Ross Palfreyman has taken a lifetime of faith and biblical study and turned it toward an important and timely reflection on the role of service and joy in our lives. Joy in the Brambles shows us how to navigate the dense thickets of choices we are faced with day to day. He gives us a compass that points us toward joy as our sacred connection to God and shows us that joy consists of service and an orientation toward others.

Despite several similarities to other religious denominations, there remain a number of unique lifestyle and doctrinal differences that separate Mormons from what one might call typical Christian living. For one thing, Mormons follow a fairly strict dietary law of health called the “Word of Wisdom” that prohibits the consumption of alcohol and tabacco. In addition to Sunday worship in meetinghouses, Mormons also build and attend Temples for special religious practices throughout their lifetime. In addition to reading the Bible, Mormons also read from the Book of Mormon, which they hold as sacred scripture concerning ancient America as revealed by the prophet Joseph Smith in 1830. Finally, Mormons place a high standard on family home life and all of their teachings and activities are committed toward bringing families closer together in love and unity in hopes that this ideal will be perpetuated in the afterlife.
One of the real hallmarks of the Church is the practice of sending young men and women on missions throughout the world for up to two years. Once I volunteered to go, I agreed to go wherever I was assigned to go. It was Thailand where I served from 1973 to 1975. There are up to 70,000 missionaries serving at any one time. So you may know one of these missionaries as a friend, a neighbor, a work associate or a child of any of these. While this particular story takes place in Thailand, many of the ups and downs of a mission are universal in nature. Hence, reading Two Years In God's Mormon Army is a revealing look inside the Mormon Church, its customs and beliefs.