Safe Journey: An African Adventure

by Glenn L. Pace

From Front Flap of Dust Jacket: "On August 16, 1998, elder Glenn L. Pace and his wife, Jolene, left for Africa. Called to serve in the Africa West Area for three years, they learned to adapt, to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590382315
• ISBN13: 9781590382318
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain
• Length: 293 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Best LDS Church Book in Years

Safe Journey is the best LDS Church book in years. But first, a word on "LDS Church Books". Books are of the utmost importance in Mormon culture and follow a strict and complex hierarchy. Of first rank are the scriptures--Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. These works are considered the "standard works" and serve as the measure of the orthodoxy of any other work. The next level are works written at the express direction of Church leadership, such as Talmage's "Jesus the Christ" or which remain published exclusively by the Church, such as President Kimball's "Miracle of Forgiveness". After these are works of General Authorities, which traditionally bear a disclaimer stating that any such book is entirely the responsibility of its author rather than a statement of Church doctrine. Many excellent and worthy books are written by gospel historians, BYU Professors, Church Education personnel and others, but works by General Authorities have an implicit authority that derives from the mandate of their authors to be Special Witnesses of Christ. The largest subset of General Authority books are the "teachings" volumes, which generally summarize sermons and conference addresses. Next you have volumes of exegesis and commentary concerning the standard works and various doctrines--most notable of which are those by Elder McConkie and Elder Maxwell, different styles, same message. A fascinating and increasingly popular style are what I call Church Procedurals: primarily works such as those by Elder Gibbons which, though ostensibly biographies of Church Presidents, provide the best publicly-available record of the operation of the Church at the highest levels. Another example would be "Pure Religion" by Glen L. Rudd. But the rarest and my personal favorites are the autobiographical works. (Elder Maxwell's "Moving in His Majesty and Power" falls squarely in this category.) Elder Pace manages in "Safe Journey" to hit the high points of every subcategory. It is a sound and instructive blend of doctrine, Church History, procedure and biography. And, despite its depth, it is a fun read. We forget sometimes that the restoration is still happening--Elder Pace manages to reveal the frustration of leading the enthusiastic new African saints without in any fashion detracting from the Spirit. He demonstrates that it the testimony of Jesus and His modern prophets that is truly essential to the work--all else is merely an appendage of lesser importance. This work is also all the more powerful because it faithfully describes the Lord's process of bringing his blessings to a new people--it is primarily the story of the building of the Ghana temple. Elder Pace succeeds in telling an honest and complete story that is all the more fascinating for its portrayal of the many roadblocks both encountered and overcome in his administration of the Church in West Africa. Some discouraging moments are shared for the purpose of

Spirited account of the LDS church in Africa

This book is a moving, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking account of Elder Pace's service among the African saints. It begins with his service during the terrible famine in Ethiopia in the 1980's and continues until his release from his assignment as a member of the Quorum of the Seventy assigned to the Africa West Area. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fascinating story. It sure made me appreciate the great blessings I enjoy as a member of the church living in the United States. The first chapter is mostly quotes about the plan of the gospel, and I think, slows the book down. These would have been better placed at the end. The book includes many of Elder Pace's talks, including his address in General Conference of April 2000. The pictures are wonderful. My favorite was the picture of Sister Pace talking to a woman who was carrying a sewing machine on her head! Now, that's ingenuous. One that missionaries, families, and those curious about the LDS church would enjoy.