The Best Books

To my son, 

                One of my favorite verses in the Doctrine and Covenants is this one found in two different sections: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118, 109:7). I have pondered often what those “best books” are that we should spend our time with. Google apparently reports that by 2010 there were 129,864,880 books published in the world since the printing press was invented in 1440. That doesn’t include many digital books that have been created or the millions that have been written since then. At any rate, the bottom line is that there are a lot of books to choose from when you look at what to read! The Lord’s message to us in this verse is that we should seek out the very best books when we read. So, what are those books we should focus on given that we can only read the tiniest fraction of available books in our lives? Surely the first on the list are the scriptures: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price should be at the top of our “best books” list. The words of modern prophets that are readily available to us should certainly join those. And the Lord gave us another clue about what we should read in this same section of the Doctrine and Covenants, suggesting that we should learn about “things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:79). We should read from nonfiction books that teach us of history and science and other countries so that we can better understand the world we live in. The Lord wants us to be well-rounded and learn as much as we can about other peoples and the history of the earth.

                There is also great value in the best books of fiction, and I believe there are many inspired works of fiction that teach us eternal truths and help us learn to live better. Books like The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens are among my favorites. The very best fictional stories are those that the Savior told during His life called parables. These short stories have so much to teach us. For example, from the Parable of the Good Samaritan we learn what it really means to love our neighbor. From the Parable of the Prodigal Son we see the power of repentance and the love our Father in Heaven has for his children. From the Parable of the Ten Virgins we learn how we need to be prepared spiritually for the day when we shall meet the Savior. From the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man we learn about the justice of God and what should really matter to us in this life. And there are many more, each of which is a fictional story that has great value to help us understand the things of God. One of my favorites is this short parable: “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21). In this story the man who was focused only on amassing his riches and living a life of ease found that in a single moment it was all lost and that none of those things would come with him into the next life. It is a warning to us that we should focus on that which is eternal over that which is worldly.

                And so, I hope to encourage you as you choose books to read that are among the “best” and lead you to truths that are eternal. Some books are like cotton candy—somewhat fun but there is nothing of lasting value there. Seek to find those that are more like a Thanksgiving feast, full of meaning and substance to stay with you a long time. Spending time with the best books such as the scriptures, inspiring stories from history, and timeless works of fiction will help you ultimately to “be prepared in all things” to “magnify the calling” and “mission” that the Lord has in store for you in your life (Doctrine and Covenants 88:80). 

Love,

Dad