of “best practices” that can be sion as the “core melody,” and to have understood and applied in strengthen- the other nine accounts as “accompa- ing marriage, improving parenting, and niment” in the “harmony” (9). He also enriching family relationships. notes the limitations to such a task, and —Sean Brotherson comments that though he has tried to ensure a fair portrayal of all the accounts, he is aware that there may be The First Vision: A Harmonization of some human error evident in the final 10 Accounts from the Sacred Grove by outcome. Matthew B. Christensen (Springville, After these introductory sections, Utah: Cedar Fort, 2014) Christensen provides the reader with a color key, which assigns a specific color The First Vision of Joseph Smith is one of to each of the different accounts so as to the defining moments in the theology of aid the reader when going through the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day harmony. The next pages contain the har- Saints. With it began the Restoration mony itself, and it is in these pages that of the gospel and the reopening of the the reader will be able to read the many communication between God and his different accounts of the First Vision as children. Even after the contributions one flowing version. After this harmony, of scholars such as Milton V. Back- he offers a short conclusion, including man, James B. Allen, John W. Welch, a small section with an invitation from and Steven C. Harper, most Latter-day Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon with Saints are familiar with only the canon- their promise of a personal witness to the ized account of this vision recorded in truthfulness of their testimonies. Joseph Smith—History in the Pearl of Those interested in a better under- Great Price. However, there are other standing of Joseph Smith’s First Vision, accounts of it recorded by Joseph Smith member of the Church or not, will find as well as other secondary sources. this an informative read. It offers a new In this short book that is also filled approach to all of the various accounts with beautiful illustrations, Matthew B. of the First Vision and uncovers some of Christensen attempts to do something the lesser-known details and thoughts that many agree is long overdue: har- of Joseph before, during, and after the monize ten different accounts of the event. As a result, it is more varied than First Vision into one comprehensive the canonized version and even includes account. He begins his book by pro- a section where all of Christ’s words viding certain criteria that helped him from the different accounts are together decide which accounts he should or at one time. Visitors at the new exhibi- should not use in this harmony. Basi- tion in Salt Lake City at the Church His- cally, he chose to use only those that tory Museum entitled “The Heavens Are were recorded during the lifetime of Open” will also encounter a shorter but Joseph Smith, resulting in ten accounts. similar harmonization in the dramatic He then goes on to summarize each presentation of the First Vision there. of them, briefly discussing their ori- While it is helpful to see the vari- gins, authors, and content. After these ous accounts harmonized as one, read- summaries, he describes his method ers will also benefit from Christensen’s .