When Times Are Tough by John Bytheway

My son, Alexander, LOVES John Bytheway and memorizes most of his CD’s word for word. He started watching The Andy Griffith Show because John talks about it often. He owns both of the John Bytheway collections, but wants more. I think I only own one of his CD’s. I attended one of his classes at BYU Women’s Conference before too. I enjoy his insights and his humor. One of his books we don’t own is When Times Are Tough: 5 Scriptures That Will Help You Get Through Almost Anything. My brother Jared lent me this book a while ago and I finally finished reading it about a month ago. It isn’t full of humor like many of his talks, but it is inspirational and helpful. Thanks for the timely help, Jared.

Even though it’s called “5 Scriptures That Will Help You”, it actually has more, along with many quotes from general authorities. Each of the 5 chapters has 5 different scriptures to help with various topics—

*5 Scriptures That Will Help You Get Through Almost Anything
*5 Scriptures That Will Strengthen Your Marriage
*5 Scriptures That Will Improve Your Family Relationships
*5 Scriptures That Will Strengthen Your Faith
*5 Scriptures That Will Motivate You to Action.

Here are few quotes from the book that I copied into my quote file.

“I can’t think of any more powerful weapons than faith and knowledge of the scriptures in the which are contained the Word of God. One so armored and one so prepared with those weapons is prepared to go out against the enemy that is more to be feared than the enemies of the light . . . More to be feared than the enemies that come in the daylight that we can see are the enemies that strike in the darkness of the night that we can’t see with our eyes”
President Harold B. Lee, BYU Speeches of the Year, 9 Nov. 1954, pp. 307, as quoted in Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 56

“Do not suppose that God willfully causes that, which for His own purposes, he permits.” “THE PLAY AND THE PLAN” President Boyd K. Packer, CES Fireside, 7 May 1995

“The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team’s jersey we want to wear!”
Jeffrey R. Holland, Email correspondence from Elder Holland to John Bytheway, 1 June 2004

“We can add to each other’s storehouse of self-esteem by giving deserved, specific commendation more often, remembering, too, that those who are breathless from going the second mile need deserved praise just as the fallen need to be lifted up.”
Elder Maxwell, Notwithstanding My Weakness (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981), 10

“If we only knew it, heavenly hosts are pulling for us—friends in heaven that we cannot now remember who yearn for our victory. This is our day to show what we can do—what life and sacrifice we can daily, hourly, instantly make for God. If we give our all, we will get His all from the greatest of all.”
Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” Ensign, Dec 1988, 2

“We can show them the joy that living the gospel brings. I’ve learned from personal experience that it’s easy for my children to see my frustration, my impatience, and my stress, but I have to make a conscious and deliberate effort to let them see the joy that comes from striving to live what I know to be true.”
John Bytheway, When Times Are Tough, p. 63