by Rebecca Talley
Experience the gospel in a new perspective while witnessing Dan Harrington's spiritual journey.
Not just another tale of conversion, Dan reverently reveals the Mormon religion through a non-member's eyes as he reflects upon his experiences with missionaries and Church members, forges new friendships, and finds an unexpected common ground of faith.
Find out who's at the door and see what can happen when you open it.
I enjoyed this book by a new CFI author. My son served his mission in Rome, Italy and I often wondered what it was like for the people that met him. He's so full of energy and excitement that I'm sure many he met caught his enthusiasm. This book allowed me to see a mission from another perspective--that of an investigator.
Harrington is candid and honest about his experience with the missionaries. He also shares his feelings about members of the Church he met. One particular experience made me cringe. A member of the ward was supposed to come and meet with him and the missionaries but didn't show up, on more than one occasion. I realize that things come up and we all have tremendously busy lives, but I wish someone from that ward would've been able to attend the discussion with Mr. Harrington and the elders.
I wasn't sure if I'd like this book, I'm not a big memoir reader, but it pulled me right in. I found myself thinking about it and hoping for a particular ending. This isn't a conversion story, it's about Harrington's spiritual journey and I liked his candor. He didn't sugarcoat anything. It made me realize that I need to teach my boys even better how to be an effective missionary, how to be a friend to those they teach, and how to bring the Spirit to any meeting.
I hope Mr. Harrington continues on his spiritual journey and I hope it leads him to the Savior. I feel like I know him, or at least a bit about him, after reading his book and it's made me ask myself some questions.
I recommend this book to any who want to venture out on a spiritual journey and to any who want to know the other side of a mission.
I received a review copy of this book but it did not influence my review. My opinions are my own. Who's at the Door? A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries is available at Amazon.
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6 comments:
Nice review Rebecca. I also enjoyed the book. I expect Dan will do well with this. Its a good quick read.
Sounds like a good book. Thanks:-)
Thank you for the nice review, Rebecca.
Your son sounds like Elder Nielson from my own experience--I'm sure he did very well.
I'm also glad that so many members of the church have appreciated the honesty in my story. Thank you for the support.
Enjoyed your review. I think I might have to read this book. I have four sons and all four served missions. It would be interesting to see how the experiences in this book compare.
I also reviewed this book this week & really loved it. Dan's writing is very comfortable - like talking to a friend. It pulls you in, which makes his experiences all that more interesting and easy to relate to. I have a new favorite quote from his Catholic priest that I've decided to have cut out in vinyl lettering to put on a ceramic tile for in our entry way. Who's at the Door is such a great book!
Thank you!!
"There's room for everyone at God's table" (or something close to that).
I wasn;t sure I'd like it, but as soon as I started reading, I wanted to read more. I really like his writing style and I like that the book is an honest look at the Church without tearing it down or making fun of it.
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