Religious Marriage

When police raided the Short Creek compound of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1953, it soon became a political and publicity nightmare and eventually cost the governor of Arizona his job. From that point on, skittish public officials allowed the polygamist sect to practice its tenants unmolested for the next 50 years and turned a blind eye to child abandonment, kidnapping, statutory rape, incest, and massive tax and welfare fraud. But then Warren Jeffs, a new FLDS prophet, escalated the sect’s crimes to near madness.

Their revolutionary marriage was arguably one of the most scandalous and intriguing in history. Yet five centuries later, we still know little about Martin and Katharina Luther's life as husband and wife - until now. Against all odds, the unlikely union worked, over time blossoming into the most tender of love stories. This unique biography tells the riveting story of two extraordinary people and their extraordinary relationship, offering refreshing insights into Christian history and illuminating the Luthers' profound impact on the institution of marriage.

Will the contents of dozens of old trunks filled with century’s old and fragile dresses, antique books and journals, and an even older jeweled sword, provide the answers to any of Mae’s well-guarded secrets?Sisters of the Heart is the fifth book in the ongoing story of the Engstrom family in the Mae’s Second Chance series. In the small ghost town of Mae’s Second Chance, where centuries old secrets remain hidden and the surrounding hills continue to guard another woman’s treasures, Julie Engstrom brings her family in search of a place that can replace what they had to leave behind....

Romance author Becca Mason is spending the summer at Sagebrush Ranch, looking forward to her friend’s wedding, parties and fun. She also hopes to kick the writer’s block plaguing her. Hoping a change of scenery will reignite her creativity, she jumped right in when her friend offered the invitation. Nobody knows what he writes, though, because what credible romance author would have such rotten luck with her own happily ever after? Ethan Boone is a horse trainer at the ranch who’s considered a bit of a player. The truth about that is a little more complicated. He’s carried a secret ...

In his raw and tender memoir, biographer Kevin Wells pulls listeners into the unforgettable story of a parish priest turned hermit, Father Martin Flum, who orchestrated the slow resurrection of his wife, Krista, from the nightmare of her deep wounds and addiction. In gripping fashion, Kevin tells the story of his family’s own long suffering, which culminated in the dark spring of 2020, as a strange fear pressed down upon the world and his wife spent most nights drinking away long-held shame.

In a world consumed with quick-fixes, superficial romances, and "hookup" relationships, maybe you're asking: What's the benefit to actually waiting for God's best? Is there a perfect plan for my future - or is it just a fairy tale? Should I just settle like everyone else? With all-new insights from Jackie Kendall, a new generation will answer these questions and discover what made Lady in Waiting a life-changing encouragement to over half a million people worldwide.

Rev. Lucy Bartlett’s life couldn’t be more perfect. She’s turned around her crumbling church. She’s finishing her doctorate and publishing her first book. Best of all, she is engaged to marry her soulmate, Dr. Liz Stolz. Once a world-famous opera singer, Lucy has been coaching the church’s transgender music director, who hopes to relaunch her career as a natural alto. When Denise lands an audition with a major orchestra, she knows that the conductor is only using her to lure Lucy into performing again. To show her support, Lucy agrees to do the concert, but after the triumphant ...

He's tried and failed in country music - and women - before. She wasn't supposed to be at the ranch that summer. When Maddy shows up unexpectedly, will she and Kyle have their second chance romance? Or will the call of the stage lure him away? Kyle Stewart toured with a popular band for a year, but he couldn't get a record label to pick up his music. He's been back at his family's ranch, using his country music contacts to arrange summer concerts for the tourists who come through the Texas Longhorn Ranch for a unique western experience. Lately, he's had some interest in his music again, ...

The remarkable life, career, and faith journey of the star of The Love Boat and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. For 16 years, millions of Americans welcomed Gavin MacLeod into their living rooms every Saturday night. This veteran of stage and screen transformed himself from a seasoned character actor into the leading, lovable father-figure of The Love Boat at the height of TV's boom years. For more than 30 years, Gavin MacLeod has served as the global ambassador for Princess Cruises.

T.D. Jakes doesn't just preach to his listeners, he gives them the psychological and practical tools that they need to realize their faith in their lives. Clear-sighted, realistic, and spiritually uplifting, Making Great Decisions is one of those rare books that can change lives. "Remember," writes T.D. Jakes, "your tomorrow is no better than the decisions you make today."

Livia Andersen was a woman who held her family together with a quiet smile and an iron will. It’s only been months since her death and the four children she leaves behind continue to grapple with the shifting changes in their lives now that she’s gone especially her youngest daughter, Claire. Claire Andersen Slavik came to her lakeside cabin shortly after her mother’s death. She needed the refuge it offered her at a time when little else did. She’s had several visitors over the last several months including Scott Patterson, a close friend of her brother and the rest of the Andersen ...

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by the English poet William Blake consists of a series of texts written in the style of biblical prophecy but expressing Blake's own beliefs. Composed between 1790 and 1793, the book makes reference to Milton and Swedenborg, and adopts a device from Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost: a visit to hell. Blake expresses a deliberately depolarized and unified vision of the cosmos in which the material world and physical desire are both part of the divine order.

Discover a story of healing and personal transformation. Marlena’s childhood was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor for people with leprosy and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed to both be accepted in Paraguay and escape to somewhere new. In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena’s journey as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included.

Cole and Savannah LaBrant’s lives have been a series of trials and triumphs - but also full of redemption and grace. They were on seemingly different paths but were brought together by God in a surprising way, which culminated in a public love story on the Internet that was witnessed by millions of viewers. Now Cole and Sav are giving listeners a chance to go beyond the small glimpses of their lives offered on their YouTube videos, sharing the full richness of God’s work in their lives through their powerful, inspiring story. Listeners will be reminded that hope is always possible.

A woman hiding a secret. A Sheriff in need of a bride. A deception that could risk it all. June Vintrello is frantic to avoid marriage to a wealthy, but dangerous widower. Desperate, June visits a marriage agency and learns of a potential match far away in Utah, where upon she immediately leaves Chicago without so much as a single letter of communication. Sheriff Luke Palmer seeks a wife to manage his home and see to his nephew Tim. When June arrives declaring her intent to marry he is shocked. After all, he had written his letter six months ago, and not received a word of response. ...

In this magisterial work, leading cultural critic Mary Eberstadt delivers a powerful new theory about the decline of religion in the Western world. The conventional wisdom is that the West first experienced religious decline, followed by the decline of the family. Eberstadt turns this standard account on its head. Marshalling an impressive array of research, Eberstadt shows that the reverse has also been true: the undermining of the family has further undermined Christianity itself.

A Must Read Religious Novel For Book Lovers! Love isn’t just about fate. It’s about fighting for your forever. Golden child, Diana Matthewton, may be blessed with beauty, brains, and a future full of promise. But sometimes life isn’t always that simple. High school heartthrob, Henry Richardson, is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Diana. After dating briefly, she refuses to be just another conquest, but her rejection only fuels his obsession. Once at college, Henry is a memory. Especially when fate throws Doctor George Smith in Diana’s path. She thinks he’s perfect. He ...

She's a veterinarian with a secret past. He's her new boss. When Todd hires Laura, it's because she's willing to live on-site and work full-time for the ranch. But when their feelings turn personal, will Laura put up walls between them to keep them apart? Laura Woodcross has searched for a long time to find somewhere she felt comfortable. After her fiancé was diagnosed with cancer and died before they could get married, she's felt lost and alone in the great big world. She had to fight for her place in the large animal care program, and nothing ever seems to work out for her. When she ...

Relentless is the fifteenth novella in the ongoing story of the Andersen family. Livia Andersen was a woman who held her family together with a quiet smile and an iron will. It’s been months since her death and her children and grandchildren she leaves behind continue to grapple with the shifting changes in their lives now that she’s gone. Some look back at what else has been lost to them. Chris Andersen is looking forward with anticipation to the future spread that's out in front of him…one that he didn’t expect. But he is also looking behind him at what was lost and never ...

In Polygamy: A Very Short Introduction, Sarah M.S. Pearsall explores what plural marriages reveal about the inner workings of marriage and describes the controversies surrounding it. The book emphasizes the diversity of historical polygamist societies, from the Shi'ite Muslims and Wendat men who practiced short-term marriages to the Mixteca, Maori, Inca, Algonquin, and Marta indigenous people of North America and the Pacific Islands. Pearsall also explains the divides within Christianity that led to Joseph Smith's establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.