Stand a Little Taller is a daily devotional collection from LDS Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, who was known for his wit, humor, and brilliant writing. And there’s really not much to say about it, to be honest. It’s a pretty good devotional book, taken mostly from the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Standing for Something is a full-length book, also by Gordon B. Hinckley. This one is written more for members of other faiths (or no faith at all.) The subtitle is “10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes,” which pretty well describes his approach and organization. He discusses a few virtues that used to be more valued (like honesty,) and comes to their defense, explaining why improving our personal characters will improve our society at large.
It’s well written, and rather inspirational. Hinckley has a very strong optimism, and it’s infectious. I will admit, though, I think sometimes his optimism brought out the skeptic in me, especially when he talks about America’s glorious history. Don’t get me wrong; we’ve had some pretty great moments. But we’ve also had some embarrassing ones, and I’m not used to such one-sided praise of any society. So there were a few moments when he kind of lost me. But they usually weren’t about the main point, so I’ll still go ahead and recommend it. Overall, it gave me hope for the future. ♦
