Works in Progress
This book is written for faithful, believing Latter-Day Saints who are trying to manage another person’s behavior, to singlehandedly shield their families from the fallout of broken promises, to forgive and love and be Christlike, all while teetering on the verge of collapse.
I've been there too. And now I'm writing to share the glorious news that there is no conflict between true discipleship and emotional health. This book challenges cultural myths, like that the role of helpmeet is to turn one’s husband into a great man; that prioritizing another’s salvation over our own is godly; and that valiance is about not making big mistakes. Tracing a scriptural path toward healthy, happy, Christ-like interaction with others who struggle, it offers self-stewardship as a consecrated alternative to self-disregard. The limits of our stewardship to others is explored in the context of their agency. Marital covenants and marital intimacy are treated with a deep reverence that demands they not be corrupted into mechanisms for domination and destruction.
I’m grateful to have Randy Keyes, a clinical counselor and fellow Latter-day Saint, as a cowriter. He provides valuable insight and case studies from his professional and ecclesiastical experience.
Angels in Gethsemane is the big silver lining on my COVID social distancing experience. That created the opportunity to write my first draft. It is now in revision and I hope to be able to query with it soon.