"THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE," by Ganel-Lyn Condie, Covenant Communication, $16.99, 220 pages (nf)
Filmmaker T.C. Christensen's decision to make "The Cokeville Miracle," LDS historian Susan Easton Black's choice to marry George Durrant after her first husband passed away and Janice Kapp Perry leaving sports behind and become a musician instead, are some of the pivoting moments that Ganel-Lyn Condie shares in “The Decision that Changed My Life.”
Condie shares 16 stories from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about specific decisions, big and small, that impacted them and, as the title suggests, changed the course of their lives.
Condie, of Utah, included stories from well-known LDS members, as well as stories from everyday, ordinary members of the church and the topics range from parenthood, careers, missionary work, adversity and the film and music industry.
While some of the narratives reflect on big life decisions, others tell the stories of simple decisions made every day to grow.
The opening chapter tells the story of how the decision to accept a calling from her bishop led Perry to become one of the most well-known LDS composers and musicians. Later, readers are introduced to a mother who, when she found out her son was using drugs again, decided to tell him she loved him instead of getting angry.
“Ripple Effects” are included at the end of each chapter, offering insights on how the decision discussed in the main narrative influenced those close to the storyteller.
After Whitney Wilcox Laycock tells the story of moving to Chile for three years when her father was called as a mission president, Brad Wilcox writes about how he saw his children grow and progress during their time in an unfamiliar country. After reading the story of a young mother who decided to give up her budding music career to raise a family, her son writes a touching letter of gratitude for his mother’s sacrifice.
The stories are filled with hope and inspiration, an uplifting way to remind readers that even the small, seemingly insignificant decisions we make day-to-day can have a lifelong impact.
“These written narratives remind us of the importance and impact of making one decision because it really can change a life,” Condie writes in the beginning of the book.