Trust in the Lord: Reflections of Jesus Christ

Kemsley, an accounting professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, posits that “the journey to know Christ is the journey to know the deepest, best element of ourselves.” In this brief book, Kemsley draws on personal experiences and anecdotes to demonstrate how he came to know Christ. His experiences are not miraculous or earth-shattering, but ordinary and real: seeing Christ reflected in a newborn, for example, or an act of service. As a father of nine children, many of these acts of service are unseen and unthanked late-night feedings or diaper changes; though they did not seem significant at the time, Kemsley now realizes that such simple deeds mean everything. Although Kemsley is a Mormon and the book is from an LDS publisher, it has a deeply ecumenical tone. The focus throughout is on knowing and loving Christ, not emphasizing denominational differences. Although it lacks the poetic nature of some other memoirish devotional books of this type, such as The Quantity of a Hazelnut , there is a simple honesty to this volume that makes it refreshing and quietly lovely. (Mar.)