Despite the infinite variety of life experiences given to us as human beings, there is one commonality that ties us together: we all go through trials. These challenges may shake faith, challenge relationships, and frustrate life plans. But they may also become beautiful opportunities. This month, we welcome you to join the LDS Living Book Club as we read a book that not only discusses but also testifies of how these trials can turn into triumphs.
In this month’s LDS Living Book Club book selection, That We May Be One, Tom Christofferson talks about how he has found strength in his trials through a loving family, a supportive community, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Tom Christofferson knew that he was gay as a child. This continued to be an internal struggle throughout his adolescent life as he tried to brush aside his feelings, but as a young adult, Christofferson prepared to serve a mission, thinking that if he chose to serve the Lord, these feelings would go away. Upon returning home from an honorable mission, however, Christofferson found himself in the same place he had been two years previous. Still determined to overcome what he considered to be a great trial in his life, he attended BYU and eventually married a woman. When his marriage was annulled shortly after, Christofferson explaining the reason to his parents by saying, “Well, I guess because I’m gay.”
In That We May Be One, Christofferson talks about his experience being a gay member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, what led to his excommunication and leaving the Church, and how the love of his family, his community, and of God brought him back. His story inspires those from every background and offers perspective on faith and family that is relatable to all people. His message is one of love and unites his readers in one universal purpose - to love others and to love God.
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Please join us as we read, learn, and share our thoughts about That We May Be One throughout the month of May. For those who are members of the Deseret Bookshelf PLUS+, the audiobook of That We May Be One is included in your subscription. You can also use the code “BEONE” in Deseret Book stores or on deseretbook.com to receive a 20% discount on a hardcover copy. Follow @ldslivingbookclub on Instagram for discussions and insights from fellow readers and tune in to our live Q&A with Tom Christofferson at the Deseret Book in Salt Lake City on May 16th through live stories on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Tickets and event details can be found here.
We will gather questions for Tom Christofferson via Instagram and Facebook leading up to the event, so make sure to share yours!
Even if you do not participate in the reading, we invite you to follow the updates on the LDS Living Book Club Instagram page for additional insights of how we can overcome challenges and feel an increased sense of worth and love through the redemptive gospel of Jesus Christ.
In That We May Be One, Tom Christofferson shares perspectives gained from his life's journey as a gay man who left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then returned to it. After having asked to be excommunicated from the faith he was raised in, Tom spent two decades in a loving relationship with a committed partner. But gradually, the love of family, friends, and strangers and the Spirit of the Lord worked on him until he found himself one night sitting in his car in front of the bishop's house...
This book is about the lessons Tom, his family, and his fellow Saints learned while trying to love as God loves. It is about the scope and strength of this circle of love and about how learning the truth of our relationship with God draws us to Him. For anyone who has wondered how to keep moving forward in the face of difficult decisions and feelings of ambiguity; for anyone who needs to better understand the redeeming power of our Savior, Jesus Christ; for anyone who seeks to love more fully; this book offers reassurance and testimony of God's love for all of His children.