Pain Is Inevitable, Misery Is Optional

Smith, who was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1998 and rebaptized in 2002, tackles basic theodicy questions in this helpful book. Why do bad things happen to good people? How should individuals respond to suffering? How does Christ's atonement help people to understand the eternal purpose of their pain? In brief chapters that are surprisingly theological, Smith (a businessman and cocreator of the Franklin Day Planner) draws upon the scriptures and stories from his own life to illustrate spiritual principles. Although he never reveals the cause of his excommunication, he indicates that he was ""living a lie,"" and that he spent four years coming to repentance. This experience, he writes, taught him his own vulnerability to sin and self-deception. The two most powerful chapters in the book discuss the role of the Holy Spirit in helping individuals overcome tragic circumstances, with Smith sharing compelling testimony of healing after the unexpected deaths of several family members.