Srilaksana Suntarahut was one of the first Church members in Thailand. She spent years of her life leading the translation efforts for the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price in Thai. I hope you enjoy her inspiring story as much as I did!

I wanted to make some little Easter coloring pages for you to enjoy during the holiday. Feel free to download and color them! I'd love to see your work in the comments. Happy Easter!

Dear readers,

I have a really cool story to share this month. Ever since beginning work on Standout Saints, I've had many special experiences connecting with people as I've learned about Church history heroes. Recently, Lisa, the oldest daughter of one of the heroes in my book, contacted me. She told me that she and her daughter decided to go to a bookstore. Lisa's daughter wanted to get Standout Saints, but Lisa was hesitant. Finally, she gave in. Later, as they were reading the book, they realized something special: there, at the back of the book, was Lillian Toft Ashby--Lisa's mother and her daughter, Toft's, namesake. Lisa and I began chatting and I learned so much more about Lillian's amazing story. I'm excited to share parts of it with you as this month's Standout Saints bonus chapter!

I know it's been such a rough time lately, but I hope you will still feel peace and joy during this Easter season. It's one of my favorite times of year, and I've been thinking about how we can feel the Savior's peace no matter our external circumstances. More than that, His most important gifts are always on offer: love, forgiveness, and hope for eternal life with those dearest to us. 

Wishing you all a very happy Easter!

With love,

Sierra

In honor of Black History month, I researched and wrote about an incredible saint from Ghana. Joseph W.B. Johnson helped share the gospel and build up the Church for over a decade before meeting with missionaries and receiving baptism. He played a huge role in helping the Church grow in Ghana and his faith and sacrifices are an inspiration. I can't wait to share his story with you. You can download the bonus chapter I wrote below. I simply ask that you not reproduce or share it, except for personal use. Thank you!

In Standout Saints, I was only able to share 40 stories of Church history heroes around the world. Selecting which stories to include in the book was an incredibly challenging experience. My goal was to show how God's hand has been at work all around the world and to help highlight a diversity of faithful heroes representing the global restoration of God's church. Since completing Standout Saints, I've continued my Church history research and continue finding stories to share. I've also heard from some of the family members of heroes I mentioned in the book and have gained new insights. During 2021, I plan to release one bonus chapter per month to continue sharing incredible Standout Saints and their inspiring journeys with you. You can sign up for my newsletter to have the bonus chapters emailed straight to your inbox or you can read them here. I hope you enjoy reading about these beautiful stories. Thank you!

Hello Dear Readers,

I'm so excited to share my newest book, Standout Saints: Church History Heroes from Around the World, releasing October 5th. This book was definitely a labor of love and dream come true to write. For years I've wanted to share a wider range of faithful heroes with children, especially female heroes and heroes from a variety of races and ethnicities. I can't wait for you to read it!

Starting today, different bloggers will be reviewing and highlighting Standout Saints. Check out these links to read the reviews and enter the giveaway:

Sep 28 - Min Reads & Reviews
https://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/.../standout...
Sep 30 - My Book a Day
http://mybookaday.com/+
Oct 2 - Books are Sanity
http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/
Oct 4 - Wishful Endings
https://www.wishfulendings.com/
Oct 6 - Rachelle Christensen
https://rachellechristensen.com/blog/
Oct 7 - Bookworm Lisa
http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/
Oct 8 - Heidi Reads
http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/
Oct 9 - Life Is What It's Called
https://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/
Oct 10 - Geo Librarian
https://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Oct 12 - Empower Moms
https://empowermoms.net/category/book-reviews

And don't forget--if you pre-order Standout Saints, please let me know and I'll send you a bonus chapter!